SBC News

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Gambling Authority of the Netherlands, has transitioned to a new governance structure to strengthen oversight of enforcements and player protections.

Effective from 1 January 2026, the KSA operates under a new board comprising one full-time chair supported by two part-time directors. The reform comes as KSA reforms its internal departments that will now function as “three principal directorates”.

Changes will help the KSA sharpen its mandate on improving player protection, digitalisation and data-driven supervision. The regulator said the new structure is intended to “respond to the increasing complexity of gambling oversight, driven by technological developments such as artificial intelligence, the growth of illegal gambling supply, and intensified international regulatory cooperation.”

Chairman Michel Groothuizen remains in charge of day-to-day operations, acting as the organisation’s primary leader both domestically and internationally. Groothuizen will be supported by two part-time board members, whose recruitment and appointment process is at an advanced stage.

The new directors’ are expected to provide strategic expertise and act as sparring partners in areas including governance, integrity and digital transformation.

The change in operational structure sees KSA transition to the three directorates: Player Protection & Management Advice, Permits & Supervision, and Digitalisation, Analysis & Business Operations. The new structure is intended to create “clearer lines of responsibility and enable faster decision-making, while allowing the board to focus more explicitly on strategy, framework-setting and oversight of statutory and societal objectives.”

The transition marks the departure of Vice-Chair Bernadette van Buchem, who has served on the KSA board since 2018. Van Buchem is concluding a 40-year career in public service, including senior roles at the Ministry of Economic Affairs and the Netherlands Authority for Consumers and Markets (ACM).

The governance changes come at a pivotal moment for Dutch gambling, as the Netherlands prepares for a broader legislative overhaul in 2026. The Kamer maintains its pledge to repeal and replace the Remote Gambling Act (KOA), the framework which launched the regulated online gambling market in 2020.

Progress on reform was paused following the collapse of the Dutch conservative coalition government leading to the Netherlands Snap Election in Novemer 2025.

As stands Kamer responsibilities for gambling policy are maintained by Arco Rutte, who was as State Secretary for Legal Protection. However changes are due as a new governing coalition has yet to be formed. Negotiations are currently underway as Rob Jetten, leader of the social-liberal Democrats 66 (D66) bargains with four parties to establish a centrist government.

Despite the political uncertainty, a broad consensus has emerged within the Kamer that the overhaul of KOA should prioritise harm reduction, with specific protections for young consumers under the age of 24.

Lawmakers have also confirmed that the reform process will not include a review of gambling taxation, with the planned increase in online gambling taxes to 38% of gross gaming revenue (GGR) by 2027 remaining in place.

KSA Chairman Michel Groothuizen has acknowledged the scale of the regulatory challenge, stating that future gambling policy must explicitly account for the most severe gambling-related risks, including suicide and minimising financial harms.

KOA licenses have broadly supported the inbound legislative reforms, however the forthcoming government has been urgently warned to fix regulatory discrepancies and product restrictions that have severely weakened channelisation. Latest audits saw channelisation rates fall below 50% of gambling revenues, as the Netherlands had become an active market for black market encroachment since its regulation in 2020.

The government of Georgia has finalised a comprehensive sweep of individuals excluded from participating in gambling activities.

In 2025, Georgia enacted new executive orders amending the Georgian Law on the “Organisation of Lotteries, Gambling and Games of Chance”, as demanded by former Prime Minister Irakli Garibashvili.

The changes saw Georgia’s Revenue Service tasked with the “surveillance of gambling licences”, including responsibility for managing the ‘exclusion registry‘ of Georgian citizens.

In 2024, enforcement measures authorised by PM Garibashvili ordered the government to raise Georgia’s legal gambling age to 25 — the highest threshold in Eastern Europe.

Furthermore, the Revenue Service was instructed by the DREAMS government to register all public-sector employees and citizens with criminal records under the national exclusion register.

Garibashvili was replaced in office in 2025 by PM Irakli Kobakhidze, though regulatory continuity has been maintained under the ruling DREAM government, particularly in relation to tightening controls on gambling and limiting its engagement with citizens.

Following a full sweep completed in 2025, the Revenue Service announced that it had registered 1,577,247 individuals in the exclusion registry as of December 2025.

As reported by SBC Eurasia, this figure includes approximately 36,000 citizens who have voluntarily self-excluded after identifying themselves as vulnerable to gambling-related harms.

The Revenue Service also noted that 62 individuals were added to the registry under direct court orders, while the majority of exclusions were processed via the Revenue Service’s website or its online registration platform, Videocall.rs.ge.

