Latest News
Entain Hits Shareholder Stumbling Block in Enlabs Acquisition Deal
January 21, 2021 • 3 min read
Reverse Play: New Jersey’s Online Casinos May Face Fines If They Keep Incentivising Customers to Cancel Withdrawals
January 21, 2021 • 3 min read
$11 Billion Deal: Entain CEO Snubs MGM Takeover Offer, Leaves Job Days Later
January 18, 2021 • 3 min read
Legislation / Tough Punishments: Iran Threatens Death Sentences as Part of Online Gambling Crackdown
Online gambling operators illegally serving Iranian customers could face the ultimate punishment of death if they’re caught in the Islamic Republic’s territory, say lawmakers preparing new legislation. Local media has been reporting on the country’s anti-online gambling crusade for the past few months. However, these latest statements are an escalation of intent from the Tehran-based …
Legislation / Buenos Tiempos Rodar: Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province Gives out 7 Online Casino Licences
The province of Buenos Aires in Argentina has completed its tenure process for licenses to operate in its upcoming legal market. The regulator there, the Provincial Institute of Lottery and Casinos or IPLyC, confirmed on Monday, January 4th that it had certified seven operators to run online casino services in the province. Seventeen companies applied …
Financial / Asian Online Gambling Sites Were Held to a $100 million Ransom Last Year; Israeli Security Firms Blame Chinese Hackers
Israeli online security providers Profero and Security Joes have published a new (highly technical) report revealing details of a large scale hacking attack on Asian gambling firms that took place last January. The hackers demanded $100 million in cryptocurrency Bitcoin after locking down servers from five different online casino sites. However, the two security firms …
Financial / $800 Million Question: State of Kentucky to Continue Suit Against New PokerStars Owner, Flutter Entertainment
UK-based online betting and casino giant Flutter Entertainment is one of the world’s biggest gambling companies after merging with The Stars Group earlier this year. However, even Flutter is not immune from regulatory whipping – and Kentucky is preparing to hit it with a big one – $870 million in damages, to be exact. Since …
Financial / Mehr Steuern: German Politicians Explore Massive Tax Rise for New Legal Online Gambling Market
German lawmakers are also considering a flat limit of €1 per spin on slot machines and a monthly spending limit of €1000. According to an October 2020 report commissioned by the German taxman, state bureaucrats estimate an 8% slot game tax would be worth over a billion euros a year. The report states that these …
News
Google to Expand Personalized Gambling Ad-Block Feature
December 21, 2020 • 3 min read
Starting next year, Google account holders (including Gmail, Android, and Chrome users) will be able to simply tick one box to filter out all gambling advertisements and alcohol ads on Google services, the internet giant has revealed this week. If online casinos are legal where you are, you’ll know the deal on this one. You …
Turning Tables: NetEnt Employees Seek Lawsuit After Malta Redundancies
December 21, 2020 • 3 min read
Last week, we reported on NetEnt’s decision to make “several hundred” workers redundant in its Malta offices and studios after it was acquired by live casino giant Evolution earlier this year. This week, there’s a new twist to the tale. The Times of Malta is now reporting that several hundred workers have teamed up with …
UK Government Finally Starts Long-Awaited 2005 Gambling Act Review
December 16, 2020 • 3 min read
Fifteen years since it last enacted widespread changes in the sector, the UK government looks set to complete its review of the 2005 Gambling Act legislation in 2021. The initial consultation began on December 8. This first evidence-gathering phase covers a wide-ranging set of 45 questions across three core aims and objectives of the reform. …
NetEnt to Cut “A Few Hundred” Jobs in Malta After Evolution Deal
December 7, 2020 • 3 min read
Leading European slot developer NetEnt is set to cut “several hundred” jobs from its offices and studios on the Mediterranean island of Malta, according to Times of Malta reporters. The company’s live casino studio in Qormi, Malta, will be closing down immediately. Many staff members were sent home pending further instructions on Tuesday morning. The …
“Long Overdue”: Michigan Online Sports and Casino Gambling to Launch Very Soon
December 3, 2020 • 3 min read
Online gambling was legalized in Michigan in December 2019, but only now, in December 2020, is the market nearing a place where it can officially open for business. Nearly a full year after Governor Gretchen Whitmer signed House Bill 4916, state legislators signed off on the final rule package on December 1. This could see …
Miserable Year: Greek-Based Lottery Provider Intralot in Financial Trouble
November 30, 2020 • 3 min read
Greek online lottery and sports betting provider Intralot has not had a good year. The latest news straight from the company itself does not bode well. A new statement on Intralot’s website puts its projected losses for the pandemic period at €25 million ($29.7 million) or more. Other outlets have reported that $50 million or …
El Lío: Argentina Ups Online Gambling Taxes by 150%
November 27, 2020 • 3 min read
Argentina’s online gambling sector is said to earn billions per year. But no one can officially say any figure because it is currently almost entirely unregulated. This new law aims to go some way towards fixing that – with a small tax on every single online gambling transaction to the tune of 5% on the …
OK GO: UK’s Competition and Market Authority Clears Evolution/NetEnt Merger
November 27, 2020 • 2 min read
The United Kingdom market regulator, the Competition and Market Authority (CMA), has cleared the way for the massive merger between two of Europe’s biggest gambling companies. The $2.26 billion deal between worldwide live casino specialist Evolution (formerly Evolution Gaming) and Sweden’s famous slots producer NetEnt can now go ahead. The CMA’s approval was vital as …
