Compliance Updates

WFH could mean your Grand National workplace sweepstake is illegal

Published

4 years ago

April 6, 2022

George Miller

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Traditional office sweepstake risks falling foul of gambling law if participants enter remotely

Gambling regulation expert provides guidance on how to comply with law when setting up workplace pool

The recent trend towards flexible working means many businesses are at risk of falling foul of gambling legislation, if organising the traditional office Grand National sweepstake, a leading law firm is warning.

With this weekend’s big race at Aintree attracting the interest of not just racing fans but the general public at large, it is typically one of the most popular events for an office sweepstake.

In pre-Covid times there was little risk involved in such a contest, other than perhaps an excess of workplace rivalry, especially given the event’s propensity for surprises and upsets.

However, Poppleston Allen, a leading gambling licensing law firm, says that with the shift towards hybrid working, organisers now need to be more cautious.

“While formal gambling activity is heavily regulated by the Gambling Commission, there is an exception designed to allow the general public to have a bit of fun by taking part in what is officially called a work lottery,” says Richard Bradley, associate solicitor and gambling regulation expert at Poppleston Allen.

“But what many people may not realise is that the rules are very clear in that you can only sell physical tickets and all players must work in the same office – contests running across different office locations of the same company are not allowed.

“Therefore, if the pandemic has led to staff working from other offices or largely working from home, extra care needs to be taken when running a Grand National sweepstake.

“Organisers, whether employers or employees, must make sure they do not sell any tickets via email or over the phone. Any staff member who wants to play must visit the office and buy a physical ticket. If these rules aren’t followed, organisers and players would technically be involved in illegal gambling.”

Bradley says other rules to make sure a workplace sweepstake doesn’t land anyone in hot water with the Gambling Commission include the following:

All players must pay the same amount for a ticket;
Horses must be decided by chance, for example, drawn out of a hat;
No one can make a profit and all stakes must be returned as prizes, though an organiser can deduct administration costs for running the contest;
The sweepstake can only be advertised at the work premises; and
There must be a winner – the prize cannot be rolled over.

Compliance Updates

Ukrainian Gambling Regulator Rolls Out Digital Complaints Platform

Published

3 hours ago

May 6, 2026

Wladimir P.

ukrainian-gambling-regulator-rolls-out-digital-complaints-platform

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.

Armenian Parliamentary Committee on Economic Affairs

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

Published

1 day ago

May 5, 2026

Wladimir P.

armenia-to-implement-strictest-gambling-regulations-to-combat-a-massive-surge-in-addiction

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.

Coinbase

Wisconsin DOJ Sues to Stop Alleged Illegal Sports Betting Operations in Wisconsin

Published

1 week ago

April 29, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

wisconsin-doj-sues-to-stop-alleged-illegal-sports-betting-operations-in-wisconsin

The Wisconsin Department of Justice (DOJ) has announced that it is suing Kalshi, Robinhood, Coinbase, Polymarket, Crypto.com, and their affiliates, to halt their alleged facilitation of illegal sports betting, a form of unlawful commercial gambling, in Wisconsin.

“Thinly disguising unlawful conduct doesn’t make it lawful. These companies’ alleged facilitation of sports betting in Wisconsin should be shut down,” said AG Kaul.

Except in limited circumstances, sports betting and other forms of commercial gambling have long been illegal in Wisconsin. Yet, as alleged in these lawsuits, the defendant companies have chosen to flout Wisconsin law through disguising the sports betting they facilitate on their online platforms as “event contracts,” which pay out just like ordinary bets based on the odds of sports-related outcomes.

The complaints further allege that the companies collect a fee for every bet made, meaning they generate revenue from Wisconsinites by violating the state’s gambling laws. Kalshi, as one example, reportedly generates more than $1 billion in annual revenue from its sports contracts, representing around 90% of its total estimated annualized revenue.

As the complaints allege, by making money from the sports bets they facilitate, these companies are engaging in unlawful gambling activity.

Wisconsin DOJ’s lawsuits, filed on last Thursday in Dane County, request a declaration that, by making sports-related event contracts available for trading by customers located in Wisconsin, the defendant companies are violating Wis. Stat.§945.03(1m) and thereby creating a public nuisance. The lawsuits additionally request preliminary and permanent injunctions enjoining and restraining the defendant companies from making sports-related event contracts available for trading by customers located in Wisconsin.

The post Wisconsin DOJ Sues to Stop Alleged Illegal Sports Betting Operations in Wisconsin appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.