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Costa Rica seeks a clear path to reform blurred gambling laws

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The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica has acknowledged major shortcomings and ambiguity in the governance of gambling and its failure to protect citizens and state interests from illegal gambling activity.

Debates in the Legislative Assembly in San José have been reopened as the government confronts new estimates showing illegal operators account for 53% of Costa Rica’s lottery and betting sector.

The estimate was presented to the new administration of President Laura Fernández Delgado, who took office on 8 May. Delgado, elected on a platform focused on tackling crime, was informed that the Costa Rican economy loses approximately $300m annually to illegal gambling operators exploiting vague laws and limited oversight of online gambling activity.

Unlike most regulated markets, Costa Rica operates without a dedicated online gambling licensing regime or a centralised gambling authority. International online gambling operators have historically been permitted to establish corporate ent..

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New York to consider bill to ban sports betting on college campuses

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New York lawmakers are considering legislation that would ban college students from placing online sports wagers while on school property.

Senate Bill 10470 was introduced by Sen. Andrew Gounardes last week and referred to the chamber’s Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee as a bill that prohibits sports betting operators from accepting wagers from people located on a college campus.

The bill proposes several requirements for online sportsbooks in New York:

Operators are required to use geolocation technology to prevent wagering

The ban applies to both online sports betting operators and platform providers

If enacted, operators must deploy geolocation technology before August 2027

Under the bill, colleges and universities also have a new role. The state institutions are required to provide the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) with the “necessary geographic data and campus boundary information to effectuate compliance.”

All New York colleges and universities that would h..

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Armenia adopts payment lock to protect new gambling framework  

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he Republic of Armenia is moving ahead with tightening controls on digital betting, payments and advertising as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government confirmed that he will apply a new compliance framework for gambling licensees.

Applied from 1 May onwards, the technical commands will be overseen by Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan and State Revenue Committee chief Rustam Badasyan, who seek to tighten financial supervision, reinforce legal gambling channels and squeeze offshore operators out of Armenia’s market.

Driving the political agenda is Civil Contract MP Hayk Sargsyan, who has become the leading parliamentary voice behind the overhaul.

At the centre of the strategy sits payments enforcement. Armenian authorities are looking to block financial transfers to unlicensed operators while tightening anti-money laundering and know-your-customer obligations across licensed gambling businesses.

The government will simultaneously advance the roll-out of a centralised monitor..

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Better Gambling Forum and SBC announce strategic partnership

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BGF and SBC aim to advance legislative solutions and best practice to promote a sustainable gambling industry London/New York — May 26, 2026: The Better Gambling Forum (BGF) and SBC Events & Media have signed a strategic partnership to advance a practical, scalable approach to player protection across North America and beyond. The partnership will leverage…

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Ontario Liberals seek to ban online gambling advertising via new legislation

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A group of Liberal Members of Provincial Parliament (MPPs) in Ontario have authored legislation that would ban most online gambling advertising in the province.

MPP Lee Fairclough’s Bill 107, titled the “Stop Harmful Gambling Advertising Act,” was introduced in the Legislative Assembly of Ontario on Monday. It arrives in addition to a federal effort to rein in sports betting-specific advertising, S-211, which has passed the Senate and currently sits in the House of Commons.

MPPs target all online gambling ads, not just sports

Unlike that federal Private Member’s Bill (PMB), which aims to establish a national framework for regulating sports betting ads, Fairclough’s PMB proposes an explicit ban on online gambling advertising at large. It would amend Ontario’s Gaming Control Act of 1992 to prohibit any of the province’s almost 50 online sportsbooks and online casinos from advertising or otherwise promoting their sites or products in the province.

The bill includes some carveouts, inc..

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GamCare adds new Director of Operations following £4m OHID boost

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GamCare has appointed Chris Thornton as its new Director of Operations, strengthening its executive leadership at a time of rising demand for gambling harm support services across the UK.

Thornton will take responsibility for the delivery and performance of GamCare’s national and regional services, including the National Gambling Helpline, and will join the organisation’s Executive Leadership Team.

He brings extensive senior leadership experience across the NHS, the voluntary sector and health commissioning.

Most recently, he served at the British Red Cross, where he was Director for the North of England and the Isle of Man.

In that role, he led large-scale health and care operations spanning NHS and local authority commissioned services, with a focus on reducing pressure on emergency care systems and supporting independent living.

During his time at the British Red Cross, Thornton oversaw around 100 staff and £3m annual income, delivering measurable reductions in emergency depa..

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Lithuania backs Player Card as principal gambling control

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Lithuania has reaffirmed the use of ‘mandatory player cards’ as the cornerstone reform of its overhaul of gambling laws to be fully implemented by 2029

An appraisal was provided to SBC News by the Gambling Control Authority of Lithuania that the mechanism was viewed as a new central control passed due to amendments to the Gaming Law of the Republic of Lithuania as approved by the Ministry of Finance.

Though controversial to some, The Ministry of Finance backed the measure arguing that stricter controls are necessary to strengthen consumer protections and improve regulatory compliance of operators of a high risk sector.

Under the new framework, all customers who engage with gambling services of 18 licences land-based casinos, 50 arcade halls and 10 online licences must use a personalised gambling card linked directly to their player profile and national ID – a mandatory requirement that will be implemented via a phased approach to the Gaming Law from 2027 to 2028.

The reforms place..

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Polla Chilena denounces agencies for promoting illegal online betting

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The Chilean National Lottery (La Polla Chilena de Beneficencia) , the state-owned company responsible for managing gambling and lotteries in Chile , has filed complaints against several advertising agencies for promoting unregulated online betting platforms. This action comes as the country seeks to move towards a new regulatory framework for the gambling industry, based on a formal licensing…

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Brazil’s Central Bank targets illegal gambling operators

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The Central Bank of Brazil (BCB) yesterday published Resolution BCB No. 569/2026 , which modifies the rules on the exchange of data and information related to evidence of fraud in the financial system. The measure, signed by the Director of Regulation, Gilneu Francisco Astolfi Vivan , modifies BCB Resolution No. 343 , of October 4, 2023, and now includes, among the data to be…

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Senate hearing on sports betting turns contentious over prediction markets

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A U.S. Senate subcommittee held a highly anticipated hearing Wednesday to discuss the impact of legal sports betting, though much of the discussion turned to the rise of prediction markets in the space.

The Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy held the hearing to address the impact of sports wagering on America’s amateur and professional sports landscape. The hearing lasted more than two hours, with regulated gaming interests and prediction market proponents facing off via interaction with senators.

The subcommittee discussed the impact of sports betting and prediction markets on the integrity of competition as several major sports leagues and organizations deal with gambling-related issues.

“When Americans watch their favorite sports team, they don’t want to worry about the game being rigged,” said Subcommittee Chair Sen. Marsha Blackburn during the hearing. “They don’t want to worry that their favorite player missed a free throw to make..

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