Compliance Updates
Interpol Illegal Gambling Investigation Leads to 5100 Arrests
In a massive international operation targeting illegal football gambling and its associated criminal activity, authorities made over 5100 arrests and recovered more than USD 59 million in illicit proceeds.
The operation, code-named SOGA X and conducted between June and July 2024, was a collaborative effort involving INTERPOL and 28 countries and territories. It was designed to tackle illegal online football gambling during the UEFA 2024 European Football Championship, which was predicted to generate a surge in betting turnover, and lucrative profits for criminal organisations.
The illegal gambling market is worth a staggering USD 1.7 trillion globally, according to research by the Asian Racing Federation, and is closely tied to other criminal enterprises. Beyond shutting down tens of thousands of illegal websites, SOGA X investigations also led to the rescue of trafficked workers and the exposure of money laundering syndicates.
Hundreds of human trafficking victims rescued in the Philippines
In one significant case in the Philippines, local authorities, supported by INTERPOL, dismantled a scam centre operating alongside a licensed gambling site. The operation resulted in the rescue of more than 650 human trafficking victims, including almost 400 Filipinos and more than 250 foreign nationals from six different countries. Many of the victims had been lured to the location with false promises of employment and were kept there through threats, intimidation, and even passport confiscation. They were then forced into working for the legal gambling site, while also running illegal cyber scams, including romance scams and cryptocurrency-related fraud.
An INTERPOL Operational Support Team provided vital assistance to Filipino authorities on the ground, providing expertise in extracting and analysing forensic evidence from seized devices, tracing illicit financial flows and identifying potential victims and suspects in other jurisdiction.
The SOGA X operation also cracked down on large-scale illegal betting sites and complex financial crime schemes.
One notable example from Vietnam, where online gambling is prohibited for citizens, saw authorities dismantle a sophisticated gambling ring that was generating a staggering USD 800,000 in daily transactions.
The syndicate, powered by servers located in multiple countries, used an elaborate network of bank accounts and e-wallets to receive illegal gambling bets and distribute payouts.
In Thailand, police raided two locations hosting major illegal betting websites, arresting the ringleaders and their network for gambling and money laundering offenses and seizing assets worth over USD 9 million.
In Greece, authorities took down a major illegal betting ring that exploited fake and mule user accounts to place bets on sports events. The organised crime group, which employed Virtual Private Networks (VPNs) to bypass internet blocks in Greece, operated at least seven illegal gambling sites and had access to accounts on 60 other illegal websites.
The group managed 3000 fake and ‘mule’ user accounts on legal gambling websites in Greece, Cyprus and Spain. The accounts had been created using both stolen identity cards and forged documents and often utilised e-wallets to facilitate their illegal activities. During the investigation seized laptops were found to contain 9000 pictures of fake ID cards.
The goal of this type of scheme is to break down large sums of money into smaller, less detectable amounts. By dispersing their profits across multiple accounts, criminals aim to avoid detection by law enforcement, financial institutions and legitimate gambling sites. It’s a method also used to facilitate money laundering.
SOGA X was a coordinated effort led by INTERPOL, with crucial support from the Asia-Pacific Expert Group on Organised Crime (APEG), the INTERPOL Match Fixing Task Force (IMFTF) and operation partner UEFA. INTERPOL facilitated intelligence sharing among participating countries, providing case mentoring and training for local authorities.
Stephen Kavanagh, INTERPOL Executive Director of Police Services, said: “Organized crime networks reap huge profits from illegal gambling, which is often intertwined with corruption, human trafficking, and money laundering. The successes of Operation SOGA X would not have been achieved without global information sharing and significant efforts by law enforcement authorities on the ground.”
Illegal gambling can also be closely tied to match-fixing as criminals attempt to manipulate the outcome of sports events to guarantee profits. When illegal gambling is rampant, it becomes easier for corrupt individuals to influence games, so the SOGA X operation also aimed to intercept and interrupt any signal of manipulation. Related investigations are still ongoing.
The post Interpol Illegal Gambling Investigation Leads to 5100 Arrests appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
AleRT Bettor Protection System
Regulating the Game Names “Prevent” Risk Identification System by Focal as Latest Innovation Selected for 2026 Pitch! Event
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Leading gambling law and regulation conference Regulating the Game (RTG) has announced “Prevent” – a real-time gambling risk identification and safer gambling messaging system developed by Focal – as the latest innovation selected to feature at next year’s Pitch! event.
Part of RTG’s networking schedule taking place alongside the summit itself in Sydney in March, Pitch! – to be held on the evening of 9 March at the Sydney Opera House – is designed to surface solutions that confront real regulatory challenges by strengthening consumer protection, enhancing governance and offering operators practical capability uplift.
