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.

Compliance Updates

REEVO Obtains Certification in Portugal

Published

5 hours ago

March 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

REEVO, the fast-growing online game provider, announced that its portfolio of in-house games has officially been certified for the Portuguese market, marking another important milestone in the company’s ongoing expansion across Europe’s regulated iGaming sector.

With certification secured, REEVO games are now approved for licensed operators in Portugal, enabling the company to introduce its innovative slot titles and immersive gameplay experiences to players across the country.

Portugal represents one of Europe’s most respected regulated markets, and the certification underscores REEVO’s commitment to delivering high-quality, compliant gaming content that meets the strict requirements of regulated jurisdictions while maintaining the creativity and performance that define the REEVO brand.

Portuguese operators will now gain access to:

• REEVO’s premium portfolio of in-house slot games

• High-performance, mobile-first gameplay

• Innovative features designed to enhance player engagement

• Fully certified and regulator-approved content

“Achieving certification in Portugal is an exciting milestone for REEVO and an important step in our European growth strategy. We are thrilled to bring our in-house games to Portuguese operators and players, continuing our mission to deliver engaging, high-quality content across regulated markets,” said Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO.

The post REEVO Obtains Certification in Portugal appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Compliance Updates

UKGC Appoints Sue Young as its Executive Director of Operations

Published

5 hours ago

March 18, 2026

Wladimir P.

ukgc-appoints-sue-young-as-its-executive-director-of-operations

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has appointed Sue Young as its new Executive Director of Operations.

Sue joins the Commission from HMRC where she was Director of Debt Management. She brings extensive leadership experience from across the public sector, including senior roles at the Home Office, including Border Force and HM Inspectorate of Constabulary and Fire & Rescue Services and the Department of Health and Social Care.

As Executive Director for Operations, Sue will lead a number of the Commission’s operational functions as the regulator continues its work to keep gambling safer, fairer and crime free.

Sarah Gardner, Acting Chief Executive, said: “I’m delighted to welcome Sue to the Gambling Commission. There is a great deal of important work underway across our operational teams, not least our continued focus on tackling the illegal market and delivering strong regulatory outcomes. Sue brings a wealth of operational leadership experience and I’m very much looking forward to working with her.”

Sue Young said: “I’m excited to be joining the Gambling Commission and to be learning about a new sector. The Commission plays an important role in protecting consumers and ensuring gambling is conducted fairly and safely. I’m looking forward to building on the significant work already underway across the organisation.”

The post UKGC Appoints Sue Young as its Executive Director of Operations appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Alex Smith

Fanatics Betting and Gaming Appoints Alex Smith as its Chief Legal Officer

Published

5 hours ago

March 18, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

fanatics-betting-and-gaming-appoints-alex-smith-as-its-chief-legal-officer

Fanatics Betting and Gaming has announced the appointments of Alex Smith to the position of Chief Legal Officer and Sara Tait to Senior Vice President and Head of Legal and Regulated Industries.

Reporting to Fanatics Betting and Gaming CEO Matt King, Smith will be a member of the FBG executive team and lead legal, regulatory, compliance, and government affairs strategy for the company’s rapidly growing sports betting and iGaming division. Smith Joined FBG in 2021 as VP of Legal and Regulatory Compliance and spearheaded the fastest state by state roll out for Fanatics Sportsbook in the history of U.S. sports betting.

“Alex was one of our first hires and he helped build our legal and regulatory apparatus that has allowed us to launch products rapidly in legal sports betting, iCasino and prediction markets. As we continue to grow, Alex is the perfect person to lead our legal and regulatory functions into the future,” said Matt King, CEO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming.

Reporting to Alex Smith, Tait will have wide responsibilities spanning multiple strategic subject matters within FBG, specifically serving as legal counsel to the regulated gaming and markets products. She is responsible for developing and managing FBG’s relationships with federal and state regulators; contributing to government affairs efforts and strategic industry initiatives; furthering FBG’s consumer protection measures; and maintaining licenses and registrations with federal and state oversight bodies.

“Sara is a well-respected former gaming regulator who also has experience in the private sector, making her the ideal choice to lead critical legal and regulatory efforts. The legal and regulatory landscape for sports betting, iCasino and prediction markets are constantly changing and having someone that has been on both sides of the regulatory landscape will be invaluable to us as we continue our growth trajectory,” said Smith.

The post Fanatics Betting and Gaming Appoints Alex Smith as its Chief Legal Officer appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.