Compliance Updates
Dutch Regulator Appoints Michel Groothuizen as New Chairman
The Dutch gambling regulator (KSA) has appointed Michel Groothuizen as its new chairman.
The regulator began the search for a new chairman in October last year after Jansen announced his decision to retire. A lawyer and public administration expert, Groothuizen has served as deputy director general of the Dutch Custodial Institutions Agency (DJI) for the past four years.
“With Michel, the KSA will have a new manager with very broad administrative experience and knowledge of the subject in question,” said Ric de Rooij, deputy secretary general at the ministry of justice and security, which is responsible for the KSA.
“This is also necessary because developments surrounding gambling do not stand still and will continue to require attention. I look forward to working with Michel,” he added.
Groothuizen previously served as general director of the Netherlands Institute for Forensic Psychiatry, and has also been a deputy judge at the Arnhem Court of Appeal for the past 15 years. Between 2001 and 2015, he worked at the ministry of justice and security and as policy director was responsible for, among other things, the establishment of the KSA in 2012.
“Old love never dies. From 2007 onwards, as policy director, I was responsible, among other things, for the gambling dossier. One of my tasks was to establish the Gaming Authority. We succeeded in 2012,” Groothuizen said.
“We had already been working on new legislation for a few years to manage online gambling offerings. It took almost 10 years before the law that was supposed to regulate this actually came into effect. I was long gone by then,” he added.
Groothuizen described his appointment as “a wonderful challenge.”
Playson, the accomplished digital entertainment supplier, has secured approval from the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) for the distribution of its games in the regulated Philippine market.
The approval was achieved through close cooperation between Playson and its aggregation partner, Light & Wonder, enabling Playson’s portfolio to be made available to licensed operators in the Philippines.
The project was delivered in a matter of days through a coordinated effort across Playson’s and Light & Wonder sales, integration, architecture and compliance teams. From a technical perspective, the process was completed with no major market-entry or infrastructure changes needed, as Playson’s platform was already prepared to meet the relevant specifications.
The milestone marks a new regulated market entry for Playson, which already operates in 27 regulated markets worldwide. PAGCOR approval further reinforces the company’s position as a recognised entertainment supplier with a strong and expanding compliant markets’ presence, and for delivering high-quality gaming content to operators and players around the world.
Ben Wood, Chief Commercial Officer at Playson, said: “Securing PAGCOR approval is an important step in Playson’s continued regulated-market growth. The Philippines represents an exciting opportunity for the business, and we are delighted to have achieved this milestone in cooperation with our valued aggregation partner, Light & Wonder.
“This approval reflects the strength of our platform, the readiness of our technology and the expertise of the teams involved. We are proud to bring Playson’s product suite to a new audience and to further strengthen our international presence.”
The post Playson Secures Approval from PAGCOR for Game Distribution in Philippines appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Expanse Studios, a subsidiary of Meridian Holdings Inc., announced regulatory certification enabling commercial deployment across Colombia’s online gambling market.
Gaming Associates, a UKAS-accredited testing laboratory (accreditation number 9263), certified Gates of Olympia, Candy’s Bonanza, and Leprechaun’s Wish as compliant with technical standards established by Colombian regulatory authorities. This certification authorizes deployment on licensed gaming platforms operating under Coljuegos oversight.
Colombia represents Latin America’s first comprehensively regulated online gambling market, operating under framework legislation established in 2016. According to reports, Colombia’s online gambling market generated $1.29 billion in revenue during 2024, growing at 9.53% CAGR with projections reaching $2.03 billion by 2029. Online casino games and sports betting account for the majority of market activity, with 82% of Colombians participating in games of chance according to industry research.
The market operates under strict regulatory oversight by Coljuegos, Colombia’s gaming authority, requiring comprehensive licensing and technical certification for content providers seeking market access. Colombia’s structured regulatory framework and established licensing infrastructure position the market as strategically valuable for B2B content providers targeting Latin American expansion.
“Colombia is one of the most mature regulated markets in Latin America. Certification here establishes the regulatory foundation we need to scale across the region. The market’s proven that regulated frameworks can work in LatAm—very high player participation shows demand exists when operators can operate legally. That’s the model we’re building toward in other territories,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios.
The Colombia certification follows Expanse Studios’ recent regulatory approvals in Estonia, Latvia, and Portugal, continuing the studio’s expansion across regulated markets in Europe and Latin America. With over 1300 B2B operator partnerships globally and a portfolio of 70+ proprietary titles, Expanse continues building distribution infrastructure in jurisdictions where regulatory compliance creates competitive differentiation.
The post Expanse Studios Secures Colombia Market Certification appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Erika Spiteri Bailey, the Senior Executive of Business Intelligence & Data Analytics at the Malta Gaming Authority (MGA), has been officially appointed as the Co-Chair of the InfoStat Working Group within the Gambling Regulators European Forum (GREF).
Erika Spiteri Bailey will serve in this role alongside Anssi Airas, representing the National Police Board of Finland.
GREF is a forum for European gaming regulators, facilitating the exchange of views and the development of approaches to common regulatory challenges. Within this framework, the InfoStat Working Group provides a platform for regulators to collaborate and exchange insights on the use of data in support of effective policy development and decision‑making across jurisdictions.
In her role as Co-Chair, Erika Spiteri Bailey will contribute to shaping the group’s work programme and fostering cooperation among members, with a focus on strengthening data‑driven regulatory approaches.
The post MGA Representative Appointed Co-Chair of GREF InfoStat Working Group appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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