BC.Game Enters Ghana, RubyPlay & Bet365 Join Forces, Colombia Looking to Add a 19% VAT & More Weekly iGaming News

Everyone interested in learning the latest news from the iGaming industry has come to the right place. The Nostrabet.com team and I are here to provide you with the newest data from this week. There have been several big news stories that deserve further coverage, so let’s take a look at everything.

The Government in Colombia made another attempt at VAT for Online Gambling

Colombia is slowly becoming one of the more important iGaming hubs in Latin America and local regulators are looking for ways to add a 19% VAT on gambling. What’s interesting is that the tax suggestion comes just a few days before the new president comes into power.

Gustavo Petros’ government decided to submit a new tax reform bill to Congress just days before the new president arrived. Based on the initial calculations, adding a 19% tax will result in $530.8M in revenue in 2027.

What some of you may not know is that Colombia already had a 19% VAT in February last year. During that time, the government said it needed the funds to combat the country’s civil unrest. There have been several attempts since then to make the 19% VAT permanent, but the government has not succeeded.

It seems like Colombians will have to wait for the new president to step into his duty before the new law becomes a reality. We won’t be surprised if he decides to make some changes, as people in the iGaming industry won’t be happy with the numbers.

The Authorities in Italy Cracked Down on Illegal Betting Centers

The authorities in Italy have a coordinated crackdown on several illegal gambling activities taking place in the country. Following everything, the people responsible for these activities received a 20,000 EUR fine.

The police in Sicily checked several gambling halls and betting stops in a couple of small towns. Following the check, it became clear that two premises were operating without the proper license. The authorities also found two computer terminals that were not connected ot the national gaming collection network and seized them.

The owner of these computers was reported to the prosecutor because it appears he was involved in illegal betting operations. All of this comes at a time when the Italian parliament has a new bill proposing to impose a 2% levy on all football bets in the country. We actually reported that a couple of weeks ago.

BC.Game Launches in Ghana

Ghana has once again proved it is one of the leading gambling hubs in Africa by welcoming BC.Game. The latter is one of the most popular cryptocurrency gambling platforms worldwide. It decided to strengthen its African expansion by entering one of the most interesting markets on the continent.

People in Ghana looking to play online will find both sports betting and online casino games. An interesting fact is that this is the company’s third new market this year, as it has also become available in Nigeria and Mexico.

Ghana is definitely becoming one of the most popular hubs in this part of the world and it has the stats to prove it. According to research, the country’s online gross win reached nearly $903.5M in 2026. This is a massive 24% rise from last year, and it signals it will get even bigger.

As for BC.Game, this expansion (and the rest) came at a time of huge controversy over its license from Curacao. In case you do not remember, it had to withdraw from the regulator due to different issues. The company also lost its permit in the UK, despite being one of the sponsors of Leicester City.

Bookmakers in South Africa want Locals to Ban Prediction Markets

South Africa’s trade body that represents local bookmakers urged the country’s regulators to ban prediction markets without a license. They are concerned that these sites will lead to AML issues and lost tax revenue, as locals seem interested in them. Alongside the complaints, there was an example of how people wagered $ 41,750 on who would be the next mayor of Johannesburg.

According to South Africa’s SABA (the bookies’ association), companies offering these services should face the same regulatory standards as betting operators. Currently, these brands bypass the rules by labeling their products as forecasting markets.

There are also integrity concerns in horse racing because SABA believes prediction markets allow people to profit from underperformance. This could lead to manipulations in the long run and ruin the experience for everyone.

There are also different AML risks because prediction markets facilitate large volumes of transactions in several countries. In other words, the authorities in South Africa will have little to no control over where the money comes from and where it goes.

Overall, it is a matter of time before South Africa introduces some kind of regulations. It is clear that changes are needed, and Gibraltar already has a prediction market license that SA could follow. This proves that it can be done, so it is up to the local regulators to come up with a solution.

Ethiopia reaffirmed its Betting Ban

Ethiopia is one of the African countries where locals do not have access to legitimate online betting sites. Recently, the Ethiopian Lottery Service issued a public notice that confirmed the country’s sports betting regulations will remain in force. This comes just a few months after regulators decided to revoke every operating license.

The ELS also recommended that citizens avoid depositing or placing bets with illegal sports betting operators. People who engage in such activities could be at risk and it will be almost impossible to recover their losses.

All of this comes just a few months after the Ethiopian betting market collapsed. Its downfall started in November last year when local authorities arrested 24 people. According to the police, these people were in charge of the sports betting networks and tried to hide taxes by moving them oney abroad.

Following the December investigation, the ELS decided to suspend the licenses of 22 sports betting companies. In other words, pocals no longer had access to legitimate gambling regulators that work in the country.

The Police in Bristol Arrested 2 for Illegal Casino Operations

Based on the latest news, the police in Briston arrested two individuals. The arrest comes following a coordinated operation that targeted an illegal casino operating in the city.

A 36-year-old man and a 40-year-old woman are the ones involved and both were taken into custody. The police eventually decided to release them on bail, and an ongoing investigation is underway.

An interesting fact is that there was a similar situation in Manchester not a long time ago. Back then, the police detailed a 33-year-old man and a 66-year-old woman due to their involvement in illegal gambling. All of these actions show that the Gambling Commission is determined to resolve this problem in the country.

RubyPlay to Partner with bet365 in Brazil

RubyPlay is one of the most famous casino software suppliers out there and it made a big move in the last couple of days. The company decided to extend its global presence by partnering with Bet365 in Brazil. The country has one of the most attractive markets in the world right now, and locals will finally have access to some of RubyPlay’s best games.

Outside of the big titles from the software provider, bet365’s customers can also enjoy options from Koala Games. Users will find titles like Voltage Blitz, Brilliant Gems, Gummy Giga Match, and more.

An interesting fact is that this is not the first time RubyPlay and bet365 have joined forces. The two companies also did that in Spain, so Brazil is just another step in their business relationships. Considering how things are going, we wouldn’t be surprised if the two decide to focus on Africa soon.

Buenos Aires Lawmakers May Add Session Limits for iGaming

Buenos Aires is Argentina’s largest province, and local lawmakers are working to regulate the iGaming industry. In fact, they have introduced a special bill to enforce responsible gambling controls on licensed platforms. The new law has mandatory facial recognition and strict usage limits.

The proposed framework will target all seven online casinos licensed in the region. It will also include the sports betting operators. Assuming the bill becomes law, it will include several requirements, starting with the session caps.

Once people log in and start playing, they will only have 60 minutes per session. After that, the platform must log the user out and prevent that person from accessing for at least one hour.

There will also be a total of 3 daily logins allowed. In other words, people will be able to play for up to 3 hours per 24-hour period. After that, they will be blocked and receive a special message about responsible play.

Companies must also show people exactly how much time they’ve played and alert them if they notice “loss-of-control” indicators.

As mentioned at the beginning, players will be required to undergo real-time facial recognition when they want to log in. The same measure will be in place when making deposit and withdrawal requests, as well as when wagering more money.

Operators in Buenos Aires who fail to comply with the new regulations could face serious penalties. Based on the information, companies may have to pay large fines and could even have their licenses revoked.