Massive Crackdowns Across Southeast Asia, Increased GGY, Arrests and Other iGaming News

Are you ready for this week’s iGaming news? The team at Nostrabet.com had to check a lot of information because this week has been exceptionally busy. There are definitely a few stories that deserve more attention, so let’s dive in and learn more about them.

Football Clubs in São Paulo Against Bills Banning Betting Ads

Brazil has been in our weekly iGaming news for over a year now and this week makes no exception. This time, we learned that football clubs in São Paolo decided to unite against the decision to ban betting ads in the city. Juventus, Palmeiras, São Paulo, and Corinthians decided to take action against the drastic measures because this decision will have a big effect on their finances.

What’s interesting is that the ban itself could even affect the jerseys. Based on the information we have, the bill will prohibit banners, signs and even panels in places like arenas, stadiums, and gyms. There will be penalties of $10K, and authorities will enforce a ban on hosting events lasting up to 2 years.

It is not surprising that local teams do not support these decisions. Many of them have ongoing sponsorship deals from big betting companies that cost millions of BRL annually. Assuming the ban goes ahead, some of these operators will stop working with the clubs in the near future.

On the topic of gambling in Brazil, statistics for the first 8 months of 2026 show the market generated approximately 2.11 trillion BRL. This is a massive 12% increase from last year, which means that the industry is flourishing.

UK Gambling is Up by 4% and Reached 17.5B GBP

According to the stats from the Gambling Commission, there is a 4.4% increase in the GGY between April 2026 and March 2026. The total amount reached 17.5B GBP, which is the highest it’s ever been.

Unsurprisingly, online gambling is the main driver of growth. In fact, there is a decline in physical gambling activities and a clear shift towards online gambling. Remote casino, bingo and betting activities are in the lead with an 8.3B GBP in GGY.

The stats also revealed that the country has a total of 2154 licensed gambling operators. An interesting fact: this is 11% lower than last year.

Even though online gambling is clearly on the rise, land-based gambling also has signs of growth. In fact, there is an 11% increase in the GGY from betting shops, casinos and bingo halls.

The Dutch Gambling Authority Reissued 8 Online Gambling Licenses

KSA (the Dutch Gambling Authority) is known for its strict rules that companies must follow to operate there. It is notoriously hard for brands to obtain a permit there, but those that follow the rules have no problems and even have their licenses reissued.

These reissues are a part of the regulator’s five-year renewal plan. After launching its legal market in 2021, this is the first time that the licenses have to be renewed. In fact, all initial licenses will expire after September 2026, so there is a good chance we will see even more companies applying for another permit.

Unlike the initial offering of gambling permissions, the KSA has a different approach this tiem around. There are new policies in place, and everyone wishing to obtain a license must ensure it meets all conditions.

France Fined a Sports Betting Operator Due to AML Issues

The French National Gambling Committee fined and suspended one of the licensed gambling operators in the country. This happened after the site failed to meet the AML requirement and the specific asset-freezing obligations.

GU (the operator’s name) received a two-month suspension and will have to pay a 20K EUR fine. Based on the information we have, a person who was in France’s asset-freezing register was able to open an account and play on the site, even though he shouldn’t have been able to do that.

Curacao Gambling Authority Was Attacked by Hackers

The Gambling Authority in Curacao, one of the largest in the world, confirmed a group attacked it. The incident took place a few days ago and the regulator immediately took action as soon as it found out what was going on.

Based on the info, these people were unable to get access to the core tech infrastructure. With that said, we do not know whether they got access to any of the confidential information. There is an ongoing investigation, so we will have to wait and see what will happen.

Some news outlets mention that the hacking revealed a hidden casino ownership network in Europe. If that’s truly the case, the regulator will have a lot of explaining to do, but we will have to wait and see.

South Korea marks a Rise in the Teen Gambling Cases

Based on the information we have, a little over 5800 individuals received different gambling-related assistance in 2026 and all of them were 19 years old or younger. The stats show that 57.7% of all cases were related to using illegal online gambling platforms.

These stats come at a time when we already reported that the government is taking action to educate the youth about the gambling-related issues. It seems like these measures are necessary because people need to know about the potential issues before they start playing.

Cambodia Will Stop Offering Online Gambling in Land-Based Casinos From October

Cambodia used to have huge problems with money laundering and scamming related to its gambling industry. Thanks to the joint efforts of local and international authorities, this is no longer the case. There are still several pending issues, as the Prime Minister has announced that all online gambling activities in physical casinos will stop starting this October.

Based on the details we have, the local government made this decision due to the rise in tech-related fraud and different illegal financial activities. The prime minister said that online gambling is much more difficult to regulate.

On top of all that, Cambodia will likely try to reduce the number of casinos operating in the country. The prime minister believes that having over 100 operators is too much, so there will be a review of their licenses. Keep in mind that local legislation does not allow citizens to gamble – the casinos are designed to attract foreigners. Almost all of them are located near the country’s borders, with the exception of the NagaWorld resort, which is in Phnom Penh.

Malaysia Detained 15 Foreigners Following a Gambling Raid

Continuing with news from Southeast Asia, Malaysian authorities identified and detained a total of 15 individuals. This happened after a raid that focused on illegal gambling in Pandan Jaya.

Based on the info we have, the police raid took place early Saturday morning, following a month-long intelligence operation into what was going on. The authorities arrested 9 women and 6 men between the ages of 21 and 38. Some of the people were from Bangladesh, but there were also Indians and Indonesians.

Outside of the arrests, the Malay authorities also seized tablets, mobile phones, cash and a total of 7 passports. The gambling outlet operated privately and only allowed regular and known customers to take part. Keep in mind that Malaysia has really strict laws when it comes to illegal gambling. If everything turns out to be true, these individuals will face harsh punishments.

Myanmar Wants Public Support Against Gambling and Online Scams

The government in Myanmar required the public to help in its fight against online scams and illegal online gambling. It seems these activities are no longer isolated cases; they have become much more common. Following the events in Cambodia, a lot of criminal gangs have entered the country and started causing serious problems.

In fact, a total of 13 individuals were arrested a few days ago after they were supposedly involved in different online scams and gambling. The authorities also confiscated various equipment linked to the illegal activities.

Due to everything going on, Myanmar is cooperating with its neighboring countries to try to fight the ongoing scams. Given that many of these countries have faced similar issues recently, there is a good chance their joint effort will greatly help local police.

Chile Ordered Companies to Block 37 Online Gambling Domains

Chile seems to be one of the more interesting South American countries when it comes to gambling because local authorities discover a lot of new sites operating there. As a result, all internet providers in the country had to block a total of 37 online gambling websites. The Superintendency of Casinos and Gaming identified these sites, and internet providers have 48 hours to take action.

A quick look at the list of sites shows interesting names, such as Betfair and 1xBet. It seems they do not have the proper licenses to operate in this part of the world. We expect this to change because Chile has an attractive market.