SBC News

Italy’s Council of State has chosen to defer a ruling on a legal dispute related to gambling advertising to the European Court of Justice (ECJ).

The deferment by Italy’s supreme administrative court follows its own determination, which “has raised doubts” on how European laws, standards and practices can be interpreted by the legislative framework of Italy’s Dignity Decree of 2018.

As such the Council of State has chosen for the legal dispute to be settled by the judgement of the ECJ. The discrepancies of the Dignity Decree of 2018, which has imposed a federal ban on betting/gambling advertising and sponsorships in Italy since 2019,, have come under scrutiny once more.

The dispute concerns LeoVegas AB challenge of a €50,000 fine imposed by the AGCOM, Italy’s Communications and Media Authority in 2019 for violating the Dignity Decree.

LeoVegas AB had broadcast adverts for its Italian subsidiary Winga.it on the satellite TV channel Sky 237. The advertisements promoted games and slot..

New Zealand has turned its attention to influencers promoting casino content at a time of heightened political focus on the betting and gaming sector.

The country is not alone in finding frustration with influencers of late with gambling marketing and the role social media personalities can play in this falling under an increasingly bright regulatory spotlight.

According to Radio New Zealand (RNZ), the Department of Internal Affairs (DIA) is issuing takedown notices to influencers promoting overseas gaming firms.

Influencers have been live streaming their use of these firms’ products, carrying out promotional giveaways and similar activities, and have been posting links to offshore companies’ websites, the DIA told RNZ.

This violates the terms of New Zealand’s Gambling Act, which prohibits New Zealanders from advertising online gaming firms. It also comes ahead of the launch of an online casino market in New Zealand, which the state-backed TAB gaming group has some reservations abo..

The HDZ government of Croatia has been warned that radical reforms to implement a new Gambling Law will indirectly impact 15,000 jobs.

The warning comes from HUPIS, The Croatian Association of Gambling Operators who cite that proposed measures sought by Prime Minister Andrej Plenković represent an excessive regulatory burden that will have severe consequences for the legal industry”.

Latest developments in Croatia, saw a Final Proposal of the Gambling Law submitted to Parliament. Reforms focus on four central pillars of applying new centralised controls, ending aggressive advertising, revising tax duties and authorisation fees and introducing a socially responsible charter for gambling licences.

PM Plenković has pledged to restructure Croatia’s gaming regulations during his third term, aiming to address the problem of gambling addiction, which affects 40,000 Croatians.

2026 Changes & Protections

The final proposal plans to restrict gambling advertisements on internet platforms bet..

Irish betting and gaming companies, from bookmakers to tech developers, have been requested to register their interest in a gambling licence under its new framework.

The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has shared the request across social media channels, stating that it wants to make the licensing process as seamless as possible.

“To assist in our preparations for the roll out of the new Licensing regime and ensuring a scalable, efficient and effective roll out we are requesting all interested parties to register their interest for a licence in the Irish market,” a GRAI LinkedIn statement read.

All companies providing betting, gaming or lottery services in Ireland will have to apply for a licence under the new framework, governed by the Gambling Act 2024 – the culmination of a two year legislative process.

The Gambling Act was introduced to the Irish legislature, the Oireachtas, in 2022 with the purpose of updating Ireland’s gambling regulations. The country last re..

The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) will host a meeting on 4 April to begin coordination with Brazil’s federal states to establish a National Betting System.

Discussions will be led by SPA President Regis Dudena, who last week sent an invitation to the governors of Brazil’s 26 federal states to participate in discussions with the Ministry of Finance (MEF).

Dudena’s letter deemed it vital for all states to be represented in discussions for “the democratic and effective construction of a National Betting System, aiming to strengthen federative ties and improve the application of legislation relevant to fixed-odds betting in Brazil.”

The SPA seeks to create a National Betting System as a ‘federal mechanism’ to help individual states uphold Brazil’s new gambling laws, standards, and protections.

A cooperative system has been further endorsed as the best mechanism to safeguard Brazil’s new gambling regime from corruption and to protect the integrity of sports.

Furthermore, with..

Monica Shafaq, CEO of Gordon Moody, delivered a thought-provoking exposé about the link between mental health and problem gambling.

She made an appearance on the latest episode of the Safe Bet Show, hosted by Martin Lycka, SVP American Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling at Entain.

As the conservation unraveled, Shafaq leveraged her experience as a well-versed mental health advocate to characterise problem gambling as a visible marker of someone’s troubled life.

Monica Shafaq/Source: Gordon Moody
According to the Gordon Moody CEO, 70% of people who come through the charity’s doors seeking help with problem gambling have been previously diagnosed with a mental health condition.

“They tell us that often gambling is used as a diversion to block off what might be going on in their lives,” she said.

“Over 30% of people who come to us also sadly contemplated harming themselves and putting their lives at risk. We know there’s a huge association between suicide ideation and ment..

Pressure mounts on mayoral interventions on gambling policies, beyond the context of the Gambling Review…

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) and the central government’s Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) are recognised as the two policymakers with the biggest impact on gambling regulations and policies.

There are many other stakeholders, of course, that have an impact – the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) trade and standards body, the various operators and suppliers themselves, harm prevention and minimisation groups and charities, and sports stakeholders, to name a few examples.

An authority often overlooked is local government and the influence city administrators can have on the industry was seen in two separate developments this week.

Credit: B. Lenoir / Shutterstock
In a notable case of media scrutiny, Sadiq Khan, Mayor of London, has been facing pressure to make good on some electoral promises around gambling. According to The Standard, Caroline Russell, a Green ..