iGamingExpert

With the Thailand government set to review the casino bill on Thursday, speculation has been rife over the fate of the sector.

It comes after the governance in Thailand voted down a censure motion against Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra, which largely cited the impact of the legalisation of gambling venues in Thailand.

It means the draft progress bill for land-based casinos will be considered on Thursday, with it anticipated to outlast opposition.

In a key boost to the bill, the legislation of Thai casinos was backed by public feedback this week following the consultation, with 80% of those asked supporting the proposals.

There was, however, backing for the eradication of the significant limitations put on Thai residents when it comes to the casinos.

There were previous reports that Thai officials would implement a rule that meant that Thai citizens would need at least $1.5m in assets to access casinos in the country.

Yet, providing a summary of responses, it appears t..

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has introduced new rules on wagering requirements and bonus mixing designed to provide a safer and simpler experience for players.

Effective from 19 December 2025, the Commission will apply a ban on promotional incentives that require players to play across different types of gambling products and place a cap on bonus wagering requirements.

Additionally, the UKGC will revise the wording of the Licence Conditions and Codes of Practice (LCCP) to improve clarity.

The changes have been introduced following consultation with the industry and form part of a broader programme of reforms aligned with the 2023 White Paper ‘High stakes: gambling reform for the digital age’.

Bonus wagering requirements capped at x10

The first change will see online bonus wagering requirements limited to x10 the bonus amount; as such, “a £10 bonus cannot require more than £100 in bets before any winning can be withdrawn”.

According to the UKGC, the change “decreases the li..

16 top level baseball players have felt the wrath of the intensified regulatory action in Japan after illegally engaging with online casinos.

The only player named was the Orix Buffaloes’ pitcher Taisuke Yamaoka, with the total amount of fines being issued to the 16 players totalling up to ¥10.2 million ($67,670).

The levels of sanctions issued to each player depended upon a myriad of factors including the frequency of which player gambled and their own salaries.

It comes as Japan is strengthening its framework around safer gambling after Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba’s Cabinet approved a new focus on tackling addiction in the country.

Initially reported by the Japan Times, the plans focus on an intensified strategy against affiliate’s promotions of gambling.

Yoshitaka Ito, the minister in charge of measures to combat gambling addiction stated during a news conference: “There are strong indications the number of people accessing online casino sites is increasing.”

The move w..

The Ukrainian government is looking to “implement state policy in the field of organising and conducting gambling and lotteries”, as it ushers in a new era of regulatory oversight.

It comes as an announcement is reportedly imminent confirming the forming of a new state agency that will oversee the gambling sector in the country.

Revealed on the Telegram of Taras Melnychuk, the Secretariat of the SOP government, plans were revealed for a new “PlayCity” agency to replace KRAIL.

Furthermore, it forms part of a wider plan within Ukraine for the expansion of digital tech usage and a growing digital economy.

As well as this, at the centre of the new bill is the ambition to eradicate corruption from the Ukrainian gambling sector. It was this ambition to clean up the country’s gambling sector that also led to President Volodymyr Zelenskyy dissolving the former KRAIL agency at the start of the year.

Intensified state control over the gambling sector is a likely outcome of the new agen..

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has issued a significant penalty to the UK independent betting company Corbett Bookmakers.

Corbett will have to pay a £686,070 penalty following a two-day assessment that found evidence of licensing breaches around anti-money laundering (AML) and social responsibility.

John Pierce, UKGC Director of Enforcement, commented: “This operator has failed to adhere to vital regulations designed to make gambling safer and free from criminal activity.

“As a result, it will not only pay a significant fine but also undergo a rigorous audit to ensure full compliance with anti-money laundering and safer gambling measures.”

Corbett operates a total of 36 bookmakers, located mainly across Wales and the North West region of England.

The UKGC accuses the firm of failing to identify and interact with customers who staked and lost significant amounts during a short period of time. UK licences require operators to engage customers who are seen doing this as a form of..

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has removed GoldWin Limited‘s gaming licence, effective 13 March.

This decision followed the Malta regulators suspending the licence of GoldWin on 25 September 2024 for several violations of the Island’s gaming regulations.

According to the MGA, the breaches included “an imminent threat of serious prejudice to the interest of players” and a failure to meet its commitments to players in a timely manner.

Following the removal of its licence, GoldWin is now required to notify all players of the cancellation via email and display the news on its website for a period of 30 days. The notification must also refer players wishing to withdraw player funds to the MGA’s ticketing system.

Additionally, GoldWin must settle all outstanding fees due to the MGA within five working days from 13 March and remove, with immediate effect, any reference to the MGA.

The MGA’s decision is now subject to appeal in terms of Article 43 (1) of the Gaming Compliance and Enf..

Germany’s Joint Gambling Authority of the Federal States (GGL) has called for more impactful measures to combat the black market following a review of its Google partnership.

Despite noting early success, including the removal of sponsored ads for unlicensed sites from Google’s search results, GGL CEO Ronald Benter acknowledged that more needs to be done as the black market implements increasingly sophisticated measures to bypass restrictions.

Following a ruling in 2024, the GGL legally requires Google to only show German consumers advertisements from licensed gambling providers.

Speaking at a recent industry conference hosted by Die Deutsche Automatenwirtschaft eV (DAW), Benter called for the introduction of advanced IP-blocking techniques to prevent access to unregulated sites.

Cloak and dagger

As with any new measure, the black market has sought out new ways to avoid detection and a growing threat to regulators in Germany is the use of a technique called cloaking.

The metho..