iGamingExpert

Bangladesh renews fight against gambling with new law

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Authorities in Bangladesh are seeking to crack down on gambling by replacing a law that has previously stood for over 150 years.

As reported by local outlet BSS News, Bangladesh’s Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed has confirmed an initiative to replace the outdated Gambling Act of 1867 with a new law aimed at preventing both land-based and online gambling.

Ahmed told reporters that the decision has been made in recognition of the rising popularity of online betting and gaming, which now requires a more technology-oriented legal framework.

He confirmed to reporters at the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum that the new law is currently in the final stages of drafting and will be presented to the country’s parliament during its next sitting.

The Home Minister provided few details on how the new legislation will go beyond the country’s Gambling Act, given that it already prohibits almost all forms of gambling.

Anyone found operating or promoting online gambling can be sentenced to ..

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Puerto Rico strengthens player safeguards with Self-Exclusion Program

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Puerto Rico will become part of the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (NVSEP), as it looks to strengthen protection for people seeking support within the gambling sector.

The partnership will be between the Puerto Rico Gaming Commission and the U.S. technology company idPair, which focuses on responsible gambling and operates the program.

According to a statement on Business Wire, the initiative will commence in June of this year. Through this system, eligible individuals in Puerto Rico will be able to voluntarily enroll to self-exclude and block access to gambling operators and platforms across multiple jurisdictions.

The Puerto Rico Gaming Commission’s decision to join the NVSEP is part of its strategy to modernize oversight of the sector, with a focus on consumer protection and strengthening responsible gambling practices in activities such as casinos, sports betting, and other regulated gaming sectors.

Jonathan Aiwazian, CEO of idPair, stated: “Puerto Rico has built on..

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Roblox under the microscope over return of BloxFlip

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The return of BloxFlip, an off-platform Robux gambling site, is likely to spark outrage as the accessibility of unlicensed operators is dragged under the microscope once again.

Last year, Roblox garnered unwanted mainstream attention over Sky News allegations of avenues for underage players to access unlicensed casinos. Players were able to sign in to off-platform sites with Roblox credentials.

The Sky News report prompted the removal and closure of a myriad of websites amidst an urgent investigation from the Gambling Commission.

This included BloxFlip, which at one stage was the largest gambling platform related to the Roblox game. Bloxgame was formed by the same group in its place, however, it failed to reach the heights of BloxFlip.

At the time, a co-owner of Boxlip stated in a chatroom: “The legal team representing Roblox has begun to apply pressure compelling us to close our platform.”

Roblox has once again sparked outrage, though, after Sky News revealed that BloxFlip is ..

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Costa Rica seeks a clear path to reform blurred gambling laws

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The Legislative Assembly of Costa Rica has acknowledged major shortcomings and ambiguity in the governance of gambling and its failure to protect citizens and state interests from illegal gambling activity.

Debates in the Legislative Assembly in San José have been reopened as the government confronts new estimates showing illegal operators account for 53% of Costa Rica’s lottery and betting sector.

The estimate was presented to the new administration of President Laura Fernández Delgado, who took office on 8 May. Delgado, elected on a platform focused on tackling crime, was informed that the Costa Rican economy loses approximately $300m annually to illegal gambling operators exploiting vague laws and limited oversight of online gambling activity.

Unlike most regulated markets, Costa Rica operates without a dedicated online gambling licensing regime or a centralised gambling authority. International online gambling operators have historically been permitted to establish corporate ent..

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Alberta Minister: If you like Ontario, you are going to love Alberta

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It doesn’t get any better than Alberta, was the message of Hon. Dale Nally, the man tasked with leading the charge towards Canada’s second regulated gaming province.

Speaking at SBC Summit Canada, Nally, Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction, promised that the province will be the ‘right fit for operators’ ahead of the market launch on 13 July.

He told attendees: “We have reduced red tape, we’ve got a business-friendly environment, and we’ve got low corporate taxes. It doesn’t get any better than that. So if you like your experience in Ontario, you are going to love your experience in Alberta.”

A new chapter for Alberta

Many operators preparing for launch will already be familiar with aspects of the market, as Alberta has borrowed much of its structure from what has been successful in Ontario – a jurisdiction that pulled in revenue of over CA$4bn (£2.1bn) last year.

Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC) will act as the market’s regulator, mirroring Ontario’s regu..

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BGC threatens legal action over affordability checks

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The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) is threatening to launch legal action against the Gambling Commission (GC) if it presses ahead with the implementation of the next phase of affordability checks for players, as it believes one in five customers would be required to provide financial information.

A Commission board meeting is scheduled to take place on Thursday, 21 May 2026, when Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs) could be given the green light as a means of identifying high-spending online gambling players who may be experiencing financial problems and offer them support.

The GC says these assessments would be automatically triggered if certain spending amounts are hit by a customer and would utilise data from credit reference agencies. However, many industry stakeholders believe customers could be reluctant to share their data and may instead wager with black market operators to avoid FRAs entirely.

FRAs are different from Financial Vulnerability Checks (FVCs), which use informa..

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Gambling Commission reveals 7% of players need vulnerability checks

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There will be growing alarm among online gambling licensees after it emerged that the frequency of affordability checks triggered for UK players could far exceed the estimates laid out in the White Paper.

It was expected that just 3% of players would be subjected to Financial Vulnerability Checks (FVCs); however, the total observed during the initial implementation phase hit 7% – according to an update provided by the Gambling Commission’s senior policy research team of Sarah Webster and Richard Sutcliffe.

Furthermore, it is anticipated that this number will rise further when thresholds for full checks are decreased from £500 to £150.

Insights about light-touch FVCs have been provided by the Gambling Commission (GC), offering information on their impact since their implementation in August 2024, before forecasting what the next steps will be.

Looking ahead, the GC reported positive feedback from the period, but there were also concerns raised over a lack of awareness or clarity ..

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iGaming Daily: Affordability is an ‘acute science’ and must not be rushed 

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Affordability has dominated headlines in Western gambling markets, notably as one of the most controversial mandates in the UK market.

Speaking on iGaming Daily, SBC Media’s Editor-at-Large, Ted Menmuir, revealed that financial risk checks were being billed as the highest technical safeguard and generational change as a result of a new era brought about by the White Paper implementation.

Whilst Menmuir acknowledged that this tagline is incredibly enticing as UK gambling embarks on sweeping changes, the test pilot has continued for several years. Menmuir noted that the feedback has been very limited to stakeholders, with efficiency and viability around the project still being unknown.

He outlined that this feels like an urgent vulnerability to the successful implementation of one of the key steps of the white paper. What has been established is that affordability and predicting or projecting an individual’s affordability is an ‘acute science’.

Menmuir cautioned that there has be..

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Super Group not fazed by Nigeria tax turmoil as efforts doubled down 

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The reform to taxation and governance has not tempered the appetite of Super Group for the Nigerian market.

Updating investors yesterday, the group’s Chief Executive Officer, Neal Menashe, underscored that momentum is building in Africa as it continues to strengthen its footprint and plough on despite regulatory turbulence.

Having recently spent time on the ground in Nigeria, Menashe revealed, ‘the free flow of currencies is improving in the country’, marking a key boost for the operator’s presence in the market.

He emphasised that the group is looking to double or treble its business size in Nigeria, whilst also ensuring that it continues to get the product strategy right for the market.

Menashe’s unwavering enthusiasm for the Nigerian market would indicate his faith in the steps taken by the government to provide stability in the market.

Super Group’s resilience in the market is potentially boosted by the size of the operator’s footprint in the wider African market, enabling..

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Dominican Republic launches protection charter for new gambling regime

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The Dominican Republic will be taking steps to tighten its control of its gambling licences, as the Ministry of Finance and Economy has authorised Resolution No. 184-2026.

The mandate seeks to introduce a new “Responsible Gambling Charter” that requires the signature of President Luis Abinader.

The charter will establish a new Central Self-Exclusion System as the principal safeguard for gambling activities in the Dominican Republic, which aims to become the first Caribbean nation to implement such a universal protection on gambling consumers.

Winning his re-election campaign in 2024, President Abinader pledged to modernise the gambling regime of The Dominican Republic as part of his administration’s broader economic overhaul to enhance investment and tax resources of the government.

Economic reforms

The latest reforms build on the Dominican Republic’s launch of a new online gambling licensing regime in 2024, under Resolution 136-2024, which established a formal framework for ..

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