Latest Gambling News: Paf Halves Players’ Loss Limits Over Eight-Year Period, and more

Catch up on some of the stories our gambling compliance analysts have covered lately, and stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Paf Halves Players’ Loss Limits Over Eight-Year Period

Åland Islands-based operator  Paf will continue its multi-year strategy to lower customers’ mandatory annual loss limit by capping it at €15,000 across all gaming categories and sites from this year.

CEO Christer Fahlstedt said on February 9 that the first annual loss limit was set at €30,000 in 2018, with a three-year introduction period as part of the operator’s commitment to a more responsible and sustainable market as he announced that the limit would drop from €16,000. The company has previously shared its long-term goal of reducing the annual loss limit further to €8,000.

“Unlike many other operators in the industry, we are also prepared to say no to revenue from unsustainable gaming. However, this needs to be done step-by-step, at a pace that is reasonably sustainable for us as a company operating in a competitive market”, Fahlstedt commented.

Since 2021, Paf’s total gaming profits have excluded high-intensity customers with annual losses in excess of €30,000 a year as the limits began to operate. The next customer segment – those losing between €15,001 and €30,000 – will start to disappear from this year.

However, since the loss limits were set in 2018, Pal’s total gaming profits have risen from €98m to nearly €206m in 2024. In the same period, profits from the lowest-value customer segment, people spending between €0 and €8,000, rose from €71.4m to €198m.

Even though customer limits had a measurable impact on their behaviour, Fahlstedt said the industry had to remember players could continue to gamble with other operators. “That is why common national deposit limits are needed and why gaming with unlicensed operators must be stopped,” he said.

FanDuel To Prohibit Credit Card Deposits Nationwide

FanDuel announced that it will stop accepting credit card deposits for its online sportsbook, casino, and racing products next month nationwide in the United States.

The sportsbook operator posted a message on its app that it would no longer permit credit card deposits effective March 2, including deposits from vendors such as PayPal, Venmo, and Apple Pay that utilized a credit card, requiring users to connect a debit card or bank account to make such deposits.

“Over the last few months, FanDuel has been evaluating the payment methods that we offer to customers and made the decision to remove credit cards as an option for our Sportsbook, casino and racing product in the United States,” a FanDuel spokesman said. “This change was made to improve the deposit experience for our customers.”

Previously, the company prohibited five states from making sportsbook credit card deposits in accordance with state laws or regulations: Connecticut, Illinois, Massachusetts, Tennessee, and Vermont.

Top rival DraftKings made a similar decision to remove credit card deposits as an option last August, several weeks after paying a $450,000 fine issued by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission for allowing customers to use funds in Massachusetts that were deposited in other states using credit cards.

Massachusetts Senator Elizabeth Warren, ranking member of the U.S. Senate Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs Committee wrote letters to 11 sports betting operators, including FanDuel, last week asking for information on credit card usage on their platforms and associated cash advance fees.

“In practice, credit card companies charge a one-time fee for each cash advance, typically the greater of $10 or 3-5% of the amount advanced,” Warren wrote. “This means that customers who use their credit card to fund their account for a $20 bet would pay a $10 fee on one transaction.

“Americans may be prepared to lose money on a bet they make – but most are not prepared to lose an extra 50% in credit card junk fees on top of their bet.”

Warren praised FanDuel's decision in a post on X on Wednesday, adding that "the rest of the industry should follow suit."

Estonia Amends Gambling Tax Act To Ensure Uniform Remote Gaming Tax

Estonia’s parliament, the Riigikogu, has adopted amendments to the Gambling Tax Act to correct a technical inconsistency and clarify that remote games of chance and games of skill are subject to the same tax treatment.

The Gambling Tax Amendment Act (793 SE), initiated by MP Tanel Tein, removes the term “game of skill” from clause 7 of the Act. The change eliminates ambiguity in the wording and confirms that a 5.5 percent gambling tax will apply uniformly to both games of chance and games of skill when organised as remote gambling.

According to the explanatory notes, the amendment addresses a drafting error that had created uncertainty around the taxation framework following broader reforms adopted by the Riigikogu in December. Those earlier changes, which took effect on January 1, were designed to increase funding for sports and culture through gambling tax revenues.

