SBC News

Elisa Marcante: SBC Noticias Brazil
A new command has been placed on Brazil’s online gambling marketplace to ensure consumer rights are protected and followed by licensed operators of the Brazil Bets regime.

Ordered by the National Consumer Agency of SENACON, all Brazil Bets licences granted the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) must register their businesses on the platform of Consumidor.gov.br.

The command has been authorised as a new legal requirement by the federal authorities of the Ministry of Justice and Public Security (MJSP) and the Ministry of Finance (MEF).

Consumidor.gov.br is a free public service platform used by SENACON to resolve consumer rights disputes. The platform further serves as a portal to facilitate information and communications between consumers and private enterprises operating in Brazil.

MJSP and MEF have ruled that consumer rights in online gambling must monitored by SENACON’s authority, an agency which provides direct oversight for disputes in e..

l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) – France’s Gambling Authority – has detailed progress in compliance directives related to combating fraud, money laundering, and improving player protections.

In its latest update, the Authority has reviewed the ‘action plans’ of French licensees, who have outlined specific areas and conditions to combat financial threats and liabilities.

2024 Compliance Duties
The majority of licensees have complied with the guidelines and recommendations provided in 2024, indicating a general improvement in compliance. The ANJ also noted an upward compliance trend, with new measures introduced this year to enhance the effectiveness of anti-fraud and anti-money laundering initiatives.
The most significant advancement has been in the detection of abnormal behaviours within customer accounts. The ANJ stated that operators have strengthened their capacity to detect anomalies, which is crucial in preventing fraud and money laundering. Furthermore, operators have alloc..

Visiting Bacta’s SR Exchange conference, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) highlighted some areas where Adult Gaming Centres (AGCs) seem to be lagging.

Bryony Sheldon/LinkedIn
The regulator’s Director of Policy, Bryony Sheldon, addressed the fully-booked Bacta Social Responsibility Exchange venue in Leeds by opening up with an overview of the AGC shortcomings that the UKGC witnessed in 2024.

AGC on-site compliance
UK-wide venue visits and head office assessments conducted by the regulator last year revealed that AGCs have generally adopted responsible practices to prevent underage gambling on-site.

When it comes to adult customer interactions however, a number of staff members across multiple different venues were observed by the UKGC only to be concluded that some were not fully aware as to why customer interactions were being conducted.

Sheldon reminded shareholders present at the conference that knowledge is a key criteria in the education of staff. She said that every employee..

Gamblers in Bulgaria will now have to self-exclude for a minimum of one year instead of 30 days after a change in regulations.

This was announced on the website of the regulator, the Bulgarian National Revenue Agency (NRA), which confirmed that the new rules have been in place since 27 March.

The increase in minimum self-eclusion from 30 days to 365 is certainly a substantial one, and policymakers likely hope that it will have significant player protection impacts. However, the self-exclusion process is far from the most convenient options seen across Europe.

Those who suspect they are suffering from a gambling disorder have two options through which to seek self-exclusion – either emailing the NRA with a written request, or go to an NRA office to physically submit this request into a kiosk.

In both instances, the request must include all personal information associated with the self-excluded customer, including an electronic signature. To cover one year, this signature could cost..

Likely to no one’s surprise, igaming in Europe has grown – with €13.5bn to be exact, according to the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA).

The latest activity report from the trade association highlighted that casino games have represented 51% of combined online gross gaming revenue for 2024, which itself rose 15% year-over-year – and that’s just from EGBA members.

Meanwhile, the total number of online stakes was up 31% YoY, reaching 177.7bn (2023: 135.7bn), bringing in a value of €215.6bn, or 11% more YoY (2023: €194.4bn).

It is worth noting that the higher rates mentioned above can be attributed to EGBA’s expansion with the addition of Superbet Group and LeoVegas Group as members throughout 2024.

Spread across product GGR, casino games held the highest share of revenue generation among members at €7bn (51% of total GGR), followed by sports betting at €5.5bn (41%).

GGR from casino games were up 21% YoY, while sports betting revenue saw an increase of 15% compared to..

