Bitcoin startup Xapo has revealed that a “conditional approval” from Switzerland’s financial regulator to operate in the country was received. It was announced by Xapo CEO Wences Casares: “After almost two years of substantial effort and investment, Xapo has received conditional approval from the Swiss Financial Market Supervisory Authority (FINMA) to operate in Switzerland,” he […]

Australian poker players are not letting it go without a fight. The supporters of online poker created the “Australian Online Poker Alliance (AOPA)” to encourage authorities to legalise the sector. They are gathering opponents against an amendment to the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act, introduced to parliament in November. AOPA introduces a framework to regulate the […]

According to the local branch of the Transparency International (TI) non-governmental organisation, the new online gambling law in the Czech Republic is not working efficiently. Last year the country took some measures to regulate its gambling market in order to ensure compliance with EU regulatory standards. The new law took effect on January 1, 2017. […]

The Vietnamese government published a decree that regulates the citizens’ participation in legal casinos and gaming centres. Vietnamese citizens will no longer be prohibited from gambling. According to the launched pilot scheme, locals will be allowed to play in two properties – one on the Phu Quoc island and the other in the Quang Ninh […]

The plans to require internet service providers (ISPs) to block the domains of international online gambling sites are cancelled. Despite the objections from the industry, earlier this month the Council of States approved this change. However, the Legal Affairs Committee of the Swiss National Council has just voted to remove the domain blocking from the […]

The Israel Tax Authority (ITA) has released an official draft circular to clarify the tax guidelines on virtual currencies like bitcoin. It announced the decision to treat digital currencies as assets that are taxable. “According to the Bank of Israel, virtual currency is not considered ‘foreign currency,’ and therefore these coins will be considered in […]

The UK government announced the plan to introduce a 10% levy on profit to the UK racing industry. Effective April 2017, this change will apply to all betting operators, regardless of whether they are based in the UK or elsewhere, be they on-course, off-course, retail, online, pool betting operators, betting exchanges or spread betting sites. […]

Despite the previously failed attempts to establish a gambling market, Mongolia is forming a special group to draft their gaming bill. The country is attempting to tap into Asia’s lucrative gambling business and in this way boost tax revenue, reports local press. A few days ago the Judicial Standing Committee gave the green light to […]

It may be 2-3 years before bitcoin regulation in China, says the chief executive of digital currency exchange BTCC China Bobby Lee. His estimations were announced following the meetings between the People’s Bank of China (PBOC) – China’s central bank – and the major bitcoin exchanges in the country. According to Reuters, Bobby Lee revealed […]

Vietnamese government reinforced control on slot machines used in facilities open to foreigners in Vietnam. The new regulation follows the Decree 175/2016/ND-CP approved on December 30, 2016 and will come into effect on February 15, 2017. According to the Decree on business in prize-winning electronic games for foreigners, slot machines have to be 100% new, […]

After long discussions the Ministry of Finance and the Israeli National Lottery (Mifal Hapayis) have come to an agreement, which could significantly change the situation of gambling in the country. The two parties finally agreed to allow the residents of Israel to play online lotteries and other games like Keno. Israeli business newsletter Calcalist announced […]

Illegal gambling at internet cafes and mini-casinos appears to be a rising problem in Greece judging from the number of times unauthorised gambling operations have been brought to light. The police made 300 arrests in 51 raids in the last fortnight of 2016 alone. According to official figures released by gaming watchdog Hellenic Gaming Commission […]