Compliance Updates
Regulator-Issued Sanctions to Gambling companies in Q1 2021 Exceed First Half Total of 2020

A New report from gambling compliance tracker website GamblingIndustryfines.com has tracked over £24m / $33m in gaming operator fines for the first quarter of the year.
The report shows that European and UK gambling regulators Issued more fines to gambling companies in the first quarter of 2021 than they levied in the first half of 2020
Between them, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC), Swedish Gambling Authority (Spelinspektionen) and the Netherlands’ Kansspelautoriteit issued sanctions to thirteen online and land-based gambling operators in Q1 of 2021 – which included financial penalties and warnings.
The largest financial sanctions so far in 2021 came in March when the UKGC fined online casino firm Casumo £6,000,000 ($8.2M) for breaching anti-money laundering rules and failing to ensure that players were gambling responsibly.
Gambling companies hit by regulatory settlements included White Hat Gaming, Virtual Coin Gaming, Hajper Ltd, ComeOn Sweden, Casinostugan, Hillside Sports, Clockfair, Shaftesbury Casino, Les Croupiers Casino, Double Diamond Gaming.
Key failings by gambling companies fined in 2021 included:
- Anti money-laundering failings
- Social responsibility failing
- For Offering Odds on a Match Featuring Underage Players
- Offering bonuses in breach of local gaming laws
- Failure to prevent Overspending & placing limits on accounts
- Operating unlicensed domains
- failing in identifying customers at risk of gambling related harm
- Not having appropriate Anti-Money Laundering (AML) measures.
The increase in fines & gambling-industry regulations worldwide by governments and regulators could make 2021 a record-breaking year for compliance-related gambling industry fines.
To view detailed information for all fines issued to gambling companies in Q1 2020, see the full Q1 2021 report at Gamblingindustryfines.com.
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Compliance Updates
German Betting Association Warns of Rise of Black Market Gambling

Only one in twelve German betting websites is legal, warns the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV) at the start of the UEFA Champions League season: there are at least 382 illegal German-language websites offering sports betting compared to just 34 legal betting sites. The DSWV refers to a corresponding evaluation by the Joint Gambling Authority of the federal states (GGL) for the year 2024.
“Online, it’s 11:1 in favor of the black market and that puts players at risk. In the legal sports betting market, players benefit from guaranteed player protection, reliable payouts and tax revenue for the common good. Illegal providers in the black market, on the other hand, do not adhere to any rules, offer no security and have a higher risk of gambling addiction,” Mathias Dahms, President of the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV), said.
With the start of the UEFA Champions League, the second most-bet competition in Germany after the Bundesliga, the volume of betting has skyrocketed.
“Players need to be particularly vigilant at this time of year so that they don’t accidentally end up with illegal providers. This is another reason why it is important that the legal providers are present with perimeter boards and TV advertising during the Champions League matches,” Dahms said.
What many players do not know is that they are not only taking a higher risk, but are also liable to prosecution. Participating in unauthorized sports betting can result in a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine.
How to recognise legal betting providers:
• Only legal providers may advertise on stadium boards and on television during sporting events such as the Champions League or Bundesliga.
• Only providers on the GGL whitelist are legal in Germany. The list is publicly available at www.gluecksspiel-behoerde.de/whitelist.
• Legal providers have a clearly visible GGL permit logo on their website.
• Only legal providers offer comprehensive player protection measures such as deposit limits, player bans and monitoring of conspicuous gaming behavior.
• Only legal providers contribute to the funding of support services for gamblers at risk of gambling addiction, such as the anonymous and free hotline 0800-1372700 or the website check-dein-spiel.de of the Federal Institute of Public Health (BIÖG).
• With legal providers, payouts are guaranteed and the stakes are properly taxed.
“It is in the common interest of regulators, providers and players to strengthen the legal market and push back the black market. This is the only way to ensure player protection, integrity and tax revenues,” Dahms said.
The post German Betting Association Warns of Rise of Black Market Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
BetAlert
Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming Launches BetAlert

The Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming (IBJR), an entity that brings together the main operators in Brazil and worldwide, announces the launch of BetAlert, an unprecedented tool that allows any user to quickly and easily verify whether the betting site they intend to use is regulated by the Federal Government. The initiative is part of the “No More Elephant in the Room” campaign, which includes a TV commercial, radio spots, airport panels, and social media actions. Its goal is to guide bettors in choosing platforms regulated by the Secretariat of Prizes and Betting, under the Ministry of Finance.
Conducted between April and May 2025 with 2000 adult bettors, research by the Locomotiva Institute served as the basis for the economic study prepared by LCA. The survey estimates that between 41% and 51% of the Brazilian betting market still operates illegally. The activity of these irregular platforms reflects an alarming fiscal impact: between R$ 1.8 billion and R$ 2.7 billion went uncollected in just three months – which could reach R$ 10.8 billion in one year.
Named BetAlert (https://betalert.com.br/), the technology runs on an exclusive microsite that offers an interactive experience for those looking to bet safely and obtain tips on how to differentiate regulated betting sites from illegal ones. Simply enter the URL of any betting site, and the tool immediately indicates whether the platform is licensed. If it is regulated, the following message appears: “All good. This betting site is authorized by the Federal Government.” If not, the system displays a creative alert integrated into the campaign by agency We: “Attention. This betting site is not authorized by the Federal Government,” reinforcing the illegality of the platform consulted.
“IBJR greatly values the use of tools and technologies that contribute to spreading knowledge about the sector. BetAlert is extremely important, and we hope it will be widely used by bettors and Brazilian society. Our goal is to ensure that people have access to all the benefits of regulation, the core of which is the safety of those who bet,” said Fernando Vieira, Executive President of IBJR.
The post Brazilian Institute of Responsible Gaming Launches BetAlert appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Compliance Updates
Ukraine’s PlayCity Begins Issuing Licenses to Gambling Operators

The Cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine has adopted a resolution on licensing conditions in the gambling sector, which allows the state agency PlayCity to begin issuing licenses to gambling organisers and confirming previously issued ones.
“As a result, this will generate almost UAH 50 million (1.028.956,00 Euro) in additional revenues to the state budget from license fees in the near future,” PlayCity reported on Telegram.
It is noted that to obtain a license, impeccable business reputation, lack of ties with the aggressor state and implementation of all necessary mechanisms for responsible gaming are required.
PlayCity clarified that such requirements apply to both those who are only applying for a license and current licensees. Current licensees have two months to submit documents to PlayCity on compliance with the requirements.
The message emphasises that if the requirements are not met, sanctions in the form of fines or termination of the license may be applied to the organisers of gambling.
“The state will direct additional budget revenues to strengthen defense capabilities, in particular, to purchase drones for the Defense Forces,” PlayCity added.
The post Ukraine’s PlayCity Begins Issuing Licenses to Gambling Operators appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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