Europe

UKGC slaps NetBet with £650k penalty over AML breaches

Steve Hoare0124 views

UK licence holder NetBet Enterprises Ltd has paid £650,000 to the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) after an investigation into anti-money laundering (AML) failures.

A statement from the regulator stated that the company, operator of online gambling provider NetBet UK, agreed to a settlement with the Commission after an investigation revealed social responsibility breaches as well as AML shortcomings as well.

List of AML failures
As listed in the statements, the AML failures included a lack of adequate customer financial controls, which led to a number of customers wagering “disproportionally to their net income”.

This then led to examples where a customer’s significant gambling activity would constitute harmful behaviour, but where the operator also failed to intervene – essentially marking these players as “low-risk”.

NetBet’s AML and anti-terrorist financing assessments also failed to recognise key factors when assessing gambling spend, such as “the management of third-party business relationships” and “controls of third-country nationals living in the UK”, the UKGC added.

List of social responsibility failures
On the social responsibility side, the investigation found that NetBet failed to recognise general markers of harm, such as overnight play and escalating deposits, in a timely manner – but only after a manual review was conducted.

Following on from the earlier point about cascading gambling activity, the UKGC assessed that the operator lacked “effective customer interaction systems” that minimise the risk for customers.

Lastly, it was also found that NetBet had submitted “inaccurate information” when filing its regulatory return forms. SBC News has reached out to NetBet for a comment.

UKGC extra vigilant as 2025 nears end
As per the settlement, the UKGC reported that the £650,000 paid by NetBet will be used to fund social responsibility causes.

John Pierce, UKGC Director of Enforcement, said: “This case highlights the serious consequences of failing to meet anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations.

“We expect all operators to take note and ensure their systems are not only well-designed but are working effectively to protect consumers and to keep crime out of gambling.

“The operator was instructed to take immediate action and make significant improvements to its systems and controls. This included strengthening their risk assessments, improving how they identify and respond to indicators of harm, and ensuring the accuracy of the data they report to us.

“Alongside the £650,000 financial penalty, the operator is also required to commission an independent audit of its policies, procedures, and controls to ensure the necessary improvements they have implemented are properly embedded and remain effective in practice.

“Our focus is on ensuring operators meet the standards we expect, and where they fall short, we will intervene.”

In recent weeks, the UKGC has been ramping up its enforcement of AML regulations, already leading up to several high-profile cases.

Earlier in October, Platinum Gaming, which operates FDJ United-owned Unibet in the UK, was issued a whopping £10m penalty over similar social responsibility and AML failures.

The AML clampdown is not limited to just iGaming, however, with the Victoria Gate Casino in Leeds getting its licence suspended whilst the regulator undertakes a review of its AML standards.

All of the above goes to show that the UKGC is not messing around when it comes to financial compliance and regulatory penalties – something that both iGaming and land-based operators should take at heart given the expected tax increases in next year’s Budget.

Read more

Malta backed against a wall as EU court closes in on Bill 55 dilution 

iGamingExpert0114 views

The European Court of Justice (ECJ) has revealed the significant lengths that EU Courts could extend to in a bid to strengthen action against Malta operators.

It’s a case that may shift the tide in terms of governance and regulation across Europe and Malta – with EU courts taking on the regulatory ringfencing of Bill 55.

According to the Advocate General (AG) of the ECJ, the framework could shift to dilute the effectiveness of Bill 55 when it comes to Malta safeguarding its domestic operators.

In a significant referral, the Advocate General has put forward the case to enable international authorities to freeze the assets of Malta-based companies in the event of local breaches.

The Advocate General has outlined that the European Account Preservation Order (EAPO) Regulation could well be utilised to enforce asset freezes

The focus on the bill was enhanced by the case of the two Austrian players who filed claims against Malta-based and licensed firms. A Maltese court sought to overrule the decision of an Austrian court over whether gaming operators in Malta should compensate Austrian players.

Courts in Austria both backed the players, with the Austrian framework currently citing any overseas operator as being illegal in the country if it does not hold a local licence.

Maltese courts and the two operators emphasised the free market and EU laws enabling free movements of services, illegitimising the original Austrian decision in the eyes of the Maltese legal system.

The MGA has consistently argued that the bill is in place to protect Maltese operators from “baseless legal challenges”.

Malta’s regulatory body has previously stated that it wants to ensure “its licensees are allowed to operate where they have a justifiable legal reason to do so, and always in a compliant manner.”

The latest statement from the Advocate General does underpin growing tension from Europe towards the way Bill 55 is utilised as it looks to change the framework around its implementation.

