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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.

Africa

EveryMatrix gains South Africa licence with customer launch pipeline on the rise

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EveryMatrix has obtained official licensing consent to provide its complete platform technology in South Africa, with its client pipeline quickly expanding throughout the continent and significant customer launches approaching.

EveryMatrix South Africa (EMSA) has obtained a manufacturer’s license from the Western Cape Gambling and Racing Board and is now permitted to offer its modular and turnkey platform solutions in sports, casino, player account management (PAM), payments, and affiliate management to top local and international operators.

The tier-1 technology provider has achieved considerable progress throughout Africa recently, collaborating with numerous local brands and finalizing agreements with several others set to launch in the upcoming months.

The purchase of FSB Technology has also given it additional access to South Africa and various other developed and developing iGaming markets on the continent.

An increasing number of major local and global tier-1 operators, as well as World Lottery Association member organizations in essential regulated markets, are choosing EveryMatrix’s turnkey platform technology.

Mark Schmidt, Managing Director, Africa, EveryMatrix, said: “Bringing our full suite of turnkey platform products into South Africa under our new licence is enabling us to power some of the biggest brands here, giving them access to technology that will instantly unlock their potential and drive market growth. In the coming weeks and months, we’ll be announcing some major deals so watch this space.

“Our casino, sports, PAM, payments, games and content aggregation and affiliate management solutions, supported by our local experts who understand their needs and challenges are providing an offering no one else has been able to offer so far in South Africa and across the continent.”

The post EveryMatrix gains South Africa licence with customer launch pipeline on the rise appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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ANJ

ANJ Warns French Gambling Operators Over 2026 World Cup Ad Budgets

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During its review of gambling operators’ 2026 promotional strategies, the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) observed a significant increase in their promotional budgets (over 25%), which they attributed in particular to the FIFA World Cup calendar. In this context, to prevent any risk of advertising overexposure and the development of excessive gambling, the ANJ has asked all operators not to exceed their announced budgets.

FIFA’s recent announcement of the introduction of water breaks (or “hydration breaks”) during the Football World Cup, leading to the introduction of 2 minutes of additional advertising breaks during each match, has reinforced the concerns of the ANJ.

Given the prevalence of problem gambling in sports betting (15.3%), and the fact that 18% of 18-24 year olds were gambling in 2024, this announcement does indeed raise fears of an intensification of advertising pressure on the most vulnerable players.

During discussions with the ANJ (National Gaming Authority), ADMTV (which represents all the advertising sales houses of television broadcasters and streaming services) informed them that a major broadcaster had decided not to sell refreshment breaks to advertisers in the gambling sector. This broadcaster also committed to respecting the codes of conduct and recommendations established by ARCOM, ANJ and ARPP since 2022. The ANJ has taken note of this.

Following this announcement, it calls on all stakeholders, broadcasters as well as gambling operators, to exercise restraint in promoting these new spaces, including in activating their partnerships.

Furthermore, it reiterates its call for broadcasters to respect the rules prohibiting advertising for illegal gambling and games of chance, particularly online casinos.

Finally, she asks the legislator to take up in the future her proposal to establish a whistle-to-whistle ban and a strengthened framework for sponsorship of major sporting events.

The post ANJ Warns French Gambling Operators Over 2026 World Cup Ad Budgets appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Compliance Updates

REEVO Secures MGA B2B Licence

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REEVO, the iGaming aggregation powerhouse, has announced that the company has been granted an official MGA B2B Licence by the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), further reinforcing REEVO’s commitment to regulatory excellence and its continued expansion across regulated markets worldwide.

This major milestone reflects REEVO’s dedication to delivering compliant, secure and scalable aggregation solutions to operators globally, while strengthening trust and long-term partnerships across the iGaming ecosystem.

With the MGA B2B licence in place, REEVO continues to elevate its position as a trusted supplier in regulated jurisdictions, offering partners the stability, integrity and performance needed to thrive in today’s evolving market landscape.

“This achievement represents another key step in REEVO’s global growth strategy. Securing an MGA B2B licence strengthens our ability to support operators with confidence, while reinforcing REEVO’s long-term commitment to compliance, reliability, and innovation,” said Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO.

The post REEVO Secures MGA B2B Licence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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