The total number of excluded citizens means the Revenue Service has met the target set by former PM Garibashvili of excluding around 1.5 million citizens from gambling — amounting to a prohibition affecting more than 50% of Georgia’s population.

Further enforcement measures introduced in 2025 require Georgian gambling venues to implement biometric user identification and conduct centralised age verification using government databases.

In addition, Georgia introduced a new tax regime in 2025 under which gambling licences are subject to a 15% levy on GGR, while withdrawals by Georgian citizens are taxed at 5% personal income tax for foreign players’ charges are exempt.

Under the mandate of the ruling DREAM government, gambling continues to be positioned as a legitimate component of Georgia’s economy, primarily oriented toward tourists and foreign visitors rather than domestic participation.

The DREAM government has made clear that gambling must not encroach upon Georgian society or citizens lives, welfare, or financial security at risk. The principle is upheld by PM Irakli Kobakhidze, who continues to underpin Georgia’s increasingly restrictive approach to gambling regulation, enforcement, and citizen protection.

TOTO Online has promised to reassess player files to make sure its customer due diligence is enhanced following a notice being issued by the Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), over anti-money laundering violations.

The KSA recently investigated TOTO Online operations – TOTO and Winnitt – discovering violations of the Netherlands’ Money Laundering and Terrorism Financing (Prevention) Act (Wwft).

In response, the Dutch lottery Nederlandse Loterij, the parent company of TOTO Online, said in a statement that it wants to work with the KSA to combat money laundering and has worked with the regulator to improve its operations, a position that was echoed by the KSA.

The operator will also improve its customer due diligence by reassessing player files and making further changes where required.

“TOTO acknowledges the importance of effective supervision by the KSA. We continuously work to strengthen our position as the safest and most responsible operator, including with regard to anti-money laundering compliance.

“Together with the KSA, we are committed to achieving the best possible results in combating money laundering. In consultation with the Ksa, TOTO has already further tightened its processes, procedures and work instructions during the course of the investigation.

“As a result, we meet the regulatory requirements with regard to risk assessment, transaction monitoring and verification of the source of funds used, as is to be expected of us.

“The KSA has also indicated that our customer due diligence should be further improved. We are therefore reassessing player files and will take additional measures where necessary.”

Monitoring and documenting failures

According to the KSA, the investigation discovered that TOTO Online “failed to comply with the ongoing monitoring of business relationships and their transactions”, which is a requirement after initial client due diligence.

In addition, the regulator said the operator “does not sufficiently document why new facts or events do not lead to an adjustment of client risk classifications and why it takes certain control measures”, while also the investigation into player funds origins was inadequate.

While improvements have since been made by TOTO Online, a timeline of six months has now been set for the operator to resolve the outstanding violations, after which the KSA will conduct a re-inspection of its operations.

FDJ United’s Unibet brand has told iGaming Expert that it “could have acted sooner” in some duty of care cases with players in the Netherlands, which resulted in a multi-million euro fine from the Dutch gambling authority, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

However, the operator has contested some of the conclusions the Dutch regulator has reached with its investigation, stating that the rules during the period of the failings “were less specific than they are now”.

Issuing its defence to the sanctions, Unibet has challenged the KSA over the clarity of Dutch iGaming regulations. The Netherlands’ iGaming framework has been subject to significant changes in the years since the online market was launched in 2021 and during which Unibet’s breaches occurred.

Duty of care failures

The KSA issued a €4m fine to Unibet’s operator in the Dutch market, Optdeck, for failing to comply with duty of care responsibilities between 14 July 2022 and 1 July 2024.

After requesting various player files from Optdeck, the regulator found that all files showed duty of care violations. These included depositing thousands of euros per day with no intervention upon signs of excessive gambling, as well as income information being requested weeks later, even after substantial losses occurred.

The KSA added that the interventions selected were “far too light”, such as easily dismissible pop-up windows, as well as that during financial checks, income streams that aren’t permitted, such as a company account, were included.

Michel Groothuizen, Chair of the KSA, commented: “When there are signs of excessive gambling behaviour and someone wagers a large amount of money in a short period of time, a provider must promptly investigate the source of the money. This can be done by requesting income information.

“It is essential that providers conduct this analysis properly, because not all financial resources can simply be included. The KSA takes violations of its duty of care very seriously and will continue to take strong action against them.”

Rules were less specific than they are now

FDJ United responded sharply to the fine against Unibet. Although acknowledging some mistakes, the French multinational has highlighted some key elements of the KSA investigation and subsequent decision which it disagrees with.

