SBC News - Player Protection Hub

Entain: UK football regulator must end unlicensed Premier League betting deals

A.J. KoehnMay 8, 2026029 views

Entain has reiterated its calls for the UK clampdown on unlicensed betting advertising in English football, taking its case to the new Independent Football Regulator (IFR).

The LSE-listed gambling group’s urging of the IFR comes three months after its Chief Executive Officer, Stella David, made a similar request to Richard Masters, the CEO of the Premier League, to intervene on the promotion of unlicensed online gambling brands, promoted by EPL clubs.

Concerns around the visibility of unlicensed betting firms in English sports, and particularly in the Premier League, are nothing new, with the lack of intervention called out by Labour and Conservative camps.

Yet Entain acts on the frontfoot as its leadership makes a stand against black market gambling as principal tenant of its corporate strategy in 2026.

An intervention is required as 2026 sees UK gambling licences implement further compliance safeguards, with no restrictions or policies to counter black market encroachment.

“..

Romania’s gambling overhaul caught in populist fallout

A.J. KoehnMay 8, 2026030 views

On 5 May 2026, Romania saw the collapse of Prime Minister Ilie Bolojan’s government after losing a vote of no confidence.

The fallout was engineered through the alignment of the Social Democratic Party (PSD) with the far-right Alliance for the Union of Romanians. With little warning, PSD withdrew from the ruling coalition rather than continue absorbing the political cost of Bolojan’s austerity measures and fiscal reforms.

Developments do not signal an immediate far-right takeover, but instead point to a prolonged period of political instability as Romania attempts to negotiate a new coalition capable of managing the country’s economic liabilities and fiscal discipline.

Stasya Yautodzyeva

For Romania’s gambling sector, the collapse signals further political uncertainty and growing populist pressure on policymaking at a critical juncture, as parliament is required to overhaul the provisions of the 2009 Gambling Act of Romania.

“Developments matter for gambling licences because the s..

Entain to implement ‘meaningful’ self-exclusion enhancements in Australia

iGamingExpertMay 7, 2026026 views

Entain Australia & New Zealand is working with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) after the body discovered more than 500 breaches of national self-exclusion rules in Australia.

As a result, the Ladbrokes and Neds operator entered into a court-enforceable undertaking following an ACMA investigation.

The ACMA found that Entain had:

Opened accounts and provided wagering to people registered with BetStop.

Opened new accounts for individuals registered with BetStop.

Failed to adequately promote BetStop in customer texts and emails.

As a result, the ACMA has accepted a comprehensive 18-month court-enforceable undertaking from Entain, as the company will commit to an independent review of its compliance systems and processes and implement any recommended improvements.

An Entain Australia spokesperson said: “We take all our regulatory responsibilities seriously. These matters arose during the early stages of a new national system, and we have worked constructiv..

Ohio regulator proposes rule change to ban credit cards for gambling

SBC AmericasMay 7, 2026027 views

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) proposed an amendment to state gaming rules to change how residents fund their player accounts for online sports wagering.

Earlier this week, the OCCC submitted a rule change proposal to “remove credit cards as a funding option for deposit-enabled accounts” for sports gaming. The proposed rule change amends Ohio Adm.Code 3775-16-03, a provision concerning sports gaming accounts.

The proposed rule change would only allow sportsbook accounts to be funded using:

Promotional credits

Winnings

ACH transfers

Wire transfers

Corrections made by sports gaming providers with notifications sent to bettors

The state also allows funding by “any other means approved by the executive director”.

Ohio’s rulemaking process

The OCCC is allowing key stakeholders in gaming to weigh in on the proposed rule change. The regulator welcomes written comments, which must be submitted by May 15.

“While you will have some additional chances to comment on these rul..

EPIC Global Solutions brings in ex-DAZN exec Chetan Pandya as Managing Director

A.J. KoehnMay 7, 2026037 views

EPIC Global Solutions has appointed Chetan Pandya as Managing Director as it continues to scale operations around the world.

Pandya joins from DAZN, where he held senior leadership roles at the international entertainment firm, which operates both the world’s largest OTT sports streaming service and launched a betting proposition back in 2022.

His arrival comes as EPIC looks to strengthen its position as a strategic partner to organisations operating across high-risk sectors, particularly as regulatory scrutiny and expectations around player protection continue to rise.

He brings strong industry experience, having spent over 13 years at LSE-listed Entain, as well as a three-year stint at lottery provider ZEAL Network, where he served as Managing Director between 2018-2019.

In his new role, Pandya will help drive the company’s growth strategy, focusing on scaling operations and enhancing EPIC’s offering across sport, gambling and education.

