Betano to Sponsor UEFA Euro 2028, Stake to Be Available in New Zealand, People in Brazil Losing their Jobs Following the Betting Ban & More Weekly iGaming News

This week’s analysis of the latest iGaming news will provide you with all of the important information. Our Nostrabet team is following the news closely to ensure you don’t miss out on anything. There is news about Brazil’s gambling ban, the new markets about to open, and much more. Let’s dive in and see what’s the latest and greatest.

Brazil’s Betting Ban Resulted in the Loss of 3500 Jobs

Brazil continues to be the focus of iGaming news around the world, and for very good reason. Following the Provisional Measure 1394, which effectively banned licensed sportsbooks, more than 3500 people lost their jobs. This happened in a matter of weeks and the stats show that this is around 23% of all people in that specific industry.

Based on some stats, 5,600+ people will be laid off over the next 90 days. This number is jaw-dropping and it represents around 37% of the workforce in the sector. Needless to say, thousands of Brazilian families will have to adjust their spending after this sudden decision, so it’s no surprise that people are looking for ways to cope with everything.

The ANJL and Brazil’s Institute of Responsible Gaming actually filed a lawsuit with the country’s Supreme Federal Court. They want the ban to be overturned, but the court has not addressed the issue yet.

Keep in mind that many Brazilian football teams also decided to raise their voices against what’s going on. Since betting sponsors are crucial for their finances, the ban effectively removes a large percentage of their income.

Another interesting news involving Brazil is related to Stake. Originally, the company was allowed to operate in the country until October 25, 2026. However, the Federal Regional Court decided to restrict this decision, so the site will have to close down sooner than expected.

Peru’s online betting sector could face a big tax increase

South America remains a turbulent region for online betting, with Peru also making the news. According to a new bill that was proposed, there will be an increase in the tax that people pay on each wager to 5%. This may not seem that much, but the current rate is just 1%, so this will be a 5x increase.

Assuming the new law comes into power, it will be applicable to online bets. Land-based gambling operators follow a separate tax regime and will be spared by this increase.

Peru’s regulated online gambling sector started operating in February 2024 and as expected, the market welcomed a load of big names. Players can find the likes of Stake, Betsson, and many other big companies. As expected, this also led to an increase in gambling-related issues as the country’s Minister of Health reported more than 14K cases in 2025 alone.

The new proposed bill follows the example of other Latin American countries, such as Argentina. Operators who offer their services there need to pay an indirect tax that can reach up to 15%. Colombia, on the other hand, has a 16% VAT on GGR, one of the highest in the region. Experts will keep track of what’s going to happen in Peru, so we would not be surprised if other LatAm countries decide to follow this example.

Greece to Strenghten its Control on VIP & High Rollers

Recent news from Greece indicates that the Hellenic Gaming Commission is about to make some interesting changes. The regulator is trying to increase its control over people who sign up for different sites under different names. The regulator also requested specific information from the casinos about VIPs and high rollers and wants to know how the sites attract them and keep them happy.

It seems the regulator believes VIP-focused bonuses can affect other players and lead them to switch to an offshore operator. Under the current model, gambling providers must verify each client individually, but it seems the regulator is not happy with it. As a result, there will be a new approach that includes a single, reliable identity verification system.

An interesting fact is that Greece’s gambling market has increased drastically in the last couple of years. There is a 15% yearly growth and many forecasts suggest that the total market will reach around 1.5B in the next couple of years. This makes the country among the leaders in Eastern Europe.

Stake and Entain In Attempts to Get a License from New Zealand

New Zealand is slowly but steadily becoming one of the most interesting destinations for iGaming operators. After the country decided to open its gambling market and accept license applications, we saw some of the biggest names in action.

Right now, 11 companies have already secured their NZ licenses. Locals will have access to brands like Betway, Skill On Net Limited, Rush Entertainment Limited, and Entain + Stake. The latter is one of the more interesting additions to the local market because it will mark yet another new market where the crypto operator will become available.

Entain is also in an interesting position because the company actually secured two separate licenses. Originally, the brand wanted to land three, but it seems like it will have to settle for what it got.

The auction license process is almost over and those wishing to enter the market have to do so before December 1. It will be interesting to see what happens in early 2027 because this will be when the iGaming licenses will be approved. So far, New Zealand is shaping up to be one of the most competitive markets out there.

Finland is trying to crack down on illegal gambling

Speaking of new jurisdictions that are opening their doors to iGaming, we have to mention Finland. The market here will start operating in July 2027 and the country’s Gambling Administration is trying to do everything possible to fight against illegal gambling.

According to the latest news, the authority issued numerous prohibition orders and decided to impose fines. The latter affects those who advertise unauthorized gambling services within Finland.

The fines themselves are no joke: they start at 30K EUR and can reach up to 1.2M EUR for corporations. All of these actions came after a surge in advertising for offshore platforms via social media and live streams. Also, the regulator is slowly preparing for a tightly regulated market that will end Veikkaus’s monopoly.

According to recent statistics from the National Police Board, Finland received 75 applications for the new market. This is a pretty big increase from the 50 applications last year.

1win to Launch its $1WIN Token based on Solana

1win is one of the big iGaming operators that you can find in many parts of the world. As a result, it decided to launch its own crypto token. It is called $1WIN and is built on Solana and is designed for gaming and entertainment.

Based on the information we have, the token’s public sale will start on October 15. Considering that the platform has over 100M clients (according to its own data), the token should become very popular. An interesting fact is that the total supply will be one billion and there won’t be any additional tokens minted.

Assuming everything goes according to plan, the token will be used across 1win’s entire ecosystem. This includes gaming, rewards, lotteries and any future releases. Overall, the token plays an important role in 1win’s expansion into various Web3 services.

The Curacao Gaming Authority closed down its Licensing Portal

Curacao is one of the most important jurisdictions for iGaming because its regulator issues a range of licenses. Sadly, there was a pretty big data breach recently that affected a lot of people and it seems like the regulator has not found a way to deal with that. As a result, the Curacao Gaming Authority has confirmed that its online licensing portal will not be coming back.

The portal has been in place since September 2023 and it has allowed people to learn key details about different licenses. Sadly, it seems like it was not as “bulletproof” as many people thought. That’s why the gambling regulator will move to a new system.

The good news is that all of the existing licenses will remain active. There will also be a new mechanism that will allow operators to demonstrate they actually have a license.

Betano extended its UEFA Partnership for the EURO 2028

Betano is one of the largest gambling operators in the world and a leader in sponsorships. It proved it yet again after it decided to expand its partnership with UEFA for the upcoming UEFA Euro 2028. The tournament will take place in the UK and Ireland and is yet another remarkable tournament in Kazein Gaming’s sponsorship portfolio.

Some of you may have forgotten, but Betano also sponsored the FIFA World Cup 2026 in Europe and South America. Speaking of the latter, Betano is among the biggest names in LatAm. It is also behind many of the major football clubs and competitions.