“Unibet takes this matter and its duty of care to provide a safe gaming environment at all times very seriously,” an FDJ United spokesperson told iGaming Expert.

“We acknowledge that, with the knowledge we have now, we could have acted sooner in the case of some of the players investigated. At the same time, we do not agree with some of the conclusions.

“The decision relates to the period June 2022–July 2024, when the rules were less specific than they are now. We applied those rules to the best of our knowledge. In its decision, the KSA applies a stricter interpretation than what was stated in the rules at the time. The legislation and regulations have since been tightened and, since October 2024, there has been a clearer framework for gambling limits.

“Since September 2024, we have been working with a new risk detection system that identifies risky gambling behaviour more quickly and leads to stricter interventions. We are also taking additional measures to protect players. The issues referred to by the KSA are no longer possible on our platform.”

Previous fines

This isn’t the first time Unibet has received disciplinary action from the KSA this year. Back in June, the regulator sent two warnings to the operator for advertising and autoplay failures linked to a cycling team sponsorship and a BonusBuy function in one of their titles.

Unibet noted at the time that the brand took the KSA’s warning “very seriously and took immediate action” to correct the errors, including adjusting branding and compensating affected players.

However, the FDJ United brand received another sanction in September for offering unauthorised sports betting – football betting on corner kicks and yellow cards, as well as on under-21 matches – on several occasions between October 2022 and May 2025.

Under the country’s gambling law, it is prohibited to offer betting on certain matches and event components to protect the integrity of the sport and prevent match manipulation.

The KSA said it repeatedly contacted Unibet about the offering but saw “insufficient improvement and a real risk of recurrence”, so a penalty of €75,000 per week on Unibet for each week in which a violation occurs was imposed, with €450,000 being the maximum penalty.

At the time, Unibet stated that following previously identified errors in its sportsbook offering, it collaborated with its sportsbook provider “to modify the systems to be compliant and aligned with the feedback from the KSA”.

Turkish banks have begun issuing direct warnings to customers, informing of new legal and criminal liabilities linked to accounts that have engaged or facilitated illegal online gambling. .

The warnings were authorised by Justice Minister Yılmaz Tunç, coordinating the AKP government’s “Action Plan” against illegal gambling, which calls on all authorities to cooperate in “eradicating illicit gambling” – as a pledge led by President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan.

The command follows the Ministry of Justice’s approval on 15 December, of the 11th Judicial Package. A sweeping legislative overhaul has been authorised to expand prosecutorial powers and enable enforcement on financial crime and illegal transactions facilitating illicit online gambling operators.

New enforcement powers see prosecutors granted direct powers of seizure, suspension and prosecution, while amendments to Turkey’s Penal Code introduce tougher prison sentences and heightened financial penalties for both individuals and groups involved in illegal gambling.

The reforms have particular significance for banks and payment organisations, as the 11th Judicial Package introduces new duties and enforcement tools aimed to hinder the financial infrastructure supporting illegal betting. Participants and intermediaries now face higher fines, wider asset confiscation, and the freezing of bank and digital payment accounts for up to 48 hours during investigations.

Banks and payment processors are also subject to adhere to “cooperative demands” with Turkish authorities. . Fiancial institutions must provide requested transaction data, account records and payment histories to prosecutors or courts within 10-days, with non-compliance potentially resulting in administrative penalties or criminal sanctions against both institutions and responsible executives.

Announcing the reforms, Tunç said the government was determined to close enforcement gaps that had allowed illegal betting networks to operate “unpunished and at scale.”

“Illegal betting and online gambling are not only crimes, but also channels that finance organised crime and cause serious social harm,” Tunc stated, adding that new reforms were designed to enable effective deterrence and help wider authorities with enforcements

During the Christmas period, Turkish media reported that Ziraat Bankası, Türkiye İş and Garanti BBVAwere the first institutions to issue customer warnings, signalling the start of a sector-wide rollout.

The measures will extend to mobile payment applications and digital wallet providers, bringing fintech platforms under the same compliance and reporting framework as traditional banks.

MASAK begins zero tolerance enforcements

The enforcement effort is being coordinated by MASAK, Türkiye’s Financial Crimes Investigation Board, which is leading the action plan against illegal betting and money laundering.

MASAK has intensified scrutiny of bank transfers, payment intermediaries and digital wallets, working closely with prosecutors and the Ministry of Interior to disrupt financial networks linked to unlicensed gambling.

Tunç has stressed that financial intelligence will be central to the strategy. “Our objective is to identify illegal activity at its source, follow the money and intervene before criminal proceeds are concealed or transferred abroad,” he said.

