iGamingExpert

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) believes there are areas in which licensed operators can improve their player protection tools, despite an overall positive level of compliance with regulatory expectations among the majority of licensees.

A thematic review was conducted by the MGA in the first half of 2025 on the self-exclusion implementation and other responsible gambling safeguards across 20 licensees and 58 active URLs.

A mystery shopper exercise was used to determine effectiveness, cross-brand account controls and how responsible gambling protections were presented at key moments by licensees.

The MGA stated: “For Brand A, a player account was registered using a fixed set of personal details, followed by deposits and gameplay to test platform functionality.

“Brand B involved registering with the same details, initiating self-exclusion on Brand A, and verifying whether this exclusion extended to Brand B.

“Brand C tested the system’s ability to detect linkage by registering wi..

The Dutch gambling regulator has expanded its battle against illegal gambling, ordering Polymarket to cease its presence in the country.

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) warned Adventure One QSS, the operator of the Polymarket brand in the Netherlands, that it would be sanctioned with a weekly fine of €420,000 should it continue to operate in the country, with a maximum penalty of €840,000.

A zero-tolerance approach to illegal gambling sites is one of the key goals set out by the government in its recently published ‘Getting started, Building a better Netherlands’ coalition agreement, with KSA now expanding this action to include prediction markets.

KSA highlighted how Polymarket has been in the news recently, particularly surrounding wagering on the Dutch elections. Polymarket staunchly denies that it falls in the gambling category.

Despite being contacted about its illegal activity in the Netherlands, no changes have occurred to Polymarket’s offering in the country and as such, an orde..

EU Member States have been urged to consider adopting a ‘unionised tax charge’ for online gambling operators, with proceeds directed towards funding social initiatives, education and workforce reskilling projects.

A proposal is being explored by Victor Negrescu, Vice-President of the European Parliament, who used a recent plenary address to reiterate support for examining an “EU-level iGaming tax” as part of broader budget reform discussions.

A member of Romania’s Social Democratic Party (PSD), Negrescu is among Parliament’s Vice-Presidents and plays a role in shaping and overseeing the EU’s budgetary framework. As lead negotiator on the 2025 EU Budget, he has consistently advocated an investment-led financial model centred on education, youth and skills development.

Speaking before MEPs in Brussels yesterday, Negrescu framed the proposal as both an economic and social measure that should be considered.

“The online gambling market is one of the fastest-growing digital industries ..

Spelinspektionen, the Gambling Inspectorate of Sweden, has urged licensees and stakeholders to engage with the ‘AMLA consultations’ to help improve the legitimacy and effectiveness of money laundering policies, practices and safeguards for EU Member States.

AMLA serves as the ‘Anti-Money Laundering Authority’, an EU-authorised supervisory body established in 2024 to support Member State governments and Financial Intelligence Units (FIUs) with evidence and data to prosecute AML/CFT crimes and strengthen overall protections.

Within its remit, AMLA was established to help EU Member States align and implement money laundering safeguards in accordance with the EU’s new AML legislative package, including the AML Regulation and the 6th AML Directive, sanctioned on 14 June 2024.

The 6th AML Directive is regarded as a landmark reform in the EU’s harmonisation of anti-money laundering rules. The framework introduces 22 standardised definitions of “predicate money laundering offences”, includi..

DGOJ, Spain’s Directorate General for Gambling Regulation, continues to deploy new tools to enhance safer gambling for digital consumers.

This week saw the launch of ‘Stop Juego‘ (Stop Gambling), the DGOJ’s new app designed to block gambling across desktop and mobile devices.

The application enables Spanish consumers to voluntarily self-exclude from gambling activity through a simplified digital process, strengthening the DGOJ’s evolving framework for player protection.

Users who register via the app are automatically enrolled in Spain’s General Registry of Gambling Access Bans (RGIAJ), preventing them from accessing licensed online gambling platforms and physical gambling premises subject to identity controls, including casinos, bingo halls and arcades

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The Stop Juego app is available for download on iOS and Android devices, allowing individuals to complete the registration process directly from their mobile phone. Access is validated through Spain’s digital identification syste..

The Swedish National Audit Office is calling for stronger coordination between the Public Health Agency, the National Board of Health and Welfare and the county administrative boards when it comes to improving problem gambling support in Sweden.

Riksrevisionen underpinned the urgent need for Folkhälsomyndigheten and Socialstyrelsen to elevate their collaboration to support the Riskdag in reducing the negative impact of excessive gambling.

The National Audit Office emphasised that urgency is crucial as gambling problems have increased among children and young people.

High quality but failing to meet needs

The Public Health Agency’s and the National Board of Health and Welfare’s knowledge and support on gambling harm were described as ‘high quality’, but failing to meet the ‘municipalities’ needs for practical guidance to detect and prevent gambling problems, especially in children and young people’ as such support is ‘currently lacking’.

There is also a desperate need to update th..