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First review of BetStop lauds successful rollout and recommends better marketing

iGamingExpertMarch 4, 20260174 views

BetStop has laid new ground for comprehensive self-exclusion on AUS gambling licences and states, a dynamic dependent on the Labor Party’s stalled review of gambling advertising reforms…

The government of Australia has been warned that the BetStop National Self-Exclusion Register (NSER) cannot be viewed as a “silver bullet to stop the rise of gambling addiction rates”.

The warning has headlined the review of the BetStop register by independent examiner and AUS public health expert Richard Eccles, who was summoned by the Australia Communications & Media Authority (ACMA) in October 2024.

The ACMA has submitted its first review of BetStop to ministers of the Commonwealth, providing an overview and breakdown of self-exclusion activities across six states and two mainland territories in Australia.

BetStop first came into existence in August 2023 as part of The Gambling Amendment Act, with an aim of applying urgent reforms to the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.

The stewardship of the s..

Nordic Law: a deep dive into Finland’s regulatory direction

iGamingExpertMarch 4, 20260180 views

With Finland’s regulated commercial gambling market set to launch in July next year, Partner Jon Hautamäki and Associate Trainee Niko Hannolainen at Helsinki-based law firm Nordic Law provide iGaming Expert with a deep analysis of the regulation and the direction the market is heading in.

The success of the entire gambling reform depends on whether licensed operators can win players back from the offshore market. Several regulatory tracks are developing on top of the Gambling Act, but their cumulative effect on channelisation has not yet been considered.

Finland’s online gambling market will open to licensed competition on 1 July 2027. Applications for operator licences will open on 2 March 2026. For the first time, private operators will be able to offer sports betting, online casino games, online slots and online money bingo under a regulated framework. Physical slot machines and casino games will remain under a separate, state-controlled, exclusive license.

The Gambling Act is ba..

NHS: 5% of adults are at risk of problem gambling

iGamingExpertMarch 4, 20260167 views

The latest data from NHS England estimates that 5% of adults in England display at-risk or problem gambling behaviours, whilst less than 1% of adults are currently classified as problem gamblers.
The figures are drawn from the Health Survey for England 2024 (HSE 2024), providing official public health data on health conditions and behavioural factors across the adult population. The survey covers England only and excludes Scotland and Wales.

The HSE tracks trends in health conditions and prevalence related to adult cigarette smoking, use of e-cigarettes (vaping), alcohol consumption, physical activity and gambling participation.

NHS England data places gambling harm within a wider public-health landscape that also includes obesity, high cholesterol, diabetes and mental health conditions among adults.

Audiences are reminded to distinguish between diagnosed health conditions and behavioural risk factors that contribute to or worsen illness.

Under the HSE methodology, gambling harm is..

False licensing claims continue to plague offshore regulators

iGamingExpertMarch 4, 20260167 views

The Malta Gaming Authority has once again been forced to shut down its connection to a number of online casino platforms.

The island’s regulatory body released a statement that any reference to the MGA on the websites www.rrbet.com, babu88bd.com and www.wagerstreet.net is ‘false and misleading’.

RRbet appears to be a brand focused on the Nigerian market and claims to be licensed in Curacao. However, the licensing number listed cannot be found on the website of the Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA). The platform also carries the logo of the MGA.

Meanwhile, Babu88 is focused on the Bangladeshi market, where online gambling operates in a grey area with no local regulation. The site repeatedly lists the MGA as its regulatory body, but does not provide any form of licensing number to verify this fact.

Finally, Wagerstreet is US-focused and does not list any form of licensee on its main page. However, within its terms and conditions, it informs customers that it can take complaints to the ..

Dutch gambling trade body calls out Meta over illegal gambling ads

iGamingExpertFebruary 27, 20260144 views

Meta has again been slammed for allowing illegal gambling operators to advertise on its platform – this time in the Netherlands.

Dutch gambling’s trade body, Vergunde Nederlandse Online Kansspelaanbieders (VNLOK), has warned that illegal providers continue to reach players in the country “on a large scale” via the social media brand’s platforms.

Analysis of Meta’s ads library from VNLOK between October 2025 and December 2025 revealed that “more than 95% of the gambling promotions found—both Facebook pages and advertisements” were from black market operators. Only a small portion of these ads were removed by Meta, with the association calling for “faster and more robust measures” as a result.

