iGamingExpert

Fears that the door could be opened for an influx of players seeking to reclaim losses from Maltese operators have been intensified following the latest ruling from the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU).

The CJEU has aligned with the view that contracts between players residing in Germany and operators that aren’t licensed in the country are essentially void.

Long-standing legal conflicts between Malta and the member states of Germany and Austria over a myriad of compensation claims has escalated over the past decade, requiring the determination of the Attorney General of the CJEU.

In a preliminary ruling requested by the First Hall of the Civic Court in Malta, the EU court outlined that players could be entitled to claim back losses from operators not licensed in the country. The European Court deemed that Article 56 TFEU – an EU law concerning restrictions on the provision of unrestricted services – does not supersede national laws related to online gambling disputes..

Unibet has been criticised in the Netherlands for violating the country’s Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Act (Wwft).

Optdeck Service Limited, which operates the FDJ United brand in the market, has been issued an AML/CFT directive from the Dutch gaming authority Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) after an investigation found that customer due diligence was ‘not being performed well enough’.

The KSA noted that transaction monitoring and control measures don’t align well with Unibet’s policy in practice and that it must adjust its policy to make the monitoring of players and their transactions more effective.

In particular, the regulator highlighted that policy adjustments are needed regarding financial thresholds.

With the directive, Unibet has been told by the KSA that it must cease the various violations. However, the regulator spotlighted that the operator had ‘a cooperative attitude and proactively worked on a remediation plan’, with some violations stopped during th..

Portugal’s gaming regulator is aiming to simplify the self-exclusion process as it embarks on a system overhaul and a new user experience.

Launched by the Gaming Regulation and Inspection Service (SRIJ) yesterday (8 April), players and non-players will be able to use the platform to self-exclude from all licensed online gaming operators in Portugal.

According to the regulator, the new system features a ‘simpler and more intuitive interface’ to allow for quicker and more efficient self-exclusion requests, and has also been optimised for mobile devices.

SRIJ stated: “With this new platform, SRIJ reinforces the quality of its digital services and the effectiveness of the gambling control mechanisms available to players.”

Players can self-exclude for a specific period of time, with a minimum period of three months or indefinitely.

Portugal’s gaming market has grown to 17 licensed operators since the regulation began in 2015. In Q4 2025, the market generated €337.6m, growth of 4.5% co..

Spanish gambling will pivot to a ‘new system of accountability’ for player protection built on new commands for licence holders to identify risks and intervene on gambling threats and prevent fallouts.

The message came from Mikel Arana, Director General of the DGOJ, as he was presenting the “Juego Seguro 2030” (Safe Play) programme for Spanish gambling, which has been co-designed alongside the Advisory Council of Responsible Gambling.

The programme will be implemented from 2026, through to 2030. It forms part of the DGOJ’s mission to ‘redefine a new regulatory philosophy’ and enhance both player protections and gambling environments.

Tackling problem gambling head-on

From 2026 onwards, the DGOJ will develop Safe Play initiatives based on the ‘core structure of comprehensive protection’, which it is confident will uphold ‘safe environments, and the analysis and diagnosis of harms and threats’.

The programme will not be applied as a legislative decree. However, the DGOJ will apply t..