Compliance Updates
EGBA Welcomes European Parliament’s Approval of New European Digital Identity
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) has welcomed the recent approval by the European Parliament of a Regulation introducing a new European Digital Identity (e-ID). The Parliament’s endorsement of the e-ID marks a significant milestone in the journey towards a more secure and inclusive digital environment for all citizens across the European Union (EU). The new e-ID will be a transformative tool that addresses several concerns in the digital sphere.
According to the Regulation, adopted by the Parliament on 29 February, the e-ID will allow citizens to identify and authenticate themselves online without having to resort to commercial providers – a practice that has, in the past, raised trust, security and privacy concerns related to the sharing of consumer data with third-party platforms. Using such a standardised, non-commercial identification method will ensure greater privacy protection for consumers, among other benefits. Additionally, the e-ID enhances security by offering consumers and businesses a trusted and standardised tool for online identification, minimising the risk of identity theft and fraud.
This streamlined approach will not only increase user confidence in digital transactions but will also reduce costs and administration for businesses, including gambling operators, by providing a singular verification tool they can use across the EU, instead of paying high fees for the use of commercial databases. The success of the e-ID will of course depend on a high participation rate among citizens. The use of the e-ID will be entirely voluntary for citizens and businesses, including gambling operators. Thus, gambling operators have the flexibility to determine whether they wish to integrate the e-ID tool into their know-your-customer processes.
EGBA has been a supporter of the e-ID since it was proposed by the European Commission in 2021, recognising its potential to revolutionise the way online services are accessed and utilised in the EU, offering a streamlined and secure means for individuals to verify their identity and engage in various digital activities. Since the proposal, EGBA has been encouraging the EU institutions to ensure that businesses, including gambling operators, can access and use the e-ID and benefit from its use. For the online gambling sector, the e-ID holds particular significance, as it provides players with an easy, secure, trustworthy, and singular option to confirm their identity in the EU.
The e-ID law, which amends the EU’s eIDAS Regulation, will now have to be formally endorsed by the EU Council of Ministers before its official adoption, expected before summer 2024. As a Regulation, it will automatically apply across all EU member states from the moment of its adoption.
“We welcome the European Parliament’s approval of a unified digital identity framework and are confident that the use of the new e-ID in our sector will lead to a more seamless and trustworthy online experience for players and help to reduce costs and administration for gambling operators. This innovative tool represents an important step towards building a more secure and user-friendly digital ecosystem, aligning with EGBA’s core objectives of promoting integrity, transparency, and a safe, consumer-centric playing environment,” Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, said.
Australia
Former Star Entertainment Executives Mathias Bekier and Paula Martin Disqualified and Ordered to Pay Penalties
The Australian Federal Court has disqualified former Star Entertainment Group Limited executives Mathias Bekier and Paula Martin from managing corporations for six and seven years respectively and ordered them to pay pecuniary penalties for breaching their duties by failing to properly manage serious risks at one of Australia’s major casinos.
The Court ordered:
Mr Bekier, the former Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, to pay a pecuniary penalty of $700,000 and disqualified him from managing corporations for six years.
Ms Martin, the former General Counsel, Company Secretary, and Chief Legal and Risk Officer, to pay a pecuniary penalty of $400,000 and disqualified her from managing corporations for seven years.
His Honour also ordered that Mr Bekier and Ms Martin pay 45% of ASIC’s costs of the proceeding.
The Court previously found that both Mr Bekier and Ms Martin breached their duties owed to Star Entertainment in relation to their handling of the risks associated with money laundering and criminal activity.
ASIC Chair Sarah Court said: “senior executives have a critical responsibility to identify, escalate and properly manage serious risks within their organisations.
“These failures occurred in a highly regulated environment and contributed to significant governance breakdowns at Star.
“Penalties of this scale reflect the seriousness of their conduct and send a strong message to other senior executives of listed companies that failures of this type are unacceptable.”
ASIC has an enduring enforcement priority focused on governance and directors’ duties failures.
