Gold markets have entered a turbulent phase, attempting to rebound after suffering one of their steepest declines in a decade. Analysts maintain that the long-term outlook for the precious metal remains positive—driven by ongoing central bank purchases and persistent global uncertainty—but warn that investors should remain cautious in the near term, as prices could continue to fluctuate before finding stability. October 21 has already been dubbed “Black Tuesday” for gold, whi

The Cyprus Securities and Exchange Commission (CySEC) has announced the adoption of new joint guidelines that require financial entities to assess and report the aggregated annual costs and losses resulting from major Information and Communications Technology (ICT)-related incidents, in line with the Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA Regulation). In a circular distributed on Wednesday, the commission informed a broad spectrum of supervised financial entities that it ha

The Isle of Man Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC) has confirmed it will move forward with its proposed Gambling Supervision Commission Bill after concluding a public consultation process, marking one of the most extensive updates to the island’s gambling regulatory framework in years. The draft legislation aims to modernize oversight across seven separate gambling acts, introducing standardized mechanisms for inspection, investigation, and enforcement. The consultation, l

A sweeping military raid on Myanmar’s notorious KK Park compound has laid bare one of the most sophisticated networks of cyber-fraud, human trafficking, and money laundering in Southeast Asia. The operation, conducted near the Thai border in the conflict-affected town of Myawaddy, resulted in the arrest of more than 2,000 suspects and the seizure of 30 Starlink satellite internet terminals. The dismantling—or at least the disruption—of this vast scam complex has shed unpreced

Latvia’s security authorities have intensified one of the country’s most politically charged financial crime cases, moving closer to criminal prosecution against two former managers of the defunct “Moscow House.” The pair are accused of generating income from a sanctioned Russian-owned property, in defiance of European Union asset-freeze measures. This unfolding prosecution highlights both the intricacies of sanctions enforcement across Europe and the ease with which immobili

Greece is rapidly emerging as one of the world’s most desirable destinations for the wealthy, placing itself firmly within the top 10 choices for high-net-worth individuals amid what economists are calling the “Great Millionaire Migration.” Each year, thousands of affluent individuals relocate across borders, bringing with them not only immense personal fortunes but also business operations, family offices, and cultural influence. Experts describe this global trend as a trans

In a landmark action that redefines the scope of anti-money laundering (AML) enforcement in Canada, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC) has levied an unprecedented administrative monetary penalty of CAD 176,960,190 against the Canadian-registered entity Xeltox Enterprises Ltd., operating as Cryptomus. The penalty, imposed under the Proceeds of Crime (Money Laundering) and Terrorist Financing Act (PCMLTFA) and its Regulations, marks a wat

Macau’s criminal case filings remained substantial during the 2024–25 judicial year, with a significant rise in offences connected to gambling activities, Prosecutor General Tong Hio Fong revealed in the Public Prosecutions Office’s annual report. According to Macao Daily, a total of 15,176 criminal cases were recorded, reflecting a slight 2% decrease compared with the previous year. Yet gambling-related offences surged to 760 cases, representing an increase of nearly 134%. T

Napier AI has unveiled its 2025–2026 benchmark report on global anti-financial-crime performance, delivering one of the most detailed examinations to date of how effectively compliance frameworks translate spending into measurable prevention. Drawing on data from dozens of jurisdictions, the study compares how much countries invest in anti-money-laundering enforcement with the actual impact of those investments. The findings point to an uncomfortable truth: the industry’s cur

Canada and the United Kingdom are undertaking major transformations in how financial crime is detected, policed, and prevented — reshaping the regulatory landscape for compliance professionals across both nations. Canada has unveiled a new national strategy to combat fraud alongside the creation of a federal body devoted to complex financial crime, marking a decisive move toward stronger institutional capability. The United Kingdom, by contrast, is centralising anti–money lau

The Swiss Federal Council has initiated a sweeping transformation of the country’s anti-money-laundering (AML) framework, launching a public consultation on new ordinances that will define the mechanics of Switzerland’s long-anticipated transparency regime for legal entities. Running through January 2026, the consultation lays the foundation for the creation of a centralized beneficial ownership register and a significant expansion of the Anti-Money Laundering Act (AMLA) to e

Government debt as a percentage of gross domestic product (GDP) increased across both the euro area and the wider European Union (EU) at the close of the second quarter of 2025, according to a report released by Eurostat on Tuesday. The statistical office highlighted, however, that Cyprus recorded one of the most notable decreases over the year. For the 20-nation euro area (EA20), the general government gross debt to GDP ratio reached 88.2 per cent at the end of Q2 2025, risi

Sportradar has officially entered the regulated United Arab Emirates (UAE) gambling market after being granted a gaming-related vendor licence by the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA). This groundbreaking development marks Sportradar as the first sports betting supplier — or dedicated sports wagering company of any kind — to gain official access to the UAE landscape. The newly issued licence authorizes the supplier to distribute its portfolio of pro

The Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) of Hong Kong has moved into a decisive new phase in reshaping anti-money laundering and compliance standards for digital asset funds. The regulator’s ASPIRe roadmap—first unveiled in early 2025 and reinforced at a recent industry seminar—signals a definitive shift from a period of regulatory experimentation toward an institutional-grade compliance regime. Under this new model, every participant in Hong Kong’s virtual asset ecosystem

Coinbase has urged the U.S. Department of the Treasury to modernize the nation’s anti-money-laundering (AML) frameworks, arguing that existing rules no longer reflect the realities of a digital financial ecosystem. In its October 2025 response to the Treasury’s Request for Comment on Innovative Methods to Detect Illicit Activity in Digital Assets, the exchange positioned itself at the heart of an evolving debate over how regulators and the crypto industry can collaborate to s

The latest sanctions imposed by the U.S. Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) against prominent figures linked to the Haitian gang coalition Viv Ansanm have illuminated the deep financial machinery sustaining organized violence in Haiti. The designations of Dimitri Herard and Kempes Sanon represent more than a counterterrorism measure—they expose the sophisticated ways in which gang coalitions in fragile states manipulate money laundering systems to maintain dominance, exp

Autonomous Research has issued a more cautious outlook on Greek bank stocks, warning that much of the sector’s optimism has already been reflected in current valuations. The independent research and analysis firm noted that, while fundamentals remain strong, the rally that lifted the country’s banking sector through 2024 and 2025 appears to be entering a mature phase. Following a recent field visit to Athens, the firm concluded that “the Greek banking story has entered a phas

The United States and United Kingdom governments have jointly imposed sanctions on a Cambodian casino conglomerate and several affiliated businesses accused of involvement in cyber scams and human trafficking across Southeast Asia. Authorities confirmed that they have also seized $15 billion in bitcoin and frozen a number of luxury London properties allegedly owned by the network’s leaders. Among those sanctioned is Chen Zhi, a 38-year-old Chinese-born businessman who chairs

Significant changes have emerged in the latest update of the Henley Passport Index for 2025, which evaluates 199 passports based on International Air Transport Association (IATA) data, ranking them according to the number of destinations accessible without a visa. According to the most recent figures, the United States passport, once a dominant force in global mobility and a fixture among the top ranks for two decades, has now fallen to 12th place. Meanwhile, the Greek passpo

South Africa’s gambling landscape is undergoing a profound transformation as players increasingly shift from brick-and-mortar casinos to online betting platforms. According to the National Gambling Board (NGB), cellphone-based gambling has now become the dominant force in the industry, accounting for most of its total revenue and leaving traditional casinos struggling to maintain their footing. In the 2024 fiscal year, the country’s gambling industry reported a total turnover