Compliance Updates
Starlizard Integrity Services Identifies 167 Suspicious Football Matches Played Globally in 2023
Sports integrity specialists Starlizard Integrity Services (SIS) have identified 167 football matches played around the world in 2023 as suspicious.
In a major study, covering more than 65,000 football matches, SIS found that 167 (0.26%) showed indicators of potential manipulation. This represents an increase of 16% on the number identified in 2022 (144), although SIS analysed more matches in 2023, which means the percentage of suspicious matches decreased from 0.39% in 2022 to 0.26% in 2023.
The SIS 2023 data revealed that:
- 69 of the matches assessed as suspicious (41.3%) were played in the UEFA (European) region. However, this represents only 0.18% of the total UEFA region matches analysed – below the overall global percentage of 0.26%.
- The AFC (Asian) region saw the highest regional percentage of suspicious matches at 0.47%, although 0.52% of all international matches analysed were also assessed as suspicious.
- Just under half (49.7%) of all suspicious matches identified in 2023 were played in domestic leagues below the top leagues.
- Top-level leagues themselves were not immune, with just over a quarter (25.2%) of all suspicious matches identified being in this category.
- The risks to club friendly and youth matches are disproportionately high, accounting for 10.8% and 6% of the suspicious matches respectively, despite representing just 2.9% and 3.5% of all the games analysed in 2023.
- Whilst Full-Time betting markets still dominate suspicious betting activity, there has been a significant rise in suspicious betting on First-Half Only markets. Of the 167 matches identified as suspicious in 2023, 45 (27%) involved betting solely on the First-Half Only markets, which represents a marked increase from only six games (4.2%) identified in 2022.
Matches analysed by SIS are categorised as “suspicious” when they are found to have suspect betting patterns associated with them that may be indicative of match-fixing. While the level of suspicion will vary across matches depending on the nature and amount of evidence discovered, SIS believes that all matches so identified would warrant further investigation.
Compliance Updates
NOVOMATIC Becomes the First Gaming Technology Company to Earn the ISO 20671 “Certified Brand” Status
The NOVOMATIC brand has successfully achieved certification in accordance with the international ISO 20671 standard, “Brand Evaluation – Principles and Fundamentals,” and has been awarded the prestigious “Certified Brand” seal. This makes NOVOMATIC the first gaming technology company worldwide whose brand has been comprehensively appraised on the basis of this internationally standardized evaluation model.
The certification process is based on a structured and transparent assessment framework that evaluates brand strength and long-term development potential. In line with ISO standards, key aspects of NOVOMATIC’s corporate and brand management in Austria were analysed, including innovation capability, quality standards, service orientation, market performance and the brand’s impact on customers, partners and stakeholders. The assessment also covered brand protection and market and trend analyses, as well as transparent reporting and governance processes.
“Our brand stands for clear standards and the highest level of quality. As the first gaming technology company worldwide with an ISO 20671-certified brand, we are setting a new benchmark for future-oriented brand management and reaffirming our commitment to shaping the gaming industry through innovation, quality, and sustainable brand development,” said Stefan Krenn, Member of the Executive Board of NOVOMATIC AG.
The certificate was presented during the International NOVOMATIC Marketing & Communications Summit, which was hosted this year by the NOVOMATIC subsidiary LÖWEN ENTERTAINMENT in Bingen, Germany. The event brought together marketing and communications experts from more than 30 countries and provided the ideal setting to celebrate this significant acknowledgement of NOVOMATIC’s brand management excellence.
The post NOVOMATIC Becomes the First Gaming Technology Company to Earn the ISO 20671 “Certified Brand” Status appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
European Standard on Markers of Harm Now Published – EGBA Members Commit to Alignment
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) welcomes the publication of the European standard on markers of harm in gambling (EN 18144), on 31 May 2026, through the national standardisation bodies of the European Committee for Standardisation (CEN). EGBA and its members support the standard as an important voluntary baseline for identifying risky gambling behaviour, and its members are committed to aligning their player protection frameworks with the standard across Europe.
