Compliance Updates
Isle of Man Govt Publishes its National Risk Assessment (NRA) Covering Money Laundering Risk in Gambling Sector
The Isle of Man government has published its updated National Risk Assessment (NRA) for the gambling sector.
The assessment identifies key threats of Money Laundering (ML) to the island’s Gambling sector (both Terrestrial and Online) and the materiality and impact of those threats. Both terrestrial and online gambling have been given a risk rating, with an overall rating for gambling as a whole. These risk ratings and key findings of the NRA feed into the wider NRA work, ensuring the Island has a comprehensive view of the entire threat landscape.
The NRA aggregates, compares and weighs the findings across all sectors to determine which risks drive national exposure. This ensures the NRA is not hypothetical: it reflects actual sector-level dynamics so that the Island can understand the “bigger picture” with each sectoral assessment piecing together a border threat picture.
It is important that the island has a comprehensive understanding of risk at all levels, which does not reflect poor standards but instead outlines structural features of a sector. A robust NRA demonstrates that the jurisdiction understands its ML risks and applies targeted controls that are appropriate.
Risk Ratings are as follows:
• The gambling sector overall is assessed as medium-high risk for money laundering.
• The online gambling sector has a medium-high risk, reflecting a large number of international customers and transaction volumes.
• The terrestrial gambling has a medium-low risk, reflecting its smaller size, domestic profile and lower transaction volumes.
Key Takeaways
The Sectoral NRA highlights core threats in both the online and terrestrial sectors, including:
• Criminal ownership and control of gambling businesses or B2B services, via front companies and complex corporate structures.
• Exploitation by organised crime groups, including those from East and Southeast Asia, for money laundering, cyber-enabled crime and other illicit activities globally.
• Criminals use false or stolen IDs, synthetic identities, and mule identities to access gambling services and obscure their true identity to bypass due diligence controls.
• For terrestrial gambling, cash-intensive operations and casino-specific instruments remain primary channels for laundering domestic predicate offences.
It also highlights potential emerging threats such as:
• Use of advanced technologies (AI, deepfakes, virtual assets) to obscure identities, automate fraud, and facilitate cross-border transfers.
• Use of “turnkey solutions” (pre-packaged business setups) allowing rapid establishment of operations and access to banking services with minimal experience.
Importantly, the NRA makes it clear that these risks arise in specific circumstances with the sector operating legitimate international structures, strong governance and applying high standards of AML/CFT compliance. Those features that make activity higher risk for misuse should be considered within that context.
The post Isle of Man Govt Publishes its National Risk Assessment (NRA) Covering Money Laundering Risk in Gambling Sector appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BETER has received approval from the Illinois Gaming Board to add its exclusive Setka Cup table tennis product to the state’s Sports Wagering catalog, expanding its regulated US footprint into Illinois.
The approval allows licensed Illinois operators to offer Setka Cup content, including live data and live streams, according to the company. BETER said the content is already available to Illinois bettors via bet365, and that additional operator launches are planned.
Illinois is the eighth US state where BETER’s exclusive content is available, the company said, following Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, and North Carolina.
Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “Entering Illinois is another significant step in our US expansion and reinforces BETER’s position as a leading provider of fast-betting content in the world’s most exciting sports wagering market.
“Demand for high-velocity, 24/7 content continues to accelerate across the US, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of that shift. With eight states now under our belt, we have clear momentum and a long-term vision that goes well beyond individual state launches.”
Valeriia Tarchynska, Chief Legal Officer at BETER, added: “Securing approval from the Illinois Gaming Board is a testament to the rigorous regulatory work our team undertakes in every jurisdiction we enter. Each US state has its own framework and requirements, and our commitment to full alignment with those standards is non-negotiable.
“The US remains a strategically vital market for BETER, and we continue to work actively to secure approvals in additional key states. We are building real scale in this market, with much more to come.”
The post BETER wins Illinois approval to distribute Setka Cup betting content appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
BETER, the award-winning provider of live streams, live data, and odds for esports and sports, has expanded its US presence after its exclusive Setka Cup table tennis content was added to the Sports Wagering catalog in the State of Illinois.
