Regulatory
Licensing, compliance, and regulator activity worldwide.
The Constitutional Court of Colombia has delivered a shock suspension of the 19% VAT on gambling, citing constitutional concerns over emergency decrees. With an election year approaching, legal experts believe the tax is unlikely to be revived before 2027, providing a major boost to licensed operators.
The Dutch government is set to implement a total ban on gambling advertisements and introduce license limits, citing fears of crime and a need to protect the public from an industry they have compared to the sex trade.
As the war in Ukraine enters its fourth year, the Russian Finance Ministry has proposed legalising online casinos to generate 100 billion roubles annually, a move critics label as a desperate attempt to fund the ongoing military campaign through state-controlled gambling.
As the Netherlands prepares for a massive wave of licence renewals, the government has confirmed that fees will rise by 28 per cent across the board. Combined with a 37.8 per cent tax rate, the move has left many wondering if the Dutch market is still a viable home for online gambling operators.
As the DCMS considers a 30% hike in gambling licence fees, the UK regulator warns that without a significant cash injection, it may be forced to cut staff and scale back essential enforcement against illegal operators.
The escalating legal conflict over bet365 in Germany serves as a litmus test for the European Union’s ability to enforce judicial cooperation across borders. As Maltese legislation continues to shield operators from multi million euro claims the upcoming decisions from the European Court of Justice will determine whether the current system of regulatory loopholes can survive or if a new era of stringent player protection and cross border accountability is about to begin.
Finland is scrambling to fix a regulatory oversight that turned gifted scratch cards into worthless bits of cardboard, all while preparing for the biggest gambling market liberalisation in its history.
As New York faces a billion-dollar drain to neighbouring states and illegal markets, Senator Joe Addabbo launches a renewed 2026 push to legalise iCasinos. With a proposed 30.5 per cent tax rate and a focus on consumer safety, the Empire State may finally be ready to embrace the digital gambling revolution.
Iowa lawmakers have introduced HSB 586 and SSB 3040 to grant the IRGC explicit powers to shut down unlicenced sweepstakes casinos using civil injunctions and stop orders.
The Nigerian Tax Act 2025 has officially eliminated VAT on gambling stakes as of 1 January 2026. This landmark legislation aligns Nigeria with international tax standards and provides much-needed clarity for the sports betting and lottery sectors. While stakes are now exempt, operators must still pay tax on service fees and commissions.
A Massachusetts judge has granted a preliminary injunction against prediction market Kalshi, prohibiting the platform from offering sports related contracts to residents without a state licence. The ruling, which follows a lawsuit by Attorney General Andrea Joy Campbell, marks the first successful state level block of the company’s sports business and challenges its claim that federal CFTC regulation preempts local gambling laws.
The UK Gambling Commission has accused Meta of profit seeking at the expense of player safety, claiming the social media giant allows illegal casinos to bypass British self exclusion schemes. Tim Miller warned that the regulator will use new powers and millions in funding to make the black market commercially toxic for all involved.