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.
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The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has conducted research into the risk analyses that online gambling providers must conduct regarding their sports betting offerings. The study examined the implementation of the identification, analysis and evaluation of risks to the integrity of the relevant matches at four providers. Based on this risk analysis, providers must identify and mitigate match-fixing risks.
Following reports to the Sports Betting Intelligence Unit (SBIU), an investigation has been launched into a possible match-fixing. By examining the providers’ risk analyses, it will become clear whether providers have their analyses properly in place and are adequately assessing, assessing and ultimately mitigating the risks. While the KSA sees room for improvement in areas such as the specification of certain risks, the measures taken and the implementation of the reporting obligation, it is generally positive about the implementation of the providers’ risk analyses. This represents an upward trend compared to a year ago. The KSA continues to randomly audit risk analyses.
Source: kansspelautoriteit.nl
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The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) announced a new comprehensive pledge establishing standards for responsible influencer marketing across Europe’s gambling sector, reinforcing its commitment to promote best practices in responsible advertising and consumer protection throughout the EU.
The Pledge on Responsible Influencer Marketing in Online Gambling was developed in collaboration with the European Advertising Standards Alliance (EASA) and is the first industry-wide set of influencer marketing standards in Europe’s gambling sector. It represents a significant step forward in addressing the fast-paced evolution of online marketing, particularly the growing use of influencers in the gambling industry.
Building on EGBA’s pioneering Code of Conduct on responsible advertising for online gambling (EGBA Code), the pledge sets out additional standards for all influencer marketing content produced on behalf of EGBA members.
A Comprehensive Framework for Responsible Influencer Marketing
The pledge establishes three core pillars designed to ensure the highest standards of consumer protection:
• Enhanced Advertising Standards: The pledge introduces rules and guidelines on enhanced transparency and age-gating mechanisms to prevent minors from accessing influencer marketing content for online gambling. It builds on the EGBA Code’s prohibition of gambling marketing content appealing to minors by introducing content moderation requirements and audience demographic checks.
• Influencer Selection Criteria: EGBA members commit to working exclusively with influencers who have been screened for responsible marketing conduct and who abide by all applicable advertising standards and legislation. EGBA members encourage the use of training programmes to ensure the influencers they work with remain on top of the latest regulatory and self-regulatory developments for advertising.
• Independent Monitoring and Compliance: EGBA members commit to regularly monitor their influencer marketing content by independent entities, and to promptly remove any content that is non-compliant with the pledge.
The pledge applies to all forms of influencer content, including live streams, stories, posts, videos and any digital content formats.
“As the online advertising landscape continues to evolve, we’re proud to lead the industry with the first comprehensive standards for influencer marketing in Europe’s gambling sector. This pledge demonstrates our members’ commitment to responsible advertising and willingness to go beyond regulatory requirements to ensure the highest standards of transparency and minor protection in their influencer partnerships,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA.
EGBA members represent leading online gambling operators who are licensed and regulated within the EU. The association has been at the forefront of establishing responsible advertising standards across the industry, with the EGBA Code serving as the first pan-European framework for responsible advertising in Europe’s online gambling sector.
The new influencer marketing pledge will be implemented through EGBA members’ marketing practices, with active engagement with influencers to promote awareness of these enhanced standards.
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Delasport’s groundbreaking sports betting jackpot game, SuperPot, has received full certification from GLI in the UK. With this authorization, SuperPot becomes a one-of-a-kind, dedicated Sportsbook Jackpot solution on the British market.
The news comes just days after the revolutionary solution became certified for Ontario and marked its debut integration there and soon will go live with several brands in the market. SuperPot gives players the chance to predict the outcomes of major sporting fixtures.
Each ticket purchase contributes to a growing jackpot, and the winner is the one with the most correct picks – even without a perfect score. This “Must-Win” mechanic sets the product apart from traditional sportsbook offerings, appealing both to sports bettors seeking new thrills and casino players looking for an accessible entry point into sports wagering.
Advantages for UK Operators
SuperPot introduces an always-awarded must-win mechanic: each round’s pot is paid to the top predictor – players compete against their peers, and the most correct predictions win. This sets it apart from The Tote and free-to-play predictors and broadens appeal beyond horse racing into football, basketball, American football, and ice hockey. UK operators gain an assured strong turnover margin, while players benefit from a guaranteed payout to someone every round.
In addition, licensed operators in the UK, SuperPot represents a new way to grow engagement and extend player lifecycles, while securing stable margins from turnover without added exposure.
“Securing approval in the UK marks a major step forward for us,” said Delasport’s Global Sales Director Reece Calderbank. “SuperPot blends the excitement of jackpots with the passion for sports, offering players an easy-to-understand, highly rewarding experience. It’s designed to stand out in a mature and competitive market and ensure risk-free high margin for Operators.”
Market Outlook
The UK gambling market remains one of the largest and most established worldwide. According to the UK Gambling Commission, the total Gross Gambling Yield (GGY) in iGaming for April 2023–March 2024 reached £6.9 billion, with online Sports betting accounting to £2.4 billion GGY, driven primarily by football and horse racing.
The Tote pools enjoy durable racing liquidity is growing year by year to hundreds of millions and SuperPot gives operators that same mass-appeal mechanic as a paid, must-win product they control and extend it to additional sports and to new segments of players.
Industry research indicates that the UK sports betting market is forecast to grow at a CAGR of 11.4% between 2025 and 2030. Meanwhile, quarterly reporting from the Gambling Commission shows continued growth: in Q1 2025, online GGY rose 7% year-on-year to £1.45 billion, with record levels of active accounts and betting activity.
In such a competitive environment, a product like SuperPot has the potential to deliver an incremental ~2% revenue boost for operators who adopt it, further differentiating their sportsbook offering in the UK’s crowded marketplace.
The post SuperPot, the Unique Sports Betting Jackpot, Now Available in the UK appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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