The Finance Committee revised the amendment's original entry-into-force date to March 1, 2026. The committee cited administrative and operational considerations, noting that the standard taxation period under the Gambling Tax Act is a calendar month. Aligning the effective date with the start of a month ensures compatibility with existing IT systems and the working arrangements of both market participants and the tax authority.

Lawmakers said the March 1 implementation will facilitate the swift restoration of legal clarity, ensuring that both remote games of chance and remote games of skill are taxed at the same rate and under the same conditions.

Romania To Modernise Self-Exclusion Infrastructure

The National Gambling Office of Romania (ONJN) has signed a contract with the National Institute for Research and Development in Informatics (ICI) to develop a new self-exclusion IT solution.

Vlad-Cristian Soare, president of the ONJN, posted the update on LinkedIn and said the move sticks to his promise that self-exclusion “will not remain a project on paper.”

The agreement follows ONJN’s submission of a draft Emergency Ordinance to the Ministry of Finance two weeks ago, proposing significant amendments to the regulatory regime governing self-exclusion.

Central to the proposal is the creation of a single, unified self-exclusion procedure to be administered exclusively by ONJN and enforceable against all licensed gambling operators, both online and land-based. The reforms would introduce clearly defined self-exclusion periods, including the option of an indefinite ban, alongside a mandatory “cool-off” period during which a self-exclusion request cannot be withdrawn.

Under the draft measures, players who have self-excluded but are still able to gamble, in breach of the rules, would be entitled to recover deposited funds, less any withdrawals made during the relevant period.

Retail operators would also face new compliance obligations, including mandatory identification systems and surveillance cameras at gambling venues. In the absence of functional cameras, compliance checks would rely on identification system logs.

Fines ranging from RON50,000 (€10,000) to RON100,000 may be imposed for breaches, with similar penalties and potential licence suspension for failure to comply with self-exclusion requirements in place.

The ordinance also seeks to clarify the distinction between “self-exclusion”, administered centrally by ONJN, and “restriction”, defined as a commercial limitation agreed between an operator and a player.

Dutch Regulator Appoints New Vice-Chair

The Netherlands Gambling Authority has appointed Carol Verheij as its new vice-chair, effective March 1, 2026.

Verheij is currently the secretary-director at the Dutch Safety Board and is succeeding Bernadette van Buchem as vice-chair of the regulator’s board.

The Directorate-General for Public Administration recruited for this role with assistance from the regulator.

Prior to her current role, Verheij was general director of the screening authority Justis and acting general director of the Child Protection Council, both of which are part of the Ministry of Justice and Security.

Michel Groothuizen, chairman of the board of the Netherlands Gambling Authority, said Verheij will focus on issues related to “legal frameworks, governance, integrity and compliance”.

He added: “These are topics that are constantly evolving within the Netherlands Gambling Authority's dynamic field. With her appointment, the Netherlands Gambling Authority is further developing a future-proof organisational structure that optimally supports its ambitions and strategy.”

Verheij remarked that she was excited to bring her “energy, knowledge and experience” to her new role and acknowledged the “important societal” role the regulator has.

“Online gambling, which is inherently cross-border, has added an unprecedented dimension to this challenge. Together with my colleagues at the Netherlands Gambling Authority and all other partners, I will make a positive impact on the reliability and security of the gambling market,” she concluded.

Gambling Commission CEO To Step Down

Britain’s Gambling Commission has announced that CEO Andrew Rhodes will step down from his role on April 30, 2026.

The regulator confirmed that Rhodes will leave to take up a new position, which will be announced in due course.

The commission will shortly begin recruiting an interim chief, with deputy chief executive Sarah Gardner serving as acting chief executive to cover the areas Rhodes will step back from during his transition.

Rhodes has been CEO of the Gambling Commission for five years and led its work to implement the Gambling Act Review.

He oversaw the successful implementation of the Fourth National Lottery licence, which transitioned from legacy operator Camelot to Allwyn.

In the announcement, Rhodes said he was proud of the commission’s work to strengthen regulation in the country and improve consumer protections.

“I leave with confidence in the organisation, its people and the work still to come,” Rhodes concluded.

Charles Counsell, interim chair of the Gambling Commission, thanked Rhodes for his “outstanding leadership” and said that he has left a “strong legacy” behind him.

The regulator's board said it has “full confidence” in the executive team’s ability to continue delivering on its strategic priorities during the transition period.

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