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A federal court in New York has instructed several major international banks to hand over records as part of a legal matter connected to alleged sanctions evasion involving Iran. The institutions named in the order—HSBC, Standard Chartered, JPMorgan Chase, Citibank, and Bank of New York Mellon—are not accused of any wrongdoing. Instead, they are being required to assist in the collection of evidence. The case forms part of a wider civil action that is expected to proceed befo

The Financial Action Task Force’s ministerial declaration issued in April 2026 delivers a clear and urgent message: the global community must significantly scale up efforts to combat money laundering and terrorist financing to ensure that crime does not remain profitable in any jurisdiction. This renewed commitment from finance ministers worldwide reflects a growing recognition that only a coordinated and unified international response can effectively dismantle the financial

Deutsche Bank has disclosed to financial regulators that it identified potential violations of European Union sanctions rules involving deposits exceeding 100,000 euros from Russian clients. The lender uncovered these issues through an internal review within its retail banking division, initiated shortly after Germany tightened its national enforcement framework. This voluntary disclosure comes at a time of heightened pressure on the bank, including recent law enforcement rai

Police in Daegu, South Korea have arrested 68 individuals following a large-scale raid on what authorities believe was an illegal dogfighting and gambling operation. According to South Korean broadcasters TV Chosun and TBC, investigators say many of those detained were caught actively placing bets on the outcomes of animal fights during the event. The suspected fights were reportedly organized at an empty lot located within an industrial complex on the outskirts of the city.

The UK government’s move to raise gambling taxes is expected to significantly alter the competitive landscape of the betting industry, with licensed operators cautioning that the policy could accelerate the expansion of illegal betting markets in the lead-up to the 2026 World Cup. Writing in The Telegraph, Stella David warned that increasing the remote gaming duty to 40 percent could push regulated operators to the fringes of the market at a critical moment, as unlicensed

Italy’s long-anticipated overhaul of its land-based gambling sector has moved into a crucial phase, as technical negotiations intensify within the Unified Conference. Policymakers are now working to reconcile national reform objectives with the entrenched authority of regional and municipal governments, setting the stage for a defining moment in the country’s gambling framework. The proposed legislative decree, drafted in accordance with the 2023 tax law, has undergone ex

Greece’s regulated gambling market delivered gross gaming revenue of €3.07 billion in 2025, marking a 6.7% increase compared with the previous year, with online gambling continuing to strengthen its position as the market’s fastest-expanding segment. The figures, published in the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) Newsletter #36 on 31 March 2026, underline the extent to which digital channels are reshaping the structure of the Greek market while policymakers prepare for signi

The Enforcement Directorate on Sunday carried out searches at properties linked to Kolkata Police Deputy Commissioner Shantanu Sinha Biswas and local businessman Joy Kamdar as part of an ongoing money laundering investigation involving an alleged criminal network operating in poll-bound West Bengal, according to officials. The action marks a significant development in the federal agency’s probe into the activities of an alleged organised syndicate accused of generating illici

On April 17th, Deutsche Bank has notified its supervisory authorities of a possible breach of sanctions rules restricting deposits held by Russian individuals to less than 100,000 euros ($117,940), according to a person with knowledge of the matter. The potential compliance issue was disclosed to supervisors after concerns emerged that some deposits may have exceeded the threshold established under sanctions measures targeting Russian individuals. The possible breach came to

On April 16, 2026, CBUAE, the Central Bank of the United Arab Emirates, introduced an updated regulatory package designed to reinforce the integrity of the national financial system against illicit activity. The comprehensive guidance supports the National Strategy for 2024 to 2027 and aligns the UAE more closely with international standards established by the Financial Action Task Force. Under the updated framework, licensed financial institutions and registered hawala provi

Africa’s gambling industry is on a strong upward trajectory, with projections estimating its value will reach $11.3 billion by 2032—nearly doubling the $6.1 billion recorded in 2023. This rapid expansion is being fuelled by a combination of urbanisation, aggressive marketing by operators, increasing internet penetration, and the continent’s notably young population. A wide range of both international and domestic brands are already active across the region, including Betw

