Regulation

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) is set to conduct a thorough review of all its Italian licensees in an effort to sever the embarrassing ties between Malta-licensed betting sites and organized crime in Italy.

A court decision issued on Tuesday has set a precedent for gambling-related internet censorship in Denmark. The decision is delivered as a result of a legal battle that began when the Danish Gambling Authority asked local internet service providers to block access to a list of two dozen unlicensed betting sites.

Opponents of Switzerland’s controversial new online gambling law have collected enough signatures to force the law to a public referendum. The new gambling law will be put on a national ballot and the public will be given the opportunity to vote for or against the law.

Four individuals connected to an online betting site based out of Argentina have been ordered not to leave the country pending an investigation into their activities. Quinton Gregori Marshall, Diego Israel Céspedes, Federico Fernández de Francesco, and Margarita Teresa Boeiro now await their fates as federal authorities build a case against the four.

The Swedish government has unveiled new legislation to open its online gambling market and issue licenses to international operators. The proposal seeks to break the Svenska Spel monopoly over online gambling and begin issuing licenses to international operators beginning 1 January 2019.

Norway continues its insistence on funneling gamblers to the two state-run operators who have been granted a monopoly over all forms of gambling. Just this week, the government has issued directives targeting gambling advertisements and payments in an effort to crack down on illegal betting sites still accepting Norwegian players.

Turkey is still working out how to deal with unlawful sports betting and gambling, two activities which have remained stubbornly popular despite the country’s strong anti-gaming laws that prohibit everything except the state-run lottery and a limited state-run sports betting portal.

Local news agencies began reporting that Turkey is introducing new controls over money transfers and ATM withdrawals as part of a government effort to combat financial fraud and illegal gambling.

A Belgian court ruling has just erected the latest barrier for betting sites attempting to operate in an already restrictive market. Last week, the Belgian Constitutional Court ruled that licensing practices that allow operators to offer sports betting and casino games on a single website contradict the Belgian Constitution.

Mexico has been stuck in a funk for the past few years when it comes to online gambling. Lawmakers have made some halfhearted efforts to legalize and regulate the industry, but international betting sites mostly have free reign to operate throughout the country without licensing.