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Things That Could Affect the iGaming Industry in 2022

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META: Take a look at our list of things that could affect the iGaming industry in the coming years.

Like a lot of other industries, the iGaming industry is often at the whim of advances in the wider world. World events, advancements in technology and consumer trends all have some sort of effect on online casinos and other betting platforms. And, in turn, the iGaming industry will have to learn to adapt.

But it’s a lot easier to handle things when you know what’s coming. It’ll make adapting your betting stores a lot more efficient to get ahead of developing trends, instead of playing catch up with the changing waves in the industry.

So, with that in mind, take a look at our list of things that could affect the iGaming industry in the coming years, and see how your business can adapt.

 

Virtual Reality is being pushed

Virtual reality is a big idea that is turning a lot of heads in Silicon Valley. Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg envisions a world where people hold meetings in their virtual worlds and give granny a call with an avatar.

We’re a few years away from that, and in the meantime, virtual reality developers should focus on the demographic that is most likely to love it: gamers.

There are attempts to break into virtual reality gaming, and they’re slowly gaining traction. As more games hit the market, more VR rooms showcase their potential, more VR headgear will arrive and the virtual playground will open up.

And, if history is to repeat itself, some of the first games to hit the platform and be accepted will be casino games. Online casinos are already trying to up the immersion on their games, with live dealers and chat rooms. Why shouldn’t we upgrade that to appearing as though you’re actually sitting at the casino table? It’s sure to bring down the price of flights to Vegas.

 

Cryptocurrency is becoming mainstream

Slowly, cryptocurrency is finding its footing. People are learning the jargon, learning to avoid the scams, and are looking for ways they can use their newfound currency.

So far, short of buying a Tesla, there aren’t many options for the practical use of cryptocurrency except converting it into the national currency – except one place: online casinos.

More and more online casinos are accepting the likes of Bitcoin, Dogecoin, BEP20 token and more to make their deposits to online casinos. The main perk can be seen right away: it’s instant. Without the red tape of the bank to go around, players only need to wait minutes to gain their betting fodder, and don’t have to wait the standard 3-5 working days to then see the results of their winnings in their account.

As crypto becomes more popular and accepted, more industries will see the use of crypto and iGaming will no longer be one of two main uses of crypto, so it makes sense to adapt your site to accepting it now.

 

Regulations are slackening

World government attitudes to iGaming are changing. Famously stubborn anti-gambling countries like the Netherlands are changing their minds on the idea, and their regulations to match. In 2021 the Netherlands launched their own regulated gambling market, changing the law from an outright ban of all gambling in some places, to an allowance for online gambling. Meanwhile, South Africa and other African countries are telling their citizens that no gambling businesses will open in the country, but they can gamble online.

Even in the US, more and more states are accepting online gambling. So, what gives?

Well, taking New Jersey as an example, the launch of online gambling just before the worldwide lockdowns shut all of Atlantic City’s casinos, allowed the state to gain over $300 million in tax revenue. Since then, a lot of other states have followed suit, turning to online gambling as a means of recovering the country’s economy.

 

eSports are taking off

eSports are incredibly popular right now – and it makes sense. Everyone was surprised when the first YouTubers started playing games, asking “Who would watch that?” Fast forward and the top YouTuber and Twitch streamer are gamers, and some of the richest YouTubers are gamers. It only stands to reason that fans who love watching games for the fun of it, are likely to come out in droves to watch gaming competitively.

We might be a while away from entering the Olympics, but when you have investors transporting teams of players all around the world to win millions of dollars, you don’t need a medal.

And this means betting opportunities. The point is competitiveness, which means betting on the outcome. The great thing about this is that there is a lot to bet on. Customers don’t need to just stick to “winner” or “loser” but most kills, fastest run and all the millions of other concepts the gaming community has come up with over the years.

A lot of sports betting platforms have already started to adapt to this, offering eSports as a category alongside football, basketball and other traditional sports in a beautiful merging of nerd and jock.

