Compliance Updates

AOJND and FEDBET to Appoint Expert Task Force to Support ONJN in Combating the Illegal Gambling Market

Published

10 months ago

May 15, 2025

aojnd-and-fedbet-to-appoint-expert-task-force-to-support-onjn-in-combating-the-illegal-gambling-market

Reading Time: 2 minutes

The Association of Remote Gambling Operators (AOJND) and the Federation of Gambling Organizers (FEDBET) — the two leading representative organizations of the gambling industry in Romania — have announced a joint initiative to form a multidisciplinary team of experts. This team will support the National Gambling Office (ONJN) in efforts to combat the illegal gambling market.

At the same time, both organizations are calling on their members — licensed gambling operators in Romania — as well as the general public, to actively contribute any relevant information that may assist authorities in addressing this issue. To facilitate this, an email address has been created: [email protected], where individuals can report gambling activities carried out without the necessary licenses and authorizations. All reports will be collected, verified, and forwarded promptly to ONJN.

This initiative comes in response to a recent ONJN statement reiterating that it is illegal to directly or indirectly provide services related to gambling to entities lacking a Class I license issued by ONJN, particularly if they offer access to players residing in Romania or to Romanian citizens without tax residency in another country.

“AOJND members are firmly committed to combating the illegal gambling market — a growing phenomenon that harms not only legitimate operators but, more importantly, players, who become vulnerable and unprotected. Our members — licensed operators — are focused on building honest and sustainable businesses, and that begins with ensuring safe conditions for players,” said Odeta Nestor, President of AOJND.

“For FEDBET, eliminating the black market in gambling is a top priority — not just to protect the interests of our members, but to ensure a fair and secure market for all players. Unlicensed operators directly undermine market stability by violating regulations and attracting players into unregulated environments. The consequences are severe: increased player vulnerability, losses to the state budget, and additional fiscal pressure on licensed operators. We fully support the authorities and are committed to using all available resources to identify and report illegal practices,” said Alexandru Domșa, General Director of FEDBET.

Both FEDBET and AOJND emphasize that only through active collaboration between industry stakeholders, authorities, and civil society can Romania maintain a legal, fair, and secure gambling market that provides both consumer protection and regulatory safeguards for society at large.

The black market in gambling presents serious challenges: a complete lack of legal protection for players — especially those in vulnerable groups — tax evasion, disruption of fair competition, and the generation of funds for criminal groups, fueling their influence, corruption, and ultimately leading to the loss of thousands of jobs.

In this spirit, the two organizations remain open to dialogue and cooperation with all relevant stakeholders in support of building a responsible, sustainable, and transparent gambling industry in Romania.

The post AOJND and FEDBET to Appoint Expert Task Force to Support ONJN in Combating the Illegal Gambling Market appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Regulating the Game Global Awards: First-Ever Winners Announced

Published

13 hours ago

March 11, 2026

Wladimir P.

regulating-the-game-global-awards:-first-ever-winners-announced

Regulating the Game has declared the winners of the first RTG Global Awards, honoring exceptional leadership, stewardship, and excellence in gambling policy and regulation, safer gambling practices, compliance, technology, and community results.

The Awards were created to recognize the people, groups, and innovations that significantly contribute to integrity, public trust, and sustainable progress in the sector. After substantial worldwide involvement in the first year, victors have now been chosen in all six categories by an impartial judging panel made up of senior leaders with knowledge across industry, law, integrity, governance, and safer gambling.

The 2026 RTG Global Award winners are:

• Leadership Voice — Danny Munk, Wests Illawarra
• Safer Gambling Champion — Gamble Alert
• Compliance Excellence — Dominic Monti, Wests Illawarra
• RegTech Solution of the Year — Cherry Hub
• Community Impact Initiative — Nathan Reeves, Unibet
• Emerging Leader — Michael Simone, Bankstown Sports

The award winners showcase the diversity of leadership throughout the sector, from individuals steering the industry with vision and intent to those promoting excellence in compliance, innovation, responsible gambling, and community engagement.

