Compliance Updates
The MGA Issues Interim Performance Report for January – June 2022
Supervisory Activities
- During this period, 16 compliance audits were conducted together with 114 desktop reviews, accompanied by an additional seven AML/CFT compliance examinations that were initiated by the MGA on behalf of the FIAU. Additionally, the Authority issues a warning, cancelled a licence, as well as suspended another authorised entity, following information which emerged from compliance audits, compliance reviews and formal investigations Furthermore, the MGA issued a total of seven administrative penalties as well as two regulatory settlements, with a collective total financial penalty of €85,000.
- Enforcement measures were also issued by the FIAU to an additional four licensees, ranging from written reprimands to administrative penalties, with an emphasis on remediation measures, based on the breaches identified during examinations carried out in previous years, including by the MGA. In total, these amounted to just over €386,567.
- Based primarily on reducing the risk of money laundering or funding terrorism, the Fit & Proper Committee determined that four individuals and entities did not meet the Authority’s fit and properness criteria, while an additional two applications were rejected by the Supervisory Council.
- A total of 626 criminal probity screening checks were undertaken on personnel, shareholders, ultimate beneficial owners, key individuals, employees, and businesses from the land-based and online gambling sectors.
- In the first half of the year, 22 interviews with prospective money laundering reporting officers (MLROs) and key persons carrying out the AML/CFT function were carried out, with the aim of determining the knowledge and suitability of each candidate.
- A total of six letters of breach were issued by the MGA’s Commercial Communications Committee (S.L. 583.09), out of which five operators were deemed to have violated the Commercial Communications Regulations.
- In its efforts to safeguard players and promote responsible gaming, the Authority assisted a total of 2,578 players who requested assistance, covering the majority of the cases received during 2022 and the spillover from 2021.
- A total of 22 cases of websites having misleading references to the Authority were investigated, while a total of 13 notices were published on the MGA’s website with the aim of preventing the public from falling victim to such scams. Furthermore, an additional 18 responsible gambling website checks were conducted, and five observation letters were issued.
National and International Cooperation
- Between January and June 2022, a total of 122 alerts on suspicious betting were sent to the industry. Following correspondence of these alerts, the Suspicious Betting Reporting Mechanism received a total of 16 new suspicious betting reports.
- Enforcement agencies, sports governing bodies, integrity units, and other regulatory authorities made a total of 23 requests for information, specifically in relation to the manipulation of sporting events or violations of sporting regulations. Subsequently, 10 of these requests resulted in the exchange of data. In addition, 278 allegations of suspicious betting from licensees and other interested parties were received.
- The Authority participated directly in 12 separate investigations into sports rules violations or manipulation of sporting competitions during the time under review. In addition, the Authority also participated indirectly in another investigation.
- The Authority sent 64 requests for international cooperation, the majority of which related to requests for background checks as part of an authorisation process. Furthermore, the Authority received a total of 36 requests for international collaboration from other regulators.
- Up to the end of June 2022, a total of 84 official replies were issued, providing feedback on the regulatory good standing of our licensed operators to the relevant authorities asking for this information.
- In total, during the first six months of the year, the MGA received just over 100 requests for information from other local regulating authorities and governing bodies.
The MGA will publish a full-year industry performance report during the second half of 2023, when it publishes its Annual Report for the financial year ending 31 December 2022.
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The Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) has updated the good and bad practices for the implementation of the means test. The adjustments follow follow-up research into how online gambling providers verify whether players’ gambling behaviour aligns with their financial means.
Since October 2024, online providers have been required to conduct a means test when players wish to deposit more than €300 net (young adults aged 18 to 24) or €700 (aged 24 and over). This test is intended to prevent players from spending more money on gambling than is responsible.
Follow-up research
In February 2025, the KSA published an overview of good and bad practices for conducting the financial capacity test for the first time. Subsequently, in a follow-up investigation, the KSA conducted sample checks at 20 license holders, during which concrete financial capacity tests were assessed. The KSA concludes from this that the good and bad practices have ensured that many providers have adjusted their working methods for conducting the financial capacity test in a positive way. At the same time, areas for improvement and violations were still identified. In total, the KSA applied a total of ten improvement interviews, three warnings and one binding instruction to various providers.
