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Mexico to consider new gambling ad rules for sports broadcasts

SBC AmericasFebruary 25, 2026059 views

Mexico is debating major changes to gambling advertising rules as it prepares to co-host the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer.

Jericó Abramo Masso, a member of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, has drafted a bill that would impose restrictions on gambling-related ads aired during sports event broadcasts on free and pay-for-TV. Masso proposed the measure in response to complaints by parents that gambling-related ads during sports programming provide “false narratives about gaining quick wealth.”

Masso also wants stricter advertising rules to combat gambling-related harm in Mexico. Mexico currently imposes rules that require problem gambling messaging in gambling-related ads. The ads, which require approval by the Secretariat of Interior, must also not include the promotion of excessive participation in gambling-related activity.

What could new advertising rules in Mexico look like?

Masso’s legislation aims to prevent minors from being exposed to gambling-related ads by imposing a cu..

Alberta follows Ontario by making RG Check mandatory for iGaming

CanadianGamingBusinessFebruary 25, 2026053 views

As Alberta continues to build the foundations for its upcoming regulated iGaming market, the market’s conduct-and-manage agency has followed Ontario’s lead by partnering with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) on a key requirement for operators.

RGC and the Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) announced on Friday that all registered online gambling platforms will be mandated to achieve the council’s RG Check accreditation.

RG Check was orginally developed by RGC in 2010 in consultation with policymakers, operators and people with lived experience of gambling harm. The independent responsible gambling verification program evaluates online casino and sports betting sites against evidence-based benchmarks, assessing their governance, player protection measures and marketing practices.evidence-based

The AiGC and RGC said the requirement will ensure that every licensed operator meets the highest standards for responsible gambling measures and supports.

“Alberta is committed to buildin..

Connecticut considers raising minimum age for prediction markets to 21

SBC AmericasFebruary 25, 2026046 views

Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont is making a legislative effort to shield younger residents from prediction markets.

Lamont has introduced House Bill 5038, a piece of legislation that would raise the minimum age requirement for event contract trading from 18 to 21. The legislation also proposes new advertising rules for prediction markets amid the growing popularity of event contracts, particularly sports, nationwide.

HB 5038 was immediately referred to Connecticut’s Joint Committee on General Law, which held a hearing on the bill with plans to further discuss the potential age increase.

Lamont’s bill excludes sports from prediction markets definition

HB 5038 defines prediction markets as “any system that allows consumers to open a speculative position on the outcome of future events, in a bid-ask format, regardless of the mechanisms or structures used for opening speculative positions on future events.”

The text of the bill specifically notes that the definition of prediction marke..

Charities Commission investigates Gordon Moody as discrimination and bullying claims emerge

Steve HoareFebruary 24, 20260133 views

The Charities Commission is investigating the UK’s oldest and most established gambling treatment provider Gordon Moody, after claims of racism and discrimination follow former CEO’s employment tribunal claim. Former CEO Monica Shafaq resigned from Gordon Moody in October last year after raising concerns of a regulatory nature with the charity’s Board of Directors, which she…

Government set to ban unlicensed operators sponsoring Premier League clubs

A.J. KoehnFebruary 24, 2026059 views

Operators unlicensed in the UK will likely be barred from sponsoring British sports clubs, Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy has confirmed.

The government announced plans to launch a consultation this spring, which would explore various legal levers to drive unlicensed gambling companies away from visibility in British sports, particularly the Premier League.

A look back on TGP Europe…

Fans of British football will be familiar with the logos currently seen on the kits of Fulham (SBOTOP), Bournemouth (bj88), Wolves (DEBET), Burnley (96.com), and Stake.com (Everton), among others.

All five operators were previously under the umbrella of TGP Europe, a white-label company stationed in the Isle of Man, which held UK licenses on behalf of foreign operators like the listed Asia-facing ones.

In April last year, TGP Europe was forced to surrender its licence and withdrew from the UK after the Gambling Commission (UKGC) hammered it down with a £3.3m penalty. All UK domains managed by the firm sh..

Turkey claims victory against proxy accounts funding illegal gambling

iGamingExpertFebruary 20, 2026050 views

Turkish authorities have reported a critical juncture in the fight against illegal gambling, fuelled by direct actions on Turkey’s financial system and bank licences.

On Monday, Mehmet Şimşek, Minister of the Treasury and Finance, declared that proxy bank accounts enabling transactions to illegal betting and gaming sites could soon be eradicated.

