iGamingExpert

KSA provides full checklist for targeting of Dutch gambling ads  

Dutch gambling licence holders have been informed of new guidelines to ensure that marketing campaigns comply with ‘targeting rules’ set by the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

Since July 2023, the KSA has imposed a ‘ban on untargeted mass-market gambling advertising’, a policy applied across all Dutch media channels.

The ban formed part of the first revisions to the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), the legislative framework that launched the Netherlands’ regulated online gambling market in October 2021.

Under strict orders, licence holders must ensure that marketing campaigns target audiences aged over 24 years old, with campaigns required to demonstrate a minimum 95% compliance threshold.

Operators must also show evidence of age-gating, audience segmentation and protective algorithms, with clear instructions that campaigns should be terminated when these compliance tools are deemed insufficient.

Since 2023, the KSA has issued penalties of €400,000 to operators, including Bingoal, Hillside ..

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EU courts can freeze bank accounts linked to offshore gambling

The Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) has delivered its opinion that insolvency proceedings should enable EU states to freeze the bank accounts of non-European licensed online gambling operators.

The legal opinion, published on 5 March, was delivered by Advocate General Rimvydas Norkus in his review of Case C-716/24.

The AG was tasked with examining the interaction between “EU cross-border debt recovery and insolvency proceedings” and how certain mechanisms can be applied to offshore gambling operators operating outside of the EU’s remit.

The decision has been fuelled by a claim brought by a German player seeking to recover approximately €57,000 in online gambling losses from an operator incorporated in Curaçao. After obtaining a default judgment in Germany, the claimant applied to freeze bank accounts believed to belong to the operator in the member state of Cyprus using the European Account Preservation Orders (EAPO).

The EAPO scheme was created to enable creditors ..

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Spanish concern over inflated trends in female gambling

The Ministry of Consumer Affairs of Spain has raised concerns over a noticeable growth in the number of women engaging in online gambling.

New insights published on 2024 data by the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), Spain’s Directorate of Gambling, recorded a 23% increase in the number of female players, representing the addition of almost 64,000 new women engaging in online gambling over the course of a single year.

Deeper analysis points to the Ministry’s concern that 60% of the total segment are aged under 35. The DGOJ was instructed to explain why it had recorded such an exceptional trend in 2024, and whether it reflects an anomaly in Spanish gambling participation or signals a structural shift in player demographics.

As cited: “The number of female players increased by 23.53%, meaning that almost 64,000 more women gambled online in Spain. This percentage is also higher than the growth in the number of male players during that same period.”

The Directorate under..

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Entain warns prediction markets facilitate underage sports betting

Entain’s Stella David has issued a criticism of the damaging consequences of the rise of prediction markets, claiming they facilitate underage sports betting in the US.

Many states across the US require players to be 21 to gamble. However, platforms like Polymarket and Kalshi, which are federally regulated through the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), have a minimum age requirement of 18.

Given that the platforms are currently offering markets on sports events, they are effectively bypassing state gambling laws, according to the Entain executive.

Updating investors yesterday, she stated: “Let me be clear, when people play the prediction markets in sports, it looks like a sports bet, it sounds like a sports bet, and it acts like a sports bet. I don’t think anybody should be in any doubt. It’s sports betting.

“In the US, you’ve got to be 21 to play, [but] 18 to 21-year-olds are playing prediction markets, and they’re playing prediction markets in non [online sports betting..

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New Zealand online casino bill set for Parliament scrutiny

Regulated online casinos are edging closer towards reality in New Zealand, as the Online Casino Gambling bill has passed its second reading in the country’s Parliament.

The rubber stamping of the regulation is scheduled to be completed in June; however, there are still a few hurdles that are left to be overcome.

Support was shown for community returns from the online casino gambling market in the second reading, as offshore gambling duty (online gambling duty once the bill passes) will increase from 12% to 16%, with approximately 4% ring-fenced for community benefit.

Further scrutiny is set to come for the bill, as it now progresses to the Committee of the Whole House, which will consider the legislation in detail, debate each of its clauses and make any changes if necessary.

Once the clause review is complete, the bill will return to the House of Representatives for its third and final reading. The House will then vote and decide if the legislation should become law. If the bil..

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Campaigners promote Harmful Products Marketing Act in Australia

A new multi-stakeholder campaign has been launched in Australia which demands that the government takes action on “tightening advertising of unhealthy products” – the gambling industry in particular has been placed in the spotlight.

The nationwide initiative, titled “Give Us an Ad Break”, has been launched by the Foundation for Alcohol Research and Education (FARE) and has already received “the backing of more than 130 organisations and public health leaders spanning health, sport, research and social services.”

FARE is urging federal ministers to support the introduction of a Harmful Products Marketing Act – legislation that would impose clear legal limits on when, where and how harmful products can be advertised, particularly in environments where children may be exposed.

Its proposal is modelled on Australia’s tobacco advertising framework and seeks to curb the visibility of gambling, alcohol and unhealthy food promotions across broadcast, digital and outdoor media.

Campaign org..

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First review of BetStop lauds successful rollout and recommends better marketing

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..

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

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..

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

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..

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False licensing claims continue to plague offshore regulators

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 ..

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