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The Ukrainian government is looking to “implement state policy in the field of organising and conducting gambling and lotteries”, as it ushers in a new era of regulatory oversight.

It comes as an announcement is reportedly imminent confirming the forming of a new state agency that will oversee the gambling sector in the country.

Revealed on the Telegram of Taras Melnychuk, the Secretariat of the SOP government, plans were revealed for a new “PlayCity” agency to replace KRAIL.

Furthermore, it forms part of a wider plan within Ukraine for the expansion of digital tech usage and a growing digital economy.

As well as this, at the centre of the new bill is the ambition to eradicate corruption from the Ukrainian gambling sector. It was this ambition to clean up the country’s gambling sector that also led to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dissolving the former KRAIL agency at the start of the year.

Intensified state control over the gambling sector is a likely outcome of the new agen..

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued a significant penalty to the UK independent betting company Corbett Bookmakers.

Corbett will have to pay a £686,070 penalty following a two-day assessment that found evidence of licensing breaches around anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility.

John Pierce, UKGC Director of Enforcement, commented: “This operator has failed to adhere to vital regulations designed to make gambling safer and free from criminal activity.

“As a result, it will not only pay a significant fine but also undergo a rigorous audit to ensure full compliance with anti-money laundering and safer gambling measures.”

Corbett operates a total of 36 bookmakers, located mainly across Wales and the North West region of England.

The UKGC accuses the firm of failing to identify and interact with customers who staked and lost significant amounts during a short period of time. UK licences require operators to engage customers who are seen doing this as a form of..

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has removed GoldWin Limited‘s gaming licence, effective 13 March.

This decision followed the Malta regulators suspending the licence of GoldWin on 25 September 2024 for several violations of the Island’s gaming regulations.

According to the MGA, the breaches included “an imminent threat of serious prejudice to the interest of players” and a failure to meet its commitments to players in a timely manner.

Following the removal of its licence, GoldWin is now required to notify all players of the cancellation via email and display the news on its website for a period of 30 days. The notification must also refer players wishing to withdraw player funds to the MGA’s ticketing system.

Additionally, GoldWin must settle all outstanding fees due to the MGA within five working days from 13 March and remove, with immediate effect, any reference to the MGA.

The MGA’s decision is now subject to appeal in terms of Article 43 (1) of the Gaming Compliance and Enf..

Germany’s Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) has called for more impactful measures to combat the black market following a review of its Google partnership.

Despite noting early success, including the removal of sponsored ads for unlicensed sites from Google’s search results, GGL CEO Ronald Benter acknowledged that more needs to be done as the black market implements increasingly sophisticated measures to bypass restrictions.

Following a ruling in 2024, the GGL legally requires Google to only show German consumers advertisements from licensed gambling providers.

Speaking at a recent industry conference hosted by Die Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft eV (DAW), Benter called for the introduction of advanced IP-blocking techniques to prevent access to unregulated sites.

Cloak and dagger

As with any new measure, the black market has sought out new ways to avoid detection and a growing threat to regulators in Germany is the use of a technique called cloaking.

The metho..

Maryland’s gaming regulator has ordered sweepstakes operator Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) to exit the state as lawmakers consider the future of the vertical.

First reported by Forbes, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) told the Australian-based firm on March 12 that its sweepstakes casinos Chumba Casino and LuckyLand Slots are operating online gaming activities in the state “without the legal authority to do so”.

“The commission has no record of VGW being issued a sports wagering license, a casino gaming license, or registration as a fantasy competition operator,” said the regulator, which also stressed that only sports wagering and fantasy competition are permitted in Maryland.

VGW has been given until 27 March to leave the state. If the VGW believes it is operating the two brands lawfully, the MLGCA has stated it must provide “any legal analysis or opinion interpreting Maryland law that concludes, advises, or suggests that VGW may legally offer sports wagering,..