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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

Singapore is preparing to auction hundreds of pieces of luxury jewellery and other high-value goods forfeited in one of the country's largest money-laundering investigations, turning assets linked to the case into proceeds for the state through a carefully controlled disposal process. The first auctions are scheduled to begin on 7 September 2026 and will include 286 pieces of fine jewellery alongside hundreds of handbags and other luxury accessories. Together, the first two a

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

Belarus could introduce sweeping new restrictions on gambling advertising as the government considers a package of reforms aimed at reducing the visibility and appeal of betting and gaming activities. The Telegraph Agency of Belarus has reported that discussions are underway over proposed changes to the country’s gambling advertising rules. While Belarus is far from one of Europe’s largest gambling markets and has attracted limited attention from major regulated operators, ga

Brazilian Senator Camilo Santana has introduced legislation that would establish a default monthly deposit limit of R$80 (approximately US$15) for customers participating in the country’s regulated fixed-odds betting market. Under Bill 3765/2026, the proposed cap would apply to a customer’s total deposits across all betting operators authorised by Brazil’s Ministry of Finance. This means bettors would not be permitted to deposit R$80 separately with each licensed operator, wi

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

Qatar is placing greater emphasis on risk-based anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing controls within the country's non-profit sector, as authorities seek to strengthen the protection of charitable organisations from financial crime while ensuring that legitimate humanitarian activities can continue without unnecessary disruption. The Regulatory Authority for Charitable Activities organised a dedicated forum to examine the implications of the latest update to

Kenya’s gambling industry is facing a dramatic increase in the cost of operating online after the High Court cleared the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya to begin collecting licence fees under the Gambling Control (Licensing) Regulations, 2026, even as a legal challenge to the same regulations remains pending. On Monday, 24 August 2026, the court confirmed earlier orders and granted additional relief sought by the regulator, effectively allowing the new licensing fees t

Nvidia has reported another exceptional quarter of growth as demand for artificial intelligence infrastructure continues to accelerate, with the semiconductor giant more than doubling its revenue compared with the same period a year earlier. The company generated approximately $96.2 billion in revenue during its fiscal second quarter, representing a 106% increase year-on-year and an 18% increase from the previous quarter. The result exceeded market expectations of roughly $92

Cyprus is continuing to record strong economic growth, with the country's performance remaining well ahead of the European average despite a more challenging external environment and increasing uncertainty across regional markets. The latest figures indicate that real GDP expanded by 3.3% year-on-year in the second quarter of 2026, following growth of 3.0% in the first quarter. The second-quarter result was more than three times the growth recorded across the euro area, highl

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

Ukraine's state-owned Sense Bank has become the focus of a major money-laundering investigation involving allegations that approximately UAH 150 million, equivalent to around $3.4 million, was moved through the banking system as part of a scheme connected to a wider corruption investigation. The allegations have triggered significant action against senior figures at the bank and renewed questions about the effectiveness of its anti-money laundering controls, governance and st

Cyprus is rapidly establishing itself as one of the world's most significant video game development hubs relative to its population, with the industry generating billions of euros in annual revenue and attracting hundreds of international companies to the island. The scale of the sector has become increasingly visible following the publication of the first comprehensive industry assessment of Cyprus's video game market. The figures indicate that what was once a relatively sma

Kenya's High Court has cleared the country's gambling regulator to resume collecting licensing fees from betting companies, casinos and other gambling operators while a broader legal challenge against the fees continues. The ruling provides temporary relief to the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Kenya (GRAK), which argued that the suspension of the new fees had effectively prevented it from processing gambling licence applications. At the same time, the court battle over whe

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

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) has announced a new round of sanctions targeting individuals, companies and networks connected with Russia, reinforcing Washington’s continued use of financial restrictions to limit activities considered to support the Russian state and its strategic interests. The measures form part of the broader U.S. sanctions framework directed at Russia and underline the continuing importance of sanctions scree

Online bookmaker QuinnBet (Gibraltar) Limited has agreed to pay a £609,104 ($830,501) regulatory settlement following an investigation by the UK Gambling Commission that uncovered significant weaknesses in its anti-money laundering and safer-gambling controls. The agreement, announced on Thursday, brings to a close an extensive compliance review of QuinnBet’s remote gambling licence covering the period from March 2023 to August 2025. The settlement includes a £193,118 disgorg