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Crypto.com Receives Limited Financial Institutions Licence in Europe

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Crypto.com has announced another regulatory milestone: its EU MiCA regulated entity has received a Limited Financial Institutions licence from the Malta Financial Services Authority (MFSA). The approval allows the company to continue delivering its full suite of stablecoin services – qualifying as payment services – across the European Union, without disruption.

This additional licence is for the provision of services exclusively in relation to electronic money tokens (EMTs). The licence was acquired to navigate a complex regulatory landscape resulting in overlapping crypto asset services (MiCA) and payment services (PSD2). By securing the Limited Financial Institution Licence, Crypto.com has addressed both regulatory regimes ensuring full compliance across every aspect of its stablecoin operations.

Crypto.com’s Malta entity received MiCA approval in January 2025, allowing the company to passport services across the European Economic Area (EEA). Notably, Crypto.com already holds a full Electronic Money Institution (EMI) licence in Europe, making it one of the most comprehensively authorised platforms operating in the region.

“We are one of the most regulated crypto platforms in the world and receiving this licence proves, yet again, that we are committed to working with authorities to ensure the strongest compliance standards. Our stablecoin business and services remain a pivotal part of our European product offering so it was vital we secured this limited licence to continue providing seamless access to our institutional and retail customers,” said Eric Anziani, President and Chief Operating Officer at Crypto.com.

The limited Financial Institutions licence adds to Crypto.com’s expanding list of licences and registrations globally including, but not limited to, a UK Electronic Money Institution licence (FCA), a Major Payment Institution licence in Singapore (MAS), a Virtual Assets Service Provider licence in Dubai (VARA), U.S. Money Transmitter Licences, U.S. Designated Contracts Market (DCM) & Derivatives Clearing Organization (DCO) licences and recently conditional approval from the U.S. OCC for a National Trust Bank Charter.

The post Crypto.com Receives Limited Financial Institutions Licence in Europe appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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UK To Explore Crypto Gambling Framework

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Legal crypto gambling could be coming to the UK after the country’s regulator announced on Thursday (Feb 26) that it will begin working on new rules to support the sector.

Gambling Commission executive director Tim Miller revealed in a speech this week that regulatory officials have concluded allowing licensing operators to transact in crypto is likely a wise move.

Responding to growing demand for gambling with cryptocurrencies, and undeniable evidence that consumers are turning to the black market in search of crypto-friendly operators, Miller said the process was already underway.

Characterising the project as “tentative” and promising no timelines or outcomes, Miller nevertheless said he had instructed the commission’s Industry Forum to begin work on detailing how crypto gambling could be regulated in the UK.

The Forum is composed of industry figures from the online and retail sectors, including representatives from Flutter and Rank Group.

Addressing the Betting and Gaming Council AGM on Thursday, Miller said: “There will be significant challenges and risks to overcome in considering this topic but I am keen that we approach this in the spirit of exploring the art of the possible, rather than starting from a position of finding all the reasons not to innovate.”

Recent work undertaken by the Gambling Commission to try and understand why gamblers choose to leave the regulated market and gamble offshore has identified a desire to bet with crypto as the second-largest motivator.

One UK legal expert told EEGaming that the project was “long overdue”.

“A credible, regulated pathway would be a more effective consumer protection tool than de-facto prohibition if it reduces displacement offshore, which invariably it would,” said Chris Elliot, a partner at Wiggin law firm in London.

Elliot noted that the commission does not appear to be proposing specific “crypto licences”, but is instead “exploring a framework under which UK-licensed operators could accept crypto as a consumer payment option”.

Regulators in partnership

The Commission’s renewed willingness to consider allowing crypto gambling is also being driven by more secure legislative foundations that are set to come into effect in the UK.

Miller pointed to the “Financial Services and Markets Act 2000 (Cryptoassets) Regulations 2025”, which was presented by the government in December.

The new statutory instrument would regulate more uses of crypto-assets by establishing a series of regulatory frameworks.

This comes as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is itself consulting on new rules for crypto in the UK.

This work will form the bedrock of any efforts by the Gambling Commission to loosen crypto gambling rules, Miller said.

It may also provide some clues as to the timeline of any crypto-liberalisation by the commission, Elliot noted.

