Safe Bet Show: Brandt Iden, VP of Government Affairs, Fanatics Betting & Gaming

In depth: Is it time for Canadian gaming to ban credit cards?

Greece opens tender for cybersecurity partner for gambling market

Entain: UK football regulator must end unlicensed Premier League betting deals

A.J. Koehn031 views

Entain has reiterated its calls for the UK clampdown on unlicensed betting advertising in English football, taking its case to the new Independent Football Regulator (IFR).

The LSE-listed gambling group’s urging of the IFR comes three months after its Chief Executive Officer, Stella David, made a similar request to Richard Masters, the CEO of the Premier League, to intervene on the promotion of unlicensed online gambling brands, promoted by EPL clubs.

Concerns around the visibility of unlicensed betting firms in English sports, and particularly in the Premier League, are nothing new, with the lack of intervention called out by Labour and Conservative camps.

Yet Entain acts on the frontfoot as its leadership makes a stand against black market gambling as principal tenant of its corporate strategy in 2026.

An intervention is required as 2026 sees UK gambling licences implement further compliance safeguards, with no restrictions or policies to counter black market encroachment.

“..

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Romania’s gambling overhaul caught in populist fallout

A.J. Koehn031 views

On 5 May 2026, Romania saw the collapse of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s government after losing a vote of no confidence.

The fallout was engineered through the alignment of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians. With little warning, PSD withdrew from the ruling coalition rather than continue absorbing the political cost of Bolojan’s austerity measures and fiscal reforms.

Developments do not signal an immediate far-right takeover, but instead point to a prolonged period of political instability as Romania attempts to negotiate a new coalition capable of managing the country’s economic liabilities and fiscal discipline.

Stasya Yautodzyeva

For Romania’s gambling sector, the collapse signals further political uncertainty and growing populist pressure on policymaking at a critical juncture, as parliament is required to overhaul the provisions of the 2009 Gambling Act of Romania.

“Developments matter for gambling licences because the s..

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Groundbreaking study challenges links between socioeconomic status and loss chasing

Steve Hoare056 views

Online gamblers from wealthier backgrounds are more likely to keep betting after wins, while gamblers from poorer backgrounds are more likely to continue after losses, according to new research from the University of Sydney, but the researchers found little evidence of loss chasing. “Our working paper finds that the relationship between socioeconomic status (SES) and…

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Entain to implement ‘meaningful’ self-exclusion enhancements in Australia

iGamingExpert027 views

Entain Australia & New Zealand is working with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after the body discovered more than 500 breaches of national self-exclusion rules in Australia.

As a result, the Ladbrokes and Neds operator entered into a court-enforceable undertaking following an ACMA investigation.

The ACMA found that Entain had:

Opened accounts and provided wagering to people registered with BetStop.

Opened new accounts for individuals registered with BetStop.

Failed to adequately promote BetStop in customer texts and emails.

As a result, the ACMA has accepted a comprehensive 18-month court-enforceable undertaking from Entain, as the company will commit to an independent review of its compliance systems and processes and implement any recommended improvements.

An Entain Australia spokesperson said: “We take all our regulatory responsibilities seriously. These matters arose during the early stages of a new national system, and we have worked constructiv..

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Ohio regulator proposes rule change to ban credit cards for gambling

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The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) proposed an amendment to state gaming rules to change how residents fund their player accounts for online sports wagering.

Earlier this week, the OCCC submitted a rule change proposal to “remove credit cards as a funding option for deposit-enabled accounts” for sports gaming. The proposed rule change amends Ohio Adm.Code 3775-16-03, a provision concerning sports gaming accounts.

The proposed rule change would only allow sportsbook accounts to be funded using:

Promotional credits

Winnings

ACH transfers

Wire transfers

Corrections made by sports gaming providers with notifications sent to bettors

The state also allows funding by “any other means approved by the executive director”.

Ohio’s rulemaking process

The OCCC is allowing key stakeholders in gaming to weigh in on the proposed rule change. The regulator welcomes written comments, which must be submitted by May 15.

“While you will have some additional chances to comment on these rul..

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Q&A: Responsible Gambling Council CEO Sarah McCarthy on Canadian gaming’s next challenges

CanadianGamingBusiness036 views

As Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) Chief Executive Officer, Sarah McCarthy plays a leading role in tackling player protection challenges and helping to shape a responsible future for the Canadian gaming industry.

