If you are looking for this week’s hottest news from the gambling industry, you are at the right place. I have checked various news over the last couple of days and found the most interesting ones. That’s why the team at Nostrabet.com and I have decided to share the most important ones.
We have prepared a mix of regulatory changes and a few intriguing facts you may not know. This week was as packed as others, so let’s see what you may have missed out on.
Nepal has completely shut down its online gaming industry
Nowadays, countries are trying to optimize their gambling laws to start generating tax revenue. Others, however, are completely against this and Nepal is one of them. The country’s new prime minister decided to ban all online betting apps and websites and focus on “cleaning” the country of it.
The order for the action came on Sunday and the Nepal Telecommunications Authority had just 24 hours to react. The ban is a part of a new reform that consists of 100 points. It’s worth pointing out that the country’s new PM is 35 years old and he is a rapper and a former Kathmandu mayor. He won the last elections with an impressive lead, and it will be interesting to see how the country will develop under his vision.
Following the changes, all forms of gambling are now illegal in Nepal. People who take part in them will commit a criminal offense and face penalties such as fines, forfeiture of property, and even jail terms. While these measures will be appreciated by some people, others believe that they came too late because the damage has already been done.
Online betting is incredibly popular in Nepal, especially among younger people. Who knows what will happen in the future if the ban stays active for the next couple of years?
Sweden’s problem gambling rate is improving
Sweden is among the many countries where a certain percentage of the population has problems with gambling. While this continues to be an issue, the most recent survey shows that the problem gambling rate has fallen. The report comes from the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling and it shows promising results.
Among the main reasons why gambling-related issues in Sweden improved are multiple consumer protection measures. Betting sites wishing to operate in Sweden must offer self-exclusion tools and implement a range of consumer protection measures. We also have to remind you that Sweden has a centralized self-exclusion system that, at the time of writing, has nearly 136k users.
It’s safe to say that many countries will keep an eye on Sweden and its results in the next couple of years. Problem gambling is an issue in many parts of the world as regulators are trying to find solutions.
Balkam Gaming Federation is now live
Seven different national gaming associations from the Western Balkans formed the Balkan Gaming Federation. Its goal is to work together and progress regional collaboration in this industry.
The countries signed the Memorandum of Cooperation in Belgrade and it was co-driven by AOGGOB, Bulgaria’s association related to online gaming and gambling operators.
The idea behind the collaboration is to unite seven national associations in their operations. Aside from Serbia and Bulgaria, the “pack” also includes Croatia, Romania, Montenegro, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and North Macedonia. Another goal is for all of the countries to have coordinated policy and compliance, but without replacing existing national bodies.
The plans are to promote business partnerships and organize events in different regions. We also expect to see shared marketing initiatives that will make the Western Balkans more competitive.
The entire initiative was initiated by the Bulgarian and Serbian authorities. Each of the countries is a leader in a particular segment, like online gambling and land-based casinos. All in all, this was definitely a positive change for all parties and we expect them to become even more competitive in the next couple of years.
The gambling market in Belgium is in decline for the first time since 2019
Most of the big gambling markets in Europe are growing each year, and Belgium is one of them. However, the stats for 2024 (yes, they came out just recently), show that the total GGR was 1.61B EUR. This is a 4.86% decrease from 2023, where the number was 1.69B EUR. This means the gambling industry is in decline for the first time since the pandemic.
It seems like the decline is mainly because of the big drop in the popularity of land-based gambling activities. It seems like a ot more people prefer to gamble online because it’s just more convenient.
I also have to remind you that Belgium experienced a big legislative change. The licensed gambling sector was divided into 4 sections, so companies had to obtain more permits.
Gibraltar licenses the first prediction market site
If you’ve read my last week’s news coverage, you know that I reported that Malta was looking into licensing prediction market operators. Well, it seems like Gibraltar has beaten them in this challenge because it gave its first prediction market license. The company Preict Street obtained the permit to operate there. What’s even more interesting is that the site claims to be the official prediction market partner for the FIFA World Cup.
The stats reveal that the site got a license in late March. Some people were surprised by this bold move, but it shows that Gibraltar can adapt. Now that this operator has the license to work in Europe, some people believe prediction markets will become more popular.
What’s important to remember is that some European countries have strict rules against these types of platforms. The Netherlands and Germany, for example, treat prediction markets as illegal gambling or unlicensed financial instruments. As a result, both have blocked operators like Polymarket, which are available in many other countries.
Evoke will close more than 200 William Hill stores in the UK
William Hill is a part of Evoke Plc, and the latter announced its plan to close more than 200 of its retail shops. The reasons for this drastic decision are simple – the UK’s gambling tax hike.
If Evoke acts on its decision, the closure will start in May and it will close around 15% of its retail stores. Many of you may be surprised, but I have to remind you that Evoke threatened about this last year. The brand’s then CEO said that if the tax increase becomes a reality, the company will have to take drastic measures.
I would not be surprised if other big gambling companies in the UK follow Evoke’s example. It seems like operating multiple retail stores is not cheap and the tax increase definitely does not help.
Gambling operators in the Philippines got a breather until June 1
PAGCOR, the Philippines’ gambling regulator, demanded that local sites establish minimum guaranteed fees. This would have meant that sites had to have a lot of money lined up from April 1. However, due to the economic crisis happening in the world right now, PAGCOR decided to postpone its decision for June.
But what is this fee all about? Well, PAGCOR said in December that all operators in the Philippines offering e-games must pay around $149,400. The chairman recently said during iCE Barcelona that this fee would promote responsibility. We will have to wait and see what’s going to happen once it becomes a reality.
Australia’s gambling advertisement transformation
It seems we are about to witness a new era in Australian gambling regulation. The country’s current government has a plan to tighten the framework on gambling advertisements. As a result, there will be further restrictions and even outright bans if there are ads on multimedia and social networks in the country.
There were talks about a potential gambling advertising ban, but Australia’s PM was reluctant to introduce it. It seems like he changed his mind and will proceed with the ban.
Assuming nothing changes, the ban will take place from January 1, 2026. Australians should see no more than 3 gambling ads per hour between 6 AM and 8:30 PM. What’s interesting is that there will be a complete ban when there are live sporting events, even if the latter is within the “allowed’ time window.
Outside of that, Australia will also ban ads on radio stations before and during school drop-off and pick-up times. There also won’t be ads on any online platforms unless the viewer is over 18. Operators also won’t be able to use celebrities and won’t be able to advertise on sports venues and player/officials’ jerseys.
Overall, Australia will become one of the most regulated countries when it comes to gambling advertisements. We can’t say we are surprised because many people saw it coming.
Alberta finally confirmed its iGaming launch
The province of Alberta, Canada, announced it will open its online gambling market on July 13. This means the province will join Ontario and become the second jurisdiction to be regulated. It’s no surprise that some of the biggest names in the gambling world have already confirmed they will be joining the market.
Although no one can be sure who will join, sites like Betway and the big playes in the USA already expressed their interest. Operators who will be present in Alberta will have to pay a 20% tax on GGR.
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