The Advocate General is seeking to implement tweaks to the bill to strengthen the ability of domestic EU courts to ensure their citizens can take legislative action against Maltese operators.

Central to the recommended changes is the ability of EU courts to be allowed to freeze the assets of Maltese gambling companies to aid debt recovery and bypass Bill 55.

Some of the most vocal disdain towards Bill 55 has come from Germany, with the national regulator, the GGL consistently calling for a reassessment of the impact it has on the sector.

Previously, the GGL has stated: “We are of the opinion that this law should not be compatible with European requirements for the recognition of decisions (Regulation (EU) 1215/2002).

“However, the final assessment of this question is not the responsibility of the GGL. We have informed the federal states of our assessment and are otherwise in contact with the relevant authorities.”

The court battles over the future of Bill 55 now look set to rumble on into 2026, in what could prove to be a decisive year for the future of the regulation and its impact on the gambling industry.

Read more

Luxembourg favours state monopoly as gambling reform debate awaits settlement 

Steve Hoare0101 views

Luxembourg appears to be at a crossroads as to how its gambling market will be regulated, with ministers divided between market liberalisation or the reintroduction of a full state-controlled monopoly under its 48-year-old gambling law.

Political concerns over gambling addiction in the Grand Duchy have grown in 2025, due to the ease of online gambling being promoted to citizens of Luxembourg via foreign media networks and internet service providers (ISPs).

Deliberations in October saw Dan Biancalana of the Luxembourg Socialist Party call on the government to curb the spread of interactive gaming machines in cafés and update restrictions on online betting and casino platforms..

In response, Justice Minister Elisabeth Margue confirmed that reform is underway to grant exclusive rights to the National Lottery and the country’s sole casino, Casino 2000, in Mondorf-les-Bains.

Under the proposal, cafés would be limited to National Lottery-operated terminals, with all other gaming devices including skill-based machines prohibited. On online gambling, the government is considering whether to allow the casino to operate a licensed platform, while assessing technical implications under European law on geo-blocking and player protection.

“According to European case law, you can create such a monopoly, but then you must protect your citizens,” Margue told parliament, adding that “complex discussions are ongoing with all concerned parties” to determine the scope of reform.

National media outlets report that the Justice Ministry has begun consultations with the National Lottery, Casino 2000, and other ministries on the structure of a potential state-run monopoly to control both retail and online gambling channels.

Currently, Luxembourg’s gambling activity remains limited to the Loterie Nationale and Casino 2000, with proceeds from lottery and sports betting supporting social and cultural projects through the Œuvre Nationale de Secours Grande-Duchesse Charlotte.

While European law allows for a monopoly system in gambling, Luxembourg must demonstrate that it can engineer such a model to serve in the “public-interest objectives of harm prevention and consumer protection” — rather than state revenue generation.

The monopoly debate continues reforms initiated earlier this year, when the Justice Ministry initiated discussions to overhaul the 1977 Gambling Law,, to combat illegal and unlicensed betting. The new framework aims to address unregulated machines in restaurants and adapt to the “realities and challenges of the 21st century.”

However, PM Luc Frieden has so stood on the sidelines of the debate, emphasising awareness and player responsibility over restrictive legislation. He highlighted the National Lottery’s responsible-gambling measures, including transparent odds, betting limits, and educational campaigns about the social and psychological consequences of gambling.

Sports betting has been legal only since 2009 and is offered exclusively via LoterieSport.lu, a subsidiary of Loterie Nationale launched in 2024 — at the time promoted by the government as “the safest and most secure environment for Luxembourg nationals to gamble on”

The ongoing parliamentary debate has outlined a potential hybrid framework, preserving state control through the National Lottery while granting a single, regulated online concession to Casino 2000.

Another scenario under review would see Luxembourg ring-fence its licensing system, issuing a limited number of permits for specific gambling activities. However, such an approach could conflict with EU competition and single-market principles, particularly around free movement of services and market access.

2026 will reveal whether policymakers favour state stewardship as the most effective path to curb addiction and illegal play — or whether a more open, competitive licensing model aligned with wider European trends ultimately prevails.

Read more

Spain lays out player protection roadmap amid industry concerns

iGamingExpert0113 views

The Spanish government is moving forward with its plans to overhaul player protection measures for online gambling users.

The Directorate General of the Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ) is seeking to establish a centralised deposit limit system for players, set at €600 per day, €1,500 per week and €3,000 per month.

This would shake up current measures, which requires each operator to manage limits independently.

The regulatory project began in 2023 and is still pending final approval.

