Compliance Updates
EGARA & CityMaaS Launch First Gambling-Focused Accessibility Toolkit Ahead of June Compliance Deadline
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.
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.
Compliance Updates
Stake joins ESIC as official anti-corruption partner
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The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) is pleased to announce that Stake has joined as an Official Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Partner.
As a global entertainment and technology brand, Stake’s collaboration with ESIC underscores a shared commitment to strengthening integrity frameworks and supporting fair competition across the esports ecosystem.
ESIC’s Anti-Corruption Supporter program brings together key industry stakeholders who contribute directly to the detection, analysis, and investigation of suspicious betting activity. Through data sharing, operational cooperation, and collaborative monitoring, the program enhances ESIC’s capacity to identify and address potential issues in real time.
As part of Stake’s Anti-Corruption Partner role, Stake will contribute to ESIC’s integrity monitoring network, helping advance the Commission’s efforts to ensure transparency, accountability, and sustainability within the global esports industry. This collaboration reinforces both organisations’ commitment to safeguarding the credibility and long-term development of competitive gaming worldwide.
Stephen Hanna, CEO of ESIC, commented: “The addition of Stake to ESIC’s Anti-Corruption Supporter network reinforces the sentiment that integrity is a shared responsibility. ESIC’s Anti-Corruption Supporter program relies on the active collaboration of partners like Stake, whose operational insights contribute directly to our ability to identify and mitigate integrity threats. Together, we are building a stronger foundation of trust and accountability that supports the sustainable growth of esports worldwide.”
Jarrod Febbraio, Director of Stake, commented: “This partnership formalizes Stake’s commitment to protecting integrity and transparency across the global esports ecosystem. As the world’s leading online-first betting operator, supporting the industry is central to our strategy and our scale makes this collaboration with ESIC essential to safeguarding its integrity. Together, we’re ensuring the ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and trusted by fans and participants worldwide.”
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Compliance Updates
Corinne Valletta Wins Chief Compliance Officer of the Year at the Global Regulatory Awards 2025
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At the Global Regulatory Awards 2025 (GRAs), Betsson Group’s General Counsel, Corinne Valletta, was named Chief Compliance Officer of the Year. The award was accepted on her behalf by Betsson Group’s Deputy General Counsel, Dario Evangelista.
Since joining Betsson Group in May 2017, Corinne has played a pivotal role in navigating the complex and constantly evolving regulatory landscape of online gaming. Her strategic leadership has guided Betsson through significant regulatory challenges while supporting the successful expansion of Betsson’s operations into several new jurisdictions.
Corinne has also been a strong advocate for policies that elevate industry-wide standards of operational excellence, protect players and achieve compliance while ensuring the continued relevance of the brands in the commercial space.
Organised by Vixio Regulatory Intelligence, the Global Regulatory Awards recognise excellence across the compliance and responsible gambling sectors, highlighting the individuals and teams who drive progress and uphold best practices in the industry.
This nomination and prestigious award reaffirm Betsson Group’s ongoing dedication to strengthening compliance, ensuring a safe, transparent and trustworthy business.
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AML or MLR Professional of the Year
SOFTSWISS’ Eleni Panagiotopoulou Becomes Best AML Professional 2025
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SOFTSWISS, a leading iGaming software provider, proudly announces that Eleni Panagiotopoulou, Head of the Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Team, has been named AML or MLR Professional of the Year at the Global Regulatory Awards 2025.
The award honours individuals who make exceptional contributions to compliance and responsible gambling in a demanding, ever-changing regulatory landscape. Winners are recognised for their expertise, leadership, and dedication to maintaining the highest industry standards.
“It’s an honour to receive this award, but even more so to see AML excellence recognised on an industry stage,” said Eleni Panagiotopoulou, Head of AML at SOFTSWISS. “This recognition belongs to our entire team – every analyst, every partner, and every department that supports compliance as a shared responsibility. Together, we’re building not just safer systems, but a stronger and more trustworthy industry.”
Under Eleni’s leadership, the SOFTSWISS AML team has set new benchmarks for operational efficiency and compliance integrity. Over the past year, her key achievements included:
- Strengthening the AML function by expanding the team and increasing capacity for transaction monitoring and case reviews
- Driving a 75% rise in suspicious activity reports submitted, ensuring timely escalation and regulator engagement
- Implementing automated transaction-screening tools and real-time analytics to improve fraud detection accuracy
- Representing SOFTSWISS on international panels and industry forums, promoting ethical approaches to financial crime prevention
Eleni also managed updates to SOFTSWISS AML policies across multiple jurisdictions, such as Brazil, Peru, South Africa, Malta, Curacao, Serbia, and Nigeria. She helped SOFTSWISS remain fully aligned with regulatory requirements for smooth market entry worldwide.
Her industry impact is confirmed through the delivery of more than 25 hours of AML and responsible gambling training, benefiting both SOFTSWISS employees and the broader iGaming community.
Eleni’s insights on the current state of AML and Responsible Gambling can be found in the 2026 iGaming Trends Report. There, she shares how AI systems detect risky behaviour early and support safer play across regulated markets, helping operators protect their reputation and revenue.
Operators and industry professionals can download the 2026 iGaming Trends Report here.
About SOFTSWISS
SOFTSWISS is an international technology company with over 15 years of experience in developing innovative solutions for the iGaming industry. SOFTSWISS provides comprehensive software for managing iGaming projects. The company’s product portfolio includes the Casino Platform, the Game Aggregator with over 36,700 casino games, Affilka Affiliate Platform, the Sportsbook Software and the Jackpot Aggregator. The expert team, based in Malta, Poland, and Georgia, counts over 2,000 employees.
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