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Compliance Updates

EGARA & CityMaaS Launch First Gambling-Focused Accessibility Toolkit Ahead of June Compliance Deadline

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Digital accessibility has become a legal, reputational, and operational risk that gambling operators can no longer afford to ignore. With less than three months until EU Member States must begin enforcing national laws implementing the European Accessibility Act (EAA), gambling industry stakeholders face a fast-approaching compliance challenge.

Failure to meet accessibility requirements could expose operators to financial penalties, enforcement action, public scrutiny, and consumer litigation—especially if key features like responsible gaming tools are not accessible to all users. We’ve already seen how this can unfold in the United States, where thousands of lawsuits have been filed under the Americans with Disabilities Act against digital platforms, including online gambling operators.

In response, gambling advisory firm EGARA and accessibility technology and certification provider CityMaaS have announced a strategic partnership to deliver the first-ever accessibility solution tailored to gambling operators by combining their respective fields of expertise.

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This includes accessibility audits, product integration support, certification, and staff training—all delivered with a deep understanding of the unique demands and risks faced by licensed operators in highly regulated gaming markets. It addresses a long-overlooked risk area that also ties directly into responsible gaming, fairness, and user protection.

Key highlights of the EGARA x CityMaaS Partnership:

  • Readiness check: The partnership between EGARA and CityMaaS offers operators a readiness check and manual to implement across their business.
  • Certification: The partnership offers operators a solution to certify their accessibility offering. This will prove highly important for operators as several gambling regulators have confirmed the regulations are in scope and are already themselves being called to action by accessibility enforcement bodies.
  • Audit function: The partnership offers a tailored auditing, reviewing platforms’ accessibility offering, ensuring they reach more customers, more effectively in line with the projected regulations, while ensuring critical features like responsible gaming tools are available to everyone with fairness, transparency and actual protection of all groups.
  • ESG and Responsible Leadership: The collaboration offers bespoke advice and training to ensure operators lead— and not just comply—by embedding fairness and inclusion into the core of digital player experiences across all offerings including websites and customer service functions.
  • Technical Solution: CityMaaS’s technology incorporates the latest advancements in accessibility, providing a robust and reliable solution for EGARA’s clients in the gambling industry.

Operators and platform providers can begin accessibility readiness assessments now: www.egara.co/contact-us.

Jessica Maier, Co-founder of EGARA said: “Despite its transformative potential to harmonize accessibility standards across the EU, the European Accessibility Act has surprisingly remained underdiscussed within our sector, leaving many organisations unprepared for its imminent impact. Through our partnership with CityMaaS, we’re enabling operators to rapidly close any existing gaps to reduce legal and reputational risk, and ultimately make gambling platforms more inclusive and sustainable, bolstering responsible gaming efforts and providing opportunity for sustainable growth.

“CityMaaS is thrilled to collaborate with EGARA to bring our state-of-the-art accessibility solutions to the gambling sector. Together, we are setting a new standard for accessibility and user experience,” said Rene Perkins, CEO of CityMaaS.

The post EGARA & CityMaaS Launch First Gambling-Focused Accessibility Toolkit Ahead of June Compliance Deadline appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Alon Segev

Segev LLP Celebrates 10 Years of Business-Focused Legal Innovation

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Leading business, technology, finance, and gaming law firm, Segev LLP, is proud to announce its 10th anniversary. Over the past decade, Segev has evolved from a bold idea into a multi-jurisdictional firm serving clients across Canada, the U.S., and beyond.

Built for innovation-driven industries, the firm is widely recognized for its work with companies at the forefront of gaming, crypto, technology, and emerging sectors. “Our 10-year anniversary is a defining moment,” said Founding Partner, Ron Segev. “It’s a testament to the strength of our team and our culture of teamwork, self-improvement, and growthall of which is directed at scoring wins for our great clients.”

As industries like fintech, crypto, iGaming, and AI have matured, so has the firm, often in parallel with its clients. “We’ve all grown together with our clients from one success to the next, whether it be helping clients complete financings or helping them close business,” said Managing Partner Alon Segev. “I look forward to continued growth for us and our clients in the next 10 years!”

The firm’s client-first approach has consistently earned recognition from top legal ranking guides. Segev LLP is ranked by Chambers and Partners as a “Leading Firm” and “Band-1” in Canada for Gaming Law and are also recommended by The Legal 500 and Lexology. These rankings reflect the team’s ability to deliver strategic, high-quality legal solutions that align with their clients’ business goals.

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Recognized for their unique ability to exceed expectations and deliver out-of-the-box solutions, Segev LLP’s clients have affirmed: “The firm demonstrates its capability not only to understand complex matters, but also to offer solutions that are practical, pragmatic, and value-adding.”

“Segev possesses outstanding resources and maintains global partnerships, enabling it to deliver precise and informed responses to any queries related to the iGaming industry.”

“Epic service, very good, I won the case!”

“Great service, friendly atmosphere, and support.”

Several Segev team members also reflected on the milestone: “There was a moment early in my time here when I realized I wasn’t just being brought in to help; I was expected to contribute, take initiative, and run with big ideas. That stuck with me,” said Negin Alavi.

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“Together with our clients, [Segev] has experienced remarkable growth over the past decade. I’m honored to have contributed to this journey and to celebrate these shared successes,” said David McHugh.

