Compliance Updates
Soft2Bet and iGaming Academy: training at scale with a commitment to excellence
Partnering with iGaming Academy has enabled Soft2Bet to train its teams at scale and strengthen its commitment to regulatory compliance and excellence.
As an iGaming operator and supplier that works across a multitude of jurisdictions, Soft2Bet’s scale, reach and size (with more than 1,000 employees across four main sites) meant finding training solutions that answer multiple and varied needs was paramount.
Whether the training focused on compliance, responsible gambling, anti-money laundering or sporting integrity, the need for a centrally-located, comprehensive and scalable training solution that can be applied to all its teams led Soft2Bet to partner with iGaming Academy.
First project quickly expanded
The collaboration at first focused on compliance training for Soft2Bet’s operational teams, but quickly evolved into a company-wide approach. The ability of both Soft2Bet and iGaming Academy to quickly gauge the scale of the requirement has enabled the effective rollout of training to a vast international workforce.
Elisabeth Isaksson, Head of Regulatory and Compliance at Soft2Bet, says: “iGaming Academy’s training platform and courses not only facilitate multi-jurisdictional training whilst reducing repetitive learning, it also offers seamless support for policy uploads and additional training materials. This presents a significant advantage for a large, international and growing company, centralising all training materials in one accessible location to enhance employees’ learning experience and streamline the auditing process.”
Soft2Bet’s partnership with iGaming Academy is an example of its commitment to staff training at every level and of harnessing scale and reach by creating a centralised hub for compliance and regulatory matters.
Rebeka Mizzi, Commercial Director of iGaming Academy, added: “It’s a pleasure to work with such a renowned and exciting company. Soft2Bet’s commitment to staff development and training is visible in the way they’re utilising our platform to create a centralised knowledge hub for their entire business.
This goes beyond our industry courses with more and more teams adding their policies and training onto the system, giving their staff the support they need on an ongoing basis. With the system supporting their team leads to track learning analytics and identify knowledge gaps, it’s a testament to how they have not only partnered with us to conform with their compliance requirements, but to truly understand their staff and equip them with the knowledge to excel at their jobs and take the company to the next level.”
iGaming Academy’s Plug-in Solution
The partnership has also been strengthened by Soft2Bet’s use of iGaming Academy’s new AML and RG Plug-in Solution. This has enabled it to adapt, localise and tailor its training to “multiple jurisdictional requirements and having the option to complement the training with supporting policies through their Policy Hub,” adds Isaksson, “this has proven to be immensely effective for our organisation”.
By leveraging iGaming Academy’s comprehensive training solutions, Soft2Bet is reaping the benefits of a scalable, centralised and efficient platform that has empowered it to navigate the complexities of multi-jurisdictional training.
Governor Hobbs signs SB 1671; new budget sets $4M spend authority plus $500K a year from event wagering funds.
The Arizona Department of Gaming has secured a six-year continuation after Governor Hobbs signed Senate Bill 1671, following the 2026 legislative session that adjourned June 12, 2026. The continuation also covers the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission and the Arizona Racing Commission.
The Department said SB 1671 affirms its authority to regulate tribal gaming, event wagering and fantasy sports, horse racing and simulcast wagering, and boxing and mixed martial arts.
In parallel, the Department said Senate Bill 1847 and the state’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget expand expenditure authority for its Division of Problem Gambling. The budget authorizes $4,000,000 in total spending for the Division, which the agency said is a 20% increase from FY26.
The Department also said the legislature granted an annual $500,000 expenditure authority to use Event Wagering funds to support problem gambling, and that the Division will have grant oversight authority for the first time.
“Arizona first established the Department of Gaming in 1995 – and more than thirty years later, we remain excited about world-class regulation benefiting the entire state,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “I’m grateful to Governor Hobbs and leaders in the state legislature, particularly continuation bill sponsor State Senator Shawnna Bolick, who thoroughly reviewed our agency with a deep commitment to public service, and I am pleased that the Department secured its continuation, which will allow us to strengthen our focus points in robust consumer protection and integrity.”
“The new state budget will strengthen longstanding investments in problem gambling assistance made possible through partnerships with Arizona’s Tribal Nations and the Arizona Lottery,” said Elise Mikkelsen. “We continue to see strong demand from individuals and families seeking information, resources, and treatment for gambling-related harm. This increased funding will help us expand the continuum of care and ensure more Arizonans have access to effective, inclusive, and timely support.”
The post Arizona extends Gaming Department for six years; problem gambling budget rises 20% appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Arizona Department of Gaming
Arizona Department of Gaming Concludes Legislative Session with Approved Agency Continuation and Enhanced Spending Authority for Problem Gambling
Department is continued for six years to regulate an extensive portfolio: tribal gaming, event wagering and fantasy sports, horse racing and simulcast wagering, and boxing and mixed martial arts
State budget includes a 20 percent increase in problem gambling treatment and prevention appropriations
The Arizona Department of Gaming (Department) announced today that with Governor Hobbs’ signature on Senate Bill 1671, the Department has received continuation approval by the Arizona State Legislature, which periodically reviews state agencies for performance and authority. Additionally, through Senate Bill 1847 and the state’s Fiscal Year 2027 budget, the Department’s Division of Problem Gambling received expanded expenditure authority, enabling additional investments in problem gambling prevention, education, treatment, and recovery services across Arizona.
“Arizona first established the Department of Gaming in 1995 – and more than thirty years later, we remain excited about world-class regulation benefiting the entire state,” said Jackie Johnson, Department Director. “I’m grateful to Governor Hobbs and leaders in the state legislature, particularly continuation bill sponsor State Senator Shawnna Bolick, who thoroughly reviewed our agency with a deep commitment to public service, and I am pleased that the Department secured its continuation, which will allow us to strengthen our focus points in robust consumer protection and integrity.”
