Rick van Roij, author of “Kansloos”, columnist for CasinoZorgplicht.nl and expert by experience, provides insight into how you go from a gambling habit to an addiction without realising it.
Since the legalisation of online gambling in July 2020, Ukraine has embarked on a merciless battle against illegal operators. In 2024, the authorities closed more than 2,500 illegal sites and launched investigations against organised criminal networks.
Jumbo Technology, a Taiwanese company specialising in gaming hardware and software, has filed a lawsuit against Swedish giant Evolution Gaming Group, the world leader in live casino gaming. The target: Evolution’s famous Lightning series of games, accused of using technology patented by Jumbo in the United States without authorisation.
The world of online gambling is under intense scrutiny, and Ladbrokes has just paid the price. In promoting its Ladbucks rewards programme, the British operator has crossed a red line in the eyes of the UK’s advertising regulator.
Sporting Charleroi has just announced a strategic partnership with Napoleon Score, which will become the club’s main sponsor from the 2025/2026 season. This alliance once again demonstrates how gambling operators are adapting to new advertising restrictions.
Since the introduction of the Cruks register (Centraal Register Uitsluiting Kansspelen) in the Netherlands, a worrying trend has emerged: a growing number of Dutch Internet users are actively seeking out ‘bookmakers zonder Cruks’ (bookmakers without Cruks) to continue betting despite their voluntary registration on this self-excluding register.
On 12 June, a rare moment took place in the corridors of the addiction and psychiatry department at Bichat-Claude Bernard Hospital in Paris. Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin, Chairwoman of the French National Gaming Authority (ANJ), paid a visit. A visit that goes beyond mere protocol.
This story is not new, but it illustrates the luck of some players on this Friday the 13th. Amelia Barnham, a 69-year-old grandmother from London, found herself at the centre of a bizarre scenario: after winning more than £23,000 in accumulated lottery winnings, she was unable to collect her final prize of £800.
A Dutch woman has won a court case against online casino BetCity. She will still be paid the jackpot of over €172,000. The casino had previously refused to transfer the amount.
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 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.
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.
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.
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.
In May 2025, the Dutch gambling regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA) published new guidelines on the use of artificial intelligence (AI) and chatbots in the online gambling industry. The guidelines state that AI can be used to support responsible gambling practices, but should not replace human staff in this crucial area.
During the 2024 European Championship, Belgian viewers saw gambling-related communications remarkably often. More than half remembered sponsored messages on social media, even though these have been banned in Belgium since July 2023.