The plans include the ability for users to reduce limits or eliminate them, although the changes will not take effect until three days have passed and can only be modified once per quarter.

Alongside deposit limits, the DGOJ is also spearheading a new approach to monitoring problem gambling behaviours as part of the Royal Decree of gambling environments.

The regulator is working on the development of an AI-led responsible gambling algorithm that aims to trace live variable indicators of problem gambling risks.

The algorithm, which the DGOJ’s Directorate General Mikel Arana expects to be completed by March 2026, will be mandatory for all operators in the Spanish market. The DGOJ believes the project will make it the first European regulator to apply AI to customer interventions around gambling harm.

Balancing regulation and player experience

Although player protection measures are essential for operating within a regulated market, industry experts in Spain have warned that changes must be complemented by an efficient player experience.

Speaking at June’s Gaming in Spain conference, Jorge Hinojosa, Director General of Jdigital, said: “[Player protection reforms] have not been complemented, in my opinion, by policies to keep the market more competitive.”

Hinojosa emphasised that there needs to be recognition that operators, the DGOJ and the wider industry have a “common job” to ensure that Spain develops a stronger gambling market through measures such as allowing new modalities like live casino.

Esther Martin-Ortega, Head of Public Affairs and Sustainability at Flutter, echoed these sentiments, reiterating the need to keep the regulated Spanish market attractive given the looming threat of the black market – especially for young players using social media.

“There are influencers on gaming, and they always find a way of putting the advertising in front of you, and then they get the visibility they need,” she said.

“We have a generation of smartphone natives who check what’s going on on social media. Access for a consumer to the black market is much broader than ever.”

Read more

Spribe suspension shows Commission is turning attention to B2B firms

Steve Hoare0128 views

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has suspended the licence of Aviator-developer Spribe OÜ. The Poland-based company held a software licence with the Commission, but the regulator states it has come across cases of ‘serious non-compliance’ with its hosting requirements. In short, it appears that Spribe has been carrying out casino game hosting without holding the appropriate licence from the UKGC. The company…

Read more

Romania child gambling rates put strain on national support network

Steve Hoare0123 views

Romania is lacking experts to deal with higher-than-EU average rates of gambling among minors, politicians have cautioned.

Comments were made by Daniel David, Minister of Education and Research, who based his concerns on the European ESPAD 2024 report, which showed that Romanian youth were among the most prolific users of tobacco, alcohol and gambling in Europe.

David highlighted that the country is not equipped with enough mental health experts to effectively deal with the nationwide compulsive behaviours among children.

“We are above the average in terms of alcohol consumption, smoking, gambling and online addiction,” he said, cited by Romania’s national news agency Agerpres.

“We do not have enough specialists or enough centers. When I say that we do not have specialists, I mean those specifically trained in this field, based on scientifically validated protocols. These are the levels that we need to develop.”

Despite a plethora of awareness campaigns conducted in schools over the last few years, David stressed that compulsive behaviours are most effectively tackled within the family environment, with parents having to take on a proactive role in the prevention and support process.

The Minister raised the topic during a roundtable discussion in the city of Sibiu, where he was joined by a number of healthcare professionals and representatives of child care bodies.

In attendance was also Gabriela Alexandrescu, Executive President of the Romanian branch of international NGO Save the Children, who provided an in-depth look at the exact rate of gambling among under-18s.

She claimed that 14% of children have participated in gambling for money at least once in their lifetime, while 40% know of a peer who gambles.

The numbers are based on the organisation’s recent study on gambling behaviours among minors, which Save the Children has used as a base to call for a blanket ban on all advertisements in the country.

Furthermore, Alexandrescu added that one in 10 children have a family member who is addicted to gambling, which circles back to David’s comment on family support – showing that the adult is often the one who needs help and the impact of their gambling can be felt by other family members.

On that note, the local gambling sector has been continuously advocating for better problem gambling education and stronger self-exclusion policies to better protect the local population.

With a newly-restructured gambling regulator in the face of the ONJN, it remains to be seen whether policymakers will answer these calls.

Read more

ASA: William Hill FOBT voucher could incentivise irresponsible play

iGamingExpert0107 views

William Hill has been reprimanded by the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) over a promotional voucher that was deemed to possibly encourage irresponsible play.

The ASA’s report stated that a customer received a voucher from a slot machine in a William Hill betting shop on 3 April 2025 at 11:51am. The voucher had the following text:

“You’ve won a £5 cash match on any game!”

“Redeemable between 03/04/2025 – 03/04/2025 from 05:20 PM – 11:59 PM in any venue”.

