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Brazil's efforts to regulate online betting have significantly reshaped the country's gambling sector, but a substantial portion of betting activity continues to take place outside the licensed market. New research indicates that illegal platforms accounted for between 38% and 44% of online betting activity during the first half of 2026, highlighting the scale of the challenge facing Brazilian authorities. The latest estimate represents an improvement compared with the previo

US brokerage firm Moors & Cabot has been censured and fined $125,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority after regulators identified significant weaknesses in the firm's anti-money laundering programme, including shortcomings in transaction monitoring and the handling of alerts involving customer money movements. The regulatory action concerns conduct that took place over several years and highlights the importance of ensuring that AML surveillance systems are capa

The United Arab Emirates has launched a special and urgent examination of Banque Misr's branches operating in the country after US authorities raised concerns over transactions allegedly connected to Iranian shadow-banking networks. The UAE Central Bank announced that it would conduct a detailed forensic review of the bank's activities following a proposal by the US Treasury's Financial Crimes Enforcement Network to restrict Banque Misr UAE's access to the US financial system

Five men have been charged in the United States over an alleged money-laundering operation that prosecutors say moved more than $7.4 million obtained from at least 77 fraud victims, many of them elderly. The federal case in Washington alleges that the defendants established an extensive network of companies, financial accounts and commercial mailboxes to receive and move funds generated through fraudulent schemes targeting people across the United States. The defendants named

More than $5.2 million has been forfeited by ENEX Premium Trading Limited following a UK investigation into suspected money laundering and sanctions evasion, highlighting the growing use of civil recovery powers to target potentially illicit funds without requiring a criminal conviction. The agricultural trading company, which is registered in St Kitts and Nevis and owned by Azerbaijani national Nadir Valiyev, agreed to surrender approximately £3.84 million after investigator

European investment firms with assets exceeding €30 billion could face a significantly different regulatory regime under new proposals being developed by the European Banking Authority, as regulators seek to clarify when large investment firms must transition into the banking framework. The EBA has launched a consultation covering three draft regulatory technical standards that would establish clearer rules for calculating an investment firm's total assets, reporting those fi

The European Central Bank is advancing its plans to create an integrated European market for tokenised assets, with Executive Board member Piero Cipollone warning that the emergence of fragmented digital platforms could worsen existing divisions across Europe’s capital markets. Speaking on Wednesday at the Deutsche Bundesbank’s Symposium on “Future of payments: trends and innovations in Germany and Europe” in Frankfurt, Cipollone said the ECB was now translating into action a

Massachusetts State Representative Francisco Paulino has been arrested and charged with allegedly fraudulently obtaining more than $700,000 in pandemic-related government assistance and subsequently using part of the money in transactions involving real estate, loans and his own businesses. Paulino, 46, who represents the 16th Essex District covering parts of Lawrence and Methuen, was arrested on 26 August 2026 following a federal grand jury indictment containing 11 charges.

Meta has agreed to pay up to $18 billion to resolve a major legal challenge brought by US states over the treatment of children and teenagers on Facebook and Instagram, in a settlement that could have consequences far beyond the company itself. The agreement brings an abrupt end to a closely watched federal trial in California in which Meta faced allegations that its platforms were deliberately designed to encourage prolonged use among young people, while the company failed t

The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) has no immediate plans to reopen applications for new e-gaming operators as it moves to consolidate the country’s domestic online gaming industry, where the number of licensed operators has declined from 74 to just 48. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said the regulator would maintain the moratorium that has been in place since March 2024, according to comments reported Thursday by The Philippine Star following

The UK Financial Conduct Authority has banned three former senior figures at wealth management firm Dolfin Financial after finding that they operated a scheme designed to help wealthy clients bypass the requirements of the country's investor visa programme. The regulatory action concerns an arrangement that operated between 2016 and 2019 and allegedly enabled at least 99 individuals to obtain UK investor visas without making the level of genuine investment required under the

Vietnam has formally expanded its anti-money laundering framework to address risks associated with crypto assets, marking another major step towards bringing the country's rapidly developing digital-asset market within the scope of financial regulation. The National Assembly approved amendments to the Law on Anti-Money Laundering alongside changes to legislation governing the State Bank of Vietnam and credit institutions. The amendments were approved with 94.6% of lawmakers v

Bulgaria has introduced a new regulatory framework placing gambling affiliates under direct licensing and tax obligations, significantly changing the way businesses can promote licensed gambling operators in the country. The new rules, which entered into force on 1 August 2026, bring affiliate marketing into the scope of Bulgaria’s gambling regulatory system. Affiliates that generate remuneration based on measurable results linked to gambling activity are now required to obta

Two employees of cryptocurrency exchange Binance were detained by authorities in the United Arab Emirates in recent weeks as part of inquiries into possible financial crimes connected to the movement of funds through the platform. The employees were reportedly stopped at airports in the UAE during separate incidents. The circumstances surrounding the detentions initially remained unclear, including the precise nature of the financial activity being examined by authorities. Bi

The Reserve Bank of Malawi (RBM) has raised concerns over an apparent increase in money laundering cases in the country, warning individuals and businesses against becoming involved in transactions designed to conceal the origins of illegally obtained funds. The central bank has stressed that money laundering represents a significant threat to Malawi's financial system and could damage the country's reputation within the international financial community. Authorities are part

The leader of a large organised crime group responsible for trafficking substantial quantities of cocaine, heroin and cannabis across parts of Essex and London has been sentenced to 12 years and six months in prison after spending almost five years evading authorities overseas. Max Matthews, 31, was identified as the senior figure in a criminal network that operated on an industrial scale, moving drugs and large amounts of criminal cash between March and July 2020. Matthews f

Faith leaders in Fiji are calling for stronger families, greater community involvement and closer cooperation with law enforcement as concerns grow over the involvement of young people in crime and a rise in offences targeting homes and places of worship. The call comes amid concerns over break-ins at residential properties and religious sites, with community leaders arguing that tackling crime requires more than policing alone. They say families, religious organisations, sch

The Philippine gambling industry could face a major transformation in how licensed operators attract and retain customers if a proposed law imposing sweeping restrictions on gambling advertising is approved. Senate Bill No. 2347, known as the proposed Gambling Advertising Prohibition Act, would significantly restrict the ability of gambling companies to promote their products across traditional media, digital platforms, social networks and sponsorship arrangements. The propos

A coordinated mortgage fraud problem has been identified across Australia’s lending sector after financial intelligence shared through Fintel Alliance revealed recurring patterns of false and misleading information being used to obtain home loans from multiple major lenders. The investigation began when Commonwealth Bank identified irregularities in mortgage applications and shared the intelligence through Fintel Alliance, a public-private financial crime partnership bringing

An Australian man has been charged following a major investigation into an alleged illegal tobacco and vaping operation that authorities believe generated and handled almost $9 million in illicit proceeds. The case emerged from a four-month investigation in Australia's Northern Territory that initially focused on suspected money laundering before investigators uncovered an alleged commercial operation involving the sale and distribution of illicit tobacco products and vaping