FRA reaction: Gambling Commission slammed by figures in and out of the industry

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 moves to “Zero Tolerance” to combat black market gambling

A.J. Koehn0101 views

Athens is informed that all options are being reviewed in the economic and social fight against black market operators, including prison sentences and consumer fines for repeated play on illegal websites.

Greece maintains its ambitions to be the first EU nation to launch a ‘comprehensive framework’ dedicated to combat illegal gambling activities and related crimes.

The commitment comes from the Minister of National Economy and Finance, Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who is proceeding with a bill to overhaul Greece’s laws and protections against illegal gambling and the accelerating encroachment of the black market.

Pierrakakis has informed parliament that he expects to publish a decree “in the first half of 2026”, containing new laws and toughened measures “to combat a €1.6bn illegal economy,” as the Greek state’s current losses now exceed “at least €500m annually in lost public revenues.”

“The numbers are shocking,” Minister Pierrakakis told lawmakers. “This is not simply a leak of public ..

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Tennessee bill criminalizes influencing outcomes for event contract trading

SBC Americas076 views

A lawmaker in Tennessee introduced a piece of legislation to combat the manipulation of events tied to prediction market trading.

Sen. Ferrell Haile filed Senate Bill 1992 last week, proposing a penalty for anyone “who engages in conduct intended to influence the outcome of an event while the person or another is a party to a contract with a prediction-market by which the person will benefit, directly or indirectly, from the occurrence of the outcome.” SB 1992 amends Tennessee code to make any person who violates SB 1992 guilty of a Class E felony.

Under Tennessee law, a Class E felony subjects offenders to a prison term that ranges between one and six years, with fines that can reach up to $3,000. A Class E felony is the state’s lowest felony class and includes white color or fraud-related crimes. Crimes also associated with Class E felonies include theft of property and drug and gun possession.

Tennessee regulator’s stance on sports event contracts

Haile has filed SB 1992 as the ..

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BetMGM updates terms of service to include athlete anti-harassment policy

SBC Americas068 views

BetMGM is combating harassment toward athletes by implementing a new policy.

The MGM Resorts and Entain joint venture announced an update to its terms of service with a ban on harassment directed toward athletes. BetMGM’s previous versions of its terms of service prohibited harassment, but the operator is now taking the step to explicitly ban gambling-related harm directed at athletes amid recent calls to action by key stakeholders to protect athletes nationwide.

“We are unwavering in our commitment to sports integrity—and that commitment extends to safeguarding athletes, coaches and league personnel,” said BetMGM Chief Compliance Officer Rhea Loney. “Our legal, regulated environment enables us to identify misconduct, investigate reports, and take action when necessary. Any confirmed instance of harassment will result in decisive measures, including account suspension.”

BetMGM’s policy update imposes an immediate suspension on customer accounts found to direct abusive or harassing m..

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Poland penal code change to classify gambling streams as serious crime 

Steve Hoare094 views

The Sejm of Poland has received a bill to end “Patostreaming”, which includes articles citing that the promotion of online gambling by influences should be treated as a criminal offence.

Patostreaming is recognised as a new term to categorise criminal offences related to the broadcasting of online violence, abuse and sexually degrading content.

In its review, the Sejm must consider changes to the Penal Code to authorise the bill introducing new conditions on online abuse and the streaming of gambling content.

KO support

The bill carries the backing of ministers of Poland’s new Civic Coalition (KO) government, formed in late 2025 by the union of the Citizens Platform (PO), Modern (Nowoczesna) and the Polish Initiative (iPL).

Supporters call for clearer enforcement powers to treat the online broadcasting of serious criminal acts as a punishable offence, aligning digital conduct with crimes already sanctioned offline.

If adopted, the legislation would introduce prison sentences ranging from three months to five years for individuals who publicly share real or staged content depicting serious criminal acts via online platforms.

The same penalty range would also apply to influencers found to be illegally promoting online gambling activity that remains heavily restricted under Poland’s state-controlled gambling regime.

KO ministers have framed the initiative as part of a broader effort to strengthen online protections for Polish youth, citing rising exposure to violent digital content and illegal gambling promotions across social media platforms.

In its legislative review, the Sejm is expected to place particular emphasis on child and adolescent safeguards, with parliamentary committees examining how criminal provisions can be used to curb harmful online environments that attract minors.

Dr Justyna Grusza-Głębicka,

Providing a legal assessment to SBC News of the proposed reforms, Dr Justyna Grusza-Głębicka, a specialist in Polish gambling and digital law, noted that the draft introduces a significant expansion of criminal liability into the online content sphere.

She explained: “The proposed new Article 255b would criminalise the public dissemination of audiovisual content that depicts, praises or simulates the commission of criminal offences — including fiscal offences related to illegal gambling via online platforms and streaming services.

“In practice, this means that streamers, influencers and potentially even the platforms themselves could face criminal liability for promoting or normalising illegal gambling activity, particularly where such content is accessible to minors.