Within a complaint to the ASA, it was challenged whether the timeframe between the voucher being received and when it could be redeemed was a breach of the CAP code since it was “socially undesirable by encouraging irresponsible use”.

Despite William Hill arguing that the voucher didn’t breach the code or encourage socially undesirable or irresponsible behaviour, the ASA upheld the complaint and told the operator that the ad must not appear again in its current form and that future promotions must not encourage irresponsible behaviour.

William Hill: voucher not ‘designed to drive repeated play’

The voucher was issued to customers who deposit £50 or more on an eligible gaming machine before 5:20pm on the day that the promotion is issued and valid. This figure is the total value placed in-store, including a customer’s original cash-in and subsequent winnings played again.

Evidence was provided by William Hill to the ASA that the average cash-in in relation to the three-day promotion was “below the average spend for April and May 2025”. Therefore, the operator felt the amount that must be spent “to qualify for the promotion was substantial, nor that the promotion encouraged excessive staking”.

As it was a £5 voucher and could be spent on any game, the operator believed the promotion was “a low-value, one-off reward” and didn’t “involve any progressive elements, wagering multipliers, or additional conditions beyond what was initially displayed”.

William Hill noted it was “not part of a broader incentive structure nor designed to drive repeated play”, adding that the promotion’s terms, including the staking threshold and the redemption timeframe, were “clearly and fully” communicated to customers, and they were “given sufficient information to make an informed decision before participating”.

In addition, key qualifying conditions were “displayed on digital promotional screens in the shop and the voucher reiterated those eligibility conditions”, with the voucher serving as a “confirmation of eligibility which reminded consumers of the pre-disclosed redemption timeframe”.

William Hill also argued that the voucher’s redemption was entirely optional and that customers were free to not redeem the voucher or return later the same day. The operator supplied data too, showing that most customers who qualified for the voucher didn’t redeem it, which they believed demonstrated that customers knew redemption was optional.

The operator described the £5 voucher as ‘modest’ value and “did not believe that at any stage the promotion encouraged a customer to remain on the premises to engage in excessive consumption, nor encouraged irresponsible use”.

Although the promotion began at a later time than when the voucher was awarded, William Hill stated that it “did not encourage participants to remain on the premises and therefore it did not create any time-sensitive pressure to continue playing”, adding that very few customers redeemed the voucher within two hours, with most waiting three hours.

The operator said that the extended time between the voucher being issued and redeemed “strongly indicated” that most customers left and returned later to redeem the voucher, undermining the suggestion that the redemption window “pressured customers to remain in-shop or extend their play”.

William Hill added that any concerns regarding customer behaviour would have been met with a response in line with their polices, as all staff in their shops have received training to identify signs of gambling-related harm, and gaming machines provide prompts to remind customers of their time and money spent and allow customers to set limits.

ASA calls voucher ‘irresponsible’

Acknowledging the operator’s point of view, the ASA has upheld the complaint against William Hill since the timeframe of when the voucher is issued and redeemable “created an incentive for repeated play within a short period, including visiting the betting shop twice in a single day, increasing the risk of consumers gambling more than they otherwise would”.

Since the redemption period was at a later point in the day, the authority noted that participants could only benefit if they returned to the premises or stayed until the start time of the promotion, and that those eligible for the voucher may have already placed several bets earlier the same day.

“We thus considered that linking the reward to a same-day timeframe, particularly at a limited period later on the day, incentivised behaviours that could encourage irresponsible use,” the ASA stated.

“For those reasons, we concluded that the promotion encouraged irresponsible use and breached the Code”, particularly CAP Code (Edition 12) rule 8.5 (Protection of consumers, safety and suitability).

William Hill was told by the ASA that the advert must not appear again in the form complained of and that future promotions must not encourage irresponsible behaviour.

Read more

KSA Chairman: Gambling needs collective accountability to kill black market hydra

Steve Hoare0150 views

Michel Groothuizen, Chairman of the Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Gambling Authority of the Netherlands has declared that illegal gambling is now the principal threat to every regulated jurisdiction.

Speaking at the IAGR 2025 Conference in Toronto, Groothuizen urged regulators to “take ownership” of illegal gambling threats and called for the creation of an Interpol-style international network to coordinate global enforcement and information sharing.
“Illegal gambling is no longer a peripheral problem — it is the principal threat to every regulated market in the world,” he said. “We must act together as if we are the issue owner here.”

A 21st-century battle
Groothuizen described the challenge facing regulators as a technological mismatch between agile criminal networks and slow-moving authorities.

