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Compliance Updates

Referral Fi2024/01087, Closing state casinos and a more effective money laundering supervision

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BOS comments on the government’s closure of Casino Cosmopol, Sweden’s last remaining land-based casino:

“OK to close the state casino but at the same time open up for private initiatives”

The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) today submits its opinion on the government’s initiative to close the last physical casino in Sweden, state-owned Casino Cosmopol in Stockholm.

BOS supports the proposal, agreeing with the government’s argument that governments should not operate casinos. At the same time, BOS believes that the government should allow private land-based casinos in Sweden. This is currently prohibited and is proposed by the government to be prohibited in the future as well. As a consequence, Sweden will therefore not have a single legal land-based casino in the near future.

“Land-based casinos play a very small role in terms of their turnover, but they still have a function in the overall ecosystem of the gambling market. In addition, they fulfill a function for Sweden as a tourist country and to deter illegal gambling clubs. We propose that the government, at the same time as they close their own government casino, open up for private companies to offer land-based casinos in Sweden”, says Gustaf Hoffstedt, Secretary General, BOS.

The government’s memorandum can be read in Swedish here: https://www.regeringen.se/rattsliga-dokument/departementsserien-och-promemorior/2024/05/avvecklande-av-statliga-kasinon-och-en-effektivare-penningvatttillsyn/

 

The BOS opinion statement can be read here:

  1. It shall no longer be permitted to operate casinos in Sweden

The Ministry of Finance’s proposal: a) The gambling form gambling at a casino should no longer be included in the state gambling license type, b) Nor should any other license type be able to grant the right to provide gambling activities at a casino.

BOS approves proposal (a) and disapproves proposal (b).

 

  1. The restriction on state lotteries should be removed

The Ministry of Finance’s proposal: There should be no special restrictions on the types of lotteries that may be provided with a state gambling license.

BOS disapproves the proposal.

The post Referral Fi2024/01087, Closing state casinos and a more effective money laundering supervision appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

Compliance Updates

Vixio Finds Over €36m in AML Fines Issued in Europe in the Last Year

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Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, ‍is proud to announce its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Outlook, which found that regulators are cracking down on money laundering weaknesses with severe consequences, totaling over €36m in fines from March 2024 to March 2025 in Europe alone.

Vixio’s AML Outlook examines the challenges of complying with AML requirements in jurisdictions around the world, outlines regulators’ efforts to thwart criminal activity, and considers how payments and gambling firms can prevent being caught up in money laundering scandals.

The report found that in the last year, in the European area alone, there have been around 30 enforcement actions from regulators fining payments and e-money firms for falling short in their adherence to AML/CTF rules.

Financial institutions found to have money laundering weaknesses face profound consequences, with prosecutors and regulators alike generally unwilling to be empathetic on this matter. For example:

  • In March 2025, Germany’s regulator, BaFin, fined Ratepay €25,000 over suspected money laundering.
  • In February 2025, Estonia’s Money Laundering Data Bureau revoked B2BX Digital Exchange OÜ’s licence for failing to implement proper customer due diligence, transaction monitoring and risk assessments.
  • The Bank of Lithuania, meanwhile, revoked Foxpay’s licence in November 2024 for systemic AML/CTF and governance failures, including fund mismanagement and conflicts of interest.

John Gidla, Head of Payments Compliance, Vixio, explains, “Although AML compliance involves significant costs for payments firms –  including investment in transaction monitoring systems, customer due diligence (CDD) processes and ongoing staff training – the consequences of failure can be significant. In addition to financial penalties, failing to prevent money laundering can severely damage a firm’s reputation, leading to loss of customers, partners and investor confidence. Maintaining a strong compliance framework is crucial for preserving trust and long-term business viability.

Until now, the EU’s AML enforcement has been more fragmented, but the EU’s new Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) could be a significant step towards addressing AML enforcement and closing gaps that criminals have been exploiting for years.

Regulatory scrutiny means that firms need to implement know your customer (KYC) procedures, monitor transactions on their systems for suspicious activity and report concerns through suspicious activity reports (SARs) to the relevant authorities.

