Lottomart is in serious trouble. The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has fined its parent company, Maple International Ventures, a staggering £360,000 (€414,000).
In the face of recent criticism of online sports betting, the Association Française des Jeux en Ligne (AFJEL) is fighting back. It denounces a series of preconceived ideas that fuel the stigmatisation of legal operators, while overshadowing the real danger: the massive growth of the illegal market.
At the SBC Leaders Summit in Lisbon, the chairman of the Kansspelautoriteit, Michel Groothuizen, sounded the alarm: while it is essential to regulate, over-regulation could seriously undermine the functioning of the market. In his view, there is a wide gap between theory and reality on the ground.
Since 15 September 2025, the Keurmerk Verantwoorde Affiliates (KVA) has been presenting a completely revamped version of its website. The redesign is more than just cosmetic: it aims to provide consumers with greater transparency about the criteria that affiliate sites must meet to be certified by the KVA.
The return of 888.nl to the Dutch online gambling market, announced for September 2025, is causing controversy. Behind this expected reappearance lies a surprising reality: the licence has not been awarded to Evoke, the parent company of the famous operator, but to ComeOn Group.
For nearly two decades, Italy has had a sluggish gambling market, torn between rigid regulatory restrictions, fragmentation among operators and delays in adapting to digital realities. However, at the end of 2025, a major regulatory shift could well transform the landscape.
Prime Minister Petteri Orpo’s government is preparing a major reform of the Finnish gambling market. The most important point: Veikkaus’ monopoly will be broken. From 2027, foreign gambling companies will be allowed to operate legally on the Finnish market, provided they have a licence.
In the summer of 2025, the Autorité nationale des jeux (ANJ) took strong action: the Stake and Cbet platforms are officially banned on French soil. The announcement came in August, after a lengthy legal process. In July, the ANJ obtained an order requiring these online casinos to be blocked, in accordance with French laws on digital gambling.
In Germany, betting on political, social or international events, such as elections or the outcome of conflicts such as the war in Ukraine, is becoming increasingly popular. However, these bets, often offered on platforms such as Polymarket, are considered illegal under German law.
California is the scene of an unprecedented political and cultural confrontation. Four tribes from the north of the state gathered in front of the Capitol in Sacramento on 8 September to protest against AB 831. The bill, which aims to ban online gambling linked to sweepstakes promotions, could disrupt a sector estimated to generate more than a billion dollars in annual revenue.
The future of hundreds of disputes relating to gambling losses in Germany remains uncertain. On 5 September, an opinion delivered by the Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU) recognised the validity of certain actions against online gambling operators, but did not settle the central question: the compatibility of the German gambling treaty with EU law.
Finland is shaking up the world of social networks this week: two influencers could be fined up to €30,000 each for promoting unauthorised gambling sites.
The debate surrounding the recovery of losses incurred in unlicensed online casinos has reached a new stage. The Advocate General of the Court of Justice of the European Union (CJEU), Nicholas Emiliou, has issued a potentially game-changing opinion for thousands of players across Europe.
Since 1 September 2025, the Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) has imposed the same advertising rules on all online gambling operators, regardless of where they are registered. This change corrects a loophole that allowed certain problematic practices to escape.
The Kanspelautoriteit (Ksa) has announced a major overhaul of its online gaming licensing policy, with a planned entry into force on 1 January 2026. This decision follows the forthcoming expiry of the licences issued in September 2021 and developments in the Dutch online gaming market.
In the corridors of the European Commission, the major national lotteries, grouped under influential banners such as the European Lotteries Association (EL), are waging a strategic offensive to influence the sector’s regulatory future. Their objective? To preserve a model that feeds public coffers while distinguishing itself from private operators deemed to be out of control.
In Los Angeles, an unprecedented legal battle is under way: the city has filed a lawsuit against Stake.us, the American branch of the online casino Stake, accusing it of disguising a genuine illegal casino behind a so-called “sweepstakes” model.