In relation to Mr Bekier, His Honour Justice Lee said:
“Senior executives of casino operators, and public companies conducting enterprises pregnant with risks more broadly, must understand that failures of the kind established by the contraventions may attract substantial personal consequences.”
Further, in respect of Ms Martin he found that “the community is entitled to expect that a solicitor occupying such positions and having such responsibilities, within one of Australia’s largest casino operators, will display professional independence, accuracy and judgment of a high order. The conduct established … represented a very serious departure from those standards” and that
“Ms Martin knew of a miscellany of alarming information pertaining to [an overseas gambling junket] … She was required to report such matters to the Board but failed to do so. This is all the more concerning when considered against the backdrop of Ms Martin being the most senior solicitor employed by Star”; and that
“The more pervasive the failures of governance and culture become, the greater the obligation upon those entrusted with legal and risk responsibilities to insist upon compliance with legal obligations and proper standards of corporate conduct.”
The post Former Star Entertainment Executives Mathias Bekier and Paula Martin Disqualified and Ordered to Pay Penalties appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
Kentucky AG Files Lawsuits Against Companies Allegedly Operating Illegal Betting, Gambling Platforms
Kentucky Attorney General Russell Coleman announced on Wednesday that his office has filed separate lawsuits against three online platforms he claims are operating without licenses and engaging in illegal sports betting and gambling.
The lawsuits were filed in Franklin Circuit Court against:
Kalshi, a prediction market platform, and its affiliates including Coinbase;
Polymarket, a prediction market platform, and its affiliates; and
VGW, an online casino platform with brands including Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Slots.
The suits against Kalshi and Polymarket allege that they allow users to place wagers on game winners, point spreads and player statistics, and that they are doing business in Kentucky without a gaming license or following state regulations.
The suit against Kalshi states that it offers so-called “event contracts” on several topics; sports betting made up approximately 70% of its trading volume during a selected sample period in 2025.
The Polymarket suit states that the platform’s flashy advertisements on social media and elsewhere give the false and misleading impression that it is authorized to offer sports wagering under Kentucky law. The platform offers many of the same traditional sports bets as a licensed sportsbook.
“Kalshi and Polymarket are operating illegal sportsbooks in Kentucky and breaking our laws. These multi-billion dollar corporations and their legal fictions don’t pass the sniff test. As one of our state legislative leaders said it best, ‘If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck’,” said Coleman on the suits.
The suits also allege that each company offers few or no resources to identify or seek help for a gambling problem.
The suit against VGW and its affiliates states that they allegedly operate unlawful sweepstakes casino websites that use two different types of virtual gambling chips.
The games on websites are designed to look and feel like slot machines and blackjack.
The alleged online casinos offer two types of chips: one free and one with cash value.
According to the suit, users pay real money for so-called Sweeps Coins, just as gamblers pay for poker chips at a real casino, or they can cash out their winnings.
“This company may use new technology and a new scheme to hide, but the reality is the same,” Coleman said on the suit. “Our Office has a duty to stop illegal gambling in Kentucky regardless of how it’s packaged.”
In recent months, Coleman has joined in national bipartisan efforts to regulate prediction markets.
The post Kentucky AG Files Lawsuits Against Companies Allegedly Operating Illegal Betting, Gambling Platforms appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Approval positions the supplier to distribute certified titles to licensed operators under Switzerland’s Federal Gambling Act.
PopOK Gaming has secured game certification for Switzerland’s regulated iGaming market, clearing the supplier to offer its online casino portfolio to licensed Swiss operators.
The company said the approval was granted under the Swiss Federal Gambling Act (Geldspielgesetz), which sets requirements around game fairness, security, and player protection. PopOK Gaming said it passed the necessary evaluations to meet local technical and regulatory standards.
According to PopOK Gaming, Swiss operators will be able to integrate an initial line-up including “high-volatility slots, unique artistic games, and instant games,” alongside mechanics such as animations and gamification features.
PopOK Gaming said the Swiss certification supports its broader European expansion strategy and that it is open to partnership discussions with licensed operators in the market.
The post PopOK Gaming secures Swiss certification to supply online casino games appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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