The standard establishes a strong baseline for consumer protection across Europe, identifying nine core behavioural markers that operators can use to recognise risky gambling patterns before they escalate:
- changes in stake volume or frequency.
- speed or intensity of play.
- deposit frequency, size, or failed deposits.
- withdrawals and cancelled withdrawals.
- player-initiated contact.
- gambling session duration or time-of-day play.
- use of multiple products.
- net losses or loss trajectories over time.
- changes to safety tools such as limits and self-exclusion.
EGBA proposed this initiative to CEN in 2022 and actively participated in its development alongside operators, national authorities, academics, and other harm prevention stakeholders. The resulting standard – the first of its kind in the gambling industry – is grounded in the latest research and received overwhelming approval from national standardisation bodies in October 2025.
EGBA members are already putting the standard into practice in Europe:
• Most members already monitor all nine behavioural indicators, with many having embedded them across all their operations.
• Members apply risk-scoring models to continuously assess player behaviour and flag emerging risk patterns.
• Members are committed to progressive alignment with the standard across all their operations.
“This is an important milestone for player protection in Europe. When widely adopted, this voluntary standard will lead to earlier identification of risky play and, ultimately, better protection for players. Our members are ahead of the curve on implementation – they are already applying many aspects of the standard and are committed to alignment across their European operations. We encourage other operators to adopt the standard and help raise the bar on player protection across Europe,“ said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA.
As a voluntary tool, the standard complements existing national regulatory frameworks across Europe. In some jurisdictions, certain markers may not be applicable where they conflict with national law, and implementation will reflect the regulatory realities of each market. EGBA remains committed to supporting its members and the wider industry to drive implementation of the standard across Europe.
The standard (EN 18144) is now available for purchase from national standardisation bodies across Europe.
The post European Standard on Markers of Harm Now Published – EGBA Members Commit to Alignment appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
Finland consults on online gambling rules with slot stake caps and autoplay ban
Finland’s Ministry of the Interior has published a draft regulation for public consultation that would set detailed product-level requirements for gambling offered by holders of Finnish gambling licences. The regulation is proposed to enter into force on 1 July 2027, as Finland prepares for its new licensing regime.
The draft introduces maximum stakes across electronic casino game categories. Electronic slot machine games and electronic bingo would be capped at EUR 20 per round, with higher limits proposed for certain electronic table games. Online poker would be subject to a maximum initial bet of EUR 1,000 per game. Where a combination game spans multiple categories, the explanatory memorandum says the applicable maximum stake would be determined by reference to the game types included in that combination.
A lower set of stake limits would apply to players under 25. For this group, the maximum stake for electronic slot machine games and electronic bingo would be EUR 10 per round, with reduced caps also proposed across several table game categories.
The draft also regulates tournament entry fees and jackpot mechanics. Table game tournaments (excluding player-versus-player poker) would be capped at EUR 1,000, player-versus-player poker tournaments at EUR 5,000, and electronic slot machine tournaments at EUR 500. It expressly permits surprise-type jackpots and winning-combination jackpots, including fixed, odds-based and progressive jackpots.
For electronic slot machine games, the proposal adds game design and player protection requirements that would effectively prohibit autoplay. Players must choose their own stake and start each round themselves, and operators may not offer or technically enable simultaneous play of two or more electronic slot machine games. Each round must last at least 2.5 seconds and players must not be allowed to shorten the draw time before the result is displayed. The draft also restricts presentation features that could imply a win is likely in future rounds or misrepresent losses, requires disclosure that in electronic games of chance player choices do not affect the draw outcome, and mandates on-screen playing-time reminders every 15 minutes with a continue-or-logout choice (with an exception for electronic casino games where players play against each other).
The consultation is open to anyone wishing to comment, with submissions due by 5 August. The regulation remains in draft form and may change before adoption.
The post Finland consults on online gambling rules with slot stake caps and autoplay ban appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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