Compliance Updates
AOJND, President Odeta Nestor – Clarifications Regarding Information Appeared in the Media
BUCHAREST – Odeta Nestor, President of the Association of Remote Gambling Operators (AOJND), has provided insights into the current state of the remote gambling sector in Romania.
Asociatia Operatorilor de Jocuri de Noroc la Distanta (AOJND) represents the principal licensed remote gambling operators in Romania. “AOJND maintains ongoing dialogue with authorities to find the most optimal legislative and regulatory solutions, catering to the interests of gamblers, the industry, and the Romanian economy at large,” asserted Odeta. “In this role, our activities align with other trade associations in various industries operating legally in Romania, whether in banking, telecommunications, or HORECA.”
Regarding the draft law currently under discussion in the Chamber of Deputies, initiated by Deputy Alfred Simonis, Odeta clarified, “We have not taken any stance as it contains no provisions regarding the activities of remote gambling operators.”
Since the establishment of the National Gambling Office (ONJN) in 2013, priority has been accorded to eradicating unfair competition from unlicensed and unauthorized operators. “In our view, the black market is now at its lowest since the revolution, as there are legal controls and regulations in place,” emphasized Odeta.
Odeta added that in Romania, only local operators or those from the European Union or the European Economic Area can hold operating licenses. “Their activities are strictly monitored by the National Gambling Office, which has direct access to game servers through a dedicated platform. Moreover, operators maintain mirror and backup servers on Romanian territory, complying with existing legal provisions.”
She emphasized that all systems undergo audits by independent bodies licensed by the Romanian state, ensuring that transactions are correctly recorded and all safety and responsible gambling standards are met. “Currently, remote gambling adheres to the highest standards of transparency and integrity, with a 100% tax collection rate.”
Odeta praised the progress made in the regulatory landscape of online gambling since 2013, with Romania now being cited as a benchmark for best practices in the sector, having 30 licensed operators for remote gambling.
She pledged the association’s full cooperation to the Romanian Government to thwart the advent of illegal offshore operators and to improve public perception of the sector. “We also agree more needs to be done to protect players and to promote gambling as a form of entertainment, not a get-rich-quick scheme.”
Odeta also highlighted the industry’s initiatives in responsible gambling, preventing abusive gaming, and addiction, with AI systems and strict measures against underage access. “Remote gambling operators report all suspicious transactions to the relevant authorities and maintain a continuous collaboration with law enforcement agencies.”
In conclusion, Odeta assured authorities of the remote gambling operators’ willingness to collaborate in regulating the domain and enhancing its public perception.
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.
The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has officially extended the deadline for licensed remote operators to implement Phase 2 of the new deposit limit regulations.
In October 2025 the first phase of improvements to tools that help consumers to manage their gambling were introduced in the Remote Technical Standards (RTS) with the second phase due to be introduced on 30 June 2026.
Following stakeholder feedback, the Commission has extended the implementation period of the second phase to the end of September 2026 to allow for further operator technical development time.
From 30 September 2026 operators must:
• offer gross deposit limits to customers, and in some cases re-introduce gross deposit limits to the options available to customers
• name gross deposit limits as “deposit limits” – only this type of limit can be called a “deposit limit”
• offer gross deposit limits with at least equal prominence as other types of financial limit.
“We have also updated our consultation response document to clarify that to ensure consistency across the industry, from 30 September 2026 only gross deposit limits must be offered over fixed time frames. Rolling and fixed time frames can be used for other limit types,” the UKGC said.
“In preparation for implementation operators are asked to refer to the Remote Gambling and Software Technical Standards: Consultation Response and linked annex for the RTS 12 in full effective from 30 September 2026.
“All operators are advised that an annex initially published alongside the supplementary consultation response on 7 October 2025 contained small errors and was temporarily removed from our website. Any downloaded or offline versions of the Annex saved prior to 22 May 2026 should be disregarded.”
The post UKGC Extends Phase 2 Deposit Limit Regulation Deadline to September 2026 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Coljuegos has officially authorized MrYoker as Colombia’s newest regulated online sports betting and casino operator.
It is estimated that, over the next 5 years, the new operator will obtain revenues close to $2.83 billion.
Through concession contract C2261 of 2026, Coljuegos authorized the entry into operation of the portal www.mryoker.co, a site where sports betting and online games can be carried out legally and monitored by the entity.
The online gaming sector is experiencing one of its best periods, thanks to the industry revitalization strategy implemented during the current administration. With MrYoker, there are now 15 authorized operators in Colombia.
The new portal belongs to the company Global Vitxo SAS, and will initially be able to offer live casino, virtual slot machines, and sports betting until 2031.
According to the projections presented, it is estimated that, for the next 5 years, this operator will contribute approximately $27.282 billion in monopoly revenues and administrative expenses, resources that will go directly to finance the subsidized health system.
It is worth mentioning that, during 2026, online betting portals have contributed $253.224 billion to Coljuegos in terms of exploitation rights, and it is expected that, by the end of the year, these transfers will exceed $450 billion.
The post Coljuegos Authorizes MrYoker as Colombia’s Newest iGaming Operator appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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