Cryptocurrency
Sportsbet.io & Southampton FC Open New ‘Saints Social Club’ Funded by Crypto Fan Fund
Southampton Football Club and Main Club Partner Sportsbet.io have today announced the opening of the ‘Saints Social Club’ at the Northam Social Club, funded by a first-of-its-kind Crypto Fan Fund.
Chosen by the fans, the Saints Social Club is the ultimate Southampton fan bar, featuring artwork, kits, and memorabilia celebrating the club’s illustrious 136-year history. True to their ‘Saints’ moniker, the designs also include stunning stained-glass artwork of Southampton heroes, past and present, including James Ward-Prowse, Alan Shearer, and Nathan Redmond.
The launch was marked by an all-day event during Southampton’s home fixture against Manchester United and featured a panel with Southampton FC legends Nigel Adkins and Francis Benali, as well as a live performance from the Saints Brass band.
The Saints Social Club will remain open throughout the season for all Southampton fans to enjoy, and will also be used to host additional community events for the Saints Foundation. Fans will be given a Saints Social Club card upon their first visit to Northam, which will get them access to all future events, including every Southampton FC matchday.
Southampton fans abroad will also have the chance to join the Saints Social Club, through the magic of VR. Following the launch, headsets will be donated to dedicated Southampton superfans in countries across the world. Filmed at Northam during the United fixture, the headset will allow international fans to experience the atmosphere of a Southampton matchday and feel part of the Saints family.
Sarah Batters, Director of Marketing & Partnerships at Southampton FC, said:
“It’s been brilliant to work in close collaboration with the representatives of our Saints Voice panel and to find out what really matters to them in order to bring the best matchday experiences for our fans. The new Saints Social Club will provide a wonderful opportunity to bring our fans together and act as a real focal point for our local community.”
Sportsbet.io launched the Crypto Fan Fund in November, donating two Bitcoins to be used for a fan-led initiative. The Club and Sportsbet.io worked with leading supporters’ group, Saints Voice, to decide how the donation would be spent, with fans voting in March to turn Northam – just a stone’s throw from St. Mary’s Stadium – into a dedicated Southampton FC fan pub.
Helen Edwards, Head of Responsible Gambling at Sportsbet.io, said:
“It’s been a privilege to work with Saints Voice and the Southampton fans throughout this process, and we’re so excited to see the Saints Social Club come to fruition this summer. Through the Crypto Fan Fund, we wanted to show how crypto can be used to genuinely support fans and help them deliver the initiatives that they want to see, and with the help of Southampton FC and Saints Voice, we’re delighted to have been able to do exactly that.”
The donation consolidates Sportsbet.io’s ongoing commitment as the main club sponsor of Southampton Football Club, and as a leader in the crypto community. The initiative is part of Sportsbet.io‘s ‘Believe the Hype’ campaign, encouraging Saints to believe the hype around their club, and around cryptocurrency.
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Compliance Updates
Romania Bans Polymarket Over Illegal Cryptocurrency Betting Activities
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Romania’s National Office for Gambling (ONJN) has officially blacklisted Polymarket, a prominent prediction market that allows users to bet on future events, citing its operation as an unlicensed gambling platform. The decision comes amid heightened concerns over crypto-based betting during recent election cycles, where Polymarket reportedly saw trading volumes surpassing $600 million.
ONJN asserts that Polymarket’s “counterpart betting” model – where users wager against each other on future outcomes – falls squarely within the scope of Romanian gambling regulations. The regulator clarified that regardless of whether bets are placed using fiat currency or cryptocurrencies, they are legal gambling activities that require appropriate licensing. ONJN President Vlad-Cristian Soare emphasised that the issue is about compliance with the law, not technology, stating, “It’s about the law, not the platform’s blockchain foundation.”
Although Polymarket promotes itself as an “event trading” platform, ONJN concluded that its operational structure – where users place bets on the outcomes of unpredictable events and the platform earns commissions – meets the legal criteria of gambling. Consequently, Romanian internet providers are now mandated to block access to the platform.
The post Romania Bans Polymarket Over Illegal Cryptocurrency Betting Activities appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
AUSTRAC
AUSTRAC Cracks Down on Cryptolink for Late Reporting
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AUSTRAC has issued Cryptolink an infringement notice of $56,340 and accepted a court-enforceable undertaking that addresses the company’s AML/CTF deficiencies.
