All Articles

The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (FINRA) has fined Webull Financial LLC US$4.2 million following an investigation that identified significant deficiencies in the brokerage’s anti-money laundering (AML), customer identity verification, identity theft prevention and trading surveillance controls. The enforcement action, announced on 5 November 2026, concerns weaknesses spanning several years and highlights the challenges faced by rapidly expanding digital brokerage p

Malta’s Financial Intelligence Analysis Unit (FIAU) has published details of four settlement agreements concluded in 2026, involving a combined final penalty of €356,714 compared with original administrative penalties totalling €581,834. The cases concern investment services provider MiFinity Malta Limited, electronic money institution Em@ney p.l.c., gaming operator European Lotto and Betting Limited, and an unnamed investment services provider. The settlements demonstrate ho

Germany’s Federal Ministry of Finance published a draft bill on 28 October 2026 proposing a comprehensive overhaul of the country’s anti-money laundering framework. The proposed legislation, known as the Money Laundering Combating Act (Geldwäschebekämpfungsgesetz – GwBG), is intended to implement the EU’s 2024 Anti-Money Laundering Package and replace Germany’s existing Money Laundering Act (Geldwäschegesetz – GwG). The reform forms part of the EU-wide transition towards a mo

Australia’s Federal Court has ordered casino operator The Star Entertainment Group to pay A$260 million for serious breaches of anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) laws, following findings that the company failed to properly manage financial-crime risks across its casino operations. The penalty was imposed on 28 October 2026 after proceedings brought by the Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC), the country’s financial intell

Qatar’s Ministry of Commerce and Industry (MOCI) has convened a dialogue workshop for trust and company service providers to strengthen awareness of anti-money laundering (AML), counter-terrorist financing (CFT) and counter-proliferation financing (CPF) requirements, as the country prepares for an upcoming international mutual evaluation of its financial crime prevention framework. The initiative focused on regulatory awareness, practical supervisory challenges and cooperat

Greece is stepping up preparations for the Financial Action Task Force’s (FATF) fifth-round mutual evaluation of its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework, with government agencies and regulators required to report on progress and outstanding weaknesses by 3 November 2026. The preparations are being coordinated through Greece’s Strategic Committee for Combating Money Laundering and Terrorist Financing. Authorities are developing a national action pla

The US Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) has assessed a $1.2 billion civil money penalty against Bank of America, N.A., over violations of anti-money laundering requirements, including failures to investigate suspicious activity and submit timely reports to authorities. Announced on October 13, 2026, the action was coordinated with the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (OCC), which imposed a separate $750 million civil money penalty, and the Office of Fore

Germany’s financial regulator, the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin), has set revised deadlines for Deutsche Bank AG to address deficiencies in the data-processing systems used to monitor transactions and business relationships for potential money laundering and terrorist financing. The measure was issued on September 15, 2026, became final on October 6 and was publicly announced on October 9. It updates earlier supervisory orders issued in April 2021 and Novemb

The Dutch Chamber of Commerce (KVK) is expanding controlled access to the Netherlands’ beneficial ownership register for recognised institutions subject to anti-money laundering, counter-terrorist financing and sanctions obligations, giving eligible organisations new ways to obtain certified information about ultimate beneficial owners (UBOs). The development restores and broadens practical access to UBO information after restrictions on the register. The changes introduce

Hong Kong’s Securities and Futures Commission (SFC) has reprimanded and fined Zheng Da International Financial Holding Limited HK$7 million for a series of regulatory deficiencies involving anti-money laundering and counter-financing of terrorism (AML/CFT) controls, client trading systems, deposits and futures-order monitoring. The regulator has also suspended the licence of Zheng Da’s responsible officer, Zhong Hao, for seven months. His suspension runs from 28 September 2

Barbados is preparing to strengthen the practical application of its anti-money laundering and counter-terrorist financing framework ahead of its fifth international mutual evaluation, with the government emphasizing that controls must extend beyond banks and other financial institutions. Attorney General Wilfred Abrahams addressed the issue in the Senate on September 23, 2026, during debate on the Money Laundering and Financing of Terrorism (Prevention and Control) Amendment

The UK Gambling Commission has suspended the combined remote operating licence of Targetlocal Ltd, which trades as Ken Howell’s Sports Betting and operates the website kenhowells.com, following regulatory enquiries that identified anti-money laundering failings. The suspension took effect immediately on 21 September 2026 and applies to operating licence number 000422-R-336567-002. The affected licence covers Targetlocal’s online casino, sports betting and virtual event bettin

India’s Financial Intelligence Unit-India (FIU-IND) has issued non-compliance notices to 15 virtual digital asset service providers over alleged failures to comply with the country’s anti-money laundering requirements. The action was taken under Section 13 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, 2002 (PMLA), with separate notices issued seeking the removal of the platforms’ applications and URLs from public access in India. The platforms named by FIU-IND are Weex, operated

Julius Baer’s Monaco wealth management arm has been fined €1.5 million after regulators identified serious weaknesses in its anti-money laundering framework, including deficiencies arising from the delegation of key compliance functions and substantial delays in reporting suspicious activity. The penalty against Julius Baer Wealth Management (Monaco) adds to growing regulatory pressure on Monaco’s financial sector as authorities seek to strengthen the Principality’s defences

US brokerage firm Moors & Cabot has been censured and fined $125,000 by the Financial Industry Regulatory Authority after regulators identified significant weaknesses in the firm's anti-money laundering programme, including shortcomings in transaction monitoring and the handling of alerts involving customer money movements. The regulatory action concerns conduct that took place over several years and highlights the importance of ensuring that AML surveillance systems are capa

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

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

The Bank of Lithuania has temporarily prohibited UAB Lux International Payment System from providing financial services to both new and existing customers after identifying what it described as serious deficiencies and possible breaches of money laundering and terrorist financing prevention requirements. The intervention was imposed while the central bank conducts an ongoing inspection into the electronic money institution's activities. The restriction was announced on 4 Augu

Germany’s financial regulator has imposed a €75,000 administrative fine on AIL Leasing München AG after identifying breaches of anti-money laundering obligations related to suspicious activity reporting and recordkeeping requirements. The penalty became final and legally enforceable on May 5, 2026, underscoring the growing regulatory expectation that institutions not only comply with reporting obligations but also maintain comprehensive records supporting every compliance dec

Hungarian law enforcement authorities have carried out one of the most significant financial enforcement actions in the country’s recent history, freezing more than 92 billion forints—approximately $300 million—in bank accounts and securities as part of a sweeping investigation into entities connected to foundations established under the country’s central bank. The operation centers on organizations created during a previous era of monetary leadership and has drawn attention