Latest Gambling News: Nevada Seeks $10.5m Fine Against Resorts World, and more

Catch up on some of the stories our gambling compliance analysts have covered lately, and stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Nevada Seeks $10.5m Fine Against Resorts World

Genting Berhad, Resorts World Las Vegas and its affiliated companies have agreed to a $10.5m fine for allowing illegal bookmakers to gamble and failing to implement adequate anti-money laundering (AML) protocols at the resort, according to a settlement filed Thursday (March 20).

The fine would be the second largest assessed by Nevada regulators and still needs approval from the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC), which is scheduled to meet on March 27. The highest fine, $20m, was paid in 2019 by Wynn Resorts to settle a sexual harassment complaint involving co-founder Steve Wynn.

If approved by the commission, the settlement would resolve a 13-count complaint initially filed by the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) on August 15, 2024. Under the conditions of the settlement, Resorts World would be required to provide regular reporting of AML activities to the control board.

Resorts World would also be required to provide updated AML training to the resort’s compliance committee.

The resort has already restructured its board of directors by adding Jim Murren, former chairman and CEO of MGM Resorts International; Brian Sandoval, a former Nevada governor and former NGC chairman; and AG Burnett, a former chair of the control board.

On Thursday, the NGCB also posted a revised complaint eliminating references to potential “organized crime” activities at the casino.

São Paulo Consumer Watchdog Fines Online Betting Operator

The consumer protection authority for the state of São Paulo has fined online gambling operator PixBet more than R$1.1m (approximately US$199,000) for alleged violations of consumer protection laws.

In a statement published on its website on Wednesday (March 19), Procon-SP said PixBet’s published terms and conditions include “several abusive clauses … that put consumers at an excessive disadvantage”.

Non-compliant terms cited by the agency include the ability of PixBet to prevent or limit withdrawals of funds deposited by bettors.

PixBet is one of several dozen operators with a permanent or provisional license to operate online sports betting and casino games across Brazil. It also has a state license in Rio de Janeiro.

Procon-SP said PixBet was entitled to appeal the fine, which appears to be the first such action brought against a licensed online gambling operator in Brazil by a state-level consumer protection agency.

Corbett Bookmakers Fined £686,070, Undergoing “Rigorous Audit”

Corbett Bookmakers Limited has been fined £686,070 fine for social responsibility and anti-money laundering (AML) failings, including failing to identify that a consumer was experiencing harm after they staked £23,674 in 13 days.

The land-based gambling business which operates 36 premises “failed to adhere to vital regulations designed to make gambling safer and free from criminal activity,” the Gambling Commission’s director of enforcement, John Pierce, said in a press release on March 20.

“As a result, it will not only pay a significant fine but also undergo a rigorous audit to ensure full compliance with anti-money laundering and safer gambling measures,” he said.

Additionally, Pierce said the regulator expects the operator to “swiftly and fully “implement the audit recommendations.

“Failure to do so will prompt our compliance team to reassess the situation and take further action as necessary,” he warned, adding that “all operators should carefully consider this case and the price this operator is now paying.”

The failings occurred between February 2022 and May 2024 and were revealed during a two-day Gambling Commission compliance assessment.

Other social responsibility failings included inadequately interacting with consumers who lost vast sums of money during long gambling sessions, including one consumer who staked £47,416 and lost £6,741 over 10 weeks.

There was also a host of AML failures, including customers being allowed to stake and lose significant sums without the licensee receiving sufficient Know Your Customer (KYC) evidence or source of funds verification.

One customer was able to stake approximately £47,000 and lose £14,000 during eight months without “verifying the legitimacy of the monies accepted from the customer”.

The Finnish Gambling Act Submitted To Parliament

The new Finnish Gambling Act has been submitted to Parliament, marking a major milestone in the country’s bid to open licensing for betting activities, online slot machines and casino games.

Minister of the Interior, Mari Rantanen, said the bill aims to direct consumers to a regulated online offering and balance market opportunities with the risks of gambling harm, in an update on March 20.

The bill will now be forwarded to the Parliament's sub-committees, where it will be reviewed. There were no major changes to the previous draft.

Veikkaus would retain the exclusive right to offer lottery-style games, scratchcards, land-based gambling machines and casino games.

The proposed gambling tax is 22 percent of gross gambling revenue (GGR).

The government underlined that gambling operators could apply for a licence from the beginning of 2026 and licensed gambling activities could begin at the beginning of 2027. Suppliers will need to be licensed a year after the market opens.

Starting in 2027, licensing and supervision of the gambling market will be entrusted to a new gambling regulator.

A separate government proposal on the reform of the state's regional administration and the establishment of the Licensing and Supervision Authority was submitted to parliament on March 13, 2025.

The legal change is expected to increase the marketing and visibility of gambling, as marketing is allowed in the act subject to restrictions.

There will be bans on several types of marketing, including the use of influencers or directing marketing to minors or other vulnerable groups. There are also strict rules surrounding the use of sponsorships for both teams and individuals.

Maryland Budget Framework Includes Sports-Betting Tax Increase

Governor Wes Moore and top Democrat leaders in the Maryland legislature announced a deal Thursday (March 20) on a budget framework that includes raising taxes on sports betting, but not raising money from legalizing online casino games.

According to various local media reports, the budget agreement includes a plan to raise taxes on sports betting from 15 percent to 20 percent of gross revenue.

Moore’s initial budget proposal released in January would have doubled the sports-betting tax rate from 15 percent to 30 percent, as well as increasing the table game tax rate to 25 percent from 20 percent.

The proposed tax increase could still change as the 2026 budget makes its way through both chambers of the Maryland General Assembly; however, Senate President Bill Ferguson, a Democrat, supports the framework that was designed to close a $3.3bn budget deficit.

“Another change is an increase in the gaming and cannabis tax rate,” Ferguson said during a news conference in Annapolis to announce the 2026 budget framework.

“Maryland is aligning these rates with our neighboring states, ensuring we remain competitive while generating additional revenue for state programs,” Ferguson added.

Ferguson also confirmed that the budget framework does not include “raising money from iGaming.”

Maryland Orders High 5 Casino To Leave State

High 5 Casino, a division of High 5 Entertainment, has received a cease-and-desist letter for offering unauthorized online gaming activities in Maryland.

The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) accused High 5 Casino of offering and conducting online gaming activities in the state without legal authority to do so. The only legal online gaming in Maryland is sports betting and fantasy competitions.

The MLGCA’s letter noted that they have no record of High Entertainment being issued a sports wagering license, a casino license, or registration as a fantasy competition. High Entertainment has ten dates from the date of the letter, which was March 18, to cease its operations in the state.

So far, Maryland regulators have issued a total of 14 cease-and-desist letters to offshore online sweepstakes and sports betting operators, including BetAnySports and VGW, which operates Chumba Casino and Luckyland Slots.

“Maryland Lottery and Gaming periodically contacts the operators of online gaming platforms that appear to be operating illegally in Maryland,” the agency said on its website. “Such operators are asked to either confirm that they are not operating illegally, or to cease and desist gaming activities that they are not licensed or registered to conduct.”

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