Compliance Updates
Betting and Gaming Council Launches First International Best Practice Guide
Standards body The Betting and Gaming Council has launched its first International Best Practice Guide, a vital new resource for online gaming operators and policymakers around the world.
The guide, commissioned by the BGC and compiled by leading professional services firm Alvarez and Marsal (A&M), sets out core objectives for policymakers, and the different approaches jurisdictions take to achieve them.
Drawing on lessons from around the world, it then highlights the benefits and disadvantages of those varying regulatory choices.
Over the last two decades the online sector has grown significantly, with just a handful of jurisdictions operating online gaming in 1994, to over 100 now.
While different policymakers take different approaches, this guide sets out the key policy objectives common to all regulators:
• High Channelisation: Ensuring that as much gaming as possible takes place in the regulated market.
• Consumer Protection: Including by protecting young people and the vulnerable through robust safer gambling measures.
• Preserving Consumer Choice: By maintaining competition.
• Keeping Gambling Crime Free: Including by ensuring sporting integrity.
• Raising Tax Revenue: Ensuring operators invest in the markets they operate in.
For the first time, this guide offers a single body of evidence to critically compare the wide variation in regulatory approaches to help inform decision making for policymakers.
The failure to balance the correct regulations can give rise to the growing, unsafe gambling black market, undermining policymaker’s objectives.
A recent separate study commissioned by the BGC revealed 1.5m people in the UK stake up to £4.3bn on the illegal gambling black market each year.
The BGC hope the document will provide a vital resource for policymakers in developing markets, as well as those revisiting existing regulations.
BGC CEO Grainne Hurst said: “For the first time, the BGC has brought together the lessons, both positive and negative, which have been learned by operators and regulators around the world when it comes to the online gaming sector.
“This sector will no doubt continue to grow internationally, offering huge potential benefits to existing markets and those which are currently developing.
“Through effective regulation of this new growth sector, governments can achieve their core priorities of raising tax, boosting growth and jobs, while delivering high standards for player protection.
“In the UK, we have seen that firsthand, where balanced regulations have created a sector which raises billions in tax and investment in the economy, while supporting tens of thousands of jobs.
“But the risk posed by the wrong regulatory balance can undermine that good work, and give a foothold to the growing unsafe, illegal gambling black market, which is an ever-present threat in the UK.
“We are proud that BGC members are now a genuine global success story and a Great British export – that is the prize when the right regulatory foundations deliver sustainable success.
“If you are a policymaker navigating this new growth sector, or an operator seeking to broaden your international footprint, then this guide is for you.”
Pierre Tournier, BGC International Director, added: “The online gaming market is a complex landscape involving a huge range of potential regulatory choices and outcomes.
“But for too long there has been a crucial evidence gap when those choices are considered by policymakers. Our ambition for this new guide is that it finally offers a solution to that problem.
“Drawing on the lessons from around the world, operators and policymakers, can take a global view of the pitfalls and benefits of different approaches, and make better policy decisions as a result.”
Adam Rivers, A&M’s head of Betting and Gaming in EMEA, said: “A&M are proud to have worked with the BGC on this important project which provides a new reference point and assessment of gambling regulation globally.
“Effective regulation plays an important role in ensuring the safe and effective functioning of gambling markets, supporting positive outcomes for regulators, operators and consumers.”
A&M’s Betting and Gaming practice consists of professionals acting across strategy, analytics, operational compliance, transformation, technology, M&A and tax.
The post Betting and Gaming Council Launches First International Best Practice Guide appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has updated the good and bad practices for the implementation of the means test. The adjustments follow follow-up research into how online gambling providers verify whether players’ gambling behaviour aligns with their financial means.
Since October 2024, online providers have been required to conduct a means test when players wish to deposit more than €300 net (young adults aged 18 to 24) or €700 (aged 24 and over). This test is intended to prevent players from spending more money on gambling than is responsible.
Follow-up research
In February 2025, the KSA published an overview of good and bad practices for conducting the financial capacity test for the first time. Subsequently, in a follow-up investigation, the KSA conducted sample checks at 20 license holders, during which concrete financial capacity tests were assessed. The KSA concludes from this that the good and bad practices have ensured that many providers have adjusted their working methods for conducting the financial capacity test in a positive way. At the same time, areas for improvement and violations were still identified. In total, the KSA applied a total of ten improvement interviews, three warnings and one binding instruction to various providers.
