News

Key Moments: VPN adoption is rising across the gambling industry as players seek to bypass regulatory friction. Stricter KYC and AML rules have made licensed platforms less user-friendly, pushing demand toward offshore operators. Experts note that territorial regulation increasingly clashes with the borderless nature of digital gaming. Growing Prevalence of VPN Usage in Gambling Virtual private networks, once used mainly by tech professionals, are now common across the online gambling sector. Players, operators, and affiliates often encounter VPNs when accessing platforms, engaging in cross-border activity, or navigating different regulatory systems.…

Key Moments: First, a Suffolk Superior Court judge ruled that Massachusetts may block Kalshi from offering sports event contracts without complying with state betting laws. Next, the Attorney General’s office plans to seek an order barring Kalshi from entering new sports contracts with Massachusetts users, possibly starting Friday. Notably, court filings cited by reporters show that by May 2025, sports contracts accounted for about 70% of Kalshi’s revenue. Court Decision Clears Path for State Enforcement Massachusetts is now positioned to become the first U.S. state to force Kalshi to halt…

Key Moments: Hungarian authorities have temporarily blocked access to Polymarket due to suspected gambling law violations. Portugal’s regulator has given Polymarket 48 hours to exit, following unauthorized betting on the Jan. 18 presidential election. The platform remains under mounting regulatory pressure, with restrictions or blocks now spanning over 30 countries. Hungary Issues Temporary Block on Polymarket Hungary’s Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities has instituted a temporary block on Polymarket for users connecting through Hungarian IP addresses. This action comes as the authority takes steps against the platform’s operator, raising concerns…

Key Moments: Since late 2023, the market has grown steadily, led by strong casino game performance. Licensed operators in Ceuta and Melilla benefit from a 10 percent tax rate, compared with 20 percent on the mainland. Unregulated online gambling now totals €231 million, equal to 16 percent of the legal market. Market Momentum and Casino Performance Spain stands out as a mature yet fast-growing gambling market in Europe. Since the pandemic, the sector has rebounded strongly and adapted to tighter marketing rules. According to Eduardo Morales Hermo, senior advisor at…

Key Moments: Records show the Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) issued formal data demands to banks and payment providers from 2012 to 2022. Unibet payments and related transactions became a key focus during the company’s unlicensed activity in the Netherlands. Ksa used Dutch administrative law to compel cooperation and access to business records from banks and payment processors. Regulator’s Strategic Use of Payment Data Recently released documents reveal that the Dutch Gambling Authority (Ksa) spent years requesting information from banks and payment service providers. Moreover, these requests often included strict deadlines.…

Key Moments: The UK Gambling Commission criticized Meta over illegal gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram. Executives found active ads from unlicensed operators targeting UK users in Meta’s ad library. Similar enforcement gaps have appeared in other countries, raising global concerns. Commission Challenges Meta on Illegal Gambling Ads The UK Gambling Commission has taken a tougher stance on Meta’s handling of illegal gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram. According to the regulator, Meta relies too heavily on reports instead of stopping unlawful ads before they appear. Tim Miller, the commission’s…

Key Moments: The Nevada Gaming Control Board has filed its first civil enforcement lawsuit against Polymarket in the United States. Polymarket reentered the U.S. market in December 2025 after acquiring a CFTC-regulated exchange, but access for most U.S. users remains restricted. Ongoing legal disputes, including tax classification questions, persist for both Polymarket and Kalshi under differing regulatory approaches. Nevada Pursues Legal Action Against Polymarket The Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) has initiated a civil enforcement lawsuit targeting prediction market platform Polymarket, marking the board’s first such case in the United…

Key Moments: Total online gambling stakes in Italy have reached €77.85 billion in 2025. Players’ effective spending has surpassed €3.33 billion for the year. New licensing rules and higher taxes are reshaping the digital gambling sector. Stable Growth Defines 2025 Performance Italy’s online gambling industry recorded a year of robust growth, with casino games, poker, and bingo leading the regulated sector. The market reported total stakes of €77.85 billion. Players’ net spend, calculated as wagers minus winnings, reached €3.3 billion. Market figures highlight the maturity and regulatory strength of Italy’s…

Key Moments: Spelinspektionen received just two alerts about suspected match-fixing from integrity organizations in 2025 Operators in Sweden filed four match-fixing suspicion reports under new requirements in 2025 Authorities found no suspicious betting activity during the UEFA Women’s European Championship monitored in Switzerland Recent Decline in Reported Match-Fixing Cases Fresh data from Spelinspektionen indicates that suspected match-fixing cases in Sweden continued to decline in 2025. The regulator saw only two alerts from integrity partners during the year, a figure that falls below half of the reports from the previous year…

Key Moments: Betsson recorded €304 million in revenue for Q4 2025, nearly matching last year’s results Operating profit dropped sharply by 24.3 percent to €53 million Locally regulated market revenue share hit a quarterly high of 68 percent Solid Revenue Performance Amid Profit Setback Betsson’s preliminary financial report for the fourth quarter of 2025 revealed revenue of €304 million, showing only a minor 1 percent decrease compared to the €307 million recorded in Q4 2024. This steady top-line performance came despite declines across the Nordics and Central and Eastern Europe…