Compliance Updates
NEW LEADERSHIP TAKES THE HELM AT IAGR
The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has announced leadership changes following its annual congress in Botswana. With a strong commitment to advancing gaming regulation across the globe, IAGR welcomes the appointment of new President, Ben Haden, taking over from Dr. Jason Lane and Vice President, Caroline Kongwa.
Ben Haden brings a wealth of experience to the role. Ben is currently a Director at the Gambling Commission in the United Kingdom and has served as trustee for IAGR for five years, with the last two being Vice President, delivering two very successful annual conferences.
In tandem with this appointment, Caroline Kongwa assumes the position of Vice President, solidifying her continued commitment to IAGR’s mission. Caroline is the Chief Strategic Adviser of the National Gambling Board in South Africa.
“During my two years of tenure, I’m determined to build on Jason’s great work while President,” says Ben Haden. “It’s a challenging but exciting time to be in gambling regulation. We’ll be looking to encourage greater collaboration and the sharing of best practices across jurisdictions and partners, fostering a stronger sense of our community.
“IAGR would like to extend its sincere thanks to outgoing President Jason Lane for his two years of outstanding leadership. We’re very pleased that Jason will continue to be actively involved in IAGR, serving as an IAGR Board Trustee.”
These announcements were made during the culmination of IAGR’s annual conference held in Gaborone, Botswana, where regulators from around the world came together to discuss key industry issues and best practices.
Looking ahead, IAGR is excited to reveal that its next annual conference will be held in the historic city of Rome, Italy, from 21 to 24 October 2024. This event promises to be a pivotal gathering for industry professionals, providing an invaluable platform for dialogue, collaboration, and innovation. The conference will be a partnership event, co-hosted by IAGR and the International Masters of Gaming Law (IMGL).
“I’m excited about the opportunity to play a part in shaping IAGR’s 2024 conference in Rome and curating a program that matches the outstanding event we experienced here in Botswana,” says Vice President Caroline Kongwa.
Ticket sales for IAGR2024 will open in early 2024.
Anjouan B2B licence
VeliGames secures Anjouan B2B licence to expand operator reach
VeliGames, the game aggregation platform by VeliTech, has secured an Anjouan B2B licence, marking a major step in its international expansion. The new licence allows VeliGames to provide its portfolio of in-house and third-party content to Anjouan-licensed iGaming operators, opening doors to a wider network of partners.
For operators, the licence provides confidence and regulatory assurance when selecting a content provider, while simplifying the onboarding process and accelerating access to VeliGames’ extensive catalogue.
Irakli Kakhidze, CEO of VeliGames, said: “Securing the Anjouan B2B licence is a key milestone in our global growth strategy. It strengthens our position as a trusted aggregation partner and enables us to collaborate with more licensed operators, supporting faster content delivery and smoother integration.”
Recently recognized as an Industry Rising Star at SiGMA Africa 2026, VeliGames continues to expand its reach across emerging markets including Africa, Asia, and LATAM. The company combines exclusive in-house titles with a growing library of third-party games, providing operators with a diverse and scalable content offering.
The Anjouan licence is part of VeliGames’ broader strategy to grow its international footprint while maintaining a strong focus on regulatory compliance, technology reliability, and long-term industry partnerships.
The post VeliGames secures Anjouan B2B licence to expand operator reach appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Central Register for Exclusion from Gambling
KSA Publishes Studies and Provides Guidance on the Duty of Care
The Dutch Gambling Regulator (KSA) has published two studies and provided additional guidance on the fulfillment of the duty of care by online gambling licensees. The documents provide insight into practice and offer clarification on personal interviews and the submission of notifications for registration in the Central Register for Exclusion from Gambling (Cruks).
The KSA conducted research into these topics in 2025. The results were discussed in December 2025 during a roundtable discussion with license holders. During this discussion, practical experiences and bottlenecks were gathered. Based on this, the KSA has drawn up guidelines to provide more clarity regarding implementation.
Personal maintenance
The personal interview is a far-reaching intervention that license holders are required to implement when there is a suspicion of excessive gambling behaviour or gambling addiction. Research shows that license holders implement this differently and encounter bottlenecks, such as a low response rate from players. The guidance explains, among other things, the timing of the intervention, the form of contact and the content of the conversation. In doing so, room remains for customisation and professional judgment.
Notices
If a license holder observes serious signs of problematic gambling behaviour or suspects a gambling addiction, the player must be advised to register with Cruks. If the player does not follow this advice, the license holder must report this to the KSA (a notification). The KSA may subsequently decide to involuntarily register the player in Cruks.
The research shows that license holders apply this measure differently and that there are questions in practice regarding its implementation. For example, it is difficult for the license holder to verify whether a player has actually registered, and it is not always clear when a notification must be submitted.
The guidance provides practical explanation regarding this, including the timing of reporting and the information required.
Guidelines
The guidelines do not contain new rules, but provide further explanation regarding the application of existing obligations. This gives permit holders more clarity regarding the fulfillment of their duty of care.
The post KSA Publishes Studies and Provides Guidance on the Duty of Care appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Baroness Fiona Twycross
BGC AGM 2026 Discussed About Surging Illegal Gambling Black Market
The Betting and Gaming Council AGM 2026 has discussed about the surging illegal gambling black market. As speakers repeatedly highlighted, 1.5 million people in Britain are already gambling on unlicensed sites and staking around £10bn a year outside UK regulation.
That concern is only set to intensify in the coming weeks as the Government considers further regulatory changes. In particular, Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs), which would require customers to provide detailed financial information such as bank statements and will only drive more customers towards unlicensed operators.
Chaired by broadcasters Gloria de Piero and Liam Halligan, the event began with a keynote from the Gambling Minister, followed by a discussion with BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst. A panel on the illegal market and the Gambling Commission’s assessment of the challenge followed, alongside research, polling and personal testimony from across the industry highlighting the scale of the problem.
Baroness Fiona Twycross, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Gambling, opened proceedings by addressing the tensions in current policy. She acknowledged that the gambling duty changes announced in November’s Budget were “extremely challenging for the sector, particularly for online operators,” and that they would “significantly affect business decisions and staff.” She defended the government’s position, arguing the changes were necessary to support public finances and would raise over a billion pounds a year for the Treasury.
The minister was clear: “Illegal gambling causes harm to vulnerable consumers,” she said, adding that it also damages the regulated sector. She announced an additional £26m for the Gambling Commission over the next three years and publicly confirmed the establishment of an Illegal Gambling Taskforce. This will bring together major companies including Google, Mastercard, TikTok and Visa alongside law enforcement and advertising bodies with a focus on illegal payments, advertising and cross-agency collaboration. She also announced a forthcoming consultation on the banning of unlicensed sport sponsorships, including in the Premier League. For many in the industry, this welcome action on enforcement will sit uneasily alongside tax policy that they believe is actively driving consumers towards the harmful black market.
The post BGC AGM 2026 Discussed About Surging Illegal Gambling Black Market appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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