RTG Founder and Principal at Vanguard Overwatch, Paul Newson, said the inaugural winners had set a strong benchmark for future years: “The inaugural RTG Global Awards were established to recognise substance, integrity and measurable contribution across the sector. This year’s winners represent the calibre of leadership, innovation and commitment required to strengthen regulatory practice, improve industry capability and deliver better outcomes for communities.”

“What distinguishes these recipients is not simply professional achievement, but their contribution to lifting standards, advancing safer gambling, strengthening compliance and demonstrating leadership in areas that matter to public confidence and sector credibility.”

The quality of this year’s nominations resulted in a very competitive field, with finalists chosen from an exceptional group of candidates in every category. Being shortlisted was already a noteworthy accomplishment, showcasing the quality of work, leadership, and contributions made by the finalists, while the eventual winners came from an incredibly competitive group.

The winners were selected following an independent assessment process led by a judging panel comprising:
• Don Hammond, Chief Executive Officer, Leagues Clubs Australia
• Jamie Nettleton, Former President, International Masters of Gaming Law and Partner, Addisons
• Khalid Ali, Chief Executive Officer, International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA)
• Tracy Parker, Senior Vice-President – Accreditation, Advisory and Insights, Responsible Gambling Council (Canada)

The RTG Global Awards form part of the broader Regulating the Game program, which brings together regulators, industry leaders, compliance professionals and innovators to examine critical issues, advance policy dialogue and strengthen sector capability.

The post Regulating the Game Global Awards: First-Ever Winners Announced appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Smarkets Files for CFTC License to Enter U.S. Prediction Markets

Published

13 hours ago

March 11, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

smarkets-files-for-cftc-license-to-enter-us.-prediction-markets

Smarkets, one of the UK’s leading prediction markets, has filed for a license with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), marking its formal entry into the U.S. prediction markets space. Built on nearly two decades of technology development and approximately $50 billion in lifetime trading volume, the company is bringing a genuinely different model to America – one where prices are set by participants, not the house.

The filing opens two parallel regulatory tracks: a federal route through the CFTC for its core exchange platform, and state-by-state sportsbook licensing for its SBK product.

Founded in 2008 and now the number two prediction market in the UK, Smarkets owns its full technology stack end-to-end, including its matching engine, market-making capability, payments and data settlement systems. The company processes approximately $3 billion in annual traded volume and is profitable. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, which build margins of around 10+ percent into every price, Smarkets operates as a financial exchange with prices being determined in an open marketplace.

“The U.S. market is currently in a race against time to figure out how to regulate the predictions market. For the last nearly two decades, we’ve built Smarkets slow and steady, ensuring we built an exchange platform that did not cut corners and operated with transparency, putting the power into the hands of traders rather than the house. We believe now is the time to enter the U.S. market and bring the learnings that have made us successful in the UK, working with regulators, not around them,” said Jason Trost, founder and CEO.

Smarkets is backed by Susquehanna, one of the world’s largest quantitative trading firms, which led a $30M Series B. Previous investors include Passion Capital and DTCP.

The post Smarkets Files for CFTC License to Enter U.S. Prediction Markets appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Compliance Updates

REEVO Secures Greek Licence for Games and Aggregation Platform

Published

2 days ago

March 10, 2026

Wladimir P.

reevo-secures-greek-licence-for-games-and-aggregation-platform

REEVO has announced that it has officially secured regulatory approval in Greece, marking a major milestone in the company’s continued expansion across Europe’s regulated iGaming markets.

The licence, issued by the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP), grants REEVO a Manufacturer Suitability Licence (Category A1), enabling the company to supply its REEVO in-house games and aggregation platform to licensed operators within the Greek market.

The approval also includes the company’s registration in the EEEP Registry of Manufacturers, reinforcing REEVO’s position as a trusted and compliant technology provider within one of Europe’s most established regulated jurisdictions.f

“This licence represents an important step forward for REEVO. Greece is a key regulated market in Europe, and being approved for both our proprietary games and aggregation platform allows us to deliver the complete REEVO experience to operators and players across the country,” said Karl Grech, Head of Business Development at REEVO.

The Greek licence further strengthens REEVO’s growing footprint across regulated jurisdictions, as the company continues to deliver premium gaming content, advanced aggregation technology and fully compliant solutions to operators worldwide.

The post REEVO Secures Greek Licence for Games and Aggregation Platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.