Compliance Updates
The Finnish Supreme Administrative Court rules that skill-based fantasy sports games belong to Veikkaus monopoly
Article written by Antti Koivula, consulting legal advisor at Legal Gaming
On May 24, 2022 the Finnish Supreme Administrative Court delivered its judgment on IS-Liigapörssi-case (KHO:2022:60), in which the Supreme Administrative Court analysed whether skill-based fantasy sports games are within the scope of the Finnish Lotteries Act (1047/2001) (“Lotteries Act”) and thus belong to the state-owned gambling operator Veikkaus Oy’s (“Veikkaus”) monopoly.
Finland has a statutory gambling monopoly in place, under which Veikkaus has exclusive rights to operate and market gambling. According to the Lotteries Act, all games which include a participation fee, prizes of monetary value and the result is based on chance, are within Veikkaus monopoly. The main question in the case was if it is enough the game to be even remotely based on chance to be within the scope of the Lotteries Act and thus belong to Veikkaus monopoly, and if that was the case, whether the element of chance was present in the skill-based fantasy sports games in question.
IS-Liigapörssi-case concerned popular fantasy sports games in Finland, in which participants form virtual ice hockey teams from real ice hockey players and points were awarded based on the ice hockey players performance on real ice hockey matches. The fantasy sports games included entry fees and prizes and they had been run since 1995 by a Finnish media giant Sanoma Media Finland Oy (“Sanoma”). It was an undeniable fact that skilled and analytical participants who invested a considerable amount of time to the fantasy sports games outperformed participants who picked the players randomly.
The background of the case is lengthy, as the national authorities had tried to shut down the fantasy sports games run by Sanoma for more than a decade. In 2008 the Ministry of the Interior made a request for investigation for the police, which carried out a preliminary investigation. However, in 2010 the National Prosecution Authority (“NPA”) made a non-prosecution decision stating that it was left unresolved whether the Fantasy Sports games in question are within the scope of the Lotteries Act.
In 2017 the gambling enforcement authority, the National Police Board (“NPB”) started administrative proceedings against Sanoma regarding the fantasy sports games and two years later in 2019 the process had reached the point in which the NPB imposed a prohibition order and a conditional fine of EUR 300,000 for Sanoma on the basis that Sanoma was not allowed to run the fantasy sports games as they qualified as gambling. Sanoma appealed to the Helsinki Administrative Court arguing that the fantasy sports games in question were skill-games with which chance had no effect on the results and thus outside the scope of the Lotteries Act, but in 2021 the Helsinki Administrative Court ruled in favour of the NPB. Sanoma appealed to the Supreme Administrative Court.
The Supreme Administrative Court acknowledged that participants knowledge and skills were meaningful in the context of success, but reminded that at the same time random factors outside the participant’s control had a significant importance too. Thus, the chance of winning was at least partially based on luck. As the fantasy sports games also included entry fees and prize money, only Veikkaus was allowed to run them in Finland.
The Supreme Administrative Court’s decision hardly came as a surprise. The Lotteries Act’s definition of gambling is extremely broad, from which a good example is that even an ice fishing competition and an auction were previously deemed to fall within it. Nevertheless, the decision yet further strengthened the NPB’s authority and it remains to be seen what is the next competition or event after which they’ll go next.
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Central Register for Exclusion from Gambling
KSA Publishes Studies and Provides Guidance on the Duty of Care
The Dutch Gambling Regulator (KSA) has published two studies and provided additional guidance on the fulfillment of the duty of care by online gambling licensees. The documents provide insight into practice and offer clarification on personal interviews and the submission of notifications for registration in the Central Register for Exclusion from Gambling (Cruks).
The KSA conducted research into these topics in 2025. The results were discussed in December 2025 during a roundtable discussion with license holders. During this discussion, practical experiences and bottlenecks were gathered. Based on this, the KSA has drawn up guidelines to provide more clarity regarding implementation.
Personal maintenance
The personal interview is a far-reaching intervention that license holders are required to implement when there is a suspicion of excessive gambling behaviour or gambling addiction. Research shows that license holders implement this differently and encounter bottlenecks, such as a low response rate from players. The guidance explains, among other things, the timing of the intervention, the form of contact and the content of the conversation. In doing so, room remains for customisation and professional judgment.
Notices
If a license holder observes serious signs of problematic gambling behaviour or suspects a gambling addiction, the player must be advised to register with Cruks. If the player does not follow this advice, the license holder must report this to the KSA (a notification). The KSA may subsequently decide to involuntarily register the player in Cruks.
The research shows that license holders apply this measure differently and that there are questions in practice regarding its implementation. For example, it is difficult for the license holder to verify whether a player has actually registered, and it is not always clear when a notification must be submitted.