Organisers said “Prevent” exemplifies this mission by reframing player protection as a core operational system rather than an ancillary responsibility. Specifically, it advances the identification of risk across the millions of interactions land-based venues experience by using live behavioural data to detect risk early, generate real-time alerts and deliver safer gambling messaging directly to customers.
It is the next evolution of Focal’s award-winning ALeRT Bettor Protection System, bringing faster insights, automated outreach and a more complete picture of customer behaviour.
According to RTG, “Prevent” expands the reach of player protection by identifying emerging risk in real time, monitoring both carded and uncarded play, delivering instant and automated safer gambling messages, supporting venue teams with accurate, consolidated risk information and streamlining compliance reporting and documentation.
“‘Prevent’ is exactly the sort of innovation Pitch! is built to spotlight. We’re looking for solutions that lift capability, that translate research into operational practice and that show what is possible when technology meets real-world regulatory challenges. ‘Prevent’ is pushing safer gambling further upstream – and making it part of mainstream operations,” said Paul Newson, Principal at Vanguard Overwatch and founder of RTG.
RTG also revealed its first batch of sponsors for the 2026 event, namely GLI as Gala Dinner Partner and Amazon Web Services as a Silver Sponsor, with support from ebet, CherryHub, Intralot Australia, IGT, Everi, Vanguard Overwatch, Leagues Clubs Australia and Thomson Geer.
The post Regulating the Game Names “Prevent” Risk Identification System by Focal as Latest Innovation Selected for 2026 Pitch! Event appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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GAMOMAT, one of the leading independent German software developers for slot games, has achieved its ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification. This marks a major milestone in the company’s ongoing commitment to information security management.
The ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification was awarded by Proks Certification GmbH, an independent certification body accredited by the German Accreditation Body (Deutsche Akkreditierungsstelle DAkkS). The certification, valid until August 2028, also covers GAMOMAT Distribution GmbH and GAMOMAT RGS Ltd.
This important certification ensures that GAMOMAT has the right framework to process, manage and protect both its own sensitive information and that of its clients and employees. GAMOMAT completed a full audit by ISO consultants as part of the assessment, confirming its procedures meet the required benchmarks.
“Securing our ISO/IEC 27001:2022 certification is a testament to our unwavering understanding that data and information security are crucial. This certification demonstrates that our technology is managed responsibly and securely, in line with internationally recognised best practices,” said Paul Schulleri, CTO of GAMOMAT Development GmbH.
The post GAMOMAT Achieves ISO/IEC 27001:2022 Certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Expanse Studios, a B2B iGaming content provider and subsidiary of Golden Matrix Group Inc., has been granted a software provider license by Spelinspektionen, Sweden’s national gambling authority, authorizing the company to distribute gaming software to licensed operators in one of Europe’s most mature and regulated iGaming markets.
The license, valid until December 1, 2030, enables Expanse Studios to supply its portfolio of proprietary slot games, crash games, and casino content to Sweden’s licensed B2C operators. This approval positions the company to serve a market that generated approximately €2.4 billion in total gambling revenue in 2024, with online gaming accounting for 64% of total market activity.
Entry into Europe’s Most Regulated Market
Sweden represents one of Europe’s most sophisticated iGaming jurisdictions, with approximately 100 licensed operators serving a population of 10.5 million where internet penetration exceeds 95%. In 2024, the online gambling revenue reached $1.9 billion, reflecting a 5% increase from the previous year.
The Swedish market maintains one of Europe’s highest channelization rates at 85-90%, indicating strong player preference for licensed platforms. Sweden’s regulatory framework, established through the 2019 Gambling Act and overseen by Spelinspektionen, emphasizes technical compliance, responsible gaming, and transparent operations—standards that align with Expanse Studios’ existing operations across 1,300+ casino brands in regulated markets.
“Sweden’s licensing framework sets the gold standard for regulated iGaming markets in Europe,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios. “Securing the license approval from the Swedish Authority once again validated our technical capabilities and commitment to responsible gaming in one of the world’s most demanding regulatory environments. This license opens substantial distribution opportunities with established operators serving a highly engaged, tech-savvy player base.”
The Swedish license complements Expanse Studios’ recent European regulatory approvals in Romania and commercial partnerships with operators including AdmiralBet (Novomatic Group) and MerkurXtip (Merkur Group), demonstrating accelerating demand for certified, compliant content across regulated jurisdictions in Europe.
Sweden’s market characteristics—including strong preference for mobile platforms, high consumer spending on digital entertainment, and established payment infrastructure—align well with Expanse Studios’ content portfolio. With 56 proprietary titles including Super Heli, Titan Roulette, and Wild Icy Fruits, the company continues scaling its high-margin B2B operations across Europe, Latin America, and North America.
This license approval reinforces Golden Matrix Group’s strategic focus on expanding regulated B2B operations in jurisdictions with transparent licensing frameworks and very robust player protection standards.
The post Expanse Studios Secures Swedish B2B Gaming License appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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