More clarity
The findings from the follow-up study have been incorporated into an updated version of the good and bad practices. With this, the KSA aims to provide providers with more clarity regarding the correct implementation of the affordability test. The new version clarifies, among other things, that liquid assets, such as savings, may not be part of the affordability test. The assessment must be based on the player’s structural income. The previous explanation regarding this led to confusion among providers in practice.
Supervision
The proper application of the means test remains an important subject for the KSA. The test helps prevent players from gambling away more money than they can afford, thereby contributing to the protection of vulnerable players.
The KSA continues to supervise the implementation of the capacity test and, in response to these tightened good and bad practices, will conduct new sample checks on permit holders.
The post KSA Updates Guidelines for Conducting Means Test appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) officially began issuing Business-to-Consumer (B2C) remote betting and betting intermediary licences on July 1, 2026. The issuance of in person betting licences will commence later this year.
With the commencement of GRAI licences, licensed operators must now meet strict obligations designed to protect consumers and uphold the integrity of the market. These include age verification requirements to prevent underage gambling, obligations to pay out winnings, safeguards such as a ban on facilitating credit or accepting credit cards and requirements on closing accounts on request. Operators are subject to ongoing compliance monitoring, and the GRAI has powers to investigate operators, enforce compliance, apply significant sanctions and take action against unlicensed or illegal activity.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD said: “The commencement of licences for remote betting operators establishes a clear and robust regulatory regime for the gambling sector, strengthening Ireland’s reputation as a well-regulated market, and ensuring operators are held to consistent standards of compliance. I welcome the progress made today as part of the phased implementation of licences for the gambling sector in Ireland.”
Anne Marie Caulfield, Chief Executive Officer of the GRAI, said: “We commenced the roll out of our licensing with the largest segment of the Irish betting market, remote betting. Once an operator is licensed by the GRAI, they are required to comply with all commenced obligations under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. This means that as of today, consumers in Ireland have important new protections when they bet online or over the phone.
“The GRAI licensing application process is substantial with a number of important requirements that operators must satisfy before they can be approved, this is to check that operators are (a) fit and proper, (b) have financial capacity to provide gambling activity, and (c) that winnings are funded from lawful means.
“It is important for consumers to understand the dangers of unlicensed operators. When gambling is unlicensed, oversight is removed and the risk of harm is radically increased. Tackling illegal operators is also a major priority for the GRAI, it is a criminal offence to operate without a betting licence, and our work has commenced in identifying unlicensed operators.”
GRAI licences are being rolled out on a phased basis, applications for further licence including gaming, lotteries, B2B, charitable and philanthropic will be opened throughout 2027 and 2028.
The post GRAI Starts Issuing Remote Betting Licences appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Coljuegos, the regulatory authority overseeing gambling sites in Colombia, continues its efforts to block illegal gambling websites. Since the beginning of the Government of Change in 2022, Coljuegos has issued a total of 46,228 blocking orders against websites that operate unauthorized betting.
According to the president of Coljuegos, Marco Emilio Hincapié, this is the result of an intense fight against gambling structures that operate outside the law.
“Never before has an administration fought illegal gambling with such force. At Coljuegos, and through our Artificial Intelligence Center, we have optimized the detection and blocking of unauthorized websites,” the official said.
He added: “We have been working with the Ministry of ICT to simplify the process with Internet Service Providers and effectively block any page that operates or promotes gambling illegally.”
It is worth noting that, throughout the history of the entity, 55,658 blocking requests have been issued, of which 83% correspond to the Government of Change.
“While past administrations only issued around 9,000 blocking requests, we multiplied that figure by 5, and in just 4 years. Illegals have never had it so bad,” Hincapié asserted.
Furthermore, the official reiterated the importance of players only betting with the 15 operators authorized by Coljuegos.
“By playing on legal websites, you are not only guaranteeing the protection of your data and your bets, but you are also contributing to the health of less fortunate Colombians,” concluded the president of Coljuegos.
The post Coljuegos Issues More Than 46,000 Requests to Block Illegal Websites appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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