Segev has cultivated a thriving law practice on the principle that challenges are to be embraced as opportunities. The approach has enabled us to grow as lawyers, but more importantly, it has enabled us to ensure the success of our clients,” said Mark Balestra.

“Since joining through Segev’s Ontario expansion, I’ve had the chance to work alongside some of the sharpest and most collaborative lawyers in the gaming space,” added Manav Bhargava. “As a full-service firm and industry leader, Segev stands out for its ability to support innovative businesses with practical, forward-thinking legal advice.”

Segev LLP will commemorate the anniversary with a series of internal and external initiatives throughout the remainder of the year.

The post Segev LLP Celebrates 10 Years of Business-Focused Legal Innovation appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Compliance Updates

KSA Conducts Impact Assessment of the Increase in Gambling Tax

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The Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) has conducted an impact assessment of the increase in gambling tax. Effective January 1, 2025, the gambling tax was increased from 30.5% to 34.2%. This increase was intended to increase government revenue. The KSA’s impact assessment shows that this objective has not been achieved. Due to various developments, the gross gaming result (GSR) has declined in both the online and land-based markets. Consequently, despite the increase in gambling tax, tax revenues have decreased.

The increase in gambling tax means that gambling providers must take measures to maintain their profitability. This can be done in various ways, for example, by reducing costs or increasing revenue. In the land-based segment of the market, these options are limited. Therefore, the tax increase is further hampering this segment of the market in particular. The KSA currently sees a faster decline in the number of gaming locations. For example, the number of gaming locations decreased by 9% in the first quarter of 2025 compared to the last quarter of 2024. By comparison, between 2020 and 2025, the number of gaming locations decreased by an average of 6% per year.

The online market’s BSR has also decreased, partly due to the implementation of various measures, such as the Responsible Gaming Policy 2024 and the Regulation on Gaming Limits and More Conscious Gaming Behaviour. However, the online market appears to have slightly more room to absorb the decline in the BSR than land-based providers. This is because they have more options to adjust payout percentages and reduce other costs.

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Michel Groothuizen, chairman of the Royal Netherlands Gambling Authority, said: “The measures we have taken to offer players more protection have made it financially more difficult for providers. This has led to a decrease in the BSR (Belgian Gambling Tax) for the entire market. Consequently, gambling tax revenues have also decreased. The Ksa had already indicated this would be the effect before the increase in gambling tax was implemented. A financially driven measure like gambling tax is at odds with the policy objective of offering players more protection. If we want to offer players a protected gaming environment in the future, this requires serious, responsible providers. A financially sound, legal market is essential for this.”

The post KSA Conducts Impact Assessment of the Increase in Gambling Tax appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

Illinois Gaming Board Announces Enhanced, Uniformed Advertising Rules for Casinos, Video Gaming and Sports Wagering

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The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) adopted new rules that expand existing restrictions on advertising, marketing and promotions for licensed casino, video gaming, and sports wagering operators including a ban on advertising on college campuses and new requirements to protect the public, especially young people and problem gamblers.

“By adopting these measures, the IGB is building upon existing regulations to implement additional safeguards and standards that further protect the public and encourage responsible gambling habits. These regulations provide for clear, consistent, ethical, and transparent advertising and marketing guidelines for all casino, video gaming, and sports wagering operations under IGB jurisdiction,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter.

While previous IGB rules placed restrictions on advertising and promotional content which included prohibitions against false or misleading claims and other restrictions, the new rules go farther to ensure advertisements are not placed in locations where they are likely to be seen by underage or vulnerable populations. The expanded rules also require operators to maintain advertising records and include prominent, responsible gaming messages in advertising, marketing and promotions.

After assessing the advertising and marketing rules for sports wagering adopted in 2020, the IGB determined that those limitations apply equally to video gaming and casinos. The IGB further determined to enhance the existing rules to best assure an ethical advertising environment that restricts enticements to minors and those with gambling problems.

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The revised advertising and marketing rules which expanded and codified practices for all gambling segments under IGB jurisdiction are now effective, following a public notice and comment period, the May 13, 2025 approval from the Illinois General Assembly’s Joint Committee on Administrative Rules (JCAR), and publication by the Secretary of State in the Illinois Register Issue 31 on August 1, 2025.

The rules feature requirements for Illinois operators including:

• Prohibition from having advertisements or promotions published, aired, broadcast, displayed, or distributed on any college or university campus, or college or university media outlets such as college or university newspapers and radio or television broadcasts, or any sports venues used primarily for college and university events.

• Prohibition from depicting college or university students, colleges or universities, or college or university settings.

• Retention of copies of all advertising and marketing materials including a log of when and how those materials have been published, aired, displayed, or distributed.

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• Allowing patrons the option to unsubscribe or opt out of advertising, marketing or promotional materials. Additionally, operators should comply with any patron request to unsubscribe or opt out of receiving materials as soon as practicable.

• Prohibition on entering into agreements with third parties to conduct advertising or marketing on behalf of, or to the benefit of, the Illinois operator when compensation is dependent upon, or related to, the volume or outcome of wagers.

• Include problem gambling text as determined by the Illinois Department of Human Services in all advertising and marketing materials.

The post Illinois Gaming Board Announces Enhanced, Uniformed Advertising Rules for Casinos, Video Gaming and Sports Wagering appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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