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Ben Cove, chief marketing officer of Logifuture, has urged policymakers to adopt a pragmatic approach as tensions continue between state and federal gambling authorities in Nigeria. The country’s regulatory trajectory remains unsettled amid ongoing jurisdictional disputes between different layers of government. In December, Nigerian President Bola Ahmed Tinubu rejected the proposed Central Gaming Bill, legislation that would have shifted oversight of the gambling sector to a

European Central Bank and European Systemic Risk Board have jointly released a detailed analysis warning that expanding connections between traditional banks and the non-bank financial intermediation sector could create structural vulnerabilities capable of intensifying financial stress during adverse market environments. The joint publication, titled “Financial stability risks from linkages between banks and the non-bank financial intermediation sector”, concludes that while

The laundering of illicit funds through global trade and consumer retail channels has expanded to levels never seen before, driven largely by criminal groups exploiting surrogate shopping networks commonly known as daigou. What began as a specialized consumer service designed to help buyers obtain authentic luxury goods or cheaper overseas inventory—especially for customers in mainland China—has transformed into a sophisticated, industrialized system for transferring illegal

Financial Crimes Enforcement Network has released administrative ruling FIN-2026-R001, introducing sweeping regulatory relief tied to how financial institutions identify and verify the owners of legal entities. The new directive allows banks and credit unions to skip certain repetitive data collection requirements that had been mandatory under the 2016 Customer Due Diligence Rule. By shifting toward a risk-based compliance model rather than maintaining rigid account-triggered

Payments made using cryptocurrency to groups suspected of running human trafficking operations increased by 85% during 2025, with investigators tracing hundreds of millions of dollars in activity across public blockchain networks, according to new research released by Chainalysis. The U.S.-based blockchain intelligence company reported that the majority of this activity was tied to a rapidly growing criminal infrastructure centered in Southeast Asia, where scam compounds, ill

The first plenary session of the year held by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) concluded on 13 February 2026, after which the organisation announced major updates to the FATF Grey List. The revisions included the addition of Kuwait and Papua New Guinea to the list, formally known as “Jurisdictions Subject to Increased Monitoring”. Under its supervisory role, FATF regularly releases updates to the list of countries identified as having strategic shortcomings in their Ant

The Dutch arm of Louis Vuitton has been ordered to pay a €500,000 fine after authorities concluded that the luxury retailer committed serious violations of anti-money laundering legislation, exposing weaknesses in its oversight of large cash transactions.   The sanction was imposed by the Public Prosecution Service following a far-reaching probe into a sophisticated criminal operation that relied on luxury retail purchases to conceal the origins of illegal funds. Investigator

In a step that has ignited widespread debate across Tunisia, 23 members of parliament have introduced a legislative proposal aimed at tightening restrictions on gambling and games of chance, with a particular focus on electronic gambling.   The draft law has been referred to the General Legislation Committee, where it will be examined in detail to assess its legal implications and its potential impact on Tunisian society.   For years, online gambling remained a relatively lim

The foreign exchange sector in Cyprus is firmly regulated and plays a vital role in supporting the national economy, employing thousands of people and contributing significantly to growth.   At a recent conference dedicated to explaining the institutional framework of the industry, stakeholders highlighted that forex is a legitimate and strictly supervised financial activity, clearly separate from illegal operations and fraud.   Strict supervision and full European compliance

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission has released a public enforcement statement detailing serious regulatory violations committed by Shelgeyr Limited, the company behind the Maverick Games brand. The action followed a comprehensive regulatory inspection that uncovered numerous breaches of the Gambling Anti Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism Code 2019. Investigators determined that the operator did not sustain adequate safeguards against fin

Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has levied an administrative monetary penalty of CAD 107,250 against Manor Windsor Realty Ltd, citing multiple breaches of federal anti-money laundering requirements.   The penalty, issued on November 27, 2025, followed a detailed compliance review of the real estate brokerage based in Windsor. According to federal regulators, investigators uncovered four distinct compliance failures that violated Canada’s

The international financial sector has been shaken once again by revelations tied to the $4.3 billion settlement that was originally intended to transform how Binance manages high-risk financial activity.   New reporting published in February 2026 indicates that more than $1 billion in funds associated with Iranian actors allegedly flowed through the world’s largest cryptocurrency exchange between early 2024 and late 2025. The situation underscores a growing conflict between

The February 2026 plenary meetings of the Financial Action Task Force marked a pivotal moment in the continued strengthening of international safeguards against illicit financial flows.   These high-level discussions produced important revisions to the lists identifying jurisdictions that threaten the integrity of the global financial system due to structural weaknesses or legal shortcomings. Regulators and compliance professionals across the financial sector are now expected

Sweden’s gambling authority, Spelinspektionen, has confirmed that a revised structure for supervisory fees will take effect on March 1, 2026.   The updated framework is set out in regulation SIFS 2026:1, which will replace the previous SIFS 2024:4.   Under the new rules, operators holding an online casino licence or a betting licence will be required to pay SEK 240,000 (€22,680) per licence for each fee period. Companies that hold both an online casino and a betting licence w

Estonia has acted quickly to correct a legislative error that inadvertently exempted online gambling operators from taxation, following the discovery of a drafting mistake in recent amendments to the country’s Gambling Tax Act.   In December, the Riigikogu (Parliament) approved changes to the Gambling Tax Act introduced by Eesti 200 MP Tanel Tein. However, an oversight in the wording of the amendments resulted in remote gaming activities being excluded from the updated legisl

Russia has reportedly made efforts to completely restrict access to WhatsApp within the country, according to the company, as authorities continue expanding controls over digital communication platforms. WhatsApp, which is owned by Meta, said the action appears intended to redirect its user base — estimated to exceed 100 million people in Russia — toward what it described as a "state-owned surveillance app". The reported move follows additional restrictions imposed by Russian

The Bank of Thailand has revealed that an unusually sharp rise in cash withdrawals in September 2025 was a direct consequence of expanded anti-money laundering enforcement that resulted in the freezing of accounts tied to online piracy and financial fraud.   Authorities explained that under existing anti-money laundering statutes, anyone convicted of laundering assets faces severe penalties, including prison sentences of up to ten years and fines ranging between 20,000 and 20

Brazil’s federal government is in the final stages of preparing a decree that would formally require digital age verification for online betting operators and pornographic websites, marking a significant expansion of child protection rules into the country’s digital sphere.   The measure is tied to the rollout of the ECA Digital law and would oblige platforms to confirm users’ ages using officially recognized credentials rather than relying on simple self-declaration mechanis

The United States Department of the Treasury has taken decisive action to freeze all property and financial interests connected to several Lebanese and international actors accused of participating in intricate financial operations. The move is designed to disrupt the use of informal economic channels and global shipping routes that have allegedly been used to generate revenue for banned organizations. By restricting access to these assets, the Office of Foreign Assets Contro

The European Central Bank (ECB) has released its latest wage tracker data, indicating that negotiated wage growth across the euro area is set to moderate in 2026, reflecting easing pay pressures in the bloc.   The headline ECB wage tracker, which covers active collective bargaining agreements and smooths one-off payments over time, shows negotiated wage growth of 3.2 per cent in 2025, based on a coverage of 49.9 per cent of employees in participating countries, and 2.4 per ce

The Economic and Financial Crimes Commission has commenced legal proceedings against Kavlak Onal following his arrest at Murtala Muhammed International Airport after authorities discovered more than 1.45 million dollars in undeclared foreign currency in his possession. During testimony before the Federal High Court in Lagos, a Nigerian Customs Service officer described how the concealed money was uncovered during standard boarding checks for an Emirates Airlines flight. The a