Insights Archive

May 18, 2023

EU Council Takes Crypto Legislation Over Final Hurdle

The Markets in Crypto-Assets Regulation and the Transfer of Funds Regulation have now both passed the final stages.

May 18, 2023

Finnish Fine Forces Operators To Take Regulator Seriously, Say Lawyers

Finland’s conditional €2.4m fine for a Betsson subsidiary should be seen as a wake-up call for any operator that has received a warning from the National Police Board in the past, lawyers have said.

May 18, 2023

Online Gaming Industry Balancing Tech Evolution With Regulatory Constraints

Suppliers and regulators continue to grapple with the challenges of specific rules governing gaming technology while adapting to a constantly changing tech landscape in other areas such as cybersecurity.

May 18, 2023

Tjärnström Resigns As Kindred CEO, Interim Replacement Named

Long-time Kindred Group chief executive Henrik Tjärnström has resigned effective immediately to be replaced by an interim successor, chief commercial officer Nils Andén.

May 18, 2023

Malta Bill Breaks EU Law, Say Industry Lawyers

A bill in Malta that would all but block the transfer of court judgments against gambling companies from other EU states breaks EU law, say lawyers that represent the industry, but could buy operators time as they seek to avoid repaying losses in Germany and Austria.

May 18, 2023

Crypto Should Be Regulated As Gambling, UK MPs Say

A controversial report released by the UK Treasury Committee has said consumer crypto trading should be regulated as gambling rather than financial services.

May 18, 2023

After Brief Flirtation, States Seek Separation Of Colleges And Sports Betting

Marketing alliances between U.S. sportsbooks and colleges are fast becoming taboo, with lawmakers in Louisiana and Maryland following regulators and industry groups in imposing restrictions in response to damning media coverage.

May 17, 2023

Former US Congressmen Dodd And Frank Defend Post-Financial Crisis Agency

Authors of the post-financial crisis Dodd-Frank Act speak up in favour of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau in a constitutional debate which puts in jeopardy 12 years of regulatory actions taken by the agency.

May 17, 2023

No Revisions For Payments Account Directive, Confirms European Commission

The European Commission has ruled out any changes to the Payments Account Directive at present, despite suggesting areas in need of improvement.

May 17, 2023

Australian Banks Join New Fraud Reporting Exchange Platform To Fight Scammers

Australian banks have launched a new digital platform that aims to significantly reduce the time it takes to report fraudulent transfers, in an effort to prevent scammers from cashing out.

May 17, 2023

Fears That New Dutch Ad Restrictions May Drive Players Away

Dutch industry representatives have expressed deep concern that incoming advertising restrictions will drive players to illegal sites.

May 17, 2023

UK White Paper Called Balanced, As Good As Could Be Expected

UK online slots stake limits are likely to be £5 per spin and £2 for gamblers under 25, two gambling experts have predicted.

May 17, 2023

Gnashing Of Teeth Continues As U.S. iGaming Drought Persists

After going almost two full years without adding a new state to the six already offering online casino gaming, industry executives hoping for a last-ditch effort to succeed in Illinois have become rather obsessive about ending the drought.

May 17, 2023

Sports Integrity In Spotlight Amid Series Of Betting Scandals

The series of recent betting-related scandals in U.S. professional and college sports is set to test public perceptions of sports integrity and underlines the importance of athlete education programs, according to league officials speaking at last week’s SBC Summit North America.

May 17, 2023

Baltics Face Advertising Restriction Dilemma

Estonia’s Ministry of Finance is contemplating a gambling advertising ban, despite its fellow Baltic nations of Lithuania and Latvia outlining the difficulties they are experiencing enforcing similar restrictions.

May 16, 2023

HSBC And Scotia Capital Fined Combined $68m For WhatsApp (Mis)Use

US securities and derivatives agencies have again fined two banks whose employees used WhatsApp to discuss business matters. Regulators have handed out more than $2bn in fines since their crackdown on such recordkeeping failures started in 2021.

May 16, 2023

Another BNPL Bites The Dust - This Time It’s Fupay

Fupay has become the latest casualty of Australia’s once thriving but now struggling buy now, pay later (BNPL) sector, as firms grapple with higher interest rates and increased funding costs.

May 16, 2023

Payments Industry Entering Era Of Consolidation, Says German Regulator

In a wide-ranging annual report, Germany’s Federal Financial Supervisory Authority (BaFin) has echoed others in Europe by noticing an increase in mergers and acquisitions. It has also said complaints were up and the number of licence applications were down.

May 16, 2023

Finnish Police Issue Conditional Fine Against Betsson Over Illegal Marketing

Finland’s National Police Board has imposed what it calls a conditional €2.4m fine on a Betsson subsidiary, which will be levied alongside payment blocking if it does not comply by June 3.

May 16, 2023

Oklahoma Tribes Take Cautious Approach Toward Sports Betting

Oklahoma remains one of the key tribal gaming markets that has yet to legalize sports betting, with animosity between tribes and Republican Governor Kevin Stitt expected to forestall regulation for the foreseeable future.

May 16, 2023

Ontario Regulator Lauds Focus On Suppliers To Keep Out Offshore Market

Ontario gaming officials continue to tout the success of the province’s transition of grey-market operators into a competitive online gambling market.