Compliance Updates

State Senators in Hawaii Propose Legalised Gambling

Published

6 years ago

January 28, 2020

A pair of bills have reached the Hawaii Senate proposing legalised gambling in the state.

Senate Bill 850 and Senate Bill 2669 were both proposed by Maui Sen. Gilbert Keith-Agaran and co-sponsored by Kona Sen. Dru Kanuha. The two bills are functionally identical and would establish a Hawaii Lottery and Gaming Corporation to oversee a legal gambling industry throughout the state.

Such gambling would include legal wagering on games of chance, free-to-play games and sweepstakes offered outside of Hawaii to attract visitors to the state.

Hawaii is one of only two states in the U.S. to have an outright ban on all forms of gambling, along with Utah. All other states permit legal gambling in some form or another.

“We should remember that there’s already a lot of people in the state participating in gambling. The fact that we have direct flights to Las Vegas on every island should be emblematic of that,” Keith-Agaran said.

“What we don’t want to do is rely on it. But I’m interested in finding funding for things like medical services in rural areas. Either we fund it with this, or we have to find the money somewhere else,” Keith-Agaran added.

Kona Sen. Dru Kanuha said the bills represent a “good effort” to generate revenue for programs that are consistently short on funding. The bills, he said, have a more thorough structure than similar attempts at gambling legalisation that failed to succeed in the past.

“There are always different perspectives when considering new industries, and we’re on the right path with every measure and discussion we have regarding generating revenues and not increasing taxes on residents in Hawaii,” Kanuha said in an email.

Keith-Agaran said much of the opposition to gambling legalisation has come from moral standpoints, but other concerns have been raised by representatives of the tourism industry.

“Visitor dollars are finite,” Keith-Agaran said, explaining that dollars that go to a casino could have instead supported local businesses and services.

Asia

Playson Secures Approval from PAGCOR for Game Distribution in Philippines

Published

9 hours ago

May 27, 2026

Wladimir P.

playson-secures-approval-from-pagcor-for-game-distribution-in-philippines

Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, has secured approval from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) for the distribution of its games in the regulated Philippine market.

The approval was achieved through close cooperation between Playson and its aggregation partner, Light & Wonder, enabling Playson’s portfolio to be made available to licensed operators in the Philippines.

The project was delivered in a matter of days through a coordinated effort across Playson’s and Light & Wonder sales, integration, architecture and compliance teams. From a technical perspective, the process was completed with no major market-entry or infrastructure changes needed, as Playson’s platform was already prepared to meet the relevant specifications.

The milestone marks a new regulated market entry for Playson, which already operates in 27 regulated markets worldwide. PAGCOR approval further reinforces the company’s position as a recognised entertainment supplier with a strong and expanding compliant markets’ presence, and for delivering high-quality gaming content to operators and players around the world.

Ben Wood, Chief Commercial Officer at Playson, said: “Securing PAGCOR approval is an important step in Playson’s continued regulated-market growth. The Philippines represents an exciting opportunity for the business, and we are delighted to have achieved this milestone in cooperation with our valued aggregation partner, Light & Wonder.

“This approval reflects the strength of our platform, the readiness of our technology and the expertise of the teams involved. We are proud to bring Playson’s product suite to a new audience and to further strengthen our international presence.”

The post Playson Secures Approval from PAGCOR for Game Distribution in Philippines appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

Expanse Studios Secures Colombia Market Certification

Published

9 hours ago

May 27, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

expanse-studios-secures-colombia-market-certification

Expanse Studios, a subsidiary of Meridian Holdings Inc., announced regulatory certification enabling commercial deployment across Colombia’s online gambling market.

Gaming Associates, a UKAS-accredited testing laboratory (accreditation number 9263), certified Gates of Olympia, Candy’s Bonanza, and Leprechaun’s Wish as compliant with technical standards established by Colombian regulatory authorities. This certification authorizes deployment on licensed gaming platforms operating under Coljuegos oversight.

Colombia represents Latin America’s first comprehensively regulated online gambling market, operating under framework legislation established in 2016. According to reports, Colombia’s online gambling market generated $1.29 billion in revenue during 2024, growing at 9.53% CAGR with projections reaching $2.03 billion by 2029. Online casino games and sports betting account for the majority of market activity, with 82% of Colombians participating in games of chance according to industry research.

The market operates under strict regulatory oversight by Coljuegos, Colombia’s gaming authority, requiring comprehensive licensing and technical certification for content providers seeking market access. Colombia’s structured regulatory framework and established licensing infrastructure position the market as strategically valuable for B2B content providers targeting Latin American expansion.

“Colombia is one of the most mature regulated markets in Latin America. Certification here establishes the regulatory foundation we need to scale across the region. The market’s proven that regulated frameworks can work in LatAm—very high player participation shows demand exists when operators can operate legally. That’s the model we’re building toward in other territories,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios.

The Colombia certification follows Expanse Studios’ recent regulatory approvals in Estonia, Latvia, and Portugal, continuing the studio’s expansion across regulated markets in Europe and Latin America. With over 1300 B2B operator partnerships globally and a portfolio of 70+ proprietary titles, Expanse continues building distribution infrastructure in jurisdictions where regulatory compliance creates competitive differentiation.

The post Expanse Studios Secures Colombia Market Certification appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Compliance Updates

MGA Representative Appointed Co-Chair of GREF InfoStat Working Group

Published

1 day ago

May 26, 2026

Wladimir P.

mga-representative-appointed-co-chair-of-gref-infostat-working-group

Erika Spiteri Bailey, the Senior Executive of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics at the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), has been officially appointed as the Co-Chair of the InfoStat Working Group within the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF).

Erika Spiteri Bailey will serve in this role alongside Anssi Airas, representing the National Police Board of Finland.

GREF is a forum for European gaming regulators, facilitating the exchange of views and the development of approaches to common regulatory challenges. Within this framework, the InfoStat Working Group provides a platform for regulators to collaborate and exchange insights on the use of data in support of effective policy development and decision‑making across jurisdictions.

In her role as Co-Chair, Erika Spiteri Bailey will contribute to shaping the group’s work programme and fostering cooperation among members, with a focus on strengthening data‑driven regulatory approaches.

The post MGA Representative Appointed Co-Chair of GREF InfoStat Working Group appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.