The Department, the Arizona State Boxing and Mixed Martial Arts Commission, and the Arizona Racing Commission are continued by the legislature for six years, per the enactment of Senate Bill 1671, sponsored by Senator Shawnna Bolick, in the 2026 legislative session that adjourned on June 12, 2026. This continuation affirms the Department’s and both Commissions’ authority to carry out the roles and responsibilities delegated by the legislature.
The Department’s Division of Problem Gambling marked the legislative session with the passage of a new state budget that grants $4,000,000 in total authorized spending for the Division. The $4,000,000 authority represents a 20 percent increase from the FY26 budget. Additionally, the legislature granted an annual $500,000 expenditure authority for the agency to use Event Wagering funds to support problem gambling. Finally, the Division will have grant oversight authority for the first time– allowing the Division to expand programs to assist those in need.
“The new state budget will strengthen longstanding investments in problem gambling assistance made possible through partnerships with Arizona’s Tribal Nations and the Arizona Lottery,” said Elise Mikkelsen. “We continue to see strong demand from individuals and families seeking information, resources, and treatment for gambling-related harm. This increased funding will help us expand the continuum of care and ensure more Arizonans have access to effective, inclusive, and timely support.”
In addition to supporting the Division in state-wide access to problem gambling prevention and treatment, the Department is actively engaged in responsible gaming and safer play initiatives. Now in its first year of the campaign, the Department’s Take Back the Game initiative in partnership with the Arizona Media Association is raising awareness of gambling self-exclusion options available through the agency. The campaign, which runs in English and Spanish across Arizona media outlets, lets viewers know that if gambling is no longer fun, they can Take Back the Game and self-exclude from Arizona casinos, sportsbooks, and fantasy sports operators. Also in 2026, the Department’s Too Young to Bet campaign emphasizes the risks associated with youth gambling.
To learn more about the Arizona Department of Gaming, visit gaming.az.gov. To learn more about problem gambling prevention and treatment, visit problemgambling.az.gov.
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Concludes Legislative Session with Approved Agency Continuation and Enhanced Spending Authority for Problem Gambling appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
Background
Austria’s governing coalition — ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS — has agreed a sweeping overhaul of the Gambling Act. The draft bill entered parliamentary consultation on, Monday 29 June 2026. Lead negotiators Andreas Ottenschläger (ÖVP), Jan Krainer (SPÖ) and Christoph Pramhofer (NEOS) call it the biggest reform of the law in 26 years. Two pillars: tougher player protection, and a ground-up rewrite of online licensing.
Timing
No formal Council of Ministers resolution is public yet. What is public: the draft amendments went into parliamentary consultation today. Next comes TRIS — the draft must be notified to the European Commission, says Vienna-based gambling lawyer Arthur Stadler, triggering a standstill of at least three months before parliament can hold a final vote. Extensions are possible.
Cooling-off / non-offering period
The bad-actor clause has three teeth: retroactive tax payment, settlement of player claims, and a non-offering period. On the last point: Under the draft, operators must clear that freeze properly: from 1 January 2027 until the licence is actually granted, they have to shut down their existing unlicensed online offering. Fail to comply, and the penalty escalates fast: any operator that doesn’t observe the cooling-off phase faces an 18-month lock-out from licensing altogether. Stadler’s math: That’s a minimum nine-month freeze, 1 January to end-September 2027 at least depending when the licenses are awarded individually. It looks like that first license might be granted to those new market entrants adopting such early blackout, timewise landing exactly after the moment when Austrian Lotteries’ win2day concession expires on 30 September 2027.
The bad-actor clause has three teeth: retroactive tax payment, settlement of player claims, and a non-offering period. On the last point: Under the draft, operators must clear that freeze properly: From 1 January 2027 until the licence is actually granted, they have to shut down their existing unlicensed online offering. Fail to comply, and the penalty escalates fast: any operator that doesn’t observe the cooling-off phase faces an 18-month lock-out from licensing altogether. Stadler’s math: the legislator has, without saying so explicitly, built in an incentive structure. The floor is a nine-month freeze — 1 January through end-September 2027 — though actual length depends on when individual licences get awarded. The likely sequencing: new entrants who front-load the blackout early position themselves first in line, with awards landing right after Austrian Lotteries’ win2day concession expires on 30 September 2027.
Contradiction
Stadler sees a basic contradiction baked into the package. “Two of the three major elements work against each other. If the Finance Ministry wants to maximise retroactive tax recovery, a mandatory blackout period hands you a tax base of zero for that exact stretch. You can’t optimise for both. Operators are left asking whether the real goal is revenue or exclusion.”
Austria as a high-tax jurisdiction
Beyond the clearance condition — and an unresolved question of whether repaid player amounts can be offset against ongoing tax liabilities — sits the headline number: a 45% GGR tax rate. That puts Austria in elite company, in the same bracket as the UK (40% from April 2026) and the Netherlands (37.8%). “It’s a top-of-the-table tax rate for a market that doesn’t even have a functioning licensed channel yet,” Stadler says. But the tax rate alone doesn’t tell the whole story, he adds. “Even at 45% GGR, whether Austria actually functions as a licensed market depends on the regulatory mix around it (player protection rules, advertising limits, deposit and stake caps, AML obligations and more). You have to look at the framework as a whole and ask whether it’s actually attractive enough for new entrants. That’s the kind of detail that decides whether the channelisation target is achievable.”
Author: Arthur Stadler | STADLER PARTNER
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