SBC News - Player Protection Hub

False licensing claims continue to plague offshore regulators

iGamingExpertMarch 4, 2026059 views

The Malta Gaming Authority has once again been forced to shut down its connection to a number of online casino platforms.

The island’s regulatory body released a statement that any reference to the MGA on the websites www.rrbet.com, babu88bd.com and www.wagerstreet.net is ‘false and misleading’.

RRbet appears to be a brand focused on the Nigerian market and claims to be licensed in Curacao. However, the licensing number listed cannot be found on the website of the Curacao Gaming Authority (CGA). The platform also carries the logo of the MGA.

Meanwhile, Babu88 is focused on the Bangladeshi market, where online gambling operates in a grey area with no local regulation. The site repeatedly lists the MGA as its regulatory body, but does not provide any form of licensing number to verify this fact.

Finally, Wagerstreet is US-focused and does not list any form of licensee on its main page. However, within its terms and conditions, it informs customers that it can take complaints to the ..

Dutch gambling trade body calls out Meta over illegal gambling ads

iGamingExpertFebruary 27, 2026063 views

Meta has again been slammed for allowing illegal gambling operators to advertise on its platform – this time in the Netherlands.

Dutch gambling’s trade body, Vergunde Nederlandse Online Kansspelaanbieders (VNLOK), has warned that illegal providers continue to reach players in the country “on a large scale” via the social media brand’s platforms.

Analysis of Meta’s ads library from VNLOK between October 2025 and December 2025 revealed that “more than 95% of the gambling promotions found—both Facebook pages and advertisements” were from black market operators. Only a small portion of these ads were removed by Meta, with the association calling for “faster and more robust measures” as a result.

This criticism intensifies pressure on Meta after comments by the UK Gambling Commission’s Executive Director Tim Miller to industry stakeholders at ICE last week. He said he has seen more adverts for illegal online casinos appearing on their brand platforms using ‘not on GamStop’ signage to tar..

Baroness Twycross bullish on illegal gambling taskforce timeline

iGamingExpertFebruary 27, 2026060 views

Gambling Minister Baroness Twycross is confident that the newly-minted illegal gambling task force will garner results as early as later this year.

The taskforce aims to find synergy between companies like Google, Meta and Visa alongside law enforcement agencies to address payments and advertising in the illegal market.

Speaking at the UK Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) AGM, Twycross stated: “I’m determined that, however hard it is for us to achieve this, it will result in fast, effective action.”

Alongside the taskforce, the UK government also allocated a further £26m to fighting the black market as part of November’s budget and the Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has launched a consultation on banning British sports teams partnering with unlicensed operators.

Twycross revealed resources will be largely focused on increasing resources to prosecute illegal platforms, enhancing early prevention activities and undertaking further research on the market.

On the sponso..

Rank Group: black market celebrates ‘hit jobs’ on regulated industry

iGamingExpertFebruary 27, 2026071 views

‘Hit jobs’ against the regulated industry have ‘eroded’ regulatory credibility and emboldened the black market, according to Rank Group’s Director of Corporate Affairs and Investor Relations, David Williams.

Speaking on a panel at the Betting and Gaming Council’s (BGC) AGM focused on the balance between tax, regulation and the illegal market, Williams lamented the picture of the industry created by targeted takedowns of the regulated sector over the years.

He said: “For every hit job that there is on the licensed [sector], and I’m not saying we have been without blame down the years, that is not true, but some of it has been excessive. Each time it happens, it generates a round of applause from black market operators because, as the erosion in the credibility of licensed operators happens, the black market celebrates.”

Williams also described the growth of the black market in recent years as a ‘symptom of an imbalance’ between the three factors – a viewpoint shared by Entain’s Grou..

Colorado bill would ban all prop bets, clamp down on betting ads

SBC AmericasFebruary 27, 2026066 views

A new bipartisan bill filed in Colorado would implement several new measures on the state’s sports betting market, including banning numerous prop wagers and restricting how licensed sportsbooks can advertise.

Senate Bill 131, filed on Wednesday, is a wide-ranging responsible gambling-focused piece of legislation that aims to implement more player protection safeguards and several limitations on how operators can conduct business. It has one Democrat and one Republican sponsor attached for both the Senate and the House of Representatives.

The bill has been referred to the Senate Finance Committee for initial discussion.

Bill takes a wide-angle approach to prop bets

Chief among the provisions is a proposal to prohibit Colorado sportsbooks from offering betting markets on the performances of individual athletes.