Ahead of her speaking appearance at SBC Summit Canada 2026, we chatted with McCarthy about life since joining RGC in early 2025, and how she assesses the state of play in modern Canadian gambling.

Parts of this interview have been edited for length and clarity.

Canadian Gaming Business: You’ve now been in your role for more than a year. What are some of the biggest points of pride of your time at the organization so far?

Sarah McCarthy: It’s been a remarkable first year. Honestly, what stands out most is the excellence of the team at the Responsible Gambling Council. It’s such a deeply committed organization, and that’s clearly exemplified in our work towards our vision of a world where gambling never comes at a human cost.

Last year was very successful on multiple fro..

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EPIC Global Solutions brings in ex-DAZN exec Chetan Pandya as Managing Director

A.J. Koehn040 views

EPIC Global Solutions has appointed Chetan Pandya as Managing Director as it continues to scale operations around the world.

Pandya joins from DAZN, where he held senior leadership roles at the international entertainment firm, which operates both the world’s largest OTT sports streaming service and launched a betting proposition back in 2022.

His arrival comes as EPIC looks to strengthen its position as a strategic partner to organisations operating across high-risk sectors, particularly as regulatory scrutiny and expectations around player protection continue to rise.

He brings strong industry experience, having spent over 13 years at LSE-listed Entain, as well as a three-year stint at lottery provider ZEAL Network, where he served as Managing Director between 2018-2019.

In his new role, Pandya will help drive the company’s growth strategy, focusing on scaling operations and enhancing EPIC’s offering across sport, gambling and education.

“EPIC operates in a space that is bec..

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Australian regulator finds Entain brands breached self-exclusion rules 500 times

A.J. Koehn038 views

Entain’s Australian brands Ladbrokes AU and Neds AU are in hot water after an Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found more than 500 breaches of national self-exclusion rules.

The UK-headquartered company has now entered into a court-enforceable undertaking, with the ACMA finding that its brands opened accounts for people registered with Australia’s national self-exclusion register BetStop.

It is also said to have failed to close wagering accounts for self-excluded customers.

“When someone signs up to BetStop, wagering companies must close all of that person’s accounts held within their services,” said ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood.

“In this case, Entain’s systems did not adequately identify and link all wagering accounts held by those customers across its services, including one account that remained open for more than a year after the customer had self-excluded.

“When people register for self-exclusion there should be no way for them to open new..

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Sweden sets new compliance charter on credit checks and real-time exclusion

A.J. Koehn036 views

The period of May to August 2026 will see Sweden’s gambling industry enter a new era of compliance and regulatory control imposed by the Gambling Inspectorate, Spelinspektionen, and the Ministry of Finance, Finansdepartementet.

The update follows Spelinspektionen executing its first compliance directive of the “comprehensive ban on credit transactions” enforced as a regulatory condition on Swedish gambling licences as of 1 May 2026.

The credit ban is the first consumer protection of the new compliance charter of the Swedish Gambling Act of 2018.

Niklas Wykman

Compliance reforms were overseen by Financial Markets Minister Niklas Wykman in cooperation with Marcus Isgren, the Chairman of Reklamationsnämnden Sweden’s Consumer Disputes Board.

From 1 May 2026, all Swedish gambling licences must ensure that customer deposits are not processed from sources that can be traced to credit cards, overdrafts, financial loans and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services.

The first of kind compliance ..

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Interview: Reformed fraudster Alex Wood on the Wild West of unregulated gambling sites

A.J. Koehn038 views

A study of the recent Cheltenham Festival commissioned by Flutter Entertainment has raised fresh concerns over fraudulent activity from the unlicensed gambling market.

The study was conducted by former fraudster Alex Wood, who has now turned to protecting the public against frauds themselves. Wood was a fraudster for over 25 years, spending eight of those behind bars, but now works as an anti-fraud consultant with a range of stakeholders. He is also the Chief Executive Officer of fraud awareness course provider Reform Courses.

When discussing his findings, Wood described the nature of the unregulated market very plainly: “It’s like the Wild West. They don’t give a sh*t.”

During Cheltenham week, he found that he could place bets on sites which aren’t legal in the UK, whilst signing up under various pseudonyms which ranged from the bizarre to the unsettling.

Whilst conducting the research, Wood, is currently part of BBC Radio 4’s Scam Secrets team, was able to sign up to the unlice..

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