Compliance Updates
EGBA: Finland’s New Gambling Legislation: A Step Forward, With Room For Improvement
Finland’s proposed change to its online gambling legislation marks a significant milestone in European gambling regulation. Finland is the last EU country with a monopoly system for online gambling, and its shift towards a multi-licensing approach is a positive change. It finally brings it into line with the rest of the EU countries who all already have some form of licensing framework for online gambling.
Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of European Gaming and Betting Association, said: “At EGBA, we support the newly proposed legislation, which we’ve advocated for years. Experience shows that a monopoly doesn’t work in the online world, and consumers are best served and protected in a well-regulated but competitive environment, where safety tools such as deposit limits and self-exclusion are made available to players.”
While Finland’s proposal is heading in the right direction, some areas require some fine-tuning to ensure the new licensing framework achieves its goal of ensuring Finns play with locally licensed websites.
Maarten Haijer said: “For starters, the proposed marketing restrictions, especially the ban on affiliate marketing and social media advertising, might backfire. These channels play a key role in guiding consumers to licensed, regulated platforms. Without them, players will drift to black market websites that don’t follow Finnish regulations or prioritise consumer safety.
“Also, the proposed blanket ban on bonuses is concerning. While we support setting boundaries on bonusing, a complete prohibition will simply make any newly licensed operators less competitive against unlicensed ones. This risks pushing players towards unregulated sites, undermining the very consumer protections the legislation aims to establish and strengthen.”
He added: “In our response to the government’s recent consultation, EGBA suggests two key improvements: Bring affiliates into the regulatory framework and allow social media advertising under clear rules. Both are valuable tools for channelling players towards licensed operators. By implementing clear guidelines, such as mandatory safer gambling messages, Finland can harness the power of these marketing channels while maintaining high standards of consumer protection.
“Instead of banning bonuses outright, implement guidelines for their responsible use. For instance, a nuanced approach could involve prohibiting bonuses for players showing signs of problematic behaviour, or setting clear rules on when and how bonuses can be offered. This strategy would allow operators to compete more effectively with unlicensed sites who will undoubtedly use bonuses to try to entice Finnish players away from regulated websites.
“These changes would better align Finland’s approach with the successful models seen across the EU, striking a balance between market competitiveness and robust consumer protection.
“Transitioning to a licensed market is no small feat, but it’s one that ultimately benefits everyone involved. At EGBA we are ready to share our expertise and support Finland in creating a well-regulated, competitive, and safe online gambling market.
“Finland stands at a pivotal moment in the history of its gambling regulation. By crafting a successful online gambling framework, Finland, like its neighbours Denmark and Sweden, can successfully transition from its monopoly to a well-functioning licensing system. Denmark’s transition to multi−licensing in 2012 led to a significant improvement in online channelisation, reaching well over 90 per cent. Sweden has seen similar improvements.
“Addressing the concerns about marketing restrictions and bonus regulations is crucial to ensure the new legislation achieves its objectives, safeguarding Finnish consumers while fostering a healthy, well-regulated online gambling environment.”
The post EGBA: Finland’s New Gambling Legislation: A Step Forward, With Room For Improvement appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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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