This criticism intensifies pressure on Meta after comments by the UK Gambling Commission’s Executive Director Tim Miller to industry stakeholders at ICE last week. He said he has seen more adverts for illegal online casinos appearing on their brand platforms using ‘not on GamStop’ signage to tar..

Baroness Twycross bullish on illegal gambling taskforce timeline

iGamingExpertFebruary 27, 20260167 views

Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross is confident that the newly-minted illegal gambling task force will garner results as early as later this year.

The taskforce aims to find synergy between companies like Google, Meta and Visa alongside law enforcement agencies to address payments and advertising in the illegal market.

Speaking at the UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) AGM, Twycross stated: “I’m determined that, however hard it is for us to achieve this, it will result in fast, effective action.”

Alongside the taskforce, the UK government also allocated a further £26m to fighting the black market as part of November’s budget and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched a consultation on banning British sports teams partnering with unlicensed operators.

Twycross revealed resources will be largely focused on increasing resources to prosecute illegal platforms, enhancing early prevention activities and undertaking further research on the market.

On the sponso..

Rank Group: black market celebrates ‘hit jobs’ on regulated industry

iGamingExpertFebruary 27, 20260172 views

‘Hit jobs’ against the regulated industry have ‘eroded’ regulatory credibility and emboldened the black market, according to Rank Group’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations, David Williams.

Speaking on a panel at the Betting and Gaming Council’s (BGC) AGM focused on the balance between tax, regulation and the illegal market, Williams lamented the picture of the industry created by targeted takedowns of the regulated sector over the years.

He said: “For every hit job that there is on the licensed [sector], and I’m not saying we have been without blame down the years, that is not true, but some of it has been excessive. Each time it happens, it generates a round of applause from black market operators because, as the erosion in the credibility of licensed operators happens, the black market celebrates.”

Williams also described the growth of the black market in recent years as a ‘symptom of an imbalance’ between the three factors – a viewpoint shared by Entain’s Grou..

Does the levy-funded North Wales treatment service undermine the National Gambling Helpline?

iGamingExpertFebruary 25, 20260173 views

Government in Wales has unveiled a gambling helpline funded by the UK statutory levy, however, concerns remain that the funding transition will exacerbate fragmentation concerns.

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been awarded £1.3m in funding from the Welsh Government to run the helpline, which will provide information, advice and support to those affected by gambling-related harms in Wales and go live on 1 April.

Sarah Murphy, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, described the decision as a ‘landmark moment’ for gambling harm treatment in Wales.

She said: “[This marks] the first time specialist gambling treatment and support services will be available from the NHS in Wales. The helpline will be a form of open access support available to people who need it the most and fits into the ambitions of our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.”

According to Dr Faye Graver, the Clinical Lead for gambling treatment services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, tens..

Turkey claims victory against proxy accounts funding illegal gambling

iGamingExpertFebruary 20, 20260163 views

Turkish authorities have reported a critical juncture in the fight against illegal gambling, fuelled by direct actions on Turkey’s financial system and bank licences.

On Monday, Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of the Treasury and Finance, declared that proxy bank accounts enabling transactions to illegal betting and gaming sites could soon be eradicated.

Providing an update on investigations and enforcement carried out by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), Şimşek confirmed that in 2025 the financial intelligence unit halted the circulation of TL5bn (€100m) in illicit proceeds within Turkey’s financial system.

Şimşek stated: “Illegal betting organisers have recently started using bank, payment, electronic money and cryptocurrency accounts belonging to third parties.
“I would like to strongly remind our citizens that renting or allowing others to use their accounts under pretexts such as ‘escrow’, ‘temporary use’, or ‘for commission’ constitutes participation in illegal betting..

EGBA tells MEPs that EU iGaming tax plan has no legal basis

iGamingExpertFebruary 19, 20260158 views

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been told to disregard a proposal made by Victor Negrescu, Vice‑President of the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) and Vice‑President of the European Parliament (EP), which called for a “unionised tax charge on online gambling.”

This week, the European Parliament was informed of Negrescu’s proposal to create an ‘EU-level iGaming tax’, although the proposal itself is still said to be in development.

Negrescu framed his proposal to MEPs as a new measure to raise funds for EU-wide initiatives on education and re-skilling, and to support member states in the treatment of addiction and mental health.

The Romania SDP Minister currently sits on the council which considers and evaluates proposals for the design and development of the EU’s budget. The VP believes that a unionised tax charge on online gambling could provide an additional €4bn to the budget each year, and up to €28bn across a fiscal cycle.

In his address, the Minister argu..