SBC News

The Philippines Central Bank could be set to intensify its framework around gambling activity through proposed changes to the nation’s digital marketplace.

At the heart of the regulation is providing banks and Electronic Money Issuer license holders with enhanced authority over digital marketplaces, which includes the gambling industry.

The proposal states: “The activities in a digital marketplace operated by a bank or EMI shall be limited to the offering of its own products and services and/or presentation or display of the products and services of PSPs.”

Specifically, the bill stated that products and services that are associated with gambling activities will be prohibited.

Furthermore, it identified these as potentially “undermining the reputation of the marketplace participants and the financial system”.

Off the back of a period of significant regulatory change in its gambling industry that saw the government take the landmark step to outlaw POGOs, the Philippines was remov..

A dramatic U-turn in Thailand has seen officials backtrack on a move that would have essentially excluded the vast majority of Thai citizens from its proposed land-based casinos.

It had previously been touted 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.

However, underlining the country’s major plans to build a significant gaming ecosystem, these plans have been paused as they would exclude too many local players from the casinos.

Significant amendments to the bill will see a three-year tax history being enough to ensure that Thai nationals can enter the premises and gamble.

Deputy Finance Minister Julapun Amornvivat told reporters that the previously touted criteria for entry to casinos would fail to solve issues of illegal gambling, as he underlined that there were just 10,000 deposit accounts in the country with more than 50m baht, which would mean a large number of players would ..

YouTube has toughened its guidelines on content related to gambling, prohibiting the promotion of “unapproved” websites.

Announced on Tuesday (4 March), the increased restrictions come as part of a wider crackdown from YouTube, with creators no longer being allowed to direct users to unapproved gambling websites through links, images, text, logos or verbal references.

The tighter restrictions could be set to a myriad of marketing approaches, from streamers to podcasts, which have previously been sponsored by operators.

According to YouTube, unapproved gambling sites refer to those that don’t meet local requirements and haven’t been reviewed by YouTube or parent company Google.

First reported by CNN, YouTube spokesperson Boot Bullwinkle also confirmed that the video-sharing site will also “begin age-restricting content that promotes online casinos”.

This means that users under 18 or those not logged in to the site will no longer be able to view content that depicts or promotes ..

The Maltese court has ruled in two separate cases that Austrian courts do not have the power to dictate whether gaming operators in Malta compensate Austrian players.

The cases centre around two gamblers, who both lost significant amounts with a Maltese operator.

Between 2017 and 2019, Gerhard Posch €40,500 with TSG Interactive Gaming Europe, which he later tried to recoup when he pursued a requisition order against the company.

Philipp Wahl also looked to secure a case against European Lotto and Betting, after he lost €38,000 over an 11-day span.

The Austrian framework currently deems any overseas operator as being illegal in the country.

The decision marks a shift in the legal trajectory of the case, with it previously being found in the favour of players by Austrian courts. However, the Maltese court has reached a different conclusion.

Although courts in Austria both sided with the players, these were rejected by the courts in Malta, as both operators underlined the free..