The action follows AUSTRAC’s Crypto Taskforce identifying late reporting of large cash transactions and weaknesses in the company’s money laundering and terrorism financing risk assessments.
AUSTRAC CEO Brendan Thomas said the package of infringement notices and the enforceable undertaking is designed to ensure useable intelligence does not slip through the cracks.
“The infringement notice addresses previous non-compliance around reporting and the enforceable undertaking seeks assurance that Cryptolink has improved its risk assessments and strengthened its AML/CTF controls,” Mr Thomas said.
“Crypto ATMs are one of the highest risk money laundering channels in Australia at the moment. They are being exploited by criminals to launder money and move scam proceeds. This is not conjecture. It’s what our Crypto Taskforce observed and has been backed up by the work of our law enforcement partners.”
As part of the enforceable undertaking, Cryptolink must engage third party reviewers to:
• validate whether the business has reported all required threshold transactions to AUSTRAC
• assess whether the business has implemented effective controls for large cash transactions
• review Cryptolink’s money laundering and terrorism financing risk assessment to ensure it is fit-for-purpose.
Cryptolink has fully cooperated with AUSTRAC and paid the infringement notice in full. Payment of an AUSTRAC infringement notice is not an admission of liability.
The enforcement action comes after intensive engagement with crypto ATM operators since late 2024.
Working in partnership with law enforcement, AUSTRAC’s Crypto Taskforce estimated that 85% of transactions made by the 90 most prolific crypto ATM users were the proceeds of scams and money mule activity.
“Scams are one of the biggest drivers of suspicious activity and criminals have been using crypto ATMs to move and cash out stolen funds,” said Mr Thomas.
A recently released Australian Institute of Criminology report found more than 40% of cybercrime victims are revictimised, often within months.
“With this in mind we want people to be cautious of making transactions to any wallet they don’t control and thinking twice in circumstances where someone asks you to deposit money into a crypto ATM.”
The second stage of the Crypto Taskforce is focussed on high-risk operations.
“Criminals don’t care how they hurt people, they care about making money,” said Mr Thomas.
“We want to work with the digital currency exchanges to harden the sector against exploitation but if operators don’t take this seriously, we will take action.”
The post AUSTRAC Cracks Down on Cryptolink for Late Reporting appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
CasinoWebScripts
CasinoWebScripts Launches Revamped Crypto Casino Platform with Advanced Features
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CasinoWebScripts, a leading provider of casino software and game content, has released its newly upgraded cryptocasino platform. The launch strengthens the company’s position as a top solution for operators who want full control, flexibility and innovation in the blockchain gambling space.
With over 15 years of experience in iGaming development, CasinoWebScripts has redesigned and expanded its digital-currency casino solution to deliver a cleaner interface, faster performance and a broader range of tools that give operators a genuine competitive edge.
New Lobby UI and Improved User Experience
At the core of the update is a reworked lobby interface. The new design is clean, responsive and modular, so operators can display games, promotions and categories in a way that matches their brand identity. The platform optimises game grouping, filter logic and launch speeds across desktop and mobile devices to provide smoother navigation and faster content access.
Key Advantages of the Platform
CasinoWebScripts’ cryptocasino platform introduces a powerful feature set that few other providers combine in a single package:
• Provably Fair Replay for In-House Games — every spin or game round can be verified through transparent, cryptographical algorithms
• Compatibility with Any Cryptocurrency — operators can integrate any coin supported by their wallet infrastructure, without being limited to specific tokens.
• Comprehensive In-House Tools — the platform includes a complete suite of management and marketing features such as a bonus system, reward-code system, daily login wheel, affiliate module and more, all built to the highest standards.
• Flexible, Fair Pricing — pricing models scale with the operator’s growth, ensuring fairness and transparency from launch to expansion.
• Source Code Licensing & Exclusive Rights — operators can purchase full source-code access for complete customization and branding control. Exclusive licensing is available for those who want proprietary game content.
Oscar Stevens, Business Development Manager at CasinoWebScripts, said: “This launch focuses on what operators actually need — transparency, control, and independence. With provably fair replays, full crypto compatibility, and source-code options, our platform gives clients the freedom to own and shape their casino business entirely.”
The post CasinoWebScripts Launches Revamped Crypto Casino Platform with Advanced Features appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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