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French law enforcement authorities have dismantled a large-scale criminal organization accused of diverting nearly 15 million euros from the national vocational training fund system, uncovering an elaborate scheme that operated over a two-year period. The investigation resulted in the indictment of seven individuals in the Loire and Alpes-Maritimes regions on charges of organized fraud and money laundering. During coordinated searches, investigators seized 50,000 euros in cas

Spain’s online gambling sector maintained its strong upward trajectory in 2025, with online casino activity once again acting as the primary engine of growth, alongside rising betting revenues and increased marketing spend. According to figures released by the General Directorate for Gambling Regulation (DGOJ) covering the three months ending 30 September 2025, gross gaming revenue (GGR) across Spain’s regulated online gambling market reached €405.36 million. This represent

Hong Kong’s Financial Services and the Treasury Bureau, together with the Securities and Futures Commission, have concluded consultations on the introduction of new licensing regimes for virtual asset dealers and custodians, confirming that operating such businesses without a licence will constitute a criminal offence. Under the proposed framework, unlicensed activity will be punishable by a fine of HK$5 million and up to seven years’ imprisonment, marking a major expansion o

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has stepped up its enforcement of anti-money laundering rules in the online gambling sector, issuing a formal warning to TOTO Online after identifying multiple shortcomings in the operator’s compliance with national AML legislation. The regulator said TOTO Online failed to fully comply with obligations under the Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Prevention) Act, particularly in relation to the ongoing monitoring of customer r

Vietnamese authorities have stepped up supervision of the country’s financial system after suspicious transaction reports filed with the State Bank of Vietnam recorded a sharp year-on-year increase of around 30 per cent. The tougher approach includes the enforcement of Decree No. 329/2025/ND-CP, which is designed to closely monitor capital movements within the newly created international financial centre and curb illicit financial activity. Particular attention is being paid

The Federal Bureau of Investigation has dismantled the infrastructure behind E-Note, a long-running digital laundering platform that investigators say was responsible for processing approximately seventy million dollars in criminal proceeds. The enforcement action targeted a Russian national accused of operating the service and now facing a potential sentence of up to twenty years in federal prison. Through coordinated efforts with international law enforcement partners, auth

Instacart has agreed to issue $60 million in refunds to consumers as part of a settlement resolving a Federal Trade Commission investigation into what the agency characterized as “numerous unlawful tactics” employed by the grocery delivery platform. The settlement stems from allegations that the company engaged in deceptive marketing and subscription practices that misled customers about delivery costs and enrolment terms. In parallel, the FTC has requested additional informa

FINRA has issued a $100,000 fine against Mundial Financial Group after identifying serious and long-running breakdowns in the firm’s anti-money laundering controls. The enforcement action follows years of deficiencies spanning customer identification, transaction surveillance, and internal governance, which regulators concluded left the firm highly exposed to illicit trading and money laundering risks. Investigators also found that these weaknesses were exacerbated by the inv

Rank Group has reported a €7.1 million ($8.2 million) payment fraud affecting its Spanish operations to the authorities, while also initiating an internal investigation to determine how the incident occurred. The company confirmed that the fraud is connected to its Spanish-facing brands Yo and Enracha, which operate across bingo, electronic casino and slots, sports betting and entertainment. Given the size of the loss, Rank said the impact will be treated as an exceptional

Police in eastern China’s Zhejiang province have taken Yu Faxiang, the chairman of Hong Kong-listed Haichang Ocean Park, into custody as authorities investigate alleged mismanagement following defaults on multibillion-yuan wealth management products issued by a firm under his control. The move represents the latest crackdown on mainland China’s shadow banking sector, continuing years of government efforts to regulate and clean up the industry. Haichang, mainland China’s large

MP Technology Services Ltd, a key subsidiary of crypto payments firm MoonPay Inc, has been levied an administrative monetary penalty totaling CAD 536,853.35 after regulators concluded the company committed multiple compliance failures within Canada’s financial system. The enforcement decision was finalized on November 20, 2025, and publicly disclosed in mid-December following a detailed compliance review by national financial authorities. The company, which is incorporated

Bendigo and Adelaide Bank has been handed a AUD 50 million capital add-on by Australian regulators after serious deficiencies were uncovered in its financial crime and anti-money laundering controls. The penalty, imposed jointly by the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority (APRA) and the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), follows the discovery of long-standing weaknesses that left the regional lender exposed to illicit financial activity for

As many in the market anticipated, cryptocurrency brokerage Coinbase Global (NASDAQ: COIN) confirmed on Wednesday that it is moving into prediction markets through a partnership with Kalshi. Speculation around Coinbase’s plans to offer prediction-style contracts has circulated for months and gathered pace last week ahead of an event held earlier today. Event contracts now form part of a wider strategic push by the company, which also includes tokenized equities, aimed at broa

HM Revenue and Customs has secured a significant win in the Supreme Court after successfully challenging Hotel La Tour’s attempt to recover VAT linked to the sale of shares in one of its subsidiaries. The ruling marks a decisive conclusion to a long-running dispute over whether VAT incurred on professional fees connected to a share sale can be reclaimed when the proceeds are used for taxable business activities. The judgment was delivered on December 17 by a panel comprising

The United Arab Emirates has taken a historic step by permitting legal online betting through licensed platforms, signaling a significant shift in the nation’s long-standing stance on gambling. For the first time, residents and visitors can place real-money bets online within a federal regulatory framework designed to control access and protect consumers. At the center of this change is Play971, the UAE’s first approved internet gaming and sports betting website. The platform

Uganda’s National Lotteries and Gaming Regulatory Board (NLGRB) has intensified its crackdown on illegal gambling operations, netting scores of Chinese nationals and their Ugandan accomplices in a nationwide operation targeting unlicensed slot machines and gaming equipment that have deprived the government of significant revenue. The enforcement drive, code-named Operation Mashine Haramu —Swahili for “illegal machines”—is part of a broader effort by the regulator to stem th

Warner Bros Discovery has urged its shareholders to reject Paramount Skydance’s $108.4 billion (£80.75bn) takeover offer, in a dramatic development in the ongoing battle for control of one of Hollywood’s most storied studios. Paramount had argued that its bid was “superior” to the $72 billion deal Warner Bros reached with Netflix for its film and streaming businesses. However, Warner Bros Discovery’s board has “unanimously” recommended shareholders turn down Paramount’s offer

Australia’s financial intelligence regulator, the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), has refused to renew the registration of independent remitter Yellow Sands Trading Pty Ltd, which operated under the business name Raiyyan Exchange, effectively barring the company from providing money transfer services anywhere in Australia with immediate effect. AUSTRAC’s decision followed the identification of serious and systemic deficiencies in the company’s

The Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has imposed an administrative monetary penalty of $67,150 on Juba Express Inc., a Toronto-based money services business, following a compliance examination that identified multiple breaches of Canada’s anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework. The penalty, issued on August 29, 2025, relates to violations of Part 1 of the Proceeds of Crime, Money Laundering, and Terrorist Financin

The Financial Conduct Authority has handed Nationwide Building Society a £44m fine after finding serious shortcomings in its anti-money laundering and financial crime controls over a period of several years. According to the UK regulator, Nationwide operated with inadequate anti-financial crime systems and controls between October 2016 and July 2021. During this time, those controls failed to effectively monitor transactions carried out by customers holding personal current