“This reflects a noticeable shift in approach — from administrative and regulatory enforcement towards the use of criminal law instruments, which raises important questions about proportionality and legal certainty.”

Bigger picture on Youth Protections

The Penal Code initiative sees Polish politics continue to focus on youth-focused regulatory protections. At the close of 2025, the Sejm received a separate bill proposing new legal interpretations for gaming transactions and loot box mechanics involving minors, with amendments seeking to classify in-game loot boxes as a form of gambling activity.

The loot box decree calls on Poland to introduce the strictest controls on in-game purchases in Europe, including enhanced age-verification requirements, spending limits and individual authorisation of loot boxes for specific games.

Beyond gaming, Poland’s Ministry of Digital Affairs has also confirmed it will join other EU states in reviewing social media regulations for teenage users/audiences, including consideration of an outright ban on under-16s – a measure that carries favourability in France and Greece.

Blowback effect

Dr Grusza-Głębicka beelives that Polish ministers are responding “to enforcement challenges in a borderless digital environment”. As a result, legislators are increasingly targeting the wider digital ecosystem advertisers, content creators and promoters rather than organisers alone.

However, she cautions that without precise legal definitions, the reforms could have a blowback effect on legitimate online marketing practices, and make it more difficult to promote legal operators.

“There is no doubt that concrete steps must be taken to tighten the legal framework and to effectively prevent minors and other vulnerable groups from being drawn into illegal online gambling.

“If adopted in its current form, the draft may have a chilling effect on legitimate content creators and could blur the line between illegal gambling promotion and the marketing activities of lawful, licensed operators, especially in a digital and cross-border context.”

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Analysis: UK launches Illegal Gambling Taskforce but is it enough?

Steve Hoare095 views

UK Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross has formed a specialised Illegal Gambling Taskforce to fend off the black market.

The formulation of the task force comes after years of warning by the regulated industry that black market operators are becoming increasingly prevalent in the UK.

This was raised multiple times during the debate around industry taxes last year, with operators arguing that over-taxation would lead to licenced operators taking measures that could push customers to the black market.

However, when the government ultimately put up taxes from 21% to 40% on online gaming (from April 2026) and gaming in general, except retail, from 15% to 21% (from April 2027), it included a commitment to investing money into combating the black market.

Although the taxes have yet to come into effect, it could be expected that the task force will receive some gambling tax-based backing. The Baroness-led taskforce may be an early fruit of the government’s planned anti-black market labour.

On the Department for Culture, Media and Sport LinkedIn profile, Baroness Twycross said: “Our Taskforce will work together over the next year to ensure that people who wish to gamble can do so safely, with the right protections in place.”

BGC backs task force

Some important details were also shared on LinkedIn by Grainne Hurst, CEO of the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), who was in attendance at the taskforce’s launch event.

Hurst outlined that the government has clearly set out its mission, which apparently involves “uniting key players across the industry and beyond, including tech companies and payment providers.” At this time, however, not much else has been revealed about the initiative.

Other than that, Hurst reminded of the scope of the black market in the UK – with 1.5 million people staking up to £4.3bn on it.

The severity of the problem has also been previously highlighted in reports from various organisations, such as Deal Me Out (DMO), a gambling harm prevention and education organisation.

A substantial survey from April last year drew answers from a UK pool of 1250 children, 300 adults and 10 gambling content creators, finding out that more than £10m has been deposited into the black market by adult consumers alone.

Breaking down the numbers further, £3.6m of the above amount was staked by individuals who are suffering from problem gambling, £1.9m from general consumers, and £5.1m from the 10 content creators – who, surprisingly or not, were paid to market illegal gambling websites.

DMO further states that 67% of respondents told them that they were self-excluded via Gamstop from licensed betting sites – the Ladbrokes, Corals, Paddy Powers and bet365s etc of the UK gaming sector – but continued gambling with black market firms.

Studies like those from DMO, while more limited in scope than those by the government or Gambling Commission, indicate that there is an extensive black market in the UK that requires attention.

Gamstop itself also revealed last year that around one-in-10 self excluded gamblers admit to regularly using offshore, unlicensed ‘non-Gamstop casinos’. This would align with the stat often cited by the BGC and others that around 10% of UK gambling volume takes place within illegal markets.

“While any proposal to work against the harmful black market is obviously welcome, it’s going to be an uphill battle,” the BGC’s Hurst wrote on LinkedIn. “Already the scale of it is huge – 1.5m Brits stake up to £4.3bn on the black market each year.

“Unfortunately, the significant tax rises on our sector will inevitably drive even more consumers out of the regulated market and into the hands of unscrupulous illegal operators.

“They are so incredibly harmful because they have no age checks, no safer gambling tools and no consumer protections. Nonetheless, it was good to see the Government bring people together to get talking about the subject. And to acknowledge the sheer scale of the problems we now face.”

Not everyone is convinced of the extent of black market activity, not necessarily in the UK but across other markets. In the Nordics, where industry cases about the black market are similarly used to argue against stricter regulations and in favour of market liberalisations, academics have doubted the extent of illicit activity.

