Latest Gambling News: British Horseracing Authority Promotes Regulatory Chief To CEO, 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.

British Horseracing Authority Promotes Regulatory Chief To CEO

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has named chief regulatory officer Brant Dunshea as its new permanent CEO.

Dunshea has been with British racing’s governing and regulatory body since March 2015 and has held a number of positions, most recently regulatory chief.

He was appointed to the role of acting CEO in December 2024 following the departure of Julie Harrington, but now assumes the role on a permanent basis.

In a statement, Dunshea said it was a “huge privilege” to lead the organisation after a challenging period for horseracing in the UK.

Alongside Dunshea’s appointment, the BHA also approved the appointment of David Jones as interim chair, following the resignation of Lord Charles Allen on March 3.

This is the second time that Jones has filled the role, having previously filled the position between Joe Saumarez Smith stepping down in January 2025 and Lord Allen formally joining the BHA in September.

Allen was first appointed to the BHA board in January 2021 as senior independent director.

The governing and regulatory body confirmed that steps are already in place to recruit a permanent BHA chair.

The BHA’s member organisations (Licensed Personnel, Racecourse Association, Racehorse Owners Association and Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association) said they were pleased with both additions and that both appointments were “unanimously supported by the BHA’s member organisations”.

The member organisations remarked that these moves bring “welcome stability” for the industry.

Former Star Entertainment CEO, Top Legal Officer Found Guilty

The Australian Federal Court ruled on Thursday (March 5) that former Star Entertainment Group CEO Matt Bekier and former Star Entertainment chief legal and risk officer Paula Martin improperly handled money laundering and criminal risk and therefore violated the Corporations Act 2001.

The court found that Bekier mishandled a report by KPMG on Star’s deficiencies in handling anti-money laundering (AML) matters, failed to manage risk associated with Suncity junket operations at The Star casino in Sydney, and mishandled and failed to report to the board on issues surrounding the illegal use of China UnionPay cards by Star gamblers.

Martin was judged to have failed to inform and advise the board on risks involving Suncity, and to have been involved in misleading the National Australia Bank over the use of China UnionPay cards and failing to report on this matter as well.

The naming of civic penalties in the case have been deferred by up to a week, but both defendants could suffer millions of dollars in fines.

The court dismissed similar charges against former chairman John O’Neill and six other former non-executive directors of Star, ruling that the Australian Securities & Investment Commission’s (ASIC) case against them was “not made out on the evidence adduced”.

“ASIC pursued this case because of the fundamental questions it raised about trust, governance and accountability at one of Australia’s largest casino operators,” ASIC chair Joe Longo said in a statement on Thursday.

“The Court found that senior executives have a critical responsibility to identify serious risks, ensure those risks are properly managed, and escalate them to the board.”

The court in February fined former Star Entertainment chief casino officer AUD100,000 ($70,000) and fined former CFO Harry Theodore AUD60,000 for breaching their duties and disqualified them from managing corporations for 18 and nine months, respectively, after the two men admitted to breaches of their corporate duties.

The Federal Court ruling offers a degree of closure to a complex saga of Star mismanagement that resulted in the purging of two boards, two independent investigations commissioned by the New South Wales state gambling regulator, the sale of the struggling company to Bally’s Corporation, and severe damage to the corporate reputation of Australian casinos in general.

Dutch Regulator Report Finds Athletes Increasingly Betting On Their Own Sports

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has presented new data showing that more athletes had bet on their own sports with Dutch operators in 2025.

The 2025 trend analysis report, prepared by the regulator’s sports betting intelligence unit, evaluated the prevalence of suspicious betting activity in the Netherlands.

The report included suspicious tips from licensed betting operators throughout 2025, with nine licensed sportsbooks filing 12 reports of possible match-fixing.

The overall number of alerts remained stable compared with 2024. Last year, the regulator received 13 reports of potential match manipulation.

Those operators filed alerts with the unit after detecting unusual activity on their platforms.

Football accounted for the most alerts, with six possible cases of match-fixing detected, followed by five related to tennis and one to combat sports. Three of these alerts related to competitions taking place in the Netherlands.

Each of the cases involved an athlete betting on their own match, league or competition. This kind of betting activity is prohibited for those athletes who may possess insider knowledge or face conflicts of interest.

