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Compliance Updates

ANJ Sanctions Committee Imposes €800,000 Fine on SPS Betting

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On 22 January 2025, the Sanctions Committee of the French National Gambling Authority (ANJ) met to examine a procedure referred by the ANJ Board concerning the operator SPS Betting, which had allegedly failed to comply with its obligations relating to the self-exclusion system offered to players on the Unibet website and application. The Committee confirmed the breaches and imposed a public penalty of €800,000, justified by the large number of players who were unable to benefit from this protection system. This decision, which is unprecedented in its scope, is a reminder of the Committee’s commitment to penalising operators who fail to meet their obligations to prevent excessive gambling.

In 2021, following reports, the ANJ services discovered a computer malfunction on the “Unibet.fr” application and website for devices using the iOS operating system. According to estimates by the ANJ and the operator, several thousand players who had requested self-exclusion for a period ranging from several weeks to several months were likely to have been able to play again within a few days. In fact, players self-exclusion requests made in months were automatically converted to days. Therefore, a player who requested a twelve-month self-exclusion was only self-excluded for twelve days.

For players who wish to take a break from gambling because they feel vulnerable or need to take a step back, the legislator has introduced a system of self-exclusion from gambling.

Online gambling operators must provide players with a mechanism enabling them to request their exclusion from gambling. Players are free to determine the duration of their exclusion, which must be a minimum of 24 hours and a maximum of 12 months.

The malfunction at Unibet occurred from 2 March 2021 to 11 December 2022 before being fixed by the operator. However, during an update, the malfunction reappeared and affected players playing on an iOS device from 29 December 2022 to 2 February 2023. In total, the anomaly persisted for almost 22 months.

In view of these repeated malfunctions and given their duration and seriousness, particularly regarding the prevention of excessive gambling, the Sanctions Committee confirmed the breaches observed and imposed the following penalties:

• A fine of 800,000 euros;

• The publication of the decision in the Official Journal of the French Republic;

• The display, from 17 to 31 March 2025, on the homepage of the ‘Unibet.fr’ website and the Unibet applications, of a box mentioning this sanction and referring to the press release published on the ANJ website;

• The publication of the non-anonymised decision on the ANJ website, from the date it is pronounced and for one year (until 3 March 2026). After this date, the decision published on the ANJ website and on Légifrance, as well as the associated press release, will no longer allow the operator to be identified.

This decision may be appealed to the Conseil d’État within two months of its notification.

The post ANJ Sanctions Committee Imposes €800,000 Fine on SPS Betting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

Endorphina secures UAE Gaming-Related Vendor License (Tier II) from GCGRA

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Endorphina Limited has been granted a Gaming-Related Vendor License (Tier II) by the UAE’s General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (GCGRA), positioning the supplier to operate in the country’s newly regulated commercial gaming market.

The company said it is among the early licensed entities in the UAE. It added that the license is granted subject to ongoing compliance with GCGRA regulations, conditions, and directives.

Džangar Jesenov, Head of Compliance at Endorphina, said:

“Over the past years, Endorphina has grown into a truly reputable, internationally recognized supplier, following a principle of gradual and sustainable development. Today, in terms of the number of jurisdictions where we are authorized to operate, we are proud to be ranked among the Тop providers worldwide. Receiving this license in the early stages of the UAE’s regulated gaming market is both an honor and a responsibility. We are excited to contribute to shaping a sustainable and innovative industry under the guidance of the GCGRA.”

Endorphina said the UAE approval supports its broader strategy of expanding across regulated markets.

The post Endorphina secures UAE Gaming-Related Vendor License (Tier II) from GCGRA appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Compliance Updates

Ukrainian Gambling Regulator Rolls Out Digital Complaints Platform

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The Ukrainian gambling regulator, PlayCity, has rolled out a new digital complaints platform that’s intended to streamline how the public can report illegal gambling advertisements. The complaints form is now live in the “For Citizens” section of PlayCity’s website, giving Ukrainian citizens a direct channel to help monitor and curb illegal gambling advertising.

The system enables citizens to flag suspected violations across multiple formats, including social media, websites, television, radio, outdoor billboards and other public spaces. Users submitting a complaint must identify the platform type, provide a direct link to the advertisement and attach supporting evidence such as screenshots or video clips.

The system is designed to automatically archive submissions and capture ephemeral content like social media “stories” so regulators can review material even after it disappears. PlayCity staff will screen each complaint to assess whether the content breaches Ukraine’s advertising rules.

If violations are confirmed, the regulator can request removal of content from platforms such as Meta, Google, TikTok, YouTube, Viber and Twitch. PlayCity said it could also seek to block social media accounts that repeatedly share unlawful gambling promotions, fine responsible parties or escalate cases to law enforcement when identities cannot be verified.

The statutory fine for illegal gambling advertising stands at cca. €100,900.

The new enforcement framework stems from Law No.9526d, the same legislation that abolished the previous gambling regulator KRAIL.

The post Ukrainian Gambling Regulator Rolls Out Digital Complaints Platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Armenian Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs

Armenia to Implement Strictest Gambling Regulations to Combat a Massive Surge in Addiction

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At its meeting on last Wednesday, the Armenian Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs postponed the first reading of amendments to the Law “On Regulation of Gambling Activities” and several related laws until the next meeting for further revision.

Hayk Sargsyan, the author of the legislative initiative and a member of parliament from the ruling Civil Contract faction, stated that the volume of online casino bets in Armenia has increased more than 35-fold over the past eight years.

“While in 2017, the volume of online casino bets was 0.2 trillion drams, in 2025, it will increase more than 35-fold, reaching 7.4 trillion drams. Online casinos have become a scourge and a plague for our people,” Sargsyan said.

According to him, hundreds of thousands of citizens are wasting their money on gambling addiction. Regardless of their location, they have 24/7 access to online casinos and are unable to break their addiction.

“In an attempt to recoup their money, citizens are accumulating debts and loans, thereby further worsening an already critical situation. Under the current circumstances, the National Assembly is obliged to take preventive measures aimed at maximally restricting participation in online casinos for individuals who no longer want to gamble but are unable to overcome their addiction, as well as those in dire social situations or those using government support programs,” Sargsyan said.

The bill proposes establishing a mandatory requirement: all online casinos must place a publicly accessible self-blocking button on their websites and apps.

“After clicking this button, playing at online casinos will be prohibited for a period of five years, with no possibility of early reinstatement. After this period, the ban is automatically extended for another five years unless the citizen submits an application to lift the restriction five days before its expiration. Information about the self-ban will be communicated to the gaming operator. Activity in other online casinos and gaming platforms will also be suspended,” Sargsyan said.

He also stated the need to prohibit participation in online gaming for recipients of social benefits, individuals whose primary source of income is a pension, individuals in bankruptcy proceedings and participants in subsidy programmes implemented with funding or co-financing from the state budget. Furthermore, it is proposed to set a limit on participation in online gaming at 20% of annually declared income.

Government representatives approved amendments that are planned to come into effect on January 1, 2027, following the introduction of the gaming operator institution, which will likely be selected mid-year and implemented as soon as possible.

The post Armenia to Implement Strictest Gambling Regulations to Combat a Massive Surge in Addiction appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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