The approval was granted by the Illinois Gaming Board, the regulatory and law enforcement agency responsible for overseeing all licensed casino gambling, video gaming, and sports wagering in the state, and it allows BETER to provide licensed operators in Illinois with its Setka Cup content, including live data and live streams, for the first time.
Illinois marks the eighth US state in which BETER’s exclusive content is now available, following successful launches in Florida, New Jersey, Colorado, Arizona, Indiana, Iowa, and North Carolina.
The content is already available for local bettors via bet365, a long-standing partner of BETER, with additional operator launches planned in the near future.
BETER exclusively delivers 24/7 live streaming, real-time data, and hyper-accurate odds for more than 700,000 fast-paced esports and sports events annually to operators worldwide, offering up to 50 markets per event and an average operator margin of 7.5%+.
Its esports portfolio includes the ESportsBattle product featuring eFootball, eBasketball, eHockey, and eTennis. Its sports portfolio features the Setka Cup table tennis content and the BSKT Cup basketball league.
All of BETER’s exclusive content is underpinned by its Integrity team, ensuring strict adherence to fair play standards through 24/7 monitoring and close collaboration with key sports integrity bodies, including IBIA and ESIC, as well as sports federations.
BETER will also exhibit at SBC Summit Americas for the first time at Stand 813 from June 9–11, marking a major milestone in the company’s expansion across the United States.
Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “Entering Illinois is another significant step in our US expansion and reinforces BETER’s position as a leading provider of fast-betting content in the world’s most exciting sports wagering market.
“Demand for high-velocity, 24/7 content continues to accelerate across the US, and we’re proud to be at the forefront of that shift. With eight states now under our belt, we have clear momentum and a long-term vision that goes well beyond individual state launches.”
Valeriia Tarchynska, Chief Legal Officer at BETER, added: “Securing approval from the Illinois Gaming Board is a testament to the rigorous regulatory work our team undertakes in every jurisdiction we enter. Each US state has its own framework and requirements, and our commitment to full alignment with those standards is non-negotiable.
“The US remains a strategically vital market for BETER, and we continue to work actively to secure approvals in additional key states. We are building real scale in this market, with much more to come.”
The post BETER expands US footprint with Illinois approval appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Armenia accelerated one of the most aggressive gambling regulatory reforms in Eurasia after approving new measures to control digital platforms, advertising, payments and financial supervision across the betting sector. The strategy promoted by the government of Prime Minister Nikol Pashinyan aims to strengthen legal gambling operations, increase fiscal oversight and tighten control over offshore operators in a market that has expanded dramatically over the past decade.
The reform is being driven by the Ministry of Finance of Armenia led in 2026 by Vahe Hovhannisyan, together with the State Revenue Committee headed by Rustam Badasyan. The main political architect behind the changes is MP Hayk Sargsyan from the ruling Civil Contract party.
The core of the reform focuses on payments and financial monitoring. Armenia plans to block transfers to unlicensed gambling operators, strengthen AML/KYC requirements and connect licensed platforms directly to state monitoring systems operating in real time. Armenia is advancing the software operator selection for its centralised gaming monitoring center, following the legal framework established in early 2024 to connect platforms directly to state systems in real time.
The 2026 update focuses on accelerating the public tender for the private operator, rather than the initial creation of the monitoring infrastructure, with the State Revenue Committee (SRC) leading the technological implementation. The fiscal framework is also becoming stricter. Since July 1, 2025, Armenia has applied a 10% turnover tax on gambling operations, while online gaming license costs doubled in April 2025 and are scheduled to continue increasing annually through 2028.
According to official figures cited by lawmakers, Armenia’s gambling turnover reached approximately AMD 6.3 trillion in 2023, equivalent to nearly €14 billion, while online casino deposits climbed to AMD 811 billion during 2024.
The government also tightened gambling advertising restrictions, limiting promotions to luxury hotels, border checkpoints and authorised operator channels. Armenian authorities argue that the new regulatory model is designed to protect legal operators, reinforce financial traceability and modernise state supervision over one of Eurasia’s fastest-growing digital industries.
The post Armenia Launches Sweeping Gambling Payment Reform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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