Compliance Updates
New Jersey State Athletic Control Board Adopts Sports Betting Policy
The New Jersey State Athletic Control Board (SACB) announced that it has recently adopted an updated sports betting policy for all licensees, officials, and employees.
Effective immediately, the policy prohibits unethical betting practices and reinforces the commitment to maintaining fairness and public trust in combative sports, including boxing, wrestling, extreme wrestling, kick boxing, and combative sports exhibitions, events, performances, and contests.
“With this action, we are safeguarding the integrity of combative sports events. By implementing these standards, we are sending a clear message that unethical behavior will not be tolerated in New Jersey’s combative sports industry,” said SACB Commissioner Larry Hazzard Sr.
The policy applies to board officials, such as inspectors, timekeepers, judges, referees, and physicians; board members, including the chairman; and board employees, such as the commissioner and deputy commissioner. Promoters, participants, and their agents are also encouraged to adopt integrity policies in line with these standards.
Key policy provisions include those related to betting restrictions, prohibited conduct, training, and enforcement, among others:
• Officials, members, and employees are prohibited from betting on any combative sports event, both within New Jersey and globally. Legal betting on non-combative sports is allowed, provided it complies with local laws. Board employees must register with the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) before placing such bets in New Jersey.
• All forms of illegal betting, including through unauthorized platforms, are strictly prohibited.
• Prohibited conduct includes match fixing and acting on or spreading insider information.
• Board personnel are prohibited from working for sportsbooks or their affiliates.
• Promoters and participants, along with their agents and managers, must refrain from betting on combative sports events held in New Jersey or engaging in any actions that compromise the integrity of performances.
• All stakeholders, including board officials, members, employees, promotors, participants, agents, managers and seconds, are obligated to report any violations of this policy to the SACB Commissioner immediately.
• Board personnel are required to undergo training and acknowledge this policy.
• Violations may result in disciplinary actions, including fines, license suspensions, or revocation.
Baltics
Estonia to Reinstate 5.5% Online Gambling Tax From March 1
Lawmakers in Estonia are set to approve a technical fix restoring the gambling tax to online casinos, closing a legislative error that briefly left remote gambling exempt.
The Riigikogu will hold a final vote on an amendment to the Gambling Tax Act introduced by MP Tanel Tein (Eesti 200). The latest change corrects wording adopted late last year that inadvertently exempted online casinos from Estonia’s gambling tax.
The amendment clarifies that both games of chance and games of skill offered as remote gambling are taxed on the same basis. By deleting the term “game of skill” from one provision in the legislation, a uniform 5.5% gambling tax will apply to both categories.
The Riigikogu’s Finance Committee adjusted the timeline initially set out in the amendment, setting March 1, 2026, as the effective date.
Under current law, gambling taxes are assessed on a monthly basis, making the start of a new calendar month the standard point for changes to take effect.
This aligns with the current IT systems and operating practices of both market participants and the Estonian Tax and Customs Board (MTA).
The fix is linked to legislation passed in December and effective since January 1 that was intended to boost funding for sports and culture through gambling tax revenues. Restoring equal taxation is expected to reestablish legal clarity for both operators and the tax authority.
The post Estonia to Reinstate 5.5% Online Gambling Tax From March 1 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
NCPG Board of Directors Calls on Prediction Market Operators to Promote the National Problem Gambling Helpline
The Board of Directors of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has passed a resolution on February 9, calling on prediction markets to promote the National Problem Gambling Helpline, arguing that event contract trading is similar to other types of betting and poses the same risks for consumers.
In the resolution, the NCPG urged “all Prediction Market Operators serving U.S. consumers” to add “clear, prominent, and ongoing promotion” of the helpline number 1-800-MY-RESET across both “marketing and on-platform user experience.”
The organization said prediction market operators should display the messaging “in a manner that is comparable to practices in regulated mobile sports betting.”
The NCPG said the helpline offers “nationwide free, confidential, and 24/7 support and resources” for people experiencing gambling-related harm. The group also said it maintains a neutral stance on legalized gambling.
The post NCPG Board of Directors Calls on Prediction Market Operators to Promote the National Problem Gambling Helpline appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Andrew Rhodes
Andrew Rhodes to Step Down as CEO of UK Gambling Commission
The UK Gambling Commission has announced that Andrew Rhodes has decided to leave the Commission on 30 April 2026, to take up a new role, which will be announced in due course.
Andrew has provided outstanding leadership of the Commission for almost five years and has overseen a transformation of the Commission and how it regulates the gambling Industry.
Andrew has led the work required from the Commission to implement the Gambling Act Review, with a strong focus on consumer safeguards. This has included the introduction of financial vulnerability checks, reducing the intensity of online games, and banning potentially harmful marketing offers. He has also overseen the introduction of the Gambling Survey for Great Britain, now one of the largest surveys of gambling behaviour in the world.
Amongst his other achievements, Andrew oversaw the successful implementation of the Fourth National Lottery licence and transformed the Commission’s approach to regulation through more robust and outcome-focused strategies.
He said: “It has been a privilege to lead the Gambling Commission through such an important period of change. I am proud of the progress we have made to strengthen regulation, improve consumer protections, and ensure gambling is safer and fairer. I leave with confidence in the organisation, its people, and the work still to come.”
Charles Counsell, Interim Chair of the Gambling Commission, said: “Andrew has provided outstanding leadership for nearly five years and leaves a strong legacy. He has led the Commission through major reform, strengthened our regulatory approach, and ensured consumer protection has remained at the heart of our work. On behalf of the Board, I would like to thank Andrew for his dedication and wish him every success in the future.”
The Commission will shortly begin the process of recruiting a Chief Executive for an interim period. Deputy Chief Executive Sarah Gardner will step up as Acting Chief Executive to cover the areas of work that Andrew will step back from during this transitional period.
The post Andrew Rhodes to Step Down as CEO of UK Gambling Commission appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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