Compliance Updates
Texas House Passes Bill to Abolish Texas Lottery Commission
The Texas House has approved legislation to abolish the Texas Lottery Commission and reform lottery operations after multiple scandals have rocked the agency.
Authored by State Sen. Bob Hall (R-Edgewood), Senate Bill 3070 abolishes the commission that has overseen the lottery since shortly after its founding in 1991, moving operations to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation.
As originally written, the bill would also limit ticket sales per transaction, require age verification at the point of sale, push the agency into a two year probationary period and provide for greater oversight of the lottery—oversight that has been either intentionally or unintentionally lacking.
In January, Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick made an impromptu visit to a lottery ticket reseller responsible for selling millions of tickets online. During the course of his visit, he was denied access to the area where ticket printing was taking place.
The bill, as originally written, would allow the lieutenant governor, Speaker of the House, attorney general, and governor the ability to act as inspectors of lottery operations.
At the eleventh hour, State Rep. Charlie Geren (R-Fort Worth) offered a 58-page amendment to the measure that removed this and other critical parts of the bill. It was this amended bill that was, according to Geren, drafted with the lottery vendors, colloquially called stakeholders, that ultimately passed the House.
Among other changes, the Geren amendment changed vendor and employee retention.
While it was argued that the current employees would provide for a smoother transition from the TLC to TDLR, this would include members of the staff who were complicit in the extra legislative expansion of gambling in the state of Texas, and covering for the lottery’s multiple sins.
The Geren amendment, passed under the watchful eye of IGT’s lobbyist and former chief of staff to Gov. Greg Abbott, Luis Sanez, also guarantees that the state lottery contract will remain with its current vendor, IGT. According to a lawsuit filed in Houston, the company played a critical role in an international gambling syndicate’s rigging of the April 2023 $95 million jackpot.
According to testimony given to the Texas Senate State Affairs Committee, representatives from IGT were onsite for hours during the ticket printing at a location that conducted no retail business, which is against state rules. This is the same location where children were filmed printing tickets.
Geren, a longtime proponent of expanding gambling in Texas, failed to pass a bill last session that would have allowed casino gambling in the state. This session, the lottery, and its corrupt operation took all the oxygen out of the room.
State Rep. Brent Money (R-Greenville) offered an amendment to Geren’s amendment that would have abolished the lottery and not just the commission. Money’s amendment failed by a vote of 71-58.
Geren’s amendment was ultimately adopted in a vote of 91-44.
The legislation passed in a vote of 110-29.
Now, the bill requires one more vote in the House before going back to the Senate for either approval or to be reconciled in a conference committee.
If the bill is not reconciled, the lottery may be abolished, or a special session could be forced to save the corruption-plagued institution.
The post Texas House Passes Bill to Abolish Texas Lottery Commission appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
The wait is over: The Finnish Parliament has officially approved the new gambling legislation. In a decisive plenary session, MPs voted 158 in favor to 9 opposed, with 32 abstaining. The text remained unchanged from the version presented in previous weeks, solidifying the framework for Finland’s transition from a monopoly to a licensed market.
With the political uncertainty resolved, the focus now shifts to implementation. For operators, this means the race to compliance—and market entry—has effectively begun.
The Confirmed Timeline
With the legislation passed, the roadmap to the market opening is now set. Operators must use the coming months to prepare for a rigorous licensing process.
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Early 2026: The application window is expected to open. The regulator will begin accepting and reviewing license applications.
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2026 (Throughout): The “preparatory year.” This period is dedicated to vetting applicants, ensuring technical compliance, and establishing the new supervisory authority.
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January 1, 2027: The regulated Finnish market officially opens. Licensed operators can go live with betting and online casino services.
Entering the Finnish Market with Nordic Legal
Navigating a new jurisdiction is complex, but it doesn’t have to be inefficient. With extensive experience advising on gaming licences across the Nordic markets, Nordic Legal brings a proven, practical approach to the Finnish process.
Efficiency Through Synergy If you already work with us in Denmark or Sweden, we ensure your Finnish licence application isn’t a “start from scratch” project. We build directly on our existing knowledge of your organisation and systems.
