Austria to Reform its Gambling Industry, a new iGaming Event in the Philippines, Romania’s Gambling Reform & More iGaming news

If you have missed out on the latest news from the iGaming industry over the past week, you are in luck. We at Nostrabet.com are about to show you all of the more interesting events that took place recently. This week was not as packed with events as the last one, but there are still a lot of things to talk about, so let’s begin.

The Authorities in New Zealand Charged a Man Over Illegal Poker Venues

New Zealand is definitely an interesting place right now because it will soon become the new hot iGaming hub. Until that happens, however, authorities are trying to control what’s going on, which is why they charged a man from Auckland because they believe he was connected with two illegal poker venues.

The person faces 8 different charges under the Gambling Act. According to the authorities, the person was involved in an illegal business that generated profits of over NZ$1M.

It will be interesting to see what’s going to happen with this case. Other than that, the Online Casino Gambling Bill passed its third reading this April, so everyone is ready for the big launch. Assuming there are no changes, it should take place in 2027, and locals will have access to numerous legal online casinos. There will be a total of 15 licenses, at least at first, so we’ll see which companies will take them.

1/3 of Finns Support the Idea of Payment Blocking

Finland is set to become one of the most interesting online gambling destinations in Europe. The country is slowly preparing to launch its regulated iGaming market, so various surveys are underway in that regard. One of them revealed that around one-third of participants believe the authorities should block payments to unlicensed gambling sites.

What’s also interesting is that nearly 67% of all participants were fully aware that gambling laws need to change. Another peculiar finding shows that around 43% of men see bonuses as a reason they choose a specific site over others. The percentage among women is much lower at 18%.

Overall, Finland will remain in different surveys in the upcoming months due to the upcoming changes. It will be interesting to see how the licensed operator will do everything possible to convince people not to use offshore platforms.

The UK Gambling Commission Posponed Its Decision Regarding the Financial Risk Assessments

Originally, the UK Gambling Commission planned to introduce the Financial Risk Assessment. In fact, this was a part of the so-called white paper performed a few years ago. There was a pilot program that launched in 2024, but it became clear that only 3% of players would trigger interventions.

Some legal experts highlighted that these measures could have a big effect on how people feel. They believe that there will be concerns about the data reliability, potential disruptions and some people may even be “forced” to use unregulated betting sites. Considering all that, it’s no surprise that the FRA has faced strong opposition from different gambling operators, politicians and even stakeholders in the racing industry.

As of now, the UKGC has not announced any new timetable for its decisions on FRAs. It will be interesting to see how it will play out in the long run.

Romania & Its Gambling Reform

There is no arguing that the Romanian slot hall industry is facing a major decline. Some stats show that the number of slot machines dropped from 80K to 36K, and could reach as low as 15K. One of the reasons of this big change is that the sector’s been under pressure from stricter governmental rules.

It all started in 2024, when the local authorities banned slot halls in towns that had fewer than 15,000 people. The regulators also increased taxes in 2025, leading to an additional 1,000 EUR in annual fees per slot machine.

The last nail in the coffin came a few months ago when the authorities decided to create a new central body responsible for these games. Assuming current trends continue, the sector will shrink further, as companies struggle to keep up.

The sector’s decline also affects employment, as many people are facing layoffs. Romania’s traditional gaming landscape is definitely undergoing a rapid transformation, so we’ll just have to wait to see what it will look like in the future.

The Gambling Commission Extended the Deadline for the Deposit-Limit Rule

Outside of what we mentioned earlier, the Gambling Commission made another big decision this week. It decided to postpone the deadline for implementing the second phase of the new rules related ot the deposit limits. Originally, the date was June 30, but the regulator decided to move it to September 30.

A part of the reason for the delay was that operators needed more time to implement the revised Remote Technical Standards, which were revised in October. These rules are related to self-management tools and the promotion of responsible betting.

Assuming nothing changes, operators will have to implement a lot of changes starting September 30. All of them must offer gross deposit limits and ensure that they are displayed prominently. These sites will also have to update customer communication and their help pages.

We will have to wait and see what these changes look like and what will happen once they arrive.

Puerto Rico is now a part of the US National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Programme

The authorities in Puerto Rico decided to join the National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Programme available in the USA. The integration will begin in June and it will allow residents to have a centralized mechanism to use if they have gambling-related issues.

The initiative was launched in 2024 and operates in several states, such as California, Wyoming, and Colorado. People interested in this option can restructure their access to the casino venues, sports betting websites and different regulated gambling services.

It’s no surprise that Puerto Rico decided to join this programme because these services are becoming more popular. Outside of the U.S., Brazil also has its own programme and it proves to be efficient in the long run.

Austria Plans to End the Casino Monopoly with Strict New Rules

It seems like Austria is finally preparing to put an end to its long-standing monopoly on online casino gaming. According to a recent leak from the Austrian Finance Ministry, there is new legislation on the way. Once it becomes a reality, it will allow many new online casino sites to enter the regulated market.

The big reason for this decision is the country’s attempt to “steer players away” from illegal gambling. Currently, Win2day is the only operator that holds a license in the country and it operates a total of 12 land-based casinos.

We will have to wait until the new law comes into effect, but the ministry said that only providers who meet the legal requirements will receive a license. Every company wishing to operate in Austria must ensure people’s safety and provide responsible gambling options.

Austria will follow Finland’s example by offering licenses while maintaining strong regulatory oversight. Many experts believe this is the right move because it will increase innovation in the online offerings

SiGMA Asia to Take Place in Manila, the Philippines

It’s been a while since we’ve seen a big iGaming event, so we are happy to share more details about the SiGMA Asia Summit. The event will take place between May 31 and June 3 in Manila, the Philippines. People who want to visit it must attend the event, which will have to get tickets and go to the Mall of Asia complex, which is the 2nd-largest mall in the world after the one in Dubai.

Delegates visiting the event can find a wealth of interesting content. There will be gaming providers, sportsbook suppliers, affiliate payments and payment companies. It will also be possible to find blockchain firms and AI startups, as well as different esports startups. All of this means that people will have loads of networking opportunities.

Playson Got a Permit from PAGCOR to Offer its Services in the Philippines

Playson has become the latest casino software supplier to receive the green light to offer its services in the Philippines. This followed PAGCOR, the local regulator, approving the company’s application. The approval was the result of a very close partnership between Playson and Light & Wonder.

Now that it is available in the country, Playson operates in more than 27 jurisdictions around the world. The Philippines has one of the most developed markets in Southeast Asia, so it will be interesting to see what effect it will have on Playsoin in the future.

Tennessee Banned Sweepstakes Casinos

Tennessee became the latest U.S. state that decided to take action against sweepstakes casinos. The state’s governor signed two significant gambling-related laws. One of them is the SB 2136, which bans online sweepstakes casinos, and any violations will be under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977.

Outside of that, the Governor also signed SB 1992, which basically creates a new felony offense for prediction market manipulation. This law makes Tennessee one of the first states to address this issue.