SBC News

Turkish authorities have been directed to expand their enforcement activities and allocate dedicated resources to combat the growing encroachment of illegal gambling websites.

The directive was issued by Treasury and Finance Minister Mehmet Şimşek, who stated to the national media, “Turkey faces a great battle against illegal betting and gambling sites.”

Reporting to Şimşek and the Treasury, the National Lottery Administration (MPİ) of Turkey detailed that, in 2023 and 2024, it had blocked 233,000 websites.

In its findings, the MPİ reported that, of the 233,000 websites blocked in the past two years, 56% of infringing portals originated from the USA, with a further 17% traced to neighboring Armenia. Another 6% were reported to come from the Netherlands.

The MPİ’s findings have been forwarded to the Ankara Chief Public Prosecutor’s Office and the Cybercrime Department for further investigation. Authorities are preparing legal actions against the owners of 376,000 websites and more t..

Sky Betting and Gaming (SBG) is “considering” an appeal after the high court ruled the group did breach data regulations following direct marketing sent to a problem gambler.

The player in question, who reportedly lost more than £45,000 over 10 years, made the case that the now Flutter-owned operator should have been aware they were a problem gambler and therefore should not have enabled their data to be utilised for third party marketing.

SBG emphasised on site that it “never shares data with companies outside of its group for them to use for their own marketing.

A company response detailed: “We fundamentally disagree with this judgment. We have made significant changes to our controls and processes over the past six years as part of our ongoing investment behind safer gambling and will continue to do so.”

Whilst remedies were deferred, the judgement does hold up in terms of declaratory relief for the claimant, with further submissions from both parties anticipated in the event th..

Jake Pollard
Last week’s ICE2025 conference in Barcelona drew a packed audience to the First Gaming in France Briefing, debating outstanding affairs on iCasino regulation, taxes and politics.

Diane Mullenex, partner at the law firm Pinsent Masons, opened the event by saying that the “landscape of regulation in France is very challenging” but that she also believed that “the market should and will open” eventually.

The political uncertainty that has dogged France since last summer will impact proceedings, but what will ultimately “drive the [regulatory] opening [will be] a balance between needing more money and curbing an illegal market” that is one of the largest in Europe, she added.

Nicolas Béraud: Betclic & AFJEL
Nicolas Béraud, CEO of the French online market leader Betclic and President of AFJEL, the iGaming trade body in France, said one of the key factors impacting operators is that they are subjected to GGR and VAT taxes that come to more than 60%, but they cannot make up ..

Guidelines on Personal Income Tax (IRPF) have been updated for Brazilian citizens to register prizes and winnings from online gambling and sports betting activities.

Receita Federal, the Federal Revenue Service of Brazil, has updated articles of its “General Coordination of Taxation” to include new provisions for consumers to declare profits/winnings generated from online gambling.

An update to the IRPF guidelines was required to address ambiguities in current legislation and align broader efforts to regulate and standardise taxes on gambling-related income in Brazil, following the launch of the Bets market on 1 January 2025.

Mandated by Law No. 14,790/2023, the legislative framework of the Bets regime requires a 15% tax to be imposed on player prizes/winnings exceeding the threshold of BRL 2,824 (approximately €530). The tax on player prizes was enforced by President Lula da Silva in the final revision of the bill prior to its federal sign-off.

New IRPF guidelines state that tax c..

Municipalities and administrative districts across Serbia have been instructed to enforce new laws and standards for gambling venues and franchises.

This directive follows the fast-tracking of new “protective amendments” approved by parliament under the Law on Games of Chance of the Republic of Serbia (2011).

Authorities in Serbia’s 29 districts and 190 municipalities have been tasked with reviewing and verifying the licenses and customer protection measures of local arcades, betting shops, and bingo halls.

Inspections will assess whether venues are compliant with mandatory age verification measures to enforce the prohibition of minors from participating in gambling activities.

Further requirements mandate that venues prominently display warnings about gambling addiction to customers through posters and notices, which must also provide information about certified treatment facilities.

Local authorities must ensure that venues comply with new regulations on food and beverages, whic..

Eric Konings has announced his forthcoming departure as Interim Director of NOGA, the Netherlands Online Gambling Association.

Writing on LinkedIn, Konings confirmed that he would be leaving the Dutch trade body during the first quarter of 2025.

The decision comes as NOGA’s board has progressed with its ‘strategic reorientation’, during which it will announce leadership changes and a new strategy to better promote and represent the interests of online gambling in the Netherlands.

Last summer, Konings was announced as Interim Director of NOGA, following the departure of Peter-Paul de Goeij, who ended his six-year tenure as Managing Director of the trade body.

During the transition period, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Netherlands Gambling Authority, announced a raft of new regulatory protections, including new deposit limits of €700 for player accounts over the age of 25, and a €300 deposit threshold for players under the age of 24.

KSA imposed further licensing duties on customer ..