Insights Archive

May 25, 2022

New Zealand: New Retail Payments Act To Impose Interchange Controls On Visa, Mastercard

A new payments act passed earlier this month will ensure that interchange fees in New Zealand are more tightly controlled, as a result of a long-awaited move by the country’s regulators.

May 25, 2022

Crypto ’Not Practical’ For Payments, But CBDC Could Offer Solution, Says BoE’s Bailey

Andrew Bailey, governor of the Bank of England (BoE), has cast doubt on the idea that crypto could evolve into a mass payments solution, while suggesting instead that central bank digital currency (CBDC) is a more likely candidate.

May 25, 2022

Schrems III? Max Schrems Expresses Concerns About New EU-US Data Sharing Agreement

Details about the new EU-US data transfer mechanism raise more questions about the stability of the adequacy agreement, Schrems has said in an open letter to the EU’s data protection institutions.

May 25, 2022

Iowa Governor To Consider Two-Year Casino Moratorium, Cashless Gaming

Iowa Republican Governor Kim Reynolds is preparing to review a gaming bill passed by lawmakers that would impose a two-year moratorium on any new casinos in the state while permitting cashless gaming on casino floors.

May 25, 2022

German States Committee Oversight Of Gambling Called 'Chaotic'

The fact that German sports betting and online slot game regulators can currently be overruled in licensing decisions by the 16-member Gambling Committee is “chaotic and stupid”, a gambling attorney has said.

May 25, 2022

Massachusetts Sports-Betting Conference Committee Faces Daunting Task

A six-member conference committee appointed last week has a difficult task ahead of it in bridging the gap between two dramatically different sports-betting bills approved in Massachusetts to find a solution both the House and Senate can agree on.

May 25, 2022

Polish Lawmakers Call On Government To Introduce GGR Tax

A group of cross-party Polish MPs has joined repeated calls for the government to move away from a turnover tax they claim is pushing bettors to the black market.

May 24, 2022

Norway’s Central Bank Confirms CBDC Testing

Norges Bank, the Norwegian central bank, has said in its Financial Infrastructure 2022 report that the testing phase for its central bank digital currency (CBDC) will run until 2023, while also joining international colleagues in calling for more crypto regulation.

May 24, 2022

Western Union Off The Hook In Sweden Over AML

Sweden’s financial watchdog has said that there are shortcomings in the payments institution’s approach to anti-money laundering (AML) compliance, but it will not be taking further action.

May 24, 2022

US Lawmakers And ABA Cast Doubt On Digital Dollar Use Case

In two separate letters, Republican lawmakers and the banks’ lobby group question whether the potential benefits of a US central bank digital currency (CBDC) outweigh the risks it poses.

May 24, 2022

Argentina's Córdoba Province Kicks Off Online Licensing, Despite Opposition

The province of Córdoba in Argentina announced on Friday that it will open a tender process this month to grant up to ten licences to online gambling operators.

May 24, 2022

Michigan Joins New Jersey, Delaware, Nevada In Interstate Poker Compact

The Michigan Gaming Control Board has signed an agreement allowing in-state online poker players to compete with players in three other states, regulators announced on Monday.

May 24, 2022

Disagreement Over Racetracks Derails Minnesota Sports-Betting Bill

The Minnesota legislature spent most of Monday merely listening to speeches from retiring colleagues after adjourning without reaching a consensus on bills to legalize sports betting, despite bipartisan support in the Senate and House of Representatives.

May 24, 2022

Greece Eases Controversial Online Restrictions

Greece has increased the maximum online wager stake by ten times, doubled the maximum amount a player can win in a single bet and reduced the time players have to wait in between placing wagers.

May 23, 2022

Argentine Crypto Rule Is Blow To Mainstream Adoption, But Won’t Stop It

The Argentine central bank’s statement restricting the ability of banks to offer crypto services may halt mainstream adoption but usage is continuing to grow in the country driven by a need to protect against inflation.

May 23, 2022

FCA Chair Lays Out Vision For Levelling Up UK Financial Services

Charles Randell, chair of the UK's Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), has called for a coherent policy approach to cryptocurrencies and asked lawmakers to ensure post-Brexit legislation does not put the independence of his agency in jeopardy.

May 23, 2022

Update: Google Agrees Truce With Match Group Over Billing Complaint

Match Group, owner of popular dating apps Tinder, Match and OKCupid, has agreed to a temporary ceasefire with Google after accusing it of establishing an in-app payments monopoly in a California lawsuit.

May 23, 2022

Fraud Or Sales Prevention? Experts Discuss UK’s SCA Implementation

After a delayed introduction, the UK has implemented the strong customer authentication (SCA) rules, but experts continue to express concerns about the impact they will have on fraud alongside lost sales from card abandonment.

May 23, 2022

’They’re Worth Nothing!’: Lagarde Comes For Crypto

The European Central Bank chief has been unapologetic in her views on crypto-assets, as G7 economies stress the need for tighter regulation.

May 23, 2022

William Hill Units Fined In Sweden For Faulty Information Reports

The Swedish Gambling Authority has fined two William Hill units a total of SEK1.45m (€138,000) for reporting incorrect information.

May 23, 2022

Nevada Regulators Reviewing Proposed Updates To Sports-Betting Rules

With the fall of the federal ban on sports betting four years ago, the proliferation of sports wagering in multiple U.S. states is forcing Nevada gaming regulators to further tweak the state’s own rules.