Crazy gambling facts you didn’t know – Here they are!
When we think of gambling, we often think of glittering casinos, risky bets and fortunes won – or lost – in an instant.
When we think of gambling, we often think of glittering casinos, risky bets and fortunes won – or lost – in an instant.
Armando Izzo, a defender with Italian club Monza, was acquitted on appeal on 10 April 2025, after more than ten years of legal proceedings linked to a match-fixing case dating back to 2014. Accused of participating in the manipulation of two Serie B matches under the influence of a Neapolitan mafia clan, he was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023. The Naples Court of Appeal finally ruled that there was insufficient evidence to confirm his guilt, thereby rehabilitating a player who had always denied the facts.
Gamestate, known for its arcade halls in the Netherlands, is now coming up with something new. From now on, you can play the well-known crane machines, which you normally see at the fairground, at home. Via the website Gamestate Now, you control a real machine remotely.
Flutter Entertainment has completed the acquisition of Snaitech for €2.3 billion after obtaining all the necessary regulatory approvals. This strategic transaction strengthens Flutter’s leading position in the Italian online and physical gaming market by integrating Snaitech with its existing brands such as PokerStars and Sisal.
On 9 April 2025, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gambling regulator, announced on its website that it had formally taken Hotel Gaming Services B.V., the operator of the Circus Gran Casino slot machines, to task for failing to comply with a rule that has been in force since 2022 in its promotional campaigns.
In an exclusive interview, we spoke with Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, President of the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) and the Gaming Regulators European Forum (GREF).
The Hellenic Gaming Commission is teaming up with Danish company Mindway AI to enhance player protection in Greece using artificial intelligence. The partnership aims to develop innovative tools for the early identification of problem gambling behaviour using techniques combining neuroscience, AI and psychology.
Picture this: you toss a coin into a slot machine and… bam! You win $39.7 million. So that really happened. At the Excalibur Casino in Las Vegas, on a Megabucks slot machine. No joke. This is still the biggest casino win ever.
The Kansspelautoriteit in the Netherlands has imposed a hefty fine on Techno Offshore Limited. So the organisation announced on its site today.
The GC has reported 1,298 illegal ads on Facebook in the first three months of 2025, aimed at luring Belgian gamblers to unauthorised gambling sites. These fraudulent platforms, often presented as legal, do not guarantee any protection for users and represent a real danger for consumers.
A more intensive effort is needed to take down illegal apps. The Ksa (Dutch Gambling Authority) is fully committed to eliminating illegal gambling.
It is impossible to imagine Belgian casinos without dice games. Both online and in land-based gaming halls, more and more players are opting for these dice games. But what exactly are dice games, and why are they such a hit in Belgium?
Professional tennis has been rocked once again by a major match-fixing scandal involving five Belgian players sanctioned by the ITIA. The athletes – Yannick Thivant, Thomas Setodji, Thomas Brechemier, Gabriel Petit and Hugo Daubias – were found guilty of manipulating matches between 2017 and 2018, in connection with a vast illegal betting network orchestrated by Grigor Sargsyan, who has already been sentenced to five years in prison.
The ECA fully supports the European Union’s ProtectEU strategy, which aims to strengthen security against threats such as illegal gambling. This initiative includes an expanded role for Europol, better regulation of online content through the Digital Services Act, and the creation of an anti-money laundering authority. The ECA welcomes these measures, underlining the urgent need for action in the face of the scale of the illegal market and its links with organised crime.
The Irish and UK gambling regulators have signed a landmark agreement to harmonise their efforts in regulating the sector, with the main aims of aligning regulations, protecting consumers and combating cross-border illegal activity.
From 1ᵉʳ May 2025, Belgium will strengthen the regulation of gambling by reforming the EPIS system, which lists excluded players. This update aims to ensure compliance with the RGPD, improve personal data protection and simplify the procedures for operators.
n February 2024, Betsson AB announced the acquisition of Goldrun Casino for €27.5 million in order to gain a lasting foothold in the Dutch online gaming market. However, more than a year later, the deal has stalled, as the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) has still not given its approval.