At the heart of a dubious advertising campaign aimed at seducing gamblers, actor Jean-Claude Van Damme has seen his face used without authorisation in an advert promoting an illegal online casino.
In Germany, the regulation of online gambling is struggling to contain the growth of the black market. According to the 2023 report by the Gemeinsame Glücksspielbehörde der Länder (GGL), illegal financial flows account for between 2% and 4% of gross gaming sales (GGR), or €400-600 million. But statistics shared at Gaming in Holland 2025 show that 80% of revenues go to illegal operators.
In Belgium, illegal gambling platforms are growing in popularity, a worrying development that is causing concern among players in the sector. The Gaming Commission (GC) has confirmed the fears expressed for some time by the Belgian Association of Gaming Operators (BAGO): spontaneous visits to these unregulated sites are rising steadily.
The Dutch Gambling Regulatory Authority (KSA) has unveiled its ‘Regulator 2.0’ vision, promising greater cooperation with operators to combat the black market. However, it warns that persistent breaches of advertising rules could lead to a total ban on gambling ads.
In Digne-les-Bains, the laying of the foundation stone for the future Golden Palace casino marks the beginning of an ambitious project combining entertainment, economic momentum, and sustainable development. Scheduled to open by the end of 2026, this new venue promises much more than a traditional gaming space.
On May 22, the Amsterdam District Court ruled as follows: Unibet must provide a player with access to their gambling data. The judge has imposed a penalty payment order of up to 10 000 euros on Unibet if they still decide not to do so.
This is a resounding victory for Svenska Spel Sport & Casino. The Swedish Administrative Court has overturned the decision of the gaming authority Spelinspektionen, which had imposed a record fine of SEK 100 million (approx. €9.1 million) on the public operator for neglecting players at risk.
Megaways slots are incredibly popular in online casinos. You can find them almost everywhere nowadays, including at many legal online casinos in Belgium. These slot machines offer new chances to win with every spin.
You might not immediately expect a history lesson from us. But this iconic series of paintings is certainly worth mentioning. Perhaps you have come across these works somewhere?
On 23 April last, in a commune in the Côtes-d’Armor region of Brittany, an occasional couple saw their lives turned upside down. That evening, they each filled in a Loto grid. Nothing out of the ordinary on the surface. And yet luck struck twice, with mathematically improbable precision.
In Austria, the gambling landscape is dominated by a state monopoly: win2day, operated by Österreichische Lotterien. However, the digital boom has enabled many foreign operators, often based in Malta or Curaçao, to offer their services to Austrian players without legal authorisation.
On 30 May 2025, the Tokyo Metropolitan Police arrested Makoto Chomabayashi, a 38-year-old man from Iwaki in Fukushima prefecture. He is suspected of betting around 28 billion yen (around €172 million) on the online gambling site Stake between August 2022 and April 2024. The authorities claim that he mainly played baccarat. Chomabayashi has admitted the facts.
A large-scale police operation in Turkey has dismantled a sprawling criminal network involved in illegal betting, online fraud, and child pornography. The raids, carried out across 52 provinces, led to the seizure of $127 million in assets and the arrest of 145 individuals.
While the deal between Betsson AB and Holland Gaming Technology looked set to close in February 2024, the Swedish group surprised the iGaming industry by announcing in early June that it was cancelling the planned acquisition outright. The deal, worth a total of €27.5 million, included Holland Gaming Technology Ltd and its in-house studio Holland Power Gaming BV.
The Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa) warns gambling companies that they should not simply assume that their online license will be extended when the term has expired.
A year after the entry into force of strict restrictions on gambling advertising and a few months after the minimum age for participation was raised to 21, the Gaming Commission (GC) is sharing the results of a new study carried out by DataSynergy on gambling behaviour, similar to the one carried out in 2023.