“It feels like we’re fighting a 21st-century war with medieval tech,” IAGR delegates were told. “Bigger and bolder ideas are needed to fight the black market, and that requires a deeper pool of stakeholders with technical expertise.”

He explained that current enforcement tools were designed in an earlier era of gambling regulation, long before the rise of smartphones, crypto transactions and AI-driven marketing — innovations that have transformed how unlicensed operators reach consumers.

“The incredible worldwide rise of smartphones and the incredibly fast growth of technology have made it harder to reach our goals, instead of easier,” he added.

Black Market is never stationary
The KSA Chair said the illegal sector has evolved into a fast-moving global ecosystem that consistently outpaces national law enforcement while threatening consumer safety.

“Illegal operators are innovative and agile. They are our most difficult opponent,” he warned. “We are battling a 21st-century opponent with outdated technology, and that puts us at a natural disadvantage.”

In the Netherlands, the issue has reached critical levels. While over 90% of players still use legal sites, the GGR-based channelisation rate has dropped below 50%, meaning half of all gambling spend now flows to unlicensed operators.

“We warned the government for a tsunami of advertising—and were proved right,” he said. “But if the market gives way to illegal actors, the situation will only worsen.”

He explained that advertising restrictions, while politically popular, have inadvertently pushed consumers towards the very black market the Dutch regime was designed to contain.

Thinking beyond political sensitivities

Groothuizen acknowledged that Dutch policymakers now view gambling as a “high-risk product”, shifting away from the liberalisation agenda that defined the 2021 market opening.

Since 2023, the government has banned celebrity endorsements, outlawed untargeted advertising, and imposed a €700 monthly deposit limit per operator.

“This change of direction is driven by the idea that existing policies do not protect people adequately,” he stated but warned of “ the risk is that overregulation pushes consumers towards unsafe, unaccountable environments—precisely the outcome our laws were designed to prevent.”

He cautioned that the growing compliance burden, combined with declining GGR, has made it harder for licensed firms to compete with unlicensed operators which face none of these constraints.

Though political sensitivities have changed towards gambling since regulation, a complete fallout could be witnessed to the black market.

Big Tech must be engaged
The KSA Chairman stressed that defeating the black market will be impossible without confronting its digital and financial enablers.

“There’s no escaping Big Tech’s involvement,” Groothuizen said. “Social media platforms are the frontline where many consumers encounter illegal gambling for the first time.”

He described how rogue operators buy up expired Dutch web domains — from restaurants and schools to coaches and small businesses — to boost their SEO rankings and funnel users to illegal sites. Influencers, he warned, are being used to promote offshore casinos to young audiences through livestreams.

“Those who do not know that an illegal website exists are not likely to visit it. And those who cannot make a deposit will quickly leave,” he said. “The solution must therefore include the actors who make the market possible in the first place.”

He urged regulators to engage directly with technology platforms and payment providers, or, failing that, push for EU-mandated minimum standards modelled on anti-money-laundering rules.

“We must engage with these parties, but we must also not be afraid to stir things up and act against them ourselves,” he said. “If we do not encounter enough cooperation, then European institutions must step in.”

Towards a Gambling Interpol
Groothuizen’s most ambitious proposal is the formation of a “gambling Interpol” — an international framework through which regulators can share intelligence, coordinate enforcement and apply collective pressure on enablers of the illegal trade.
“Let us put our efforts mainly into a sort of gambling Interpol — first Europe-wide, then perhaps worldwide,” he proposed. “The illegal market knows no borders. Our cooperation should be no different.”

He explained that existing bilateral efforts have proved insufficient. Illegal operators reappear under new domains within hours, nullifying traditional enforcement tactics.

“It’s like battling a Hydra — cut off one head, and two more appear,” he warned.

Groothuizen closed his speech by reframing the fight against illegal gambling as a matter of shared global responsibility rather than national jurisdiction.

“One might wonder who ultimately bears responsibility: the regulators, the politicians, or the big companies in tech and finance that help keep the market running,” he said. “But the fact that there is no clear answer does not absolve us.”

He called on regulators, governments, and industry partners to treat the protection of consumers as a collective moral duty… “Let us all act as if we are the issue owner here,” he concluded.

“Only by taking ownership together can we create an ecosystem capable of protecting players and striking a real blow to the illegal market.”

Read more

EGBA launches standards for responsible influencer marketing

Steve Hoare0139 views

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has teamed up with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) to launch a new set of standards for responsible influencer marketing across Europe’s gambling sector.The Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing in Online Gambling  is the first industry-wide set of influencer marketing standards in Europe’s gambling sector. EGBA Secretary…

Read more