Prime Minister of Japan Shinzo Abe officially kicked off the inaugural meeting of the government task force. It will make recommendations on licensing and operating integrated resorts (IR) with casinos in the country. The new regulatory body is a result of multiple promises from Japanese officials to address public concerns about the social ills associated […]

The Swedish state gambling monopoly may soon be replaced by the new setup. The government of Sweden requested Hakan Hallstedt, Lotteriinspektionen general director, to investigate the possibility of changing the current monopoly of the industry to a new system that would allow multiple companies to be licensed and taxed. Currently, the online gambling monopoly is […]

Japan signed a law recognising virtual currencies like Bitcoin as a legal method of payment. Even though the bill does not recognise Bitcoin as a currency, it accepted that cryptocurrencies have “asset-like values” that can be used “as payment to indefinite parties for the cost of purchase or rent of items or receipt of services […]

China is committing to crack down on all gambling operators illegally promoting overseas casino resorts in mainland China. Casinos are outlawed in China and so is the promotion of this type of gambling venues. However, a number of international casinos have sent marketing and sales representatives to China to attract big-spending players. Following a high-profile […]

Midi, a development consortium from Malta, proposed a casino hotel and shopping complex for Manoel island. The consortium obtained a 99-year concession on this part of the island 17 years ago. Midi had a meeting with NGOs to introduce the proposal and final development plans. Even though the plans are not public yet, it’s been […]

During the annual meeting of the Association of British Bookmakers (ABB), former culture secretary MP John Whittingdale warned betting shop operators to be alerted. Due to the recent government’s review on gaming machines, they are likely to face significant changes. Following the announcement by UK’s Gambling Commission stating that fixed odds betting terminals (FOBTs) could […]

The Australian Senate has passed the Gambling Amendment Bill 2016 which placed a ban on internet poker and in-play sports betting. The Senate has been reviewing the proposed changes since November 2016. The main goal of this law was to close a number of regulatory loopholes. For example, some major operators have been offering in-play […]

Despite the heavy criticism from the European Commission (EC), Germany approved a new federal gambling treaty. Industry experts believe that this move could lead to an expansion of Germany’s sports betting market. The leaders of 16 states of Germany voted to approve the new State Treaty on Gambling. It lifts the previous treaty’s controversial cap […]

China issued draft rules that, if enacted, would require exchanges to identify their clients. The People’s Bank of China (PBoC) circulated new guidelines to regulate the country’s Bitcoin industry. The new rules would subject domestic bitcoin exchanges to current banking and anti-money laundering laws. According to the document, Chinese Bitcoin trading platforms would also have […]

EU Parliament members have published new draft legislation, seeking to regulate digital currencies. The proposal is deliberating to extend the scope of the Anti-Money Laundering Directive (AMLD) and include the virtual currencies like bitcoin. The existing AMLD, published in May 2015, does not include coverage on such currencies. The draft law could possibly end the […]

Cypriot attorney-general Costas Clerides commanded the local police to launch investigation into OPAP. The order came after the Greek lottery and betting operator refused to show its financial records for a government audit unless a confidentiality agreement is signed. According to the local press, the treasurer of the House finance committee sought the advice from […]

A deal for creating the first ever casino resort in Cyprus is expected to be closed in the next few weeks. This information was confirmed by Finance Minister Harris Georgiades during the meeting of the parliamentary committee on development plans and public expenditure control. The minister said that the government is dealing with the final […]