Compliance Updates
CEOs of Major European iGaming Companies Call for High-quality Regulation to Protect Players and Markets
In a joint letter, the CEOs from EGBA’s member operators—bet365, Betsson, Entain, Evoke, FDJ United, Flutter, LeoVegas and Superbet—showcased their ongoing investments in safer gambling and contributions to European society, while calling for smart, stable and evidence-based regulation that supports the long-term sustainability of regulated gambling in Europe.
The letter is featured in EGBA’s recently published Sustainability Report 2025.
“As CEOs of Europe’s leading gaming and betting companies serving 38 million customer accounts across 21 countries, our principle is simple: safe players are sustainable players. We see every day how effective regulation can deliver safe environments for our players. But the long-term sustainability of our sector depends on a balanced regulatory approach that supports player protection, compliance, and competitiveness. Today, that balance is at risk.
Our responsibility and contribution
We’re pleased to contribute to this year’s EGBA Sustainability Report, which reflects our shared commitment to continue to build a thriving and responsible sector in Europe. As this report shows, our companies are significantly raising industry standards to generate economic and social benefits through responsible operations and promoting safer play.
Encouraging our players to play positively isn’t just the right thing to do, it makes good business sense and reflects our commitment to contribute positively to European society. In 2024, our companies paid €3.8 billion in taxes to help fund public services, sustaining 62,000 jobs, and developing player support tools, now used voluntarily by 34% of players, and sent a record 100 million messages to our players to promote safer play.
Our efforts are backed by dedicated teams working to support our customers every day, with 89% of our employees completing dedicated safer gambling training. We also invested €735 million in the success of European sports last year, from grassroots to professional competitions.
The black market challenge
Yet while we continue to invest significantly in responsible play and compliance, unregulated, untaxed black market operators, based outside Europe, are thriving across the continent. These operators target vulnerable players with unlimited access and significant bonuses, offer no customer protections or support for struggling players, and don’t contribute to public finances or European sports. They operate entirely beyond regulatory oversight, avoiding all costs and obligations, and face few repercussions.
And their appeal only grows when well-intentioned regulation becomes too restrictive. In the Netherlands, new spending caps introduced in 2024 prompted a surge in black market activity. Within just months, unregulated sites were matching the revenue of the country’s regulated market. In the UK, an estimated £2.7 billion is staked annually on black market websites, costing taxpayers £335 million in lost taxes.
The path forward
The answer to this growing problem is not deregulation but smarter, more balanced regulation. We call for coordinated action:
Policymakers should prioritise regulation that is evidence-based and behaviourally informed to channel players toward the safer, regulated environment – not away from it.
Regulators should strengthen enforcement against black market operators based outside Europe who undermine the well-developed safety nets established in Europe.
Industry stakeholders should promote and work only with operators licensed and regulated in Europe.
Our commitment to sustainability
Despite these challenges, Europe is well positioned to lead the world in sustainable gambling. Our companies have shown that commercial success and social responsibility go hand in hand. We’ll continue to invest in messaging, training, research, and innovative tools that improve player protection and raise industry standards.
But we cannot do this alone. We need a stable, long-term vision for regulated markets – one built on evidence, consultation, and collaboration, rather than measures that end up putting players in harm’s way. Otherwise, Europe risks undermining its safe, regulated gambling environment that has been diligently built over many years. The black market isn’t just a business challenge for us – when regulation drives players away from the regulated market, everyone loses, especially vulnerable players.
Europe has a clear choice: either let regulated markets continue to lose ground to unregulated operators who undermine consumer protection and offer nothing positive to our society, or work together to protect players and support responsible operators who invest billions every year in Europe’s future.
We believe in the path of cooperation and are committed to building it further.”
The post CEOs of Major European iGaming Companies Call for High-quality Regulation to Protect Players and Markets appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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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.
Andrew Jackson
Scientific Games Adds to Information and Security Management Certifications, Continues Setting Global Industry Gold Standard
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Scientific Games’ UK, Channel Islands and Ireland facilities are the latest in the company’s global operations to achieve international certifications, further strengthening its information security framework and commitment to setting the lottery industry’s gold standard for integrity. The newest certifications are from the World Lottery Association and the British Standards Institute, as Scientific Games continues to expand its business serving government-regulated lotteries worldwide.
Scientific Games’ new National Logistics Centre in Warrington, UK serving The National Lottery, SG Studios digital game development center in Jersey, Channel Islands and lottery retailer technology facility in Ireland have earned certification to the WLA’s Level 2 Security Control Standard. This international security standard for WLA members specifies the required practices for an effective security management structure to maintain the integrity, availability and confidentiality of information vital to the company’s secure operation.
All three facilities also earned a Certificate of Registration for Information Security Management System, achieving the International Standards Organization’s ISO/IEC 27001:2022, the world’s best-known standard for information security management systems. This certification confirms that Scientific Games has implemented a comprehensive framework to manage risks related to data security in accordance with internationally recognised best practices and principles.
“Earning these certifications is about much more than compliance—it’s about trust. Our customers and their players rely on us to protect data and uphold the integrity of every transaction. These certifications reflect the dedications of our teams in the UK, Channel Islands and Ireland, and across our worldwide operations, to maintaining the highest standards of excellence when it comes to information security,” said Andrew Jackson, VP of Corporate Responsibility for Scientific Games.
Scientific Games has also achieved international certifications for operational best practices, including Quality Management Systems (ISO: 9001), Environmental Management (ISO: 14001), Occupational Health and Safety (ISO: 45001) and the World Lottery Association’s Responsible Gaming certification.
With operations spanning five continents and serving 150 lotteries in 50 countries, Scientific Games earned its latest information security management certifications following an extensive independent, international auditing process.
The post Scientific Games Adds to Information and Security Management Certifications, Continues Setting Global Industry Gold Standard appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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