Your usual Nordic Legal contact will coordinate directly with our Helsinki team at no extra cost. This integrated approach saves you time and avoids the frustration of duplicating work you’ve already done for other Nordic licenses.
Our Approach We focus on smart compliance:
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Reusing documentation where regulations overlap.
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Anticipating regulatory questions before they are asked.
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Aligning requirements for technical standards and responsible gambling.
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Engaging constructively with the Finnish authority to ensure a smooth process.
The Finnish Licence Application Package
To support your entry, we offer a comprehensive package designed to handle the heavy lifting:
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Translation of all required documents.
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Guidance and completion of complex application forms.
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Full project management from start to submission.
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Direct communication with the Finnish regulator on your behalf.
Next Steps
The window for preparation is narrowing. Contact your usual Nordic Legal advisor today to discuss the new legislation or our Licence Application Package. Alternatively, reach out to us directly to secure your place in Finland’s upcoming regulated market.
The post Finland’s Gambling Reform Is Official – What Happens Next? appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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The Danish Gambling Authority has called attention to FATF’s (Financial Action Task Force) updated lists of high-risk jurisdictions: the Grey List (jurisdictions under increased monitoring) and Black List (call for actions). Among other things, gambling operators must include FATF’s lists of high-risk jurisdictions when risk assessing players.
Jurisdictions listed on the Grey List:
Algeria, Angola, Bolivia, Bulgaria, Cameroon, the Ivory Coast, DR Congo, Haiti, Kenya, Laos, Lebanon, Monaco, Namibia, Nepal, South Sudan, Syria, Venezuela, Vietnam, the Virgin Islands and Yemen.
Jurisdictions listed on the Black List:
Democratic People’s Republic of Korea, Iran and Myanmar
Gambling operators are required to conduct enhanced customer due diligence (EDD) pursuant to section 17(1) of the Danish AML Act, if a player is assessed to impose a higher risk of the gambling operator being misused for money laundering or terrorist financing.
Gambling operators shall conduct this risk assessment based on Annex 3 to the AML Act (high-risk factors) which includes the FATF high-risk country lists (the so called black list and grey list)
It is not required that gambling operators perform EDD if a country is listed on the FATF’s list. EDD are only a requirement for players from jurisdictions listed in the EU Regulation of High Risk Third Country list pursuant to. 17(2) of the AML Act.
The post Updated FATF Lists of High-risk Jurisdictions appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Soon it may be possible to play bingo via walkie-talkie and on local radios. A bill is currently being considered by the Danish Parliament to introduce a new type of licence for bingo via walkie-talkie and local radio. The Danish Gambling Authority expects the rules to come into force as early as 1 January 2026.
If the bill is passed, providers of walkie-talkie bingo and local radio will be able to apply for a licence from 1 January 2026. The Danish Gambling Authority will update this news article when the rules are finally adopted.
How to apply for a licence
If you want to offer bingo via walkie-talkie or radio, you need a licence from the Danish Gambling Authority. You can expect to apply as early as 1 January 2026.
When applying for a licence, you must use the form “Apply for a walkie-talkie or radio bingo licence” (no. 1-02). The form will be available on the page “revenue-restricted licenses”.
The application form will also be published in a digital version, but it will not be available on virk.dk until January.
The Danish Gambling Authority strives to process all applications as quickly as possible.
As an applicant, you will be assigned a contact person who can guide you through the legislation during the application process. The contact person will generally remain the same throughout the period of validity of your licence.
Report on the first year of offering games
Licences for radio and walkie-talkie bingo are regulated by the Gambling Act and the Executive Order on Online Casino. The legislation sets out a number of requirements for licensed gambling operators. Among other things, the licence holder must complete a report on the first year of offering gambling.
The report is prepared one year after the licence has been put into use and must be sent to the Danish Gambling Authority no later than 14 months after the date when the licence has been put into use.
The licence holder can fill out the report themselves.
The report must account for how the licence holder has provided gambling in accordance with the conditions of the licence and legislation during the past year.
The report template will be available on the Danish Gambling Authority’s website as form no. 1-04.
The post Spillemyndigheden: New licence type coming soon: Bingo via walkie-talkie and local radio appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
