Compliance Updates
MGCB Announces Successful Destruction of Illegal Gaming Machines
Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director Henry Williams has announced that numerous unlicensed illegal gaming machines were recently destroyed at the City Recycling Inc. junkyard located at 1943 Mack Avenue in Detroit.
The machines had been seized by the Attorney General during various MGCB investigations into alleged illegal gambling activity. To ensure that the machines cannot be reused or sold, they were crushed using heavy machinery to prevent any salvageable parts from being used elsewhere.
“Illegal gaming continues to pose a threat to Michigan citizens and their communities, as it often leads to an increase in organized criminal activity, financial exploitation, and other related social issues. Unregulated gaming machines also result in a loss of state revenue. Operators running illegal gaming establishments are not reporting earnings or paying taxes — they are essentially robbing Michigan citizens of taxes and revenue used to support our schools through the School Aid Fund and our communities and local governments with essential state funding dollars,” Williams said.
Illegal gaming refers to any form of gambling or betting activity — which involves the elements of consideration, prize, and chance — that is conducted outside the boundaries of the law. It is a widespread problem across the US and not unique to Michigan. According to the American Gaming Association’s report, Sizing the Illegal and Unregulated Gaming Markets in the US, unregulated gaming machines, including so-called “skill machines,” continue to proliferate, with an estimated 580,651 unregulated machines in the US. With 870,000 regulated machines in casinos across the country, that means 40% of all gaming machines are unlicensed.
“The machines destroyed by the MGCB are the tools of criminals, cheating their neighbors of their hard-earned money as well as the state out of gaming revenues that support our schools. Illegal gaming operations are a danger to their communities, typically becoming local hotspots for other crimes and violence. We will continue to coordinate with the Michigan Gaming Control Board to ensure our state’s gambling laws are strictly enforced,” Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel said.
“The destruction of these machines sends a clear message that the Michigan Gaming Control Board is not playing games when it comes to upholding the highest standards of gaming regulation and enforcement. The MGCB will continue to ensure that unauthorized machines are not left to chance to be repurposed and used again by those who choose to break the law,” Williams added.
Michigan law prohibits accepting money or anything of value with the understanding that money, or something of value, will be paid to any person contingent upon the outcome of an uncertain event. Unlicensed casinos, unauthorized online gambling platforms, underground sports-betting operations, or any other form of wagering that is not regulated by the MGCB are all considered forms of illegal gaming.
As part of its work to halt illegal gaming, the MGCB and the Liquor Control Commission began a joint effort in 2022 to educate the public and business owners about illegal use of gambling machines. As a result of MGCB investigations from January 2015 through July 2023, a total of 1195 illegal machines and $470,401.98 have been seized. Additionally, since November 2022, 48 locations have received cease-and-desist letters involving 105 illegal machines.
The Dutch Gambling Regulator (KSA) has announced that it will place a greater focus on combating illegality and player protection in its oversight in 2026. The regulator outlined its priorities for 2026 in five key themes.
In 2026, the KSA will pay extra attention to the following topics:
• Combating illegal gambling offers
• Protection of vulnerable groups: minors and young adults
• Supervision of the duty of care
• Supervision of advertising
• Supervision of compliance with the Wwft
Additional capacity is being freed up to combat illegal gambling, primarily to frustrate and disable the infrastructure of illegal parties. This could include closer collaboration with payment service providers, hosting providers and social media companies.
The increased priority on protecting vulnerable groups and enhanced oversight of advertising and duty of care aligns with the Ministry’s renewed vision, which places a greater emphasis on player protection. A separate player protection department has been established for this purpose within the KSA’s new organisational structure, effective from January 2026.
The post Dutch Regulator Outlines 5 Key Supervisory Priorities for 2026 Agenda appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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Arizona Department of Gaming Names Juan Carlos Estrada as Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Executive Director
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Names Juan Carlos Estrada as Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Executive Director appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Compliance Updates
Cyprus Betting Authority Deploys 150 Secret Agents to Conduct Raids on Betting Agencies
The Cyprus NBA is significantly ramping up its regulatory oversight for 2026. Raids on betting agencies are being carried out by “undercover” agents as part of stepped-up checks by the NBA to ensure compliance with the law.
The NBA has procured inspection services from the private sector, deploying 150 undercover agents who pose as customers and enter betting premises unannounced.
While on site, the agents monitor staff conduct, check whether illegal bets are being placed and verify that minors are not present.
Alongside these surprise visits, NBA officers also carry out on-site inspections and monitor betting websites used by hundreds of players, while inspections are also conducted to identify potential money-laundering activity.
The issues related to the violations of rules were raised during a meeting of the House Finance Committee, where an NBA representative said the Authority imposed fines totalling €46,000 last year.
Of that amount, €26,000 related to breaches linked to the lack of required licences, with the remainder stemming from the presence of minors on premises and other violations of the legislation.
At the same time, data submitted to parliament showed that bets worth €1.3 billion were placed last year, with players receiving €1.17bn in winnings.
Against that backdrop, and following an increase in the betting tax, state revenue from betting rose to €6 million, up from €3.2m a year earlier.
During the discussion, it was also noted that a draft bill has been pending at the Ministry of Finance for around a year.
The bill provides for new products and services, as well as enhanced safeguards for responsible gaming and the protection of minors.
A representative of the ministry clarified that there are no plans to introduce online casino games.
Expected revenue from betting activity is projected at €71.85m this year, an increase of 28.03 per cent, or €15.73m, compared with 2025.
Revenue is forecast to rise further to €75.27m in 2027 and €78.59m in 2028.
Breaking down the figures, betting tax is expected to generate €53m, licence fees €8.2m and betting activity contributions €10m.
Class A and Class B licence holders pay tax at a rate of 10 per cent on net betting earnings, with Class A covering land-based betting and Class B online betting.
In addition, €32m relates to betting tax on Opap’s Cyprus’ gross profits under the new contract, while licences for Class A and B operators, authorised representatives and premises are expected to bring in €2.8m.
A further €5m concerns Opap’s Cyprus’ licence fee and €0.4m its supervision contribution, also under the revised agreement.
The post Cyprus Betting Authority Deploys 150 Secret Agents to Conduct Raids on Betting Agencies appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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