The scale of the crackdown was highlighted in December, when authorities detained 42 suspects in a major illegal betting investigation that uncovered transactions exceeding TL6bn (€140m). The operation resulted in widespread asset seizures, including bank accounts and cryptocurrency wallets, reinforcing official warnings that illegal betting has developed into a major organised financial crime threat.

Enforcement has also expanded into the media sector, following a series of high-profile investigations into platforms accused of promoting or facilitating illegal betting activity.

Recent developments saw GAİN Medya targeted as part of a major platform linked to Anahat Holding, amid allegations of illegal betting, organised crime and money laundering. Senior executives were arrested as part of the investigation, while authorities moved swiftly to secure assets believed to be connected to criminal proceeds.

The operation led to the appointment of the Savings Deposit Insurance Fund (TMSF) as trustee to seven companies affiliated with Anahat Holding, marking a rare and decisive intervention into a national media group. Investigators also carried out broad asset seizures across media and related businesses, including movable and immovable property, financial accounts and corporate assets.

Officials have indicated that the GAİN Medya case reflects a broader shift in enforcement priorities, with regulators now targeting not only payment channels and consumers, but also media, advertising and distribution networks accused of sustaining demand for illegal gambling services.

2026 warnings & targeted actions

Looking ahead to 2026, the Ministry of Justice has reaffirmed its full backing of President Erdoğan’s pledge to eradicate illegal gambling by whatever means necessary. As such, Tunç stated that the Ministry is prepared to amend or introduce legislation where necessary to strengthen enforcement against illegal gambling and related financial crime.

While enforcement efforts have so far focused primarily on domestic activity, MASAK and the Ministry of Justice have confirmed that the next phase will involve international cooperation and cross-border enforcement. Authorities have signalled increased scrutiny of jurisdictions accused of hosting or enabling operators targeting Turkish consumers illegally, naming Cyprus, Georgia, North Macedonia and Armenia as priority states.

President Erdoğan has reiterated a policy of zero tolerance towards illegal gambling, warning that enforcement intensity will be significantly escalated in 2026. The government has framed the full termination of illegal gambling as a structural objective, with Erdoğan stating that the dismantling of illegal gambling networks is expected to be completed before Türkiye’s next general election, with all Turkish authorities due to be held accountable.

LeoVegas has landed in trouble with the Dutch gambling authority over player protection failures.

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the regulator responsible for the market’s oversight in the Netherlands, reminded that gambling companies are required to comply with the country’s duty of care policies to minimise the risks of gambling harm.

“As far as [we are] concerned, LeoVegas did not comply sufficiently with that duty of care,” the KSA added.

The compliance infringements cover the period between October 2023 and May 2024, for which the regulator requested a number of player information files from LeoVegas and concluded that ‘all of them’ exhibited duty of care breaches.

One example saw a player incurring losses equal to “tens of thousands of euros” in a short timescale, with LeoVegas failing to intervene on time. Another player who exhibited “serious” signs of gambling harm was only interacted with through a pop-up notification, which is typically very easy to dismiss.

Michel Groothuizen, Board Chairman of the KSA, added: ‘The duty of care is an essential part of the wider range of player protection. Providers must respond adequately to immoderate play.

“Large losses in a short time are an important signal of this. We have intensified our supervision of the duty of care and gambling providers are tackling this hard, because such an important part should not be neglected.”

As a result of the compliance shortcomings, LeoVegas – owned by MGM Resorts International – will now have to pay €500,000 in penalties.

New changes still coming in 2026
Regulatory scrutiny aside, 2025 has been an incredibly active and testing year for the Dutch market. January saw the first out of two gambling tax increases taking place, going up from 30.4% to 34.2% – with a further increase to 37.8% scheduled for next year.

Not only that, but the market also faced a government fallout earlier in June, which left a number of reforms to the Remote Gaming Act (KOA) up in the air for quite some time.

Coming out of a fresh election cycle, the Netherlands is certain to remain a dynamic gambling jurisdiction even in 2026.

The Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP) has confirmed that it will conduct a “comprehensive assessment” of Greece’s casino market, in response to concerns raised by the Ministry of Finance over the steady decline in tax revenues generated from land-based casino licences.

Chairman Antonis Vartholomaios confirmed that the review aims to “establish a modern and sustainable framework that captures both the structural evolution of Greece’s gambling market and international best practices.”

The project will focus on upgrading the current regulatory framework for “sustainable land-based casinos, taking into account new market dynamics shaped by online gambling growth and integrated resort developments since 2018.”

