Founded in 2000 by Denise Coates, Bet365 has become one of the largest online betting companies in the world, with an annual turnover of £3.7 billion.
1 July 2025 will mark the end of Betfair’s affiliate programme in the UK and Ireland. The decision, announced by Betfair’s parent company Flutter Entertainment, is driven by ever-increasing compliance costs and an increasingly complex regulatory landscape.
The European Union (EU) is redefining the rules of the game for online gambling operators. Between digital accessibility, algorithmic responsibility and transparency of digital services, the new European directives impose an in-depth overhaul of the industry’s digital practices.
On 19 March 2025, the Bundesverwaltungsgericht (BVerwG), Germany’s highest administrative court, handed down a ruling that redefined the limits of the regulatory authorities’ action against unauthorised online gambling sites.
On 13 May 2025, the UK High Court granted Entain, the online betting giant and owner of Ladbrokes and Coral, permission to keep confidential its defence documents in a court case brought by its former directors, Kenny Alexander and Lee Feldman. The decision prevents public access to Entain’s legal responses to allegations of corruption relating to its former Turkish subsidiary.
On 14 May 2025, the Dutch government announced that it would not proceed with the privatisation of Nederlandse Loterij and Holland Casino for the time being. This decision is aimed at maintaining the stability of the gambling market and strengthening player protection.
The Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gambling regulator, recently issued new guidelines on the use of chatbots and AI (artificial intelligence) by online gambling operators.
Wynn Resorts has postponed the planned renovation of its Encore tower in Las Vegas. The $200 million project was due to start this summer, but costs have been pushed too high due to import tariffs.
After years of dazzling growth, Swedish online gaming giant Evolution is making a major strategic shift: gradually withdrawing from unregulated markets. This decision is motivated by a desire to align with international standards and the expectations of regulators. But this transition, presented as a step towards greater responsibility, is also accompanied by significant financial sacrifices.
The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator, has recently stepped up its surveillance of the resale of second-hand slot machines. This measure follows the closure of several gaming halls as a direct consequence of the increase in tax on gambling. These closures resulted in a large amount of gaming equipment being put up for sale, particularly professional slot machines.
On 29 April 2025, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator, announced that it had imposed a fine on Chestoption Sociedad de Responsabilidad Limitada. The company, registered in Costa Rica, is accused of offering illegal online gambling to Dutch players via the vave.com, vave-luck.com and 65avev55.com websites.
The United Kingdom is planning to merge the three current taxes on online gambling into a single Remote Betting & Gaming Duty in order to simplify the tax system.
On 24 April 2025, the Ksa signed a memorandum of cooperation with 11 other Dutch regulators as part of the DSA. This initiative aims to strengthen the regulation of online platforms, with a particular focus on the fight against illegal gambling.
From 1 May 2025, Belgian players will have to verify their identity before they can deposit money or play at an online casino. This new measure, imposed by the Gaming Commission, aims to strengthen security, prevent fraud and encourage more responsible gambling.
The black market in UK gambling is growing at an alarming rate, with around £4.3 billion wagered each year on unregulated platforms. This parallel economy represents around 3% of the total gambling market and exposes 1.5 million gamblers, mainly young adults, to financial and addiction risks.
Unibet, a major online gaming operator, has seen its turnover in the Netherlands fall by 41% in the first quarter of 2025 compared with the previous year. This fall was due to tighter regulations, including a limit on monthly deposits and an increase in gaming tax to 34.2%.
The Kansspelautoriteit, the Dutch gambling regulator, has fined an online gaming operator €734,000 for a serious breach of its duty of care, a legal obligation designed to protect players from excessive gambling. The operator allegedly allowed several vulnerable players to spend large sums of money without intervening, in clear breach of the rules in force since the sector was legalised in 2021.