“If the FCA authorisation regime is phased in over a longer period, mainstream adoption in UK gambling could be correspondingly slow,” he warned.

“That said, existing AML registration requirements for crypto-asset service providers already provide some baseline assurance, which could support earlier experimentation if the commission is serious about tackling black-market growth.”

Fraud on the brain

Regulatory sources who spoke to EEGaming pointed to the role the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) may be playing in accelerating crypto regulation.

The international money laundering watchdog — which has had notable interventions in the gambling market over recent years through its temporary greylisting of Malta and Gibraltar — has told national governments they should be regulating crypto providers, not trying to prohibit their use in the legal economy.

The UK is scheduled to undergo an assessment by the FATF in 2027.

That provides an extra impetus for the UK to have its crypto regulations in order, but allowing digital assets to flow into the economy more readily, especially via gambling, brings added risks.

“Like any new payment method, it will introduce new fraud/AML typologies,” explained Elliot. “But ‘new’ doesn’t automatically mean ‘higher’. In some respects, crypto can support a more robust control environment than fiat payments, particularly where cash is involved,” he noted.

“Operators wishing to drive this agenda will need to be able demonstrate, with evidence, why these risks can be managed through the controls put in place,” he said.

Crypto revolution?

Although the UK Gambling Commission is only at the beginning of this process, Miller’s announcement is sure to have an impact internationally, particularly at some of the European regulators with which it shares close ties.

EEGaming asked the Netherlands Gambling Authority, which signed a new memorandum of understanding with the commission in November, whether it would now be considering a crypto-revolution of its own.

“Although the KSA thinks allowing crypto payments might help battle illegal offering, there are too many complications right now to just go along with it,” a spokesperson said.

“We are looking into this for the future.”

The post UK To Explore Crypto Gambling Framework appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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$SCOR

BetOnline.ag Integrates $SCOR, the Premier Crypto Token of the Pro Sports Industry, Ahead of Super Bowl

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BetOnline.ag, a preeminent global online sportsbook, casino and poker platform, announced a strategic partnership with Sweet to integrate $SCOR as a newly supported cryptocurrency.

$SCOR, the native token powering verified fan identity and rewards across major professional sports, is now available for deposits and withdrawals within the BetOnline cashier, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday on February 8.

This integration establishes a direct utility lane for the $SCOR, allowing fans to use tokens — earned through engagement in officially licensed sports games or purchased on exchanges — for real-world gameplay on a leading gaming platform.

For BetOnline, the partnership represents a strategic entry point into the burgeoning world of on-chain sports fandom, connecting the platform with high-value, verified fan liquidity.

“We are constantly evolving to meet our players where they are, and that now includes the intersection of sports fandom, gaming and blockchain. $SCOR isn’t just another cryptocurrency…it’s the premier token of the sports industry. This partnership allows us to directly engage with a new generation of sports fans who value real-world gameplay, verifiable achievements and interoperable rewards,” said Eddie Robbins III, CEO of BetOnline.ag.

$SCOR functions as the on-chain layer for fan identity, verifiable engagement and portable rewards across Sweet’s network of major professional sports IP partners that boast officially licensed sports-themed web3 PvP and mini games.

By accepting $SCOR, BetOnline gains a direct connection to verified fan activity from SCOR’s ecosystem of major professional sports IP partners, introducing a high-value audience of competitive sports fans and crypto-savvy players.

To celebrate the launch, BetOnline will offer exclusive deposit perks for $SCOR users, including free-play credits and casino spins for qualifying deposits. Future community activations are planned, featuring token-gated private poker and casino tournaments for verified $SCOR holders, with prizes awarded in both $SCOR and cash.

“We built $SCOR to bridge the passion of sports fandom with tangible utility and value. BetOnline’s integration is a landmark moment, turning fan-earned $SCOR into a key for premium gaming experiences. This partnership validates our vision of a reward-first portable fan identity,” Sweet EVP of Global Partnerships Betsy Proctor said.

The post BetOnline.ag Integrates $SCOR, the Premier Crypto Token of the Pro Sports Industry, Ahead of Super Bowl appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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