The guidance provides practical explanation regarding this, including the timing of reporting and the information required.
Guidelines
The guidelines do not contain new rules, but provide further explanation regarding the application of existing obligations. This gives permit holders more clarity regarding the fulfillment of their duty of care.
The post KSA Publishes Studies and Provides Guidance on the Duty of Care appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Baroness Fiona Twycross
BGC AGM 2026 Discussed About Surging Illegal Gambling Black Market
The Betting and Gaming Council AGM 2026 has discussed about the surging illegal gambling black market. As speakers repeatedly highlighted, 1.5 million people in Britain are already gambling on unlicensed sites and staking around £10bn a year outside UK regulation.
That concern is only set to intensify in the coming weeks as the Government considers further regulatory changes. In particular, Financial Risk Assessments (FRAs), which would require customers to provide detailed financial information such as bank statements and will only drive more customers towards unlicensed operators.
Chaired by broadcasters Gloria de Piero and Liam Halligan, the event began with a keynote from the Gambling Minister, followed by a discussion with BGC Chief Executive Grainne Hurst. A panel on the illegal market and the Gambling Commission’s assessment of the challenge followed, alongside research, polling and personal testimony from across the industry highlighting the scale of the problem.
Baroness Fiona Twycross, Parliamentary Under Secretary of State and Minister for Gambling, opened proceedings by addressing the tensions in current policy. She acknowledged that the gambling duty changes announced in November’s Budget were “extremely challenging for the sector, particularly for online operators,” and that they would “significantly affect business decisions and staff.” She defended the government’s position, arguing the changes were necessary to support public finances and would raise over a billion pounds a year for the Treasury.
The minister was clear: “Illegal gambling causes harm to vulnerable consumers,” she said, adding that it also damages the regulated sector. She announced an additional £26m for the Gambling Commission over the next three years and publicly confirmed the establishment of an Illegal Gambling Taskforce. This will bring together major companies including Google, Mastercard, TikTok and Visa alongside law enforcement and advertising bodies with a focus on illegal payments, advertising and cross-agency collaboration. She also announced a forthcoming consultation on the banning of unlicensed sport sponsorships, including in the Premier League. For many in the industry, this welcome action on enforcement will sit uneasily alongside tax policy that they believe is actively driving consumers towards the harmful black market.
The post BGC AGM 2026 Discussed About Surging Illegal Gambling Black Market appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
CATALIST SPORTS SECURES NEW SUPPLIER LICENSES IN ARKANSAS AND NEBRASKA
New approvals in U.S. states and applications in Canadian provinces drive Catalist Sports’ latest expansion across regulated North American markets
Catalist Sports, a leading licensed supplier of sports betting content to the regulated U.S. marketplace, has continued to expand its regulated market footprint with new supplier licenses secured in Arkansas and Nebraska, alongside recently submitted Canadian applications in Ontario and Alberta.
Arkansas’ regulated sports betting market is set for significant growth, with major operators including DraftKings and FanDuel entering the state in March 2026. In addition to Arkansas, Catalist Sports has successfully obtained a supplier license in Nebraska.
Following the approval of its supplier license in Missouri, the latest state to regulate online gambling, in December, Catalist Sports is now licensed in 30 U.S. jurisdictions, with two Canadian provinces expected to follow.
These license updates reinforce Catalist Sports’ commitment to serving both U.S. and Canadian regulated betting markets with compliant, high-quality content and services.
“Securing licenses in new jurisdictions and strengthening our regulatory standing is fundamental to serving as a trusted, key supplier to our operator partners,” said James Monk, Vice President & General Manager of Catalist Sports.
“Arkansas represents an exciting next step for us, particularly as major brands prepare to enter the market. At the same time, our licenses in Nebraska, along with applications in Ontario and Alberta, and ongoing license upgrades, position Catalist to continue delivering scalable, compliant, and differentiated services to our partners.”
Catalist Sports’ expanding North American footprint supports the company’s broader strategy to provide licensed operators with premium data, live streaming, and advanced trading capabilities, helping partners maximize in-play engagement, product innovation, and long-term growth in regulated markets.
Catalist Sports distributes official data and live streaming rights from a vast portfolio of events to licensed U.S. sportsbooks. This includes top-tier tennis properties such as the Australian Open, ITF World Tour, Davis Cup, and Billie Jean King Cup, as well as events across soccer, basketball, and ice hockey, which power year-round engagement for sportsbooks seeking continuous, high-frequency, high-quality live betting content.
The post CATALIST SPORTS SECURES NEW SUPPLIER LICENSES IN ARKANSAS AND NEBRASKA appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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