Insights Archive

January 4, 2022

Córdoba Continues Argentina's Advance On Online Gambling

A new law passed in Córdoba a few days after Christmas means each of Argentina’s five largest provinces has now approved legislation for online gambling, with 2022 set to be a pivotal year as operations launch across one of Latin America’s most complex markets.

December 23, 2021

Week In Brief - December 23, 2021

In the last news roundup of the year, we are looking at a wide range of payments topics around the globe, including the FCA’s new rules on climate-related disclosures, the EC adequacy decision for South Korea, a U.S. buy now, pay later inquiry, Swiss e-ID principles and the latest AML fine, this time in Lithuania.

December 23, 2021

Update: Indonesia’s New Instant Payment System Officially Kicks Off

As part of Indonesia’s extensive digitalisaton plans, Bank Indonesia has launched the country’s new retail payments infrastructure that enables payment transactions to be sent real-time, around the clock.

December 23, 2021

Good Tidings We Bring, To Your Compliance Wing - EBA Sets New Financial Crime Guidelines

The European Banking Authority has released two new sets of guidelines seeking to encourage coordination between different authorities and to set new expectations for financial institutions.

December 23, 2021

Crown Resorts Suffers Second A$1m Fine Over Junket Defiance

Australian casino operator Crown Resorts has been fined A$1m ($722,000) for “deliberate disobedience or wilful blindness” toward the Victoria state gaming regulator over improper junket activity in 2015 and 2016.

December 23, 2021

Flutter To Acquire Italy’s Sisal For Retail, Online Presence

Flutter Entertainment said it has agreed to acquire Sisal for €1.91bn (£1.62bn), giving it a leading online and retail presence in Italy.

December 23, 2021

New Finnish Gambling Law Granted Final Approval

Finland’s president has signed into law the country’s gambling reforms, ensuring new enforcement powers and marketing rules are set to come into effect from January 1.

December 23, 2021

Gambling Commission Finds Lottery Betting Company Targeted Elderly

A lottery betting company has surrendered its suspended licence after the UK Gambling Commission found that the company targeted the elderly, including a 100-year-old man who bet nearly £24,000 in five months.

December 23, 2021

California Cardrooms Challenge Tribal Sports-Betting Initiative

Two California cardrooms have filed a lawsuit seeking to invalidate a sports-betting initiative on next year’s ballot to legalize retail wagering at Indian casinos and four racetracks, which they argue violates the state constitution.

December 23, 2021

U.S. Sports-Betting Advertising Boom Set To Escalate In 2022

As the calendar flips to 2022, the conversation surrounding the glut of sports-betting advertising in the United States is likely to only intensify, particularly as the country’s largest media market is set to launch online sports wagering.

December 23, 2021

News In Brief: December 20-December 24, 2021

Resort casino zones could come to Azerbaijan, Dutch operator warned over match bets and Ohio sports betting is approved.

December 22, 2021

EuReCa! European AML/CTF Database Unveiled

The European Banking Authority (EBA) has revealed more details about its central database on anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing (AML/CTF) in the EU, a key tool for coordinating efforts to counter illicit finance in the bloc.

December 22, 2021

Pandora’s Box And The Biggest AML Trends in 2021

2021 has tested the anti-money laundering (AML) regimes of world economies, shedding light on gaps in the existing frameworks and forcing legislators to cast the net wider to fight the flow of illicit money.

December 22, 2021

First ACHs Move Technical Accounts To TIPS

In a major milestone for instant payments across the EU, the European Central Bank has announced the first wave of automated clearing houses (ACH) to move their technical accounts to its low-value instant settlement system.

December 22, 2021

Study Shows Surge in Older Online Gamblers During Pandemic

Hundreds of thousands more people over 65 in the UK are gambling online than at the start of the pandemic, the Royal College of Psychiatrists has said.

December 22, 2021

2021: The Year Indian Gaming Joined The Sports Betting Gold Rush

As uncertain as the future of the Seminole Compact may be, this historic gambling agreement in Florida marked the end of tribal ambivalence toward sports betting and the consequences for both Indian and commercial gaming promise to be seismic.

December 22, 2021

NSW Crime Commission To Probe Slots Money Laundering

Australia's New South Wales (NSW) state crime commission and the state’s gaming watchdog have announced a joint inquiry into slot machine money laundering, just weeks after a government investigator flagged large-scale washing of funds in pubs and clubs.

December 21, 2021

Green Finance Data Of Growing Interest To Central Banks, Says Study

Central banks are increasingly assessing sustainable finance in pursuing their core mandates, a survey by the Irving Fisher Committee on Central Bank Statistics has found.

December 21, 2021

Buy Now, Pay Later, 2021’s Booming Old-New Payment Trend

Buy now, pay later (BNPL) has grown to be one of the biggest trends in payments in 2021. VIXIO reviews the changes the booming market experienced in 2021 and how market participants and regulators reacted to these opportunities and risks.

December 21, 2021

A Warning Shot Across The Bow - J.P. Morgan Pays $125m After Using WhatsApp To Do Securities Business

J.P. Morgan has agreed to pay a steep $125m fine to the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission for failing to keep records of WhatsApp messages that included securities business communications.

December 21, 2021

Greek Online Revenues On Track To Exceed £700m In 2021

Greece's newly licensed online market buoyed up the whole country's gambling industry in 2021, which grew fractionally year-on-year despite a nationwide lockdown that shuttered the land-based sector until May.