Compliance Updates
Thunderbite Granted UKGC License
Thunderbite Ltd has been granted a remote operating license by the UK Gambling Commission. The Remote Gambling Software License will allow the company to offer RNG certified games, products and pay to play mechanics to Operators.
This licence, issued under Part 5 of the Gambling Act 2005 on 7 April 2020, will see Thunderbite build games and content for Operators. Thunderbite has been building Free-to-Play promotions for Gaming and Sportsbook since 2016 and counts William Hill, Buzz Bingo, 32Red & Rank among its clients.
John Smith, Sales Director & Co-Founder says “It was always one of our company goals to obtain a B2B license from the UK Gambling Commission and, although it has come at a time where the industry is facing some tough challenges, we look forward to helping our clients come through this in any way we can. We have been working hard already, with several products already in the final test phase.”
More information is available at thunderbite.com
Compliance Updates
MGA and UKGC strengthen regulatory ties through MoU
The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) and the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) have formalised their cooperation through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU), marking a significant step in their collaborative efforts to regulate the gaming sector.
The agreement focuses on enhancing the exchange of information and intelligence between the two regulators to better safeguard consumers, prevent criminal activity, and protect vulnerable players from gambling-related harm.
Both authorities recognise the increasingly global nature of the industry, and therefore the critical importance of cross-collaboration. By sharing best practices through the MoU, the MGA and the UKGC aim to strengthen their respective regulatory frameworks and address common challenges more efficiently.
Commenting on the MoU, UKGC CEO Andrew Rhodes remarked: “We welcome this agreement as a sign of our continued collaboration between the MGA and the UKGC. We’ve been working closely for some time now, and following our successful visit this summer, it is only fitting that we formalise our working relationship.”
MGA CEO Charles Mizzi emphasised that: “Our longstanding informal collaboration with the UKGC has already delivered meaningful outcomes, and the formalisation of this cooperation is definitely a step in the right direction. In line with our regulatory objectives, we are confident that such collaboration will allow us to address common challenges more effectively, allowing us to continuously improve on the effectiveness of our processes and framework.”
Andrew Rhodes further added: “We are keen to continue strengthening our efforts to raise standards across the industry, tackling common challenges such as illegal gambling, while also exploring future collaboration, including initiatives like shadowing and addressing key issues in areas like AML and sports betting integrity.”
The post MGA and UKGC strengthen regulatory ties through MoU appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Dutch Gaming Authority Imposes Penalty Payment Order on Winbet
The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has imposed a penalty payment order on Winbet NV for offering unlicensed games of chance. Offering games of chance without the required license is prohibited in the Netherlands. If the party does not cease the violation and keep it ceased, it will be imposed a penalty payment.
Investigation by the KSA has shown that Winbet offered gambling via four websites: galaxyspins.com, winnercasino1.bet, superb1.bet and doctorspins.com. For this, it has been imposed a penalty of €280,000 per week, with a maximum of €840,000.
On all the sites examined it was possible to create a player account, make deposits and participate in the illegal gambling offered. No technical measures were taken on the sites to prevent participation from the Netherlands.
The Netherlands has a regulated gambling market to better protect players. The KSA therefore takes tough action against illegal supply. With an order subject to penalty, illegal supply is often quickly stopped. Providers can also be fined for the period in which the illegal supply was available.
The post Dutch Gaming Authority Imposes Penalty Payment Order on Winbet appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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.
The post Interpol Illegal Gambling Investigation Leads to 5100 Arrests appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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