Compliance Updates
Finland: Eurosport Fined €800,000 for Gambling Ads

The National Police Board (NPB) has imposed a conditional fine of EUR 800,000 on an international broadcaster Eurosport 1 television channel recently for marketing of gambling services in Finland.
Earlier, on 16 September, the NPB prohibited Eurosport SAS (Eurosport) from marketing gambling services in Mainland Finland.
The prohibition remains valid for a period of three months and shall apply from 30 days after the date of service of the decision, unless otherwise directed by the appeal authority.
The NPB has detected that the marketing of gambling services has occurred regularly, extensively and for several years in the Eurosport 1. Gambling services have been marketed in advertisements during commercial breaks in television broadcasting.
“The supervision process in accordance with our legislation gives companies the opportunity to alter their operations and have their views heard,” said Anna-Emilia Sirén, Senior Adviser, Gambling Administration at the NPB.
Despite a number of exhortations, Eurosport has, however, continued the marketing that is considered unlawful by the authority.
Before imposing the marketing ban, the NPB has issued a statement to the company about the marketing of gambling and informed the company of the fact that only Veikkaus holds the exclusive right to market gambling services in Mainland Finland.
In its statement, the NPB, among other things, said that the marketing of gambling services on the channel violates Finland’s national legislation, regardless of the marketing being carried out from outside the Finnish borders.
Eurosport has not provided a response to the statement issued by the National Police Board in March 2021.
“The starting point for supervision is that the full range of methods, from the lenient to the strict, are used,” Sirén said, adding, “as an authority, we take the other party’s views into account, but if necessary, we prohibit the activity that we consider unlawful.”
With TV broadcasters in particular, there has been disagreement about the impact of EU law on the illegality of activities. The NPB has taken measures not only against Eurosport, but two other international TV broadcasters as well.
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Compliance Updates
Expanse Studios (GMGI) Obtains Croatian iGaming Certification

Expanse Studios, the B2B game development division of Golden Matrix Group Inc. (NASDAQ: GMGI), has received official certification from Croatia’s Ministry of Finance for its flagship game Super Heli, with additional titles in the company’s 56-game portfolio expected to receive approval in the coming weeks for the EU member state.
The certification marks a strategic entry into a market that generated US$484.70m in 2024, with projected growth at a CAGR of 8.4% during 2024-2030. Super Heli, Expanse’s most popular crash-style game, becomes the first of the studio’s titles approved for the Croatian market, paving the way for broader portfolio distribution.
Tapping Into High-Growth European Market
Croatia represents a compelling opportunity for B2B gaming suppliers, with the Online Casinos segment alone projected at US$218.10m in 2024. According to iGamingToday’s latest market research, Croatia’s gambling market will reach €720.42 million by 2025, making it one of Europe’s fastest-growing regulated markets.
Among the key market benefits are:
- Accelerating digital adoption – Internet penetration jumped from 76% in 2020 to 83% in 2023
- Over 20.6 million tourist arrivals in 2023 following Schengen Zone entry
- Over 500,000 Croatians expected to engage in regular online gambling by 2027
Strategic Value for the Company
The certification strengthens Expanse Studios’ European footprint at a critical juncture. With 56 proprietary titles and 500+ B2B partners globally, Expanse is expected to capture a meaningful share in the growing EU market.
“Croatia certification is more than market access—it’s validation of our content quality and compliance capabilities in demanding EU jurisdictions,” said Damjan Stamenkovic, CEO of Expanse Studios. “With our flagship title Super Heli already approved and more games in the pipeline, we’re very excited for the opportunities this markets brings us”
Competitive Advantage in Regulated Markets
Croatia’s regulatory framework favors established, compliant B2B providers. Operators must obtain licenses requiring significant capital investment, and only licensed casino games operators who have at least one brick-and-mortar casino can offer online gambling. This creates high barriers to entry and positions certified B2B suppliers like Expanse as essential partners for operators.
The post Expanse Studios (GMGI) Obtains Croatian iGaming Certification appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
Starcasino bolsters its commitment to Sports Betting Integrity with International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) membership

Partnership underscores Starcasino’s pledge to protect sports and customers from betting-related corruption
Starcasino has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as part of the operator’s recent launch of its sportsbook in the Netherlands via the Altenar sportsbook, which is also a member of IBIA. The operator is also established in Belgium and Spain and joins over 80 companies and 140 sports betting brands that feed into IBIA’s world leading betting integrity network, which monitors over $300bn in sports bets each year. Starcasino’s membership maintains IBIA’s position as the foremost sports betting integrity monitor in the Netherlands, with the association representing around 90% of the licensed sportsbooks currently in operation in the country.
Kylian Olierook, Director of Starcasino Netherlands, said: “Starcasino.nl has joined the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) as part of our ongoing effort to support fair and honest sports betting. Together with our sportsbook partner Altenar, we want to help protect sports from manipulation and ensure a safe experience for our players. By working with IBIA, we take an active role in monitoring and reporting suspicious betting activity.”
Khalid Ali, CEO of IBIA, said: “We are delighted to welcome Starcasino to our association. Their addition strengthens our global monitoring network and reinforces our shared commitment to safeguarding the integrity of sports and regulated betting markets. Membership of IBIA highlights Starcasino’s dedication to maintaining the highest standards of integrity and transparency in the regulated sports betting industry. We look forward to working closely with Starcasino to protect the integrity of its products and markets.”
IBIA is a not-for-profit body that has no competing conflicts with the delivery of commercial services to other sectors and was established by operators, for operators, to protect regulated sports betting markets from match-fixing. IBIA’s global monitoring network is a highly effective anti-corruption tool, detecting and reporting suspicious activity in regulated betting markets. Through the IBIA global monitoring network it is possible to track transactional activities linked to individual customer accounts; this data is only available to IBIA and its members.
The post Starcasino bolsters its commitment to Sports Betting Integrity with International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) membership appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Compliance Updates
New Zealand Introduces Online Casino Gambling Bill

New Zealand Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden has introduced the Online Casino Gambling Bill to the House of Representatives.
“The Online Casino Gambling Bill will introduce a regulatory system for online gambling in New Zealand, which will prioritise harm minimisation, consumer protection, and tax collection,” said Ms van Velden.
Cabinet has previously agreed to introduce new legislation to regulate the online casino gambling market, which is currently unregulated in New Zealand. Key features of the Bill include:
• Up to 15 licences for online casino gambling operators will be auctioned.
• Companies applying for a licence will need to provide detailed information to the regulator, including on their business plans for New Zealand.
• Licensed operators will be allowed to advertise, with restrictions.
• Unlicensed operators will be prohibited and fines up to $5 million may be applicable for breaking the law.
“The Bill will proceed to select committee later this year and New Zealanders will have the ability to have their say through the select committee process.”
The introduction of the Bill meets action 21 on the Coalition Government’s Quarter Two Action Plan.
The post New Zealand Introduces Online Casino Gambling Bill appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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