Beyond the direct athlete betting, seven cases of unusual betting patterns were also detected. These included repeated high-value bets on a single event, sudden behavioural shifts among bettors and large stakes placed on lower-profile competitions.

Despite an increase in athletes betting on their own competitions, the overall number of alerts remained stable.

The KSA issued updated integrity guidance for betting operators last year. The document outlined expectations for what is permitted and not allowed under the regulations, as well as the associated risks that operators could face.

The regulator also stated that it had carried out an investigation into sports-betting providers in the Netherlands last year, and as a result of those investigations, several warnings and a penalty were issued for prohibited offerings.

Michigan Joins Prediction Market Legal Fight

Michigan has become the latest battlefield for prediction markets litigation, with the state’s attorney general filing suit against Kalshi in a state court and Polymarket filing its own suit to try to block a similar action against them.

Attorney General Dana Nessel filed suit in a state circuit court Tuesday (March 3), arguing that the company offers an unlicensed sports betting product.

Shortly thereafter, Polymarket filed its own suit in federal court, attempting to preempt any similar filing against them and making a similar argument to other states where such legal dances have taken place that federal regulation preempts state actions.

Michigan has been one of the most aggressive states in policing unlicensed gaming in recent years, with the state’s Gaming Control Board sending dozens of cease-and-desist letters to sweepstakes gaming and offshore betting operators, leading to many of their withdrawal from the state.

The board also sent a letter to gaming licenses warning them that offering sports event contracts, either in Michigan or elsewhere, could have implications on licensing decisions.

Kenya Appoints Karimi To Head Gambling Regulatory Authority

The Gambling Regulatory Authority (GRA) of Kenya has formally appointed Peter Maina Karimi as its director general to “steer the authority into a new era of modernisation, integrity and responsible gaming”.

The February 26 announcement by GRA chairperson Joseph Kirui Limo added that the board would work with Karimi to “undertake much-needed reforms in the gambling industry for the good of the Kenyan people”.

Karimi is a founder and former CEO of Acumen Communications, the company behind Kenya's mCHEZA sports-betting platform. He looked after its transition from an SMS-based system to a digital mobile application and oversaw the introduction of live betting, virtual sports and VR casino experiences to the Kenyan market.

The appointment ends the transition period between the GRA and its predecessor, the Betting Control and Licensing Board (BCLB) in a process set out under the terms of the Gambling Control Act of 2025.

Cyrus Maina, managing partner with Nairobi-based law firm CM Advocates LLP, said the firm’s gaming, betting and regulatory compliance unit expected Karimi would have a “bedding-in” period as the GRA’s staffing and operating procedures become fully functional.

Maina said the main challenges for a new appointee will centre around the transfer of files and institutional memory as well as managing active enforcement actions between the BCLB and the GRA.

Karimi also needs to ensure the licensing registers and information exchanges with other Kenyan government bodies are functioning well and that the GRA has specialist capacity in critical areas like licensing, compliance, AML, responsible gambling and technical oversight, Maina said.

Another issue for Karimi is that the government ordered a complete stop to processing new licences and renewing existing ones during the regulatory transition that began in October 2025. Maina said to address market uncertainty, Karimi should publish clear transitional guidance on renewals and pending applications.

Maina said: “A pause in processing new licences or renewals typically results in commercial uncertainty regarding investment and product roadmaps. It also creates a backlog risk that may take time to clear once the GRA is fully operational.”

Dutch Regulator Appoints New Board Member

The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has appointed Wiebe Ruttenberg as a member of its board of directors, effective March 1, 2026, for a six-year term.

As part of his position on the regulator’s board, he will be responsible for digital transformation.

Ruttenberg has prior board-level experience, serving as a board adviser at online banking firm Bunq and IT services company SecAlliance.

He previously worked as a programme director for cyber resilience strategy at the European Central Bank and also held positions at De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) and the Ministry of Finance.

Speaking on Ruttenberg’s appointment, KSA chair Michel Groothuizen welcomed his arrival and said it will aid the regulator’s continued evolution in its battle against the rise of illegal gambling sites, cryptocurrencies and AI applications.

Groothuizen added that the regulator is facing challenges in establishing “collaborative relationships with public and private parties, including those within the financial sector”.

He said he hopes that Ruttenberg’s previous experience in that sector will add an outsider’s perspective to the way the regulator functions.

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