Findings will be presented to the Ministry of Finance, with the new framework scheduled for implementation by spring 2026. Vartholomaios acknowledged that smaller regional casinos have struggled to survive the digital transition, while larger, multi-purpose venues offering diversified entertainment have proven more resilient.

“Everything in terms of the traditional casino concept is coming under huge pressure,” he said. “Integrated resorts deliver a more resilient business model that combines gaming with tourism, leisure and cultural amenities.”

Current investment projects such as Hard Rock–GEK Terna’s Elliniko Resort and Regency Entertainment’s new venue in Maroussi are seen by the Commission as “critical to changing the face of Greece’s gaming and tourism sector.”

Shift from concessions to individual licences

The last major reform of the Hellenic Law on Gambling was applied in 2018, and replaced the legacy concession-based system that had existed since the 1990s with transferable individual casino licences administered by the EEEP.

The 2018 framework aimed to attract international investment, improve transparency and align with EU standards on AML and fiscal compliance.

New investors could apply for personalised operating licences instead of state-granted regional concessions. The law also introduced two key licence categories Class-A for large-scale integrated resorts and Class-B for smaller casinos alongside a gross gaming revenue (GGR)-based tax model – with both Class-A and B licences taxed at 20% GGR.

Reforms enabled casino relocation and privatisation, and included the transfer of Parnitha Casino to Maroussi and the launch of the international tender for the Elliniko Integrated Resort Casino.

Yet on reflection, while the system helped attract new capital, it also fragmented the traditional casino landscape, leaving smaller regional operators exposed to rising costs and online competition.

Decline in casino tax

The Ministry of Finance has highlighted a continued fall in land-based casino tax receipts as a central reason for the new review. Although total gambling tax revenues have grown thanks to online expansion, the share from physical casinos has fallen below 10%, compared to more than 30% a decade ago.

This decline reflects the closure of smaller venues and the migration of players to regulated digital platforms. The EEEP has been tasked with identifying measures to revive regional casino activity, improve tax efficiency, and ensure that future projects — particularly Integrated Resorts — generate measurable fiscal returns for the state.

Oversight and illegal gambling

Alongside its land-based review, the EEEP is tightening governance of the online gambling market, which now represents the majority of regulated activity in Greece.

The Commission reported that CEE group Super Technologies (SuperBet) recently secured a Type 2 licence for RNG and live casino games and is now seeking an additional licence to enter the online betting segment.

The Commission’s wider priorities also include tackling illegal gambling, which remains significant at an estimated €1.7 billion in unlicensed bets last year.

Despite this, Greece remains one of Europe’s most channelled gambling markets, with around 80% of activity occurring through licensed operators, behind only the UK at 90%.

Vartholomaios concluded: “We need to continue modernising regulation, supporting legitimate operators and protecting the public interest if we want to preserve both the credibility and integrity of the Greek gambling market.”

Russia is in the process of adopting a national self-exclusion registry, state media has reported.

Passing second and third readings in Russia’s State Duma, the lower house of Parliament, provisions are already in motion to introduce a self-exclusion scheme that will be fully operational by 1 September 2026.

From that date onwards, players wanting to gain more control over their gambling behaviour can do so by submitting an application to the Unified Gambling Regulator (ERAI). A customer can request to be taken off the self-exclusion registry afterwards, but not before a year has passed after the admission.

It will be mandatory for a customer’s bank account details to be provided when an application is made, so that all funds deposited and present in their account are refunded.

The law passed first reading earlier in May, led by members of the State Committee on Physical Culture and Sports. There will be financial repercussions for operators failing to comply with the new regulations.

Bookmakers and lottery operators will be barred from accepting funds from self-excluded individuals.

Retail venues that offer casino and slot machine games will be restricted from allowing such individuals access to their premises, and advertising to self-excluded persons will be strictly prohibited. Licence holders that do accept bets from self-excluded individuals are facing fines of between 50,000 Rubles (£470) to 100,000 Rubles.

Almost all types of gambling were restricted in Russia back in 2009. Physical casinos currently exist only in four designated areas – the Altai Republic, the Kaliningrad Oblast, Krasnaya Polyana, and Primorsky Krai.

Lottery games are fully state monopolised, operated by Russia’s Ministry of Sports and the Ministry of Finance. Meanwhile, bookmakers do enjoy a more liberalised regime by being allowed to operate across all of Russia’s vast territories.

That doesn’t go without caveats, however, with licensed operators still subject to strict rules – with a certain capital threshold being required to receive a licence, while all online bets having to go through Russia’s Center for Interactive Bets (CUPIS).