More clarity
The findings from the follow-up study have been incorporated into an updated version of the good and bad practices. With this, the KSA aims to provide providers with more clarity regarding the correct implementation of the affordability test. The new version clarifies, among other things, that liquid assets, such as savings, may not be part of the affordability test. The assessment must be based on the player’s structural income. The previous explanation regarding this led to confusion among providers in practice.
Supervision
The proper application of the means test remains an important subject for the KSA. The test helps prevent players from gambling away more money than they can afford, thereby contributing to the protection of vulnerable players.
The KSA continues to supervise the implementation of the capacity test and, in response to these tightened good and bad practices, will conduct new sample checks on permit holders.
The post KSA Updates Guidelines for Conducting Means Test appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI) officially began issuing Business-to-Consumer (B2C) remote betting and betting intermediary licences on July 1, 2026. The issuance of in person betting licences will commence later this year.
With the commencement of GRAI licences, licensed operators must now meet strict obligations designed to protect consumers and uphold the integrity of the market. These include age verification requirements to prevent underage gambling, obligations to pay out winnings, safeguards such as a ban on facilitating credit or accepting credit cards and requirements on closing accounts on request. Operators are subject to ongoing compliance monitoring, and the GRAI has powers to investigate operators, enforce compliance, apply significant sanctions and take action against unlicensed or illegal activity.
Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan TD said: “The commencement of licences for remote betting operators establishes a clear and robust regulatory regime for the gambling sector, strengthening Ireland’s reputation as a well-regulated market, and ensuring operators are held to consistent standards of compliance. I welcome the progress made today as part of the phased implementation of licences for the gambling sector in Ireland.”
Anne Marie Caulfield, Chief Executive Officer of the GRAI, said: “We commenced the roll out of our licensing with the largest segment of the Irish betting market, remote betting. Once an operator is licensed by the GRAI, they are required to comply with all commenced obligations under the Gambling Regulation Act 2024. This means that as of today, consumers in Ireland have important new protections when they bet online or over the phone.
“The GRAI licensing application process is substantial with a number of important requirements that operators must satisfy before they can be approved, this is to check that operators are (a) fit and proper, (b) have financial capacity to provide gambling activity, and (c) that winnings are funded from lawful means.
“It is important for consumers to understand the dangers of unlicensed operators. When gambling is unlicensed, oversight is removed and the risk of harm is radically increased. Tackling illegal operators is also a major priority for the GRAI, it is a criminal offence to operate without a betting licence, and our work has commenced in identifying unlicensed operators.”
GRAI licences are being rolled out on a phased basis, applications for further licence including gaming, lotteries, B2B, charitable and philanthropic will be opened throughout 2027 and 2028.
The post GRAI Starts Issuing Remote Betting Licences appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Coljuegos, the regulatory authority overseeing gambling sites in Colombia, continues its efforts to block illegal gambling websites. Since the beginning of the Government of Change in 2022, Coljuegos has issued a total of 46,228 blocking orders against websites that operate unauthorized betting.
According to the president of Coljuegos, Marco Emilio Hincapié, this is the result of an intense fight against gambling structures that operate outside the law.
“Never before has an administration fought illegal gambling with such force. At Coljuegos, and through our Artificial Intelligence Center, we have optimized the detection and blocking of unauthorized websites,” the official said.
He added: “We have been working with the Ministry of ICT to simplify the process with Internet Service Providers and effectively block any page that operates or promotes gambling illegally.”
It is worth noting that, throughout the history of the entity, 55,658 blocking requests have been issued, of which 83% correspond to the Government of Change.
“While past administrations only issued around 9,000 blocking requests, we multiplied that figure by 5, and in just 4 years. Illegals have never had it so bad,” Hincapié asserted.
Furthermore, the official reiterated the importance of players only betting with the 15 operators authorized by Coljuegos.
“By playing on legal websites, you are not only guaranteeing the protection of your data and your bets, but you are also contributing to the health of less fortunate Colombians,” concluded the president of Coljuegos.
The post Coljuegos Issues More Than 46,000 Requests to Block Illegal Websites appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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