The Philippine gaming sector posted total gross gaming revenues (GGR) of PHP396.14 billion ($6.61 billion) in 2025, reflecting a 6.39 percent increase from PHP372.33 billion ($6.21 billion) recorded in 2024, according to a press release issued by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). This overall growth was largely fueled by strong performance in the online and electronic gaming segment, which more than compensated for declining revenues from traditional

Regulators have uncovered a major compliance breakdown within Australia’s wealth management sector after finding that ninety-eight percent of businesses failed to submit any suspicious matter reports during the previous calendar year, a gap that authorities believe may be allowing serious financial crimes, including money laundering and tax evasion, to go undetected across the national financial system. The findings have raised alarm within the Australian Transaction Reports

The Judiciary Police (PJ) arrested 25 individuals from Hong Kong and mainland China on Thursday in connection with alleged money laundering, fraud, and document forgery activities, PJ spokesman Leng Kam Lon confirmed during a special press briefing on Friday. The arrests form part of a broader cross-border investigation targeting an organised criminal group operating between Macau and mainland China, with parallel enforcement actions also carried out by mainland authorities.

The Financial Supervisory Authority of Norway has identified serious breaches in anti-money laundering controls at Svenska Handelsbanken AB NUF, operating as Handelsbanken Norway, following a comprehensive regulatory inspection that began with supervisory meetings in early 2024 and concluded with a final report outlining systemic weaknesses across multiple compliance areas. The findings indicate that the Norwegian branch failed to satisfy core legal obligations related to ris

Uganda’s government is moving forward with plans to overhaul its gambling tax framework, with proposals that would standardize operator taxes and introduce a new levy on player winnings. The initiative comes through a bill submitted on 31 March by Finance, Planning and Economic Development Minister Matia Kasaija, aimed at amending the country’s Lotteries and Gaming Act. Under the current legal framework—originally enacted in 2016 and most recently updated in 2023—gaming o

The Georgian government has put forward draft amendments to Parliament that would significantly raise financial penalties for breaches of gambling licence conditions, signaling a tougher stance on regulatory enforcement across the sector. The proposed changes fall under the law “On Arranging Lotteries, Gambling and Prize Games,” and lawmakers are expected to examine the bill in the coming weeks. Under the draft legislation, fines for casino operators and online gambling p

The Central Bank of Cyprus (CBC) has indicated that deposit rates in Cyprus remain below those observed across the eurozone, even as lending rates present a more mixed picture across different categories. According to the CBC’s latest data, the average interest rate for new housing loans in Cyprus stood at 3.04 per cent in February, compared with a higher eurozone average of 3.41 per cent. For household deposits with a maturity of up to one year, the average rate reached 1.

A major judicial decision in France has brought to a close a historic case involving the multinational cement group Lafarge, culminating in a six-year prison sentence for former chief executive Bruno Lafont and a corporate fine of 1.125 million euros. The ruling centers on actions taken between 2013 and 2014, during which the company transferred millions of euros to armed factions in order to sustain its industrial operations amid the Syrian civil war. Judges determined that

The European Public Prosecutor’s Office (EPPO) in Venice, Italy, has obtained convictions against three individuals—two administrators and one employee of a consortium company—in connection with the misappropriation of European Union funds allocated for the development of Italy’s liquefied natural gas (LNG) network. The case centers on activities that took place between 2016 and 2021, during which the now-defunct consortium received €6,351,088.56 in EU funding. These funds we

The Netherlands has taken a decisive step in strengthening its fight against financial crime by formally expanding its legal framework to grant the Financial Intelligence Unit (FIU) the authority to temporarily suspend suspicious transactions. This development, set to take effect in July 2026, is designed to prevent the rapid movement and dissipation of illicit funds by obligating reporting entities to comply with postponement requests while detailed investigations are carrie