iGaming

The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has updated its recommendations on how EU member states should conduct risk assessments against anti-money laundering (AML) and countering financing of terrorism (CFT) threats.  New industry-specific recommendations have been provided via the European Commission’s (EC) ‘Supranational Risk Assessment (SNRA) Report’, which was last updated in 2019. Under the EU ‘Anti-money Laundering Directive’ (AMLD) the …

Nigeria has greenlit a new business programme allowing non-domiciled operators to secure five-year permits to offer online gambling and sports betting.  The project is led by the National Lottery Regulatory Commission of Nigeria, which will oversee the AML screening and fit-and-proper due diligence of applicants seeking permits. Valid for a period of five years, the Lottery Commission will charge an …

The board of Playtech Plc has notified investors of Andrew Smith’s decision to step down as Chief Financial Officer (CFO) of the FTSE250 gambling technology group.  By mutual agreement, Smith will leave the business on 28 November, ending his seven-year tenure as Playtech Group CFO. Playtech informed that Smith had chosen to leave the company due to ‘personal reasons’, with …

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has alerted stakeholders of changes to its upcoming “Young People and Gambling” report, due to be published on 10 November.  Since 2011, the Commission has surveyed 11 to 16-year-olds’ involvement in gambling as a key assessment of market safeguards to protect children from being harmed or exploited by gambling. However, since 2020, the regulator has …

UK Gambling has no ministerial steward, as Damian Collins has announced his resignation as an undersecretary of DCMS. Yesterday afternoon, Collins confirmed via a Twitter post his resignation from departmental duties, choosing to return to the backbenches and serve in his role as MP for Folkestone and Hythe. Departing DCMS, Collins highlighted the department’s “work to take forward the Online …

Kindred Group has announced a first-of-kind initiative with Swedish state-owned monopolies ATG and Svenska Spel that will see the companies publish data on metrics related to Swedish problem gambling.  The Trio, which accounts for more than half of Sweden’s regulated gambling marketplace, seeks to “contribute to a facts-based dialogue on what is being done to reduce gambling harm”. The initiative …

App developers have criticised Apple for allowing new ad placements on the iOS App Store to promote gambling products.  This week, the tech giant rolled-out changes to the layout of the App Store made to feature more ad-placements for advertisers. The move has divided opinion within the developer community, as many believe Apple to be changing the layout of the …

Michelle Donelan has kept her ministerial role as Secretary of State for the department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sports (DCMS).   Yesterday afternoon, new Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared no changes to DCMS’ leadership, a department that has witnessed 11 secretarial changes in the past 12 years. An appointment of PM Liz Truss’ short-lived premiership, Donelan replaced Nadine Dorries as …

Ulf Kristersson, Sweden’s new Prime Minister has announced the remaining cabinet positions that will form the country’s new right-wing coalition government.  The leader of the Moderate Party, Kristersson will govern alongside members of the Swedish Democrats (SD), Liberal, and Christian Democrats (CD) parties – the coalition that won Sweden’s General Election on 11 October. The Riksdag informed that Kristersson had …

Gluecksspiel (GGL), Germany’s unified gambling regulator, has warned Twitch that its streaming platform must comply with the advertising rules of the Fourth Interstate Gambling Treaty (GlüNeuRStv).  The caution is a response to Twitch updating its ‘Community Guidelines’ this October to enforce a ban on “unsafe slots, roulette, and dice gambling sites”. The updated guidelines stated that “starting October 18th we …