Entain Australia has admitted to certain shortcomings in its previous anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) compliance program, while simultaneously contesting a number of claims and interpretations made by Australia’s financial crime regulator, AUSTRAC. The operator made the statements as it filed its defence in response to AUSTRAC’s amended statement of claim in the Federal Court of Australia, asserting that it has transformed its operations into a

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has announced that it is temporarily halting the publication of its Certification Registers and certification examination results following the discovery of identity fraud incidents involving these records. According to the commission, certain individuals have been found unlawfully using the personal data of people listed in the Certification Registers or mentioned in the announcements of examination results, with the inte

Across Europe, regulators now expect financial institutions to prove that their own analysis can reveal the true money laundering and terrorism financing risks across every business line, channel, customer group, product, and geography. What was once a box-ticking compliance exercise has evolved into the backbone of the risk-based approach—deeply embedded in supervisory reviews, governance discussions, and strategic investment decisions for data, systems, and personnel. A mat

President Donald Trump hailed his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in South Korea as a major breakthrough, announcing that he would cut tariffs on China while Beijing had agreed to resume exports of rare earth elements and purchase American soybeans. Speaking to reporters aboard Air Force One, Trump said the U.S. would lower tariffs imposed earlier this year as a penalty for China’s sale of chemicals used to produce fentanyl—from 20% to 10%. The move effectively redu

Japan’s newly appointed Prime Minister, Sanae Takaichi, is expected to play a decisive role in reinvigorating the nation’s integrated casino resort (IR) ambitions. Her close political ties to the late Prime Minister Shinzo Abe and her coalition with the pro-IR Japan Innovation Party signal strong potential backing for the advancement of these long-delayed projects. Takaichi, leader of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party (LDP), recently made history as Japan’s 104th Prime Mini

The UK Parliament’s Treasury Committee heard on Tuesday that the Netherlands cannot be used as a credible case study to suggest gambling tax increases drive players toward the black market. Speaking before MPs, Carsten Jung, interim associate director for economic policy and AI at the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), said that while raising taxes can generate substantial revenue, it is not a stand-alone solution to problem gambling. Jung appeared as part of the fi

The conviction of former Hua Han Health Industry Holdings executive Wong Ming Chun for laundering corporate funds has highlighted a rare instance in which internal misconduct within a listed company escalated into a full-fledged financial crime case. Although Hong Kong’s financial system is internationally recognized for its stringent regulatory oversight, this case demonstrated that even the most robust external supervision cannot compensate for internal betrayal and failed

The global campaign against money laundering has entered a transformative phase with the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) 2025 revision of Recommendation 16, a sweeping reform that marks the most consequential shift in payment transparency standards in more than a decade. This new framework responds directly to rapid technological advances across the financial ecosystem, acknowledging how instant payments, digital wallets, cross-border cash withdrawals, and virtual assets

Bank of America (BofA) Securities reaffirmed its optimistic stance on the Greek banking sector this week, highlighting that the industry is currently undergoing a transitional period as markets focus on the trough for net interest income and the emergence of a new merger and acquisition (M&A) cycle. Despite projections of a 19 per cent quarterly decline in net profits for the third quarter, BofA emphasized that investors are likely to concentrate on the medium-term outlook an

As of October 23rd, 2025, Portugal has abruptly canceled all work-seeking visa appointments worldwide following the enactment of Law No. 61/2025, a sweeping reform that has transformed the country’s immigration landscape. Published in the Official Gazette on October 22nd, the law abolishes the popular job-seeking visa and replaces it with a new “highly skilled work-seeking visa” reserved for high-qualified professionals. However, the new visa category cannot yet be applied fo

The United Arab Emirates’ General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA) is preparing to unveil a new online gaming framework that replicates the country’s tightly controlled land-based casino structure, allowing only one business-to-consumer (B2C) license per Emirate. According to sources familiar with the development, the framework will grant each of the UAE’s seven Emirates the autonomy to decide whether or not to participate, with each permitted to host just a sin

In a groundbreaking action announced in late October 2025, the United States Department of the Treasury designated Colombian President Gustavo Petro and his closest associates under Executive Order 14059, the U.S. sanctions authority aimed at persons involved in the international narcotics trade. This unprecedented step — targeting a sitting leader of a key U.S. ally — has drawn global attention not just for its political implications but for the alarm it raises about the con

Across the African continent, a profound wave of regulatory reflection and reform is transforming how nations confront money laundering and the financing of terrorism. Ghana and Botswana, long regarded as benchmarks for financial governance, have recently unveiled ambitious initiatives designed to close the systemic gaps that allow illicit funds to circulate undetected. While the Bank of Ghana has implemented a comprehensive new framework for anti-money laundering and counter

A recent federal conviction in New York has exposed how seemingly modest cryptocurrency donations can evolve into a sophisticated terrorist-financing laundering operation. The case of Abdullah At Taqi and Mohamad David Hashimi demonstrates that even limited transfers disguised as charitable aid can sustain violent organisations when paired with modern digital tools and weak oversight. It also underscores how anti-money-laundering frameworks are adapting to trace cross-platfor

The Brazilian government recorded an impressive BRL6.8 billion in tax revenue from gambling and fixed-odds betting activities in 2025, according to recent data released by the Federal Revenue Service. The amount marks an unprecedented 17,000% increase compared to the BRL38 million collected in 2024, a result attributed to the formal integration of the sector into the country’s regulated tax system. In September alone, betting-related tax revenue totaled BRL1.7 billion, a rema

Britain’s financial markets regulator has initiated legal action against HTX, a global cryptocurrency exchange, accusing the firm of unlawfully promoting crypto asset services to UK consumers. The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) confirmed that it had filed civil proceedings in London’s High Court against HTX, formerly known as Huobi, for violating Britain’s financial promotions regime. According to the FCA’s website, HTX is not authorised to operate in the United Kingdom. “

A sweeping multinational operation spanning six African countries has exposed a sophisticated and evolving network of terrorism financing that integrates informal money transfer systems with cryptocurrency-based Ponzi schemes. Conducted between July and September 2025, Operation Catalyst—jointly coordinated by INTERPOL and AFRIPOL—resulted in 83 arrests and uncovered more than USD 260 million in suspicious transactions potentially connected to extremist activity. The investig

The unexpected presidential pardon of Changpeng Zhao, founder of Binance and one of the most prominent figures in the global cryptocurrency industry, has reignited discussions on financial crime accountability and the politicization of anti-money-laundering enforcement. The news was first reported by the Wall Street Journal. Zhao’s release comes less than a year after he served a federal prison sentence following one of the largest corporate money-laundering convictions in U.

After seven days of deliberation during its 40th parliamentary session, Slovak MPs have approved a new gaming law aimed at strengthening gambling regulation and increasing state revenue from the industry. The legislation was passed with 71 votes in favor and seven abstentions. The newly approved law introduces stricter rules regarding gambling contributions and seeks to establish clearer operational standards for lotteries and casinos. Under the new framework, Tipos, Slovakia

FinCEN’s 2024 financial trend analysis has revealed an intricate web of shadow banking transactions worth approximately $9 billion linked to Iran, which managed to infiltrate the U.S. financial system through correspondent accounts and a network of global front companies. The disclosure exposed one of the most complex and globally dispersed money laundering operations currently active, demonstrating how Iranian exchange houses, offshore entities, and front companies construct