“EPIC operates in a space that is bec..

Australian regulator finds Entain brands breached self-exclusion rules 500 times

A.J. KoehnMay 6, 2026035 views

Entain’s Australian brands Ladbrokes AU and Neds AU are in hot water after an Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) investigation found more than 500 breaches of national self-exclusion rules.

The UK-headquartered company has now entered into a court-enforceable undertaking, with the ACMA finding that its brands opened accounts for people registered with Australia’s national self-exclusion register BetStop.

It is also said to have failed to close wagering accounts for self-excluded customers.

“When someone signs up to BetStop, wagering companies must close all of that person’s accounts held within their services,” said ACMA member Carolyn Lidgerwood.

“In this case, Entain’s systems did not adequately identify and link all wagering accounts held by those customers across its services, including one account that remained open for more than a year after the customer had self-excluded.

“When people register for self-exclusion there should be no way for them to open new..

Sweden sets new compliance charter on credit checks and real-time exclusion

A.J. KoehnMay 6, 2026032 views

The period of May to August 2026 will see Sweden’s gambling industry enter a new era of compliance and regulatory control imposed by the Gambling Inspectorate, Spelinspektionen, and the Ministry of Finance, Finansdepartementet.

The update follows Spelinspektionen executing its first compliance directive of the “comprehensive ban on credit transactions” enforced as a regulatory condition on Swedish gambling licences as of 1 May 2026.

The credit ban is the first consumer protection of the new compliance charter of the Swedish Gambling Act of 2018.

Niklas Wykman

Compliance reforms were overseen by Financial Markets Minister Niklas Wykman in cooperation with Marcus Isgren, the Chairman of Reklamationsnämnden Sweden’s Consumer Disputes Board.

From 1 May 2026, all Swedish gambling licences must ensure that customer deposits are not processed from sources that can be traced to credit cards, overdrafts, financial loans and buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services.

The first of kind compliance ..

How NBA path on prediction markets differs from US leagues

SBC AmericasMay 6, 2026032 views

The NBA’s public comment to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regarding prediction markets paints a stark contrast to other pro leagues.

The CFTC published a notice in March inviting the public, corporations, and leagues to comment on whether to amend or issue new regulations governing event contracts.

The agency set an April 30 deadline for public comment submissions, with some of the largest stakeholders in gaming and sports sending letters to the CFTC on prediction markets. In total, the CFTC received over 1,500 public comments regarding the platforms.

While some leagues are already in partnerships with prediction markets operators, the NBA sent a letter to the CFTC doubling down on its concerns regarding event contracts.

“There is no higher priority for the NBA than protecting the integrity of our games and preserving public confidence in our league and in our sport,” said Dan Spillane, NBA Executive Vice President and Assistant General Counsel, League Governance ..

New York bill would create prop bet task force to study risks

SBC AmericasMay 6, 2026030 views

A New York Senator believes the state needs to take a long, hard look at prop bets to decide whether the potential risks are worth it.

Sen. Jeremy Zellner introduced Senate Bill 10153 this week, and it was referred to the Senate Committee on Racing, Gaming, and Wagering on Thursday.

The legislation would establish a “proposition betting task force” within the Rockefeller Institute of the state government to study proposition bets. The bill’s summary specifies that the independent task force would place a particular focus on assessing ‘under’ prop wagers, wherein gamblers bet on an individual athlete falling below a certain statistical threshold for things such as points scored, strikeouts recorded, and many others.

What would a NY prop bet task force look like?

The proposed task force would be made up of four members: two appointed by the Governor, one appointed by the state Assembly, and another chosen by the Senate.

The bill states that the task force would analyze:

The types, ..

Isle of Man Gambling Legislation Bill now one step closer to coming into force

A.J. KoehnMay 1, 2026036 views

The Isle of Man has taken a major step in modernising its gambling framework, as the Gambling Legislation (Amendment) Bill completed its passage through the Tynwald following approval of final amendments.

The Bill, which now awaits Royal Assent, represents a substantial update to the island’s regulatory regime. It aims to strengthen oversight, enhance compliance standards and support the long-term sustainability of its iGaming sector.

The reforms have been developed in close consultation with industry stakeholders throughout 2025 and are being overseen by the Gambling Supervision Commission (GSC).

“I’d like to thank many in e-gaming who continue to provide insight into the implementation and impact of these changes, as well as GSC and Treasury officers for developing the bill which is significant for this important sector,” said Treasury Minister Chris Thomas, who took the Bill through the House of Keys on behalf of the GSC.

“Ms Lord-Brennan MHK, Mr Clueit MLC and Mrs August-Phill..