Insights Archive

June 1, 2022

German Regulator's Tough Licensing Stance May Create Operator Dilemma

The new German regulator has confirmed it is taking a strict stance on enforcing online slots and poker licensing when it assumes authority on July 1, a position that could open those awaiting news on their application to enforcement.

June 1, 2022

Kazuo Okada Allies Seize Control of Manila Casino

Allies of Japanese gaming mogul Kazuo Okada and a team of security guards have seized on-site control of Okada Manila, the Philippine integrated resort that Okada built but lost in 2017 after years of corporate warfare.

June 1, 2022

FinCEN Sets Anti-Money Laundering Priorities Amid U.S. Gambling Surge

The U.S. Department of the Treasury’s Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN) released its national priorities for anti-money laundering for casinos and other institutions last year, but the regulations behind those policies are still being developed.

June 1, 2022

News in Brief: May 30-June 3, 2022

New Jersey regulators issue a civil penalty against the former owners of Golden Nugget Online Gaming for reporting failings.

May 31, 2022

Australian Watchdog Sues Mastercard For Alleged Abuse Of Market Power

Australia’s consumer watchdog has opened a Federal Court case against Mastercard, accusing the payments giant of attempting to reduce competition in the supply of debit card acceptance services.

May 31, 2022

Rouble To The Rescue: Russia Reveals Plans To Skirt Sanctions After US Closes Sovereign Debt Loophole

Russia’s minister of finance has proposed a new payment mechanism that he believes will allow the country to skirt US sanctions on sovereign debt coupons.

May 31, 2022

Open Banking Complexities Weren’t Foreseen By CMA, Review Concludes

The technical solutions to achieve open banking in the UK were a success, but other issues such as governance were not factored into the equation by the UK’s Competition and Markets Authority (CMA), an independent review has found.

May 31, 2022

Businesses Fret As Thailand Kicks Off Data Protection Law Enforcement

After two years of delay, Thailand's first data protection law is set to come into force on Wednesday. Despite the intent to boost Thailand’s digital economy, small businesses are still struggling to prepare for full compliance.

May 31, 2022

Crown Resorts Fined $58m Over Cashcard Scam

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts has suffered another financial and regulatory blow after the Victorian state gambling regulator fined the company a record A$80m ($58m) over its China UnionPay (CUP) cashcard scam.

May 31, 2022

Could Interstate Poker Help Lay Groundwork For U.S. Online Casinos?

The addition of Michigan to an interstate internet poker compact is the latest sign of the gaming industry’s transition to the digital market, as it pursues its ultimate goal of achieving a massive expansion of online casinos similar to the explosive growth of sports betting.

May 31, 2022

Operators Searching for Right Marketing Approach In Ontario

With an American-style marketing approach featuring attractive sign-up bonuses and risk-free bets off the table in Ontario’s competitive online gaming market, operators say they are focusing on differentiated strategies to attract and retain customers.

May 31, 2022

Maltese Arrest Linked To German Tax Dodge

Maltese gaming consultant Iosif Galea has been arrested in Italy, reportedly over links to companies that failed to pay VAT on offshore gambling in Germany, causing fear within the island's gambling community of further crackdowns from abroad.

May 31, 2022

Cirsa Italian Market Entry In Doubt Over Enforcement

Blackstone-owned Cirsa International is seemingly set to enter the Italian online market via an acquisition, but the company it apparently wants to buy could be stripped of its licence in July.

May 30, 2022

Stripe Returns To Bitcoin Payments After Four-Year Hiatus

US fintech Stripe has returned to the bitcoin payments space after a four-year break, following the launch of its Stripe Apps Marketplace.

May 30, 2022

Biometric Card Issuance Gathers Momentum As Japan Becomes Latest Country To Launch

As Japan becomes the latest country to experiment with biometric cards, advocates argue that high issuance costs will reduce over time as adoption picks up.

May 30, 2022

MAS Piles On Pressure After Fraud Case

The Monetary Authority of Singapore has taken further action against OCBC Bank, raising its capital limits after some of its customers were victims of a phishing scam.

May 30, 2022

UPDATE: Private Sector Lines Up Against US Digital Dollar

As the discussion around a US central bank digital currency (CBDC) heats up, Circle, a payments association, banks and legislators further line up in opposition to a digital fiat.

May 30, 2022

EU (Finally) Releases Standard Contract Clauses Q&A

The European Commission has released a set of Q&As on the revised Standard Contract Clauses (SCCs) for international data transfers, originally released in June 2021.

May 30, 2022

Costa Rica Proposes Using Gambling Revenue To Fund Police

Costa Rica has introduced a new bill that would channel revenues from casinos and online gambling towards municipal police training and prisons.

May 30, 2022

China Lotteries Enjoy Upward Trend After Seven-Month Lull

China’s lottery industry has enjoyed two consecutive months of year-on-year growth after a seven-month downturn, although sales in Shanghai plummeted 95 percent amid a strict pandemic lockdown.

May 30, 2022

UK Lottery Could Be Suspended By Legal Action

The ongoing legal battle over the UK National Lottery could see it halted for the first time in its 30 year history, the Gambling Commission has warned.