Europe

The Greek government is set to take a new approach to tackling unlicensed gaming, enabling a far more extensive strategy from the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP).

Key to the new roadmap is tapping into AI surveillance and DNS filtering as the gaming regulator looks to tap into strengthened collaboration with the Bank of Greece.

It comes at a time when black market size estimates are drifting around €1.6bn–€1.7bn, triggering urgency from the Greek government to embolden the regulator to enhance its action against the surging issue.

Furthermore, it was a pledge at the start of the year from Greek Economic Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis, who emphasised he would fast-track action to tackle the issue, which costs Greece around €600m in tax revenue.

Underpinning the threat, the economic minister detailed that almost 10% of the population had engaged with the black market sector in some form, revealing just how significant the market exposure of unlicensed operators is.

According to r..

The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is backing the European standard on markers of harm in gambling publication from the national standardisation bodies of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN).

Support has been given to the standard, described by the trade association as ‘an important voluntary baseline for identifying risky gambling behaviour’, establishing a strong European consumer protection baseline with its members committed to standard alignment.

The standard received approval from national standardisation bodies in October 2025, while Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, has described it as an ‘important milestone’ and said it will help ‘raise the bar on player protection across Europe’.

The association says the standard is ‘the first of its kind in the gambling industry’ and the organisation has been actively involved in its development since proposing it to CEN in 2022, working closely with operators, national authorities, academics and oth..

Spain’s La Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ) has become the latest gambling regulator in Europe to launch disciplinary proceedings against prediction market operators Polymarket and Kalshi.

The regulator has accused both companies of operating in the country without the required gambling licenses.

In a notice published in Spain’s Official State Gazette (BOE), the DGOJ confirmed it has also ordered the precautionary blocking of both websites in Spain while the proceedings are ongoing.

The regulator said prediction markets fall within Spain’s gambling framework whereby users can wager on future events, meaning operators must hold a specific administrative authorisation to legally offer the products in the country.

The DGOJ stressed that unlicensed platforms do not comply with Spain’s regulatory safeguards, including identity verification controls, protections preventing access by minors and self-excluded users, and broader consumer protection standards.

Spanish autho..

he Republic of Armenia is moving ahead with tightening controls on digital betting, payments and advertising as Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan’s government confirmed that he will apply a new compliance framework for gambling licensees.

Applied from 1 May onwards, the technical commands will be overseen by Finance Minister Vahe Hovhannisyan and State Revenue Committee chief Rustam Badasyan, who seek to tighten financial supervision, reinforce legal gambling channels and squeeze offshore operators out of Armenia’s market.

Driving the political agenda is Civil Contract MP Hayk Sargsyan, who has become the leading parliamentary voice behind the overhaul.

At the centre of the strategy sits payments enforcement. Armenian authorities are looking to block financial transfers to unlicensed operators while tightening anti-money laundering and know-your-customer obligations across licensed gambling businesses.

The government will simultaneously advance the roll-out of a centralised monitor..

Lithuania has reaffirmed the use of ‘mandatory player cards’ as the cornerstone reform of its overhaul of gambling laws to be fully implemented by 2029

An appraisal was provided to SBC News by the Gambling Control Authority of Lithuania that the mechanism was viewed as a new central control passed due to amendments to the Gaming Law of the Republic of Lithuania as approved by the Ministry of Finance.

Though controversial to some, The Ministry of Finance backed the measure arguing that stricter controls are necessary to strengthen consumer protections and improve regulatory compliance of operators of a high risk sector.

Under the new framework, all customers who engage with gambling services of 18 licences land-based casinos, 50 arcade halls and 10 online licences must use a personalised gambling card linked directly to their player profile and national ID – a mandatory requirement that will be implemented via a phased approach to the Gaming Law from 2027 to 2028.

The reforms place..