Police Investigations, New Gambling Addiction Strategies, Gambling Bans & Other Weekly iGaming News

Police Investigations, New Gambling Addiction Strategies, Gambling Bans & Other Weekly iGaming News

The weekly iGaming news roundup is here once again as we are officially in September of 2026. The summer in Europe is slowly coming to an end, which means that we expect big moves in the iGaming industry. With that said, the past week gave us access to many interesting details that we at Nostrabet want to share with you, so let’s get started.

The Police in Eswatini Investigated Organized Crime Around Gambling

Eswatini is a small nation, but there is a big gambling-related scandal. It seems like there is a link between the illegal online gambling investigations in the country and several politicians, police officials and even immigration officials. That’s the reason why the investigation essentially expanded into an international fraud and organized crime probe.

The links between the illegal industry and the officials became clear after the discovery of Telegram and WhatsApp materials. Local police seized these devices, and once it became clear that what was happening was getting bigger, INTERPOL got involved. Consequently, the authorities seized a total of 240 devices and arrested 82 people.

The scandal is huge and it involves citizens from many other countries, including Brazil. It’s definitely one of the more interesting cases we’ll keep an eye on in the coming weeks and months.

Ukraine Unveils an Additional Gambling Addiction Strategy

The Government in Ukraine decided to approve several long-term measures to combat gaming addiction. According to Order No. 855-r, Kyiv basically acknowledges that gambling addiction is getting more serious and it needs to deal with the challenges. This comes after a recent study, where it became clear that around 75% of respondents regarded gambling as a challenge in the country.

Following the announcement, it became clear that the new measures will have five different goals. The idea is to promote healthy lifestyles and offer social support for individuals who suffer from gambling disorders. The strategy will also focus on responsible play and surpass the illegal market in the country.

Between 2027 and 2029, there will be special public awareness campaigns. Their goal will be to teach young people about gambling risks, improve health screenings and also expand access to mental health treatment.

It will be interesting to see how local authorities will handle the situation with the illegal gambling market. Yes, Ukraine has many licensed gambling companies, but there are a lot of unregulated sites and venues that continue to operate.

Estonia Could Change its Gambling Tax Laws once Again

Estonia has one of the most lucrative online gambling markets in Europe because authorities reduced taxes from 6% to 4% some time ago. Sadly, it seems like the current economy is not in its best state because there might be a tax increase soon.

Talks about these changes began after it became clear that Estonia’s GDP growth in 2026 would be around 2.5%. The deficit, however, will reach 4.4%, exceeding the EU’s 3% threshold.

Given the current state of the global economy, other countries may soon follow Estonia’s example. This will definitely be challenging for the iGaming industry, but we will have to wait and see the outcomes.

France’s gambling regulator issued a guide to help operators fight player fraud

Following several consultations with operators and other experts, the regulator decided to issue a special guide to clarify expectations around the AML and anti-fraud regulations. Although the guide does not create any new laws, it explains how these rules should be applied in practice, which is very important.

If you dive deep, you will see that it identifies six common types of gambling fraud. This includes identity theft, payment fraud, chargebacks, poker collusion, cheating and match manipulation. The goal here is to help operators understand when they can close accounts, cancel different bets, or even freeze funds.

The ANJ (France’s regulator) also suggested that operators rely on strong evidence before taking any action. Operators have to check the IP addresses, device records and login activity.

Lastly, all operators must also improve their security systems. They need to strengthen their verification processes and update their T&Cs.

Canada Says it Won’t Regulate Prediction Markets

The financial regulators in Canada confirmed that they will not regulate prediction markets in the country. This came about following a statement by the Canadian Investment Regulatory Organization and the Canadian Securities Administrators.

Prediction markets are very popular in many places around the world and Canada is one of them. However, it seems like their way of operating falls outside of Canada’s current legislative scope. This means that local authorities may have to make legislative changes to regulate them and the services they offer.

Until today, Gibraltar remains the only place where a prediction market can obtain a license. These sites continue to operate in a gray area in many parts of the world, and it seems this will remain the case.

As for Canada, it remains one of the world’s leading iGaming hubs, and given its proximity to the US (where prediction markets thrive), we would not be surprised to see legislative changes soon.

Botswana will lower its Legal Gambling Age

While most countries around the world are trying to raise the legal gambling age, Botswana is taking a different approach. It used to be 21 years, but after the Gambling (Amendment) Bill No. 15, 2026, it is set to 18.

Even though there was a lot of opposition to it, Botswana’s Minister of Trade and Entrepreneurship said that the trade was worth it. He believes that people between the ages of 18 and 21 gamble anyway, and that by lowering the minimum age, they fall under the legislation and will thus have more protection.

Botswana has had serious issues with illegal gambling lately. In fact, there were studies that revealed that people have spent $63.09M on these kinds of sites. The local regulator may decide it needs to take new measures and address this problem soon.

The Philippines Is Trying to impose a Gambling ad Ban

The Philippines has a large gambling market in SEA and it seems like local authorities are trying to tighten their control of the situation. As a result, a second lawmaker suggested a ban on gambling advertising. This came following the unveiling of House Bill No. 10982, whose goal was to prohibit advertising, promotion and endorsement of online gambling.

It’s worth noting that this is just the first time local regulators have suggested this measure. Senator Francis Escuderodid the same last month, so we would not be surprised if there are major changes soon.

With that said, some people raised their voices against this ban, stating that the ongoing conflict in the Middle East also negatively impacts the Philippines. They believe that a potential ban could do even more harm, given the situation.

Yorgen Fenech was Acquitted of the Murder of Daphne Caruana Galizia

Malta is one of the most important places in the iGaming industry because it has a regulator that issues licenses. Sadly, the country came into the news several years ago after the journalist Daphne Caruana Galizia was killed. The events took place in 2017 and several people have already received their convictions.

With that said, prosecutors believed that the gambling tycoon Yorgen Fenech was the person who was behind all of that. He was detained in 2019 and all of his assets were frozen. In fact, the trial itself lasted 55 days, a record for Malta.

There were over 100 witnesses called to the stand and there was a lot of action related to the Chief of the Malta Gaming Authority.

EGT Got a Gambling License in Dubai

EGT joins the list of other software suppliers that received a Gaming Related Vendor License. The license was issued by the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, which means that EGT can provide its land-based gaming products to the operator in the UAE.

EGT is a big name in the space because it operates in over 100 countries worldwide. The UAE is emerging as one of the most interesting markets, and we expect it could extend beyond land-based operators.

Brazil Unveiled a Special Betting License for the 2027 Women’s World Cup

It seems like Brazil is in the news every week and this one is no exception. The country’s Ministry of Finance decided to establish a new fixed-odds license to operate during the 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup.

Brands that want to operate legally during the Women’s World Cup can apply for a temporary authorization available between May 24 and August 25, 2026. It will be interesting to see whether this new permit attracts new operators in Brazil. Bear in mind that these licenses will expire after August 25 and they won’t be renewed.