Providing an update on investigations and enforcement carried out by the Financial Crimes Investigation Board (MASAK), Şimşek confirmed that in 2025 the financial intelligence unit halted the circulation of TL5bn (€100m) in illicit proceeds within Turkey’s financial system.

Şimşek stated: “Illegal betting organisers have recently started using bank, payment, electronic money and cryptocurrency accounts belonging to third parties.
“I would like to strongly remind our citizens that renting or allowing others to use their accounts under pretexts such as ‘escrow’, ‘temporary use’, or ‘for commission’ constitutes participation in illegal betting..

Mexico drafts bill to restrict gambling ads during World Cup 2026

A.J. KoehnFebruary 20, 2026062 views

Lawmakers in Mexico are to examine tightening media rules to prohibit gambling advertising during the FIFA World Cup 2026.

The directive is led by Jericó Abramo Masso, Member of the Mexican Chamber of Deputies, who has drafted a bill which would severely limit operators’ flexibility around advertising, specifically during sporting events shown on open-source and pay-for TV.

According to Masso, an increasing number of complaints from parents report that their children are being subjected to gambling ads integrated into sports programming, which offer ‘falls narratives about gaining quick wealth’.

Under the current legislature, gambling ads need to first be approved by the Secretariat of Interior in order to air on TV, while also adhering to strict rules around the inclusion of problem gambling messaging and avoidance of promoting excessive participation.

However, Masso believes that rules should be tighter, with operators only allowed to market outside of family hours, meaning betw..

Spain Gambling Secretary vows to deliver Decree orders

A.J. KoehnFebruary 20, 2026055 views

Gambling licensees in Spain have been told to prepare for a year of regulatory changes and new compliance orders.

The message was delivered by Andrés Barragán, Secretary General for Consumer Affairs and Gambling, who holds Spain’s portfolio for the ongoing development of federal orders that oversee the authorisation of gambling licences.

Andrés Barragán

Barragán addressed delegates at the FEJAR Conference on the rehabilitation of problem gamblers and the coordination of Spanish agencies needed to combat gambling harms.

In his address, the Secretary cited long-held concerns that Spain operates under what he described as an ‘irregular framework’ in its ability to minimise problem gambling risks.

As such, the Ministry of Consumer Affairs will seek to execute its long-held mandate to centralise safer gambling tools and systems, taking on full control of the oversight of gambling and its engagement with the Spanish public.

“We have a serious public health problem with online gambli..

EGBA tells MEPs that EU iGaming tax plan has no legal basis

iGamingExpertFebruary 19, 2026055 views

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have been told to disregard a proposal made by Victor Negrescu, Vice‑President of the Social Democratic Party of Romania (PSD) and Vice‑President of the European Parliament (EP), which called for a “unionised tax charge on online gambling.”

This week, the European Parliament was informed of Negrescu’s proposal to create an ‘EU-level iGaming tax’, although the proposal itself is still said to be in development.

Negrescu framed his proposal to MEPs as a new measure to raise funds for EU-wide initiatives on education and re-skilling, and to support member states in the treatment of addiction and mental health.

The Romania SDP Minister currently sits on the council which considers and evaluates proposals for the design and development of the EU’s budget. The VP believes that a unionised tax charge on online gambling could provide an additional €4bn to the budget each year, and up to €28bn across a fiscal cycle.

In his address, the Minister argu..

Romania raises gambling age to 21 and moves towards ad ban

A.J. KoehnFebruary 19, 2026060 views

The Senate of Romania has approved two bills that will apply new restrictions on gambling’s engagement and exposure with the general public.

Announced by MP Raluca Turcan, of the National Liberal Party (PNL), the bill is titled “Protect the Age of Innocence” and received approval from the Senate. The bill will increase Romania’s gambling age from 18-to-21.

Turcan was the author of the PNL’s proposal to “reset Romania’s gambling age to 21”, in response to a report by International NGO Save the Children, which ranked Romania as Europe’s highest rate of youth problem gambling.

Her bill will progress to the Chamber of Deputies for final readings and if approved there, it will be signed into law by Niscusor Dan, President of Romania.

If the bill is fully approved, Romania will join other European markets like Belgium, Lithuania and the Netherlands in raising the minimum age for gambling from 18 to 21.

There are also attempts to introduce the same restrictions in neighbouring Bulgaria,..