Ryman Racing, trading as Colossalbet, has been hit with regulatory action after posting prohibited gambling advertisements to social media.

The Australian operator was fined AU$60,000 (£29,000) by a Magistrate at Downing Centre Local Court on 31 March. The court concluded that five of its posts across Facebook and Instagram pages failed to meet standards of ‘decency, dignity and good taste’.

Liquor & Gaming New South Wales (NSW) Acting Executive Director of Regulatory Operations, Bernadette Beard, said the decision highlights the consequences of breaching the state’s gambling advertising laws.

She stated: “This is the first time a wagering operator in NSW has been prosecuted and convicted for publishing ads which offend standards of decency, dignity and good taste.

“L&GNSW actively monitors gambling advertising across all platforms and will not hesitate to take enforcement action where necessary.”

A “serious penalty”

The ads in question were published by Ryman Racing’s sub-brand ..

Nearly a third of Brazil’s adult population could be prevented from spending any money in the country’s newly launched gambling market, according to SBC Noticias – Brasil.

Concerns around social responsibility and financial vulnerability prompted Fux, a member of the Supreme Court of Brazil, to draft protective measures against people claiming certain state benefits from gambling.

This decision, made last November, was supported by the rest of the Supreme Court. Five months down the line, the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA) of the Ministry of Finance is following through with regulatory measures.

“This is still in the final stages of alignment, mainly legal, but also technical, to see if it complies with the Supreme [Federal Court] decision,” said Regis Dudena, Secretary of Prizes and Bets at the Ministry of Finance, and ead of the SPA, in a recent interview with Brazilian media.

Regis Dudena: SPA
Nearly 60 million excluded from ‘Bets’
The measure specifically targets those w..

Italy’s Council of State has chosen to defer a ruling on a legal dispute related to gambling advertising to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The deferment by Italy’s supreme administrative court follows its own determination, which “has raised doubts” on how European laws, standards and practices can be interpreted by the legislative framework of Italy’s Dignity Decree of 2018.

As such the Council of State has chosen for the legal dispute to be settled by the judgement of the ECJ. The discrepancies of the Dignity Decree of 2018, which has imposed a federal ban on betting/gambling advertising and sponsorships in Italy since 2019,, have come under scrutiny once more.

The dispute concerns LeoVegas AB challenge of a €50,000 fine imposed by the AGCOM, Italy’s Communications and Media Authority in 2019 for violating the Dignity Decree.

LeoVegas AB had broadcast adverts for its Italian subsidiary Winga.it on the satellite TV channel Sky 237. The advertisements promoted games and slot..

Irish betting and gaming companies, from bookmakers to tech developers, have been requested to register their interest in a gambling licence under its new framework.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has shared the request across social media channels, stating that it wants to make the licensing process as seamless as possible.

“To assist in our preparations for the roll out of the new Licensing regime and ensuring a scalable, efficient and effective roll out we are requesting all interested parties to register their interest for a licence in the Irish market,” a GRAI LinkedIn statement read.

All companies providing betting, gaming or lottery services in Ireland will have to apply for a licence under the new framework, governed by the Gambling Act 2024 – the culmination of a two year legislative process.

The Gambling Act was introduced to the Irish legislature, the Oireachtas, in 2022 with the purpose of updating Ireland’s gambling regulations. The country last re..

The HDZ government of Croatia has been warned that radical reforms to implement a new Gambling Law will indirectly impact 15,000 jobs.

The warning comes from HUPIS, The Croatian Association of Gambling Operators who cite that proposed measures sought by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković represent an excessive regulatory burden that will have severe consequences for the legal industry”.

Latest developments in Croatia, saw a Final Proposal of the Gambling Law submitted to Parliament. Reforms focus on four central pillars of applying new centralised controls, ending aggressive advertising, revising tax duties and authorisation fees and introducing a socially responsible charter for gambling licences.

PM Plenković has pledged to restructure Croatia’s gaming regulations during his third term, aiming to address the problem of gambling addiction, which affects 40,000 Croatians.

2026 Changes & Protections

The final proposal plans to restrict gambling advertisements on internet platforms bet..