Insights Archive

March 6, 2024

888 Reviews US B2C Operations, Citing 'Intense Competition'

888 has said that it will hold a strategic review of its US consumer-facing operations, as it considers options including a sale or “controlled exit”, citing “intense competition from well-capitalised incumbent participants”.

March 6, 2024

Italian Communications Authority Fines Google €450,000

The Italian Communications Authority (AGCOM) has imposed a fine of €450,000 on technology giant Google for violations of the "Dignity Decree”, which prohibits all forms of gambling advertising.

March 6, 2024

Alabama Senate Committee Approves Stripped-Down Gaming Bill

An Alabama Senate committee overhauled a comprehensive gaming bill Tuesday night, removing provisions that would permit sports betting in the state, as well as create seven new commercial casino licenses.

March 5, 2024

U.S. Regulators Report Mixed Success In Tackling Grey Market

The U.S. gaming industry continues to face competition from unregulated skill-game machines and sweepstakes casinos, but what tackling the grey market involves differs from regulator to regulator.

March 5, 2024

Dutch Minister Outlines Plans To Tackle 'Worrying' Player Protection Developments

The Netherlands plans to have a new centre for experts on gambling addiction operating within the first half of 2024 in response to “worrying and undesirable” player protection developments, according to a letter written by the minister for legal protection, Franc Weerwind.

March 5, 2024

SaaS Firms Step Up Embedded Payments Offerings

The growing adoption of new applications in open banking, digital wallets and mobile commerce is building momentum for embedded payments — the integration of payment processing capabilities directly into non-payment apps.

March 5, 2024

UK Home Office Launches 'Biggest Crackdown' On Money Mules

The UK Home Office has unveiled a 22-point plan to fight money mules and financial exploitation, focused on disrupting the flow of illicit funds through bank and crypto exchange accounts.

March 5, 2024

Daily Dash: European Commission Fines Apple €1.8bn For Abusing App Store Dominance

Apple has been hit by a €1.8bn fine for violating the EU’s anti-steering provisions, and IDEX is preparing to launch a new biometric card in the UK for the visually- and memory-impaired.

March 5, 2024

India Financial Enforcer Fines Paytm Over Online Gambling

India’s government agencies are coordinating to punish online gambling-linked financial channels, with one regulator fining fintech giant Paytm more than $660,000 for breaching anti-money laundering legislation and rules, and another freezing bank accounts tied to Chinese apps.

March 4, 2024

Virginia Approves Legislation To Regulate Skill-Game Machines

After what was expected to be a contentious process, Virginia lawmakers were instead able to quickly reach a compromise allowing members of both chambers of the General Assembly to approve a consensus bill repealing the state’s ban on skill-game devices.

March 4, 2024

Political Power Player Lira Still Directing Brazil's Road To Regulation

Over the past year, the regulation of online betting in Brazil has taken several 11th-hour turns. Behind most of these machinations has been Arthur Lira, the current president of the Chamber of Deputies and arguably Brazil’s most powerful politician.

March 4, 2024

California Weighs Regulations To Tackle Deceptive Gambling Advertising

The California Gambling Control Commission has delayed a hearing on whether to begin a formal rulemaking process to address advertising by cardroom licensees that could be deceptive or do not include responsible gambling information.

March 4, 2024

Daily Dash: World's Largest Healthcare Payment System Hit By Ransomware Attack

UnitedHealth Group has reported a ransomware attack on its payments subsidiary, and Mastercard has announced a new partnership to bring premium credit cards and other non-card payments to East Africa.

March 4, 2024

EU Parliamentarians Back EU Digital Wallet

Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) have passed EU Digital Identity framework, leaving it with one final hurdle to pass at the European Council.

March 4, 2024

Merchant-Initiated Transaction Changes Could Have Unintended Consequences, EU Warned

Unconditional refund rights that were outlined in the EU’s Payment Services Regulation have emerged as a key concern for trade associations in Brussels.

March 4, 2024

South Korean Reforms Impose Loot Box Transparency, Refunds

South Korea has greatly tightened loot box regulations, introducing mandatory odds disclosure and a customer refund scheme, while forming administrative and police monitoring groups for associated games.

March 1, 2024

Finland Puts Betsson On Payments Blocking List

Betsson Group brands have been placed on Finland’s gambling payments blocking list, as the country’s gambling regulator exercises its enforcement powers.

March 1, 2024

UK Gambling Ministers Tackle White Paper Worries

The UK’s gambling minister and shadow gambling minister have addressed industry concerns around the details of implementing the Gambling Act white paper proposals, including financial risk checks.

March 1, 2024

Paytm Seeks UPI Lifeline As Banking Shutdown Nears

The parent company of India’s Paytm Payments Bank is seeking a new regulatory approval to ensure that customers can still use Unified Payments Interface after the bank is shuttered later this month.

March 1, 2024

Week In Crypto: Sam Bankman-Fried Seeks Light Sentence Due To ‘Charitable Works’

The former head of FTX seeks leniency based on his “good deeds” and “charitable works”, two Binance executives are detained in Nigeria, and the European Central Bank claims Bitcoin is ready to crash.

March 1, 2024

Russia Proposes BRICS Bridge Payment Platform

Russia has proposed a digital settlement and payment platform for the BRICS countries to trade in their national currencies, as it aims to bypass the US dollar in international transactions.