BetNow the latest offshore operator told to pack up in Michigan

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has issued a cease-and-desist order to BetNow.eu, which offers sports betting, horse racing wagering and online casino games.

A notice on the BetNow.eu website notes that it is licensed and regulated by The Autonomous Island of Anjoun Union of the Comoros. It is not approved as a gaming operator by the MGCB.

The board wrote in a notice that BetNow is breaking state laws including the Lawful Internet Gaming Act,the Michigan Gaming Control and Revenue Act and the Michigan Penal Code. The MGCB also noted that while BetNow offers a wide range of payment options for players to deposit funds, they only become eligible to withdraw funds after wagering their entire initial deposit.

The company has 14 days to go offline in the state before potentially facing further legal action.

“This unlicensed operator not only violates Michigan law but also exposes consumers to significant risks,” said MGCB Executive Director Henry Williams. “Our job is to protec..

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Mississippi bill would raise casino tax to offset illegal sports betting

A bill in Mississippi that would increase taxes on land-based casinos in an attempt to help offset lost revenues from illegal sports betting is making progress in the House.

HB 1881, the Integrity in Gaming in Support of Honest Taxpayers Act, would impose an additional 4% tax on gross casino revenue. That would take the casino tax ceiling in the state from 12% to 16%. Currently, 8% of casino revenues go to the state and 4% to local schools and government.

Rep. Trey Lamar’s bill asserts that the State of Mississippi is losing approximately $50 million dollars annually due to illegal gambling. The purpose of his legislation is to generate revenue that will be used to replace that lost revenue.

The bill originated in the House Ways and Means Committee, which Lamar chairs, and was approved on Tuesday. It will subsequently be read and debated in the full chamber.

The act would be effective July 1 of this year.

Local media including The Clarion-Ledger reports that Lamar said at the comm..

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Spelinspektionen audit latest step in Swedish gambling reshape

The government of Sweden has agreed that there have been periods where the Spelinspektionen has not conducted sufficient market supervision, highlighted in a new national audit.

In its 105-page report, Sweden’s National Audit Office raised key points about the gambling regulator’s recent supervisory work, highlighting potential areas of improvement in the cooperation between the government and the authority.

The audit, which was commissioned in late 2024, reached the conclusion that the control of the Swedish gambling market has not fully met the expectations set out by the Riksdag (Parliament) and the government in the 2019 re-regulation of the market.

One of the report’s key takeaways is that Spelinspektionen has failed to carry out a sufficient number of inspections, individual checks of operators were not based on well-founded risk analysis, and there hasn’t been enough follow-ups to determine whether deficiencies have been resolved.

In this context, the Audit Office has rec..

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KSA says Dutch match-fixing on the rise in 2024

The Dutch gambling regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has revealed that match-fixing incidents have more than doubled YoY in 2024.

In its latest match-fixing trends report, the authority highlighted that while 2023 was a noticeably calm year in regards to sports manipulation – with only 6 incidents on record – this number rose to 13 in 2024.

While it may not seem like a significant number, the cases are worrying in nature because they’ve all occurred on the platforms of licensed sports betting providers.

In its report, the KSA reminded that while it is not legally obliged to actively detect match-fixing, it ensures that licensed gambling operators have all necessary measures in place to prevent such cases.

One of these measures includes consistent communication with the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU) – a branch created within the system of the KSA whose job is to investigate reports of potential sports manipulation risks that have been forwarded by the licensees.

It..

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Murder suspicion leads to license refusal by The Hague and KSA

The Hague Court has sided with Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling authority, in a lawsuit filed by a Malta-based operator after it was refused a license.

In 2023, the unnamed Maltese online gambling provider tried to obtain a certification which would’ve allowed it to target consumers in the Dutch market, only to be turned down by the regulator.

The reason behind the refusal was that the operator in question failed to pass the KSA integrity test required for the evaluation of each application’s viability to enter the Netherlands.

Details from the test procedure into the operator revealed that the KSA requested crucial information about the involvement with the company of a former shareholder.

After reviewing the provided documentation, the regulator concluded that the information in the company’s statements was either incorrect or incomplete, prompting the licence refusal.

The information was in connection to the shareholder’s suspected involvement in the murder of an..

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GamCare hires healthcare delivery expert Victoria Corbishley as new CEO

GamCare has welcomed the appointment of Victoria Corbishley as Chief Executive of the UK’s frontline provider of treatment support services for gambling harms. An expert in the management of public health services, responsibilities, and the delivery of treatment and care, Corbishley is a former Senior Director of the British Red Cross, where she led the charity’s health and care…

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UK Gambling Minister confirms springtime regulatory changes

UK gambling stakeholders have been told to prepare for forthcoming regulatory changes that will take effect in April. The notice comes from DCMS Gambling Minister, Baroness Twycross, in her speech at the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) 2025 AGM. The speech confirmed that UK gambling’s new Statutory Levy for funding problem gambling research, education, and treatment (RET) will be implemented from…

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Virginia and Pennsylvania kick off Problem Gambling Awareness Month

National Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM) kicks off tomorrow (March 1) in the US with numerous events planned across the country. This year’s theme, “Seeking Understanding,” focuses on increasing awareness of problem gambling as a serious but often misunderstood mental health condition.  The states of Pennsylvania and Virginia were among the first to hold events…

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MGA to test licensees player protection systems

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has announced its regulatory focus for 2025 is to enhance compliance, player protection, and sports betting integrity. In a press release it said: “Building on its existing risk-based framework, the MGA is enhancing such framework to a more evidence-driven and outcomes-focused model. This strategic approach will enable the Authority to…

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