There is a big rumble between Malta and the European Commission. The row revolves around a new Maltese gambling law, Article 56A, added in 2023.
Meta, the parent company of Facebook and Instagram, announced a major change in its gambling advertising policy at the beginning of July 2025. Until now, many advertisements from poorly regulated operators circulated freely, without any real control. Meta now acknowledges that it must remedy this situation, under pressure from regulators and civil society.
The Dutch magazine Nederlands Dagblad interviewed 46-year-old Mathijs Ummels from Berg en Terblijt about how he developed a gambling addiction with a huge loss of 600.000 euros.
Live betting is not a quiet hobby. It’s adrenaline, eyes on the screen, fingers poised over the button. It can be addictive – but also interesting if you know what you’re doing.
On Monday 8 July, Flutter Entertainment confirmed that there has been a data leak at gambling sites Paddy Power and Betfair. In the process, players’ personal data was captured.
It’s a staggering amount: in 2024, the largest European gambling companies paid a combined €3.8 billion in taxes.
The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is preparing to align its anti-money laundering (AML) guidelines with the new EU regulatory framework. With the Anti-Money Laundering/Combating the Financing of Terrorism Regulation (AML/CFT) about to come into force, the association is strengthening its policy for a more transparent and secure iGaming industry.
There was already a lot of fuss about viewing the gambling data at Unibet. For example, in April of last year, a player took steps to gain access to this transaction history, but at Unibet they hid behind the European privacy data and the Maltese regulations.
Ireland’s Economic and Social Research Institute (ESRI), supported by the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), has conducted a groundbreaking study. It is based on a random online experiment involving 622 men under the age of 40, all regular punters. The aim? Observing the impact of incentives (free bets, money-back guarantees) on real gambling behaviour, highlighted by the intense atmosphere of European football matches.
On 3 July 2025, the Swedish Gaming Authority (Spelinspektionen) struck a blow: it ordered WinBet NV, operating under the trade name Superb.bet, to immediately cease all activity aimed at the Swedish market. This decision comes after the authority determined that WinBet, despite its Greek licence, was offering its services in Swedish krona and Swedish – a direct violation of the law.
Everyone plays differently. Some like excitement at the roulette table, others follow every second of Anderlecht with their finger on the betting button.
From October 2024, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator, has introduced a new player protection scheme: monthly deposit limits. From now on, anyone depositing a net amount in excess of €700 must suspend any further payments until the end of the current month. Young adults, aged between 18 and 25, are subject to a more restrictive ceiling of €300.
A new page in European gaming history was written when the Austrian group NOVOMATIC, already a technological giant in the sector, completed its acquisition of Vikings Casinos. The deal, announced last January, has finally been approved by the French authorities, giving NOVOMATIC not only lasting access to one of the continent’s most demanding markets, but also a strong signal of its international expansion.
On 1 July, the premises of the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) in Paris were the scene of a rare but highly significant diplomatic meeting. A Japanese delegation, made up of members of the Japanese government and researchers from WIP Japan Corp. travelled to France for a series of in-depth discussions on the regulation of gambling and the prevention of excessive gambling.
Since its launch, Circus Daily has presented itself as an independent sports media dedicated to football, cycling and, more broadly, Belgian sports. However, barely a few months after it went online, the Council for Journalistic Ethics (CDJ) asked for clarification, thereby striking at the main mission of this new medium: to inform, or to promote a gambling operator?
No sooner had the Belgian football championship ended than a significant announcement was made: runners-up Club Brugge have signed a new sponsorship deal with Betsson AB, a Swedish gambling operator. The partnership, billed as a record deal for the club, continues a long tradition of links between professional clubs and betting companies.
On 1 July 2025, the Swedish Supreme Court handed down a major ruling: Betsson, via its Maltese subsidiary BML Group, must reimburse €527,395 to a player suffering from gambling addiction. A significant decision, which puts the responsibility of online operators in a new light.
