Insights Archive

August 10, 2022

UAE Ratchets Up AML Approach

In light of the Financial Action Task Force’s decision to put the United Arab Emirates on the greylist, the wealthy Middle Eastern state appears to be prioritising tough action against money laundering.

August 10, 2022

U.S. Sports-Betting Advertising Spend Likely Restrained During NFL Season

The beginning of NFL seasons in recent years have been cause for a marketing boom with a massive uptick in advertising spend and promotional play offers for new customers, but many operators say they are continuing with a more cautious and optimized approach.

August 10, 2022

Australian Online Regulator Warns Offshore Software Supplier

Australia’s national online gaming regulator has issued a formal warning to a Hong Kong-based software company for “knowingly” working with Australia-facing online gaming operators, the first such move against industry suppliers.

August 10, 2022

Sports-Betting Campaign Already Shatters California Spending Record

Almost three months remain until the election on November 8, but gambling factions already have broken California’s record for campaign spending on ballot initiatives and are expected to reach a final total surpassing half a billion dollars.

August 10, 2022

German Addiction Commissioner Calls For Sports-Betting Ad Curbs

The German commissioner in charge of addiction issues is calling for stricter limits on sports-betting marketing, as the issue of gambling advertising heats up.

August 9, 2022

Turkey’s Closer Payment Ties With Russia Run Risks Of Sanctions

A Kremlin spokesperson has said the West has no grounds to impose secondary sanctions on Turkey, as the country moves closer to new ties with Russia on energy, trade and payments.

August 9, 2022

Binance Payment Card Debuts In Argentina

A new partnership between Mastercard and Binance enables Argentinians to purchase goods and services using cryptocurrencies, making Argentina the first Latin American country to offer this product.

August 9, 2022

Thailand Pencils In Retail CBDC Pilot For End Of 2022

The Bank of Thailand has progressed to the next stage in its exploration of a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC), although it is playing down the prospect of actually issuing one.

August 9, 2022

UK Online Market Cools Amid Pressure On Spend Per Player

UK online gambling revenue across reporting operators fell by 17.6 percent in the year to June 2022, with the rollout of tighter affordability measures ahead of the UK government’s Gambling Act review having significantly depleted rates of spend per active player.

August 9, 2022

Deep Dive: The Impact Of Malta's Greylisting

The shock of Malta’s placement on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was followed by swift regulatory action leading to a tenfold rise in its regulatory impact according to VIXIO analysis. Its welcomed removal a year later highlights the challenge of strengthening regulation with rising compliance costs.

August 9, 2022

Bremen Bookmaker Closures Spark Legal Fight

Bookmakers in the German state of Bremen have filed five lawsuits after they were forced to close their doors by the regional government last week over money laundering fears.

August 9, 2022

Nevada Casinos Closures Influence Three Gaming Companies

More than 30 months after a state ordered 78-day closure of the gaming industry due to the coronavirus pandemic, five southern Nevada casinos remain closed with three of those properties scheduled for demolition.

August 8, 2022

Visa Denies Knowingly Profiting From Child Sexual Exploitation

A new lawsuit alleges that Visa knowingly processed transactions for a website that contained videos of child sexual abuse. Meanwhile, Visa and Mastercard suspend services to TrafficJunky, an advertising platform caught up in the case.

August 8, 2022

Crypto’s Complicated ESG Relationship

Regulators are increasingly turning their attention to the environmental damage caused by crypto-assets. VIXIO discusses these issues with the crypto industry, whom acknowledge many of these problems, but also note that things are beginning to change.

August 8, 2022

Gaming Companies Satisfied With Early Ontario Returns

Several operators expressed satisfaction with their performance in Ontario’s regulated online gaming market to date, but with revenue data still unreleased for the province, that satisfaction remains somewhat muted.

August 8, 2022

Chile's Chamber of Deputies Lambasts Football Betting Sponsors

The Sports and Economic Commissions of the chamber of deputies both criticised the sponsorship of football clubs by online betting operators last week, lobbying for immediate tax reforms and repercussions.

August 5, 2022

FCA Cracks Down On Appointed Representative Oversight

New rules will make financial firms more responsible for their appointed representatives, the UK’s financial watchdog has said, as it outlines new compliance requirements.

August 5, 2022

Week In Crypto: $300m Pyramid Scheme, $200m Hacks And More Resignations

As the US Securities and Exchange Commission files its latest crypto fraud case, another blockchain “bridge” is hit by a nine-figure hack. Bullish to the end, bitcoin “MVP” Michael Saylor resigns as MicroStrategy CEO. Just another week in crypto.

August 5, 2022

Colombian Authority Sides With Local Agents In Cross-Border Pay Row

Colombia’s antitrust authority has ordered Visa and Mastercard to drop plans to restrict the operation of local agents who provide a cheaper alternative to the card networks for cross-border payments.

August 5, 2022

UK Is Card Fraud Capital, Think Tank Reveals

The Social Market Foundation has released new data revealing that the UK is the card fraud capital of Europe, which will be unsurprising news to concerned regulators and payments players.

August 5, 2022

Deep Dive: The Impact Of Malta’s Greylisting

The shock of Malta’s placement on the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) was followed by swift regulatory action leading to a tenfold rise in its regulatory impact according to VIXIO analysis. Its removal a year later highlights the challenge of strengthening regulation with rising compliance costs.