The post Vixio Finds Over €36m in AML Fines Issued in Europe in the Last Year appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Compliance Updates

EGBA boosts regulatory monitoring with compliance workspace Letzz

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The European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) is pleased to announce a partnership with Letzz, an AI-powered compliance workspace designed for online gambling, to modernise regulatory monitoring and enhance strategic compliance across Europe’s fragmented online gambling landscape.

Through this partnership, EGBA will implement Letzz‘s AI-powered tool to enhance its own regulatory monitoring capabilities. Launching this week, the Letzz platform offers operators real-time, expert-validated insights and automated regulatory news scanning, creating a single, reliable source of information for compliance management.

“We are committed to promoting the highest standards of compliance across Europe’s online gambling sector,” said Maarten Haijer, Secretary General at EGBA“With 27 countries in the EU, each with their own gambling laws and a myriad of requirements, accessible tools like Letzz can help both associations like EGBA and operators better understand the complex landscape of regulatory obligations.”

“We founded Letzz with the belief that compliance should be a competitive advantage, not just a necessity,” said Daniel Gambin, Co-Founder and CEO at Letzz“Our partnership with EGBA allows us to bring this vision to a wider audience of operators who share our commitment to excellence in regulatory compliance. By transforming compliance from a challenge into a strategic business asset, we’re helping operators stay abreast of the latest regulatory changes.”

The collaboration reflects EGBA’s commitment to promoting a well-regulated online gambling market with the highest compliance standards.

 

Source: egba.eu

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Compliance Updates

BETER joins the Esports Integrity Commission

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Fast betting content, data and live streaming provider becomes a Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Supporter to the Esports Integrity Commission helping drive match-fixing and fraud out of the industry

BETER, the award-winning provider of fast betting content, data and live streaming for esports and sports, has joined the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) as a Tier 1 Anti-Corruption Supporter.

As a member, BETER will assist the ESIC in identifying and investigating suspicious betting activity while also supporting the Commission’s wider goal of combating match fixing and betting fraud across the esports industry.

BETER is well placed to support the Commission, given its standard-setting approach to ensuring integrity across its fast-betting products and solutions.

As part of its supporter role, BETER will contribute to ESIC’s monitoring and intelligence functions, actively cooperating in the detection and investigation of suspicious betting activity. This includes visibility across its flagship ESportsBattle tournaments, delivering over 36,000 monthly esports events that are thoroughly monitored 24/7 by BETER’s Integrity team. .

The Integrity team ensures that all of BETER’s in-house events are conducted to the highest standards. This is achieved through rigorous e-learning sessions for all athletes participating in its contests, a 24/7 whistleblowing platform, the Integrity BOOTCAMP program, a comprehensive reporting system, partnerships with law enforcement agencies and sporting bodies/federations, and more.

Thanks to this robust integrity ecosystem, only 0.01% of events have been flagged for investigation as suspicious over the past 12 months.

Andrii Nekrutov, Chief Integrity Officer at BETER, said: “BETER’s strict measures and strong commitment to fair play principles in our ESportsBattle tournaments provide us with the qualities needed to be a strong and reliable member of the Esports Integrity Commission.

“We are one of the most experienced esports betting content providers with educational programs and approaches that are unrivalled when it comes to integrity and fairness.

“The team looks forward to working with the Commission to improve the esports ecosystem by eradicating match-fixing and bolstering principles of fair play. We have done a great job of this with our esports tournaments and believe we can help do the same for the wider industry.”

Stephen Hanna, Chief Executive Officer at the Esports Integrity Commission, added: “BETER’s membership to the Esports Integrity Commission is a testament to the company’s alignment with our mission to uphold and promote the highest standards of integrity, transparency and fair play within the global esports ecosystem.

“By becoming a member, BETER joins a growing community of industry leaders dedicated to fostering a safe, transparent and sustainable future of esports.”

The post BETER joins the Esports Integrity Commission appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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