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Ohio Gov. DeWine considers legalizing sports betting his ‘biggest regret’

SBC Americas084 views

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine reignited his claim that online sports betting is detrimental to the well-being of state residents and the athletes who partake in competition.

In a conversation with Cleveland.com, DeWine discussed important key topics impacting Ohioans, including the operational tactics of the U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, cannabis and online sports betting. DeWine welcomed sports betting to Ohio in 2021 after signing a piece of legislation that legalized the vertical in the state. Five years later, DeWine considers his signature of the bill his “biggest regret” as governor.

DeWine is taking this tone against legalized sports betting after not realizing the impact gambling can have on young people, particularly young men. The governor voiced concerns about addiction rates and the proliferation of gambling-related ads in the media.

DeWine considers the issues to be “his fault”.

Alleged scandals impact the perception of sports betting

DeWine also pointed to the re..

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New York considers bills to ban betting for people who harass athletes

SBC Americas058 views

New York lawmakers are continuing to legislative action to protect amateur and professional athletes from harassment and harm.

The Empire State is considering a pair of anti-harassment bills that provide gambling-related penalties for individuals who harass athletes, officials, or coaches in the state.

Sen. Toby Stavisky is having his anti-harassment measure, Senate Bill 7482, reconsidered in 2026 as a carryover from the first year of New York’s two-year legislative session.

Stavisky’s bill proposes potential wagering ban

SB 7482 proposes amending New York’s racing, parimutuel wagering and breeding law to consider anyone “found to have harassed or shown a harmful pattern of conduct directed at amateur or professional athletes, coaches, officials or participants of a sports event” a prohibited sports bettor in the state. The piece of legislation covers any threats that are verbal, written or electronic and any conduct that “would cause a reasonable person to suffer substantial emot..

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Regulator reveals Tabcorp and others failed with BetStop obligations

Steve Hoare070 views

Six operators have been hit with enforcement actions for breaching self-exclusion compliance rules in Australia.

The investigations conducted by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) affect operators Tabcorp, LightningBet, Betfocus, TempleBet, Picklebet and BetChamps.

All compliance failures were related to people registered on BetStop, Australia’s national self-exclusion scheme, varying from allowing self-excluded persons to access wagering services, to targeting such individuals with marketing. All breaches occurred in 2024.

The largest operator in Australia in terms of retail presence, Tabcorp, has accepted a penalty of AU$112.7k (£57.5k), in addition to a Federal Court-enforceable agreement to conduct a third-party review of its customer verification processes in place and further staff training on self-exclusion.

Betfocus, LightningBet and TempleBet have been given remedial directions by the regulator, which obligates them to conduct an independent audit of their player safety checks and follow through on any resulting recommendations – with further compliance failure leading to potential civil penalties.

A formal warning has been issued to BetChamps, while the ACMA is in the process of finalising the enforcement action against Picklebet.

Carolyn Lidgerwood, ACMA member, commented: “The national self-exclusion register is designed to help people who are trying to avoid gambling services and stop gambling, but self-exclusion only works if wagering providers follow the rules.

“These rules have been in place for more than two years and wagering providers should be taking their responsibilities seriously.

“When people decide to self-exclude themselves from online and telephone gambling, they trust the system to protect them from gambling harm. These investigations have found that these companies broke that trust and let people down.

“All licensed wagering providers need to be aware that the ACMA is investigating compliance and enforcing the rules. Gambling companies must have effective systems in place to ensure self-excluded people cannot gamble with them.”

Launched in 2023, BetStop is currently undergoing a statutory review expected early 2026, which aims to assess the effectiveness of the register and address critical operational deficiencies such as some BetStop-registered players still receiving gambling marketing.

This review ties in with ongoing debates on wider reforms in the Australian gambling legislature, namely the still-to-be implemented 31 recommendations from the Murphy report, devised by the late Peta Murphy.

The document suggests that a unified gambling regulator is created to end the current supervisory fragmentation of the Australian market, with the sole entity taking charge of the national problem gambling projects such as BetStop as well.

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NCPG unveils new 1-800-MY-RESET national problem gambling helpline

SBC Americas063 views

After losing the right to use 1-800-GAMBLER, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is leaning on what it hopes will be another memorable number to use as its latest trademarked national problem gambling helpline.

The NCPG announced on Thursday that the new 1-800-MY-RESET service is now live and operational 24/7 to receive calls across the country. The national nonprofit organization said that the adoption of the new number strengthens the national visibility of the NCPG-run helpline and also supports its ongoing network modernization efforts.

“Problem gambling support should never be limited to a single moment or a single definition of harm,” said NCPG Board President Derek Longmeier. “1-800-MY-RESET reinforces that the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available at any stage — whether someone is worried about themselves, concerned about a family member or simply looking for trusted guidance. Making the helpline number easier to remember is a practical, meaningful step ..

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