Player prop betting remains under intense scrutiny amid numerous cases of alleged or confirmed manipulation of performances by both pro and college athletes, including Jont..

BetMGM ramps up gambling awareness commitments with $1m pledge

A.J. KoehnFebruary 27, 2026060 views

BetMGM and MGM Resorts International have announced a $1m (£740,000) expanded commitment to responsible gambling initiatives as part of their participation in National Council on Problem Gambling’s (NCPG) Problem Gambling Awareness Month in March.

The investment includes $450,000 allocated to the International Centre for Responsible Gaming to support a new independent research programme examining sports betting behaviour and its potential risks.

The multi-year study will analyse factors influencing betting decisions, risk patterns across different player groups and the effectiveness of prevention strategies, with the aim of strengthening responsible gambling practices across the industry.

“As sports betting continues to grow so must our understanding of its impact on our guests and customers,” said Stephen Martino, Senior Vice President and Chief Compliance Officer, MGM Resorts.

“Investing in high quality research allows us to be guided by valuable data and insights, which will u..

IC360 teams up with 2026 FIFA World Cup Task Force

SBC AmericasFebruary 27, 2026057 views

Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) is assisting the U.S. federal government in preparing and executing a 2026 FIFA World Cup tournament that will take place in North America.

IC360 announced that it has joined the FIFA World Cup Task Force, a government unit that is responsible for overseeing this year’s interaction of the tournament. The task force collaborates with federal agencies in planning and delivering the World Cup.

“We are honored to be joining the FIFA World Cup Task Force,” said IC360 Co-CEO Scott Sadin. “Our team is looking forward to bringing unique insight and value to this group. Most importantly, we’re thrilled to be partnering with stakeholders who are passionate about protecting the integrity of the beautiful game on the world stage.”

As a member of the FIFA World Cup Task Force, IC360 will help sustain the integrity of competition for the nearly 40-day tournament that kicks off on June 11 in Mexico. IC360 will leverage its experience in navigating North American g..

Does the levy-funded North Wales treatment service undermine the National Gambling Helpline?

iGamingExpertFebruary 25, 2026054 views

Government in Wales has unveiled a gambling helpline funded by the UK statutory levy, however, concerns remain that the funding transition will exacerbate fragmentation concerns.

The Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board has been awarded £1.3m in funding from the Welsh Government to run the helpline, which will provide information, advice and support to those affected by gambling-related harms in Wales and go live on 1 April.

Sarah Murphy, Minister for Mental Health and Wellbeing, described the decision as a ‘landmark moment’ for gambling harm treatment in Wales.

She said: “[This marks] the first time specialist gambling treatment and support services will be available from the NHS in Wales. The helpline will be a form of open access support available to people who need it the most and fits into the ambitions of our Mental Health and Wellbeing Strategy.”

According to Dr Faye Graver, the Clinical Lead for gambling treatment services at Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board, tens..

New York bill would mandate monthly betting activity statements

SBC AmericasFebruary 25, 2026060 views

A New York lawmaker is making a legislative effort to ensure that sportsbooks have to directly notify residents of their betting activity.

Assemblymember Rebecca Kassay’s Assembly Bill 10329 would require licensed online sports betting operators in the Empire State to provide authorized sports bettors with monthly account activity statements.

Under the bill, monthly statements would need to be delivered via mobile push notifications “no later than fifteen days following the end of each calendar month.” Sports bettors would have continuous access to the statements through their accounts.

What info must be included in the monthly statements?

Kassay’s measure provides specific requirements for the monthly activity statements.

Operators in New York would be required to provide details on the total amount of funds deposited, the total amount wagered and the total number of bets places by the authorized sports bettor during the relevant period. AB 10329 also requires the monthly activ..

French regulator slams addictive qualities of predictions markets

A.J. KoehnFebruary 25, 2026061 views

Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), the Gambling Authority of France, has condemned the ‘addictive characteristics’ of prediction markets.

In a strongly worded statement published this morning, the ANJ reiterated the illegal status of prediction markets in France while drawing parallels to cryptocurrency trading.

The French government has been taking a firm stance against predictions, coming amid a significant overhaul of the regulated gambling market following the introduction of new taxes last year.

In December 2024, the regulator ordered Polymarket to cease trading, becoming one of the first in a long list of European countries which have kicked out the world’s largest prediction platform.

In today’s statement, the ANJ doubled down on its stance that prediction markets have ‘several addictive characteristics’ and essentially place the platforms in the same bracket as illegal gambling companies.

The regulator argued that the 24/7 availability of predictions, the absence of any bu..