Insights Archive

May 6, 2022

Bigtech QR Code Payments Creating Better Opportunities For Small Merchants, Says BIS

Findings from a new Bank for International Settlements (BIS) study suggest that access to quick response (QR) codes helps micro firms build up a credit history and that using bigtech credit can ease access to bank credit.

May 6, 2022

SEC Expands Crypto Unit In Major Enforcement Shake-Up

In a sign of its increased focus on digital assets supervision, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has announced that it will nearly double the size of its crypto enforcement team to 50 dedicated personnel.

May 6, 2022

EBA Makes Harmonisation Push In New Non-Bank Lending Report

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has fed back to the European Commission on how best it can respond to the rise of non-bank actors in the lending space, which could result in new compliance rules for bigtechs and fintech services.

May 6, 2022

J5 Releases First Guidance On Red Flags In NFT Market

The Joint Chiefs of Global Tax Enforcement (J5) have published a new intelligence briefing warning of the financial crime risks of non-fungible tokens (NFTs).

May 6, 2022

Durbin Pushes For Credit Card Regulation But No Fee Cap

In a congressional hearing, Senator Richard Durbin (D-IL) proposed a number of measures to restore competition in the credit card market, but a swipe fee cap was not one of them.

May 6, 2022

U.S. Gaming Industry Remains Insulated From Inflation

Despite higher gas prices, rising interest rates, and an equity market that has not done well this year, U.S. gaming industry executives were quick to point out during their first-quarter earnings conference calls that they have not seen any meaningful changes in gamblers' behavior.

May 6, 2022

Chicago Mayor Picks Bally's To Run Windy City's $1.7bn Casino

Chicago Mayor Lori Lightfoot on Thursday announced Bally’s Corporation is her choice to build and operate a mega casino in the nation’s third largest city by 2026.

May 6, 2022

Mystery Company Awarded First German Online Slots Licence

Germany has approved its first virtual slots licensee, a two-year-old company that is apparently linked to Gauselmann Group, the online gambling and machines giant.

May 6, 2022

Foreign Operators Advertising In Finland On Thin Ice

The National Police Board of Finland has said it has taken action to prevent foreign gambling companies from advertising at the 2022 International Ice Hockey Federation World Championship.

May 6, 2022

News In Brief: May 2-May 6, 2022

DraftKings finishes its $1.5bn acquisition, former tribal gaming leader found guilty of bribery and new Brazilian lottery details released.

May 5, 2022

EU Proposes Sixth Russian Sanctions Package, Targets Oil And Sberbank

European Commission president Ursula von der Leyen has presented the EU’s sixth package of sanctions against Russia, which includes specific provisions banning oil imports and Russia’s largest bank.

May 5, 2022

EBA Updates Guidance On Assessing Non-EU Confidentiality Regimes

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has widened the scope and purpose of assessing the equivalence of professional secrecy and confidentiality regimes of third-country authorities.

May 5, 2022

Bank Of America To Pay $10m For Unlawfully Freezing Funds

In yet another enforcement action, the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau has ordered Bank of America to pay a $10m civil penalty for unlawfully freezing customer accounts and sending payments to creditors.

May 5, 2022

Flutter Soars In US, Sinks in UK, Ireland

Flutter Entertainment is poised to generate more money in the US than in its home markets of the UK and Ireland, as strong performances in the US and Australia offset declines in the rest of the world.

May 5, 2022

Young People Need A Voice On Gambling Laws, Says RSPH

The Royal Society for Public Health (RSPH), a charity whose members comprise more than 6,000 public healthcare professionals from around the world, wants young people to have more of a say on gambling and gaming laws after it was “surprised” by the findings of a new survey.

May 5, 2022

Fixed-Odds Make U.S. Debut On Saturday In New Jersey

The man primarily responsible for the expansion of sports betting in the United States will introduce fixed-odds wagering for horseracing on Saturday at Monmouth Park, the racetrack he owns in Oceanport, New Jersey.

May 5, 2022

Activist Fund Urges Kindred To Sell

An activist fund, Corvex Management, has acquired a 10 percent share in Stockholm-listed Kindred Group and is urging the company to hire an advisor to consider a sale or business combination.

May 5, 2022

AGA Takes Campaign To Ban Grey-Market Games Into Southern U.S.

The CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA) brought his campaign over “grey-market” machines, or skill-based games, to the heart of the Deep South on Wednesday to urge support for a campaign to ban the products that have proliferated in gas stations and convenience stores in recent years.

May 4, 2022

Australia: BNPL Code Hits One-Year Mark – Cause for Celebration or Further Regulation?

This regulatory analysis will briefly discuss recent market and regulatory developments in the Australian BNPL industry. It will then look into the content of the BNPL Compliance Report and will consider the key points that stand out from a compliance perspective. Finally, the analysis will focus on the likelihood of and possible reasons for potential regulation of the BNPL sector.

May 4, 2022

Grab On Track For Digital Banking Licence In Malaysia

Grab Holdings and Singaporean telco Singtel have announced that their digital bank joint venture, GXS Bank, has been selected to receive a full digital banking licence in Malaysia.

May 4, 2022

EBA Clearing, SWIFT, TCH To Pilot Cross-Border Instant Pay By End Of Year

EBA Clearing, SWIFT and The Clearing House (TCH) have announced that they plan to launch a pilot service for immediate cross-border payments beginning by the end of this year.