Insights Archive

March 4, 2022

Singapore Says Retail CBDC Not Compelling

As the island-state reiterates its stance on a retail central bank digital currency (CBDC), the desire to develop a retail CBDC is showing an increasingly sharp split around the world.

March 4, 2022

South Africa Investigating 50 Allegations Against Lotteries Commission

South Africa’s National Lotteries Commission has accused the country’s Special Investigation Unit of including “several inconsistencies” following its damming investigation update into around 50 allegations of irregular allocation of funds.

March 4, 2022

German Betting Group Warns Of Rise Of Black Market Gambling

A German online gambling trade group has found several hundred unlicensed operators pitching German residents, leading it to warn that the black market will only grow during the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

March 4, 2022

Sports Betting Takes A Crucial Step Forward In Missouri

A bill backed by professional sports teams and most casinos in Missouri is headed for the floor of the state’s House of Representatives, but with changes that include new restrictions on promotional deductions.

March 4, 2022

News In Brief: February 28-March 4, 2022

France gives regulator power to block websites, New Jersey fines DraftKings $150,000 and NagaCorp halts construction work on its Russian casino project.

March 3, 2022

Macau Extends Casino Concessions To End Of 2022

Macau’s government will extend the duration of current casino concessions by at least six months, offering breathing space for operators amid a heavily delayed tender process.

March 3, 2022

U.S. Betting Brands Offer Different Future Plans For Marketing Spend

Following a football season marked by heavy marketing spend, some of the top sports-betting brands in the United States have outlined vastly different fiscal plans going forward.

March 2, 2022

Open Banking Regulators Get Thumbs Up From Fintech Start-ups

With the number of open banking products increasing, just how straightforward is it to become a licensed provider? VIXIO talks through the application process with fintech’s Crezco and Currensea to find out the regulatory hurdles they faced.

March 2, 2022

KYC Utilities: A Useful But Expensive AML Tool For Payment Firms

With the recent opening for business of the Nordic KYC utility under the brand name of Invidem, the spotlight rests once more on these interbank projects and their usefulness for the payment firms that use them when taking on new customers.

March 2, 2022

Rajasthan Reverses Course, Signals Online Gaming Regulation

The government of Rajasthan state is moving to regulate rather than ban online skill gaming, a seeming reversal of policy hinting at the influence of a growing number of pro-gaming court rulings across India.

March 2, 2022

U.S. Sports Betting's Impact On Problem Gambling Rates Unknown

The U.S. has experienced a surge in legal sports betting but at this point nobody knows how this surge is affecting the rates of problem gamblers.

March 2, 2022

Is Norwegian Olympic Success Linked To Support For Gambling Monopoly?

A new Norsk Tipping TV commercial, Born With Skis, portrays Americans gnashing their teeth at Norway’s recent domination of the Winter Olympics and goes some way to explaining the country’s steadfast desire to protect its gambling monopoly.

March 1, 2022

VIXIO View: Interest Rate Rises Could Be A Gift Horse To Buy Now, Pay Later

As countries around the world deal with inflationary pressures, rising interest rates is likely to make zero-interest buy now, pay later (BNPL) instalment products more desirable among consumers, although pressures for more regulation remain.

March 1, 2022

Barclays Pays £10.8m Following Collapse Of Partner Payments Firm

Barclays has agreed to pay £0.78m to settle an investigation by the Financial Conduct Authority after partner payment firm Premier FX collapsed and undertaken to compensate customers for their losses worth £10m.

March 1, 2022

In Or Out? EBA Publishes Final Guidelines On Who’s In PSD2’s Scope

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has published its final guidelines on the limited network exclusion under the revised Payment Services Directive (PSD2), and stakeholders have just over three months to become compliant.

March 1, 2022

Nordics Take Differing Approaches To CBDC Race

After Sweden’s Riksbank took its e-krona act one step further last week, VIXIO spoke with neighbouring central banks about their stance on central bank digital currencies (CBDCs).

March 1, 2022

Revolut Loses Access To Hungary’s Payments System

Raiffeisen’s Hungarian branch has reportedly pulled back from its partnership with Revolut; meanwhile, pressure mounts on the neobank to establish itself in the central European country despite its Lithuanian licence.

March 1, 2022

AUSTRAC Sues Crown Resorts Over 'Hundreds' Of Violations

Australian transactions watchdog AUSTRAC has taken casino operator Crown Resorts to court over “serious and systemic non-compliance” with anti-money laundering (AML) laws, potentially impacting a Blackstone Group takeover bid.

March 1, 2022

Should Gaming Industry License And Regulate Artificial Intelligence?

Artificial intelligence (AI), the use of computer systems to do work normally performed by humans, is evolving from a frontier into an expectation in the gaming industry, but whether AI products should be or can be regulated remains a perplexing question.

March 1, 2022

888 To Pay £9.4m Fine For UK Failings

The UK Gambling Commission has handed 888 its largest ever fine and warned that the operator’s future in the country is at risk if it slips up again.

March 1, 2022

Personnel Moves - February 2022

Board changes at Flutter, Sightline appoints compliance leadership and Hong Kong politician resigns from gambling board.