On Friday, 3 January, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy of Ukraine signed into law new gambling amendments to improve the “state’s regulation of gambling and lotteries.”

Grabbing international news headlines, Zelenskyy approved the Rada’s decision to “dissolve KRAIL,” the Gambling and Lotteries Authority of Ukraine, and establish a new regulator, scheduled to take effect by April.

Zelenskyy’s signature ends the problematic tenure of KRAIL as the gambling authority of Ukraine, as allegations of corruption and bribery had hounded the agency prior to Russia’s invasion in the winter of 2022.

The dire circumstances of war saw Ukraine’s gambling licences come under the scrutiny of the intelligence agency of the National Security and Defence Council (NSDC), which imposed sanctions on multiple incumbents, placing strict restrictions and limitations on gambling transactions.

Such consequences required the Rada to amend the Gambling Law of 2020 to revise conditions for a disrupted industry engag..

The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Gambling Authority of the Netherlands, has issued a €1m fine to the Curaçao-licensed online gambling group Alimaniere Sociedad De Responsabilidad Limitada, which operates as Alimaniere Ltd.

The €1m fine relates to Dutch players gambling on the unlicensed website time2spin.com, which is recognised as a subsidiary of Alimaniere Ltd.

Despite the website being IP-blocked, a KSA investigation revealed that “the provider had created another website, timetospin1.com. Dutch players could use the account they had previously created on the other website.”

The KSA has taken action to block both websites. The €1m penalty was imposed due to the combined unlicensed activities of both websites operated by Alimaniere Ltd.

The statement highlighted that the KSA had evidence “that there were various factors which resulted in a higher fine than the basic fine of €600,000 being imposed.”

Last week, the KSA sanctioned a new ‘General Policy of Fines’ for its governance..

GambleAware Chief Executive Zoë Osmond has been named in the New Year Honours List of appointments made by King Charles III.

The Honours List for 2025 has awarded Osmond an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for exemplary services in tackling and treating problem gambling harms and addiction.

Publishing a statement, Osmond thanked all organisations and stakeholders supporting GambleAware in combating gambling harms across local communities:

“I am deeply humbled and honoured to receive this OBE. This is recognition of the tireless efforts of the whole team at GambleAware, our partners, and the wider lived experience community who have shared their personal stories and insights with the hope of reducing gambling-related harm across Great Britain.”

Osmond has served as CEO of GambleAware since 2021, overseeing the charity’s transformation and the expansion of a new national strategy to reduce gambling harms.

As CEO, Osmond has overseen GambleAware’s development of the National Gamblin..

The Senate of Brazil has received its first update from rapporteurs who will evaluate the economic and integrity threats posed by Brazil’s new federal regime for online gambling.

Commonly referred to as ‘Bets’, on 1 January, Brazil launched its federal online gambling marketplace. The Ministry of Finance has granted licence authorisations to 70 businesses, with 14 licences approved to operate brands from 1 January, while others await regulatory approval.

Accompanying developments saw relevant authorities receive the first update from rapporteurs leading Commission of Inquiry (CPI) investigations aimed at reviewing the laws, standards, and protections of the Bets regime.

Led by Senator Soraya Thronicke (Podemos-MS), the ‘CPI of Bets’ will commence its assessment of the economic risks associated with online gambling starting on 30 April. Partnered with Senator Dr Hiran Goncalves (PP-RR), Thronicke is tasked with spearheading a critical investigation into the vulnerabilities of online ..