New Zealand started its iGaming Licensing Regime, France Imposed Fines, Betsson’s LatAm Market Stands Out & More Weekly iGaming News

Welcome to this week’s iGaming update! The team at Nostrabet.com and I have once again gathered all of the important news from last week and it’s time to share everything you need to know.

Even though we are in the summer months, there is always something going on. That’s why this article will unveil all of the most interesting news you need to be aware of.

The French Gambling Regulator Imposed a 500K EUR Fine on Company X & Ordered to Block Polymarket

France does not get into the news, but the country’s gambling regulator did something very interesting. It decided to impose a large fine on an unnamed online betting operator that locals call Company X. According to reports, this brand was unable to identify or support customers with problem gambling.

The investigation into the case started on October 1, 2023, and it ended in 2024. During that time, it became clear that around 30 players with risky profiles were not being taken care of, and they got into more trouble. The stats reveal that they lost a total of around 700K EUR while the company profited 190K EUR.

This is one of the more interesting cases in France that we will keep an eye on to see what happens. In the meantime, the country’s gambling regulator decided to block Polymarket for local users. According to it, the company is performing unauthorized gambling activities. The decision comes following an investigation that took place over the last two years.

An interesting fact is that the operator has already received a previous warning. This has led it to introduce a geoblocking mechanism intended to prevent French IP addresses from making any transactions. It seems like this did not have the desired effect, however, so the regulator took firm action.

An interesting fact is that many other European countries also imposed restrictions on prediction markets. In the meantime, Gibraltar became the first place to issue licenses to these kinds of sites. This means that platforms like Polymaklret are very likely to obtain a permit in the near future.

LatAm is Betsson’s Biggest Market in Q2

Betsson is one of the biggest names in iGaming and it just released its Q2 report a couple of days ago. According to it, Latin America is now the operator’s largest market, accounting for 36% of its 310.2M EUR revenue for that period. The market is up by 32% year-on-year, which is really impressive for a company of this size.

Latam has become a very important market in the last couple of years for many operators. Brazil continues to be the go-to place for different operators, but countries like Colombia and Argentina are slowly catching up.There have been many attempts for more serious restrictions there, but nothing has happened yet.

Entain to Reduce its Workforce by 500 people

Entain seems to be joining the list of big companies making substantial changes to their personnel. The company announced it will reduce its workforce by around 500 roles, a decision that came from Michael Snape, the new CFO. The cuts are part of a long-term cost-optimization effort and are not related to the increase in gambling taxes.

Speaking of the UK, this is not the only country where the laws are becoming harder to adhere to. Other states are also taking drastic measures and this means that it will become harder for Entain and other companies to follow everything. This means that we may see an additional reduction in the workforce in the next couple of months.

Sweden’s Gambling Regulator Believes Affiliates and Social Media are the Main Driving Force Behind the Black Market

Sweden is one of the countries that puts a lot of effort into fighting all of the different offshore betting operators. According to a recent report, influencers remain one of the big reasons why some unlicensed online gambling services continue to attract local players.

Beyond influencers and social media in general, Sweden believes that affiliate marketers are also a reason locals have access to so many sites. Theft often redirects search traffic towards specific sites and this often causes confusion. Some sites even used local domains, but they actually redirected users to sites that are only available in English.

The commission also addresses the two most popular livestreaming platforms – Twitch and Kick. The latter is especially popular for iGaming content because it belongs to the same people behind Stake. Even though most people focus on international players, you can still find a lot of them that target Swedish clients.

We would not be surprised if the regulator decides to take action against some influencers and affiliate marketers. It will be interesting to follow its actions in the next couple of months.

Bulgaria Rejected the Gambling Ad Blanket Ban and Tax Hike Proposals, But A New Gambling Law May be Ahead

Bulgaria’s new government has decided to reject the opposition’s demands to increase the gambling tax. It also did not agree with the proposals related to advertising restrictions. This came as a surprise to some people, but it turned out that the current politicians may introduce a completely new gambling legislation.

Parliament members actually approved a small additional tax that targets a specific niche. Currently, the country has a 10% corporate tax and a 25% GGR tax (previously 20%).

In terms of the gambling ad ban, it has been around since April 30, 2024. This was when the parliament decided to ban ads on TV, radio, print media and digital platforms. The problem was that some forms of advertisement were still allowed, such as billboard advertising. However, the billboard itself should be at least 300 meters away from schools, universities, and playgrounds, and 10% of the advertising space must inform people about gambling-related problems.

We will have to wait for the new government to decide whether it will actually be a completely new gambling law. Assuming this happens, we will probably have more restrictions and an increase in the tax rate for operators. After all, Bulgaria remains one of the big iGaming markets in Europe.

The High Court in Kenya suspended the Gambling Licensing Framework

The situation in Kenya has become particularly interesting after the country’s High Court suspended the new gambling licensing framework. Many people in the industry were shocked by this decision because it basically puts the entire gambling market on hold.

There were many hopes surrounding the new license because it replaced the 1966 legislation. We were supposed to see changes in sector oversight because Kenya finally established its Gambling Regulatory Authority. Sadly, people will have to wait for a while until the new rules come into place.

MyStake and BGaming Unveiled a New Campaign

MyStake is one of the leading iGaming operators in several markets and together with BGaming, the two announced an adrenaline-fueled campaign about MyStake Avia Masters. It has become one of the go-to crash games for many people.

The two released a video that involves a professional paraglider. He jumps into the sky with nothing but a parachute and a smartphone, and he opens the MyStake Avia Masters while in the air. He moves in a way that mimics what you get in the game, and it definitely makes it more interesting for people who have not checked it out.

It’s worth noting that this is not the first campaign between BGaming and MyStake. The two have worked together before, and it seems they always come up with interesting ideas.

An interesting fact about MyStake is that the company has been investing in crash games since 2020. This is before games like Aviator took over, so we wouldn’t be surprised if the site adds even more alternatives.

New Zealand Started its Regulated Online Gambling Market

We are happy to report that New Zealand officially began its regulated online gambling journey by opening the initial bidding phase for operators who want to operate in the country.

It all started on July 16 and companies can now submit their documents. The competition will be fierce because only 15 online casinos will receive licenses under the new legal regime.

Everyone wishing to participate in the new regulated gambling market must submit their documents by August 14. There is also an associated non-refundable fee of around 19,000 NZ$.

Another interesting condition is that all companies wishing to apply must have at least 7.5M NZ$ in capital and go through several background checks. The big reason for it is that the government wants to filter out small players in favor of large companies.

The government also wants to prevent monopolies, so each company can only have a maximum of three licenses. Entain has already announced that it will attempt to secure a foothold in New Zealand, but we can expect many other big names to follow suit.

Once everything is over, the companies that get a license can start operating from early 2027. They will have a couple of months to set up everything. It’s safe to say that New Zealand will become a popular market.