UK’s Gambling Industry Generated 4.5B GBP, Police in Singapore Arrested 30 people, NZ Introduced its Online Gambling Regulation & More Weekly iGaming News

Welcome to our overview of the hottest news from the gambling industry in the last week. The 2026 World Cup started, but there are tons of other things that took place over the last few days and we want to share all about them. The Nostrabet.com team and dove deep into everything, so let’s analyze the situation and see what happened.

The Gambling Industry in the UK Generated 4.5B GBP in GGY During Q4 of 2025

Everyone knows that the UK has one of the largest gambling markets in the world and the recent statistics prove it again. According to the Gambling Commission, the country’s gambling industry generated more than 4.5B GBP in Q4 of 2025. This number is substantial and it shows a 2.27% increase in revenue from Q4 in 2024.

These numbers are in GGY, and if we also include lotteries, the total reaches 4.5B GBP. If we put it aside, the revenue is 3.3B GPB.

According to the UKGC, remote gambling continues to be the main source of revenue driver in the country. The turnover for remote casino, bingo, and betting in Q4 reached 39.18B RBP, which is a really high number.

All of these numbers come at a time when the Gambling Commission is trying to regulate different gambling ads. It will be interesting to see what will change in the next couple of months.

Malta issued a Warning to Bookmakers to tighten monitoring due to the World Cup 2026

Malta decided to join the Netherlands, France and South Africa and issue a directive to all licensed operators. Every site using a permit from the country must enhance its monitoring and report any suspicious betting activities. That is because the FIFA World Cup 2026 will attract many new players to the betting scene.

All betting platforms must have a designated Sports Integrity Point of Contact and even strengthen their internal controls. They also have to cooperate actively with the MGA’s own unit and act when needed. We will have to wait and see if there will be any issues.

The Police in Singapore Took Action Against 30 People Suspected of Illegal Online Gambling

Singapore is famous for having some of the strictest laws on the planet. The local police started an investigation against 30 people who are suspected of illegal online gambling and misuse of bank accounts. The idea behind this operation is to crack down on unlawful gambling and other financial crimes.

Based on the data we have, the police arrested 21 men and 9 women. What’s interesting is that their ages are between 17 and 79 years old and the police also froze close to $14K in suspected illicit proceeds.

Five out of these people were arrested because authorities believe they have placed bets with unlicensed online gambling operators and funneled money via bank accounts that were controlled by different criminals. Assuming this turns out to be true, these people could face jail time of up to 6 months and a fine of S$10K.

New Zealand Introduced its Online Gambling Regulation

The NZ government decided to publish specific regulations to be implemented under the Online Casino Gambling Act 2026. The new rules should come into force on July 3 and include requirements for operators regarding operations and advertising.

Based on the new rules, customers will have to be able to set daily, weekly or monthly limits on deposits, playtime and spending. Operators should also implement prompts that remind users about these things.

On top of that, all operators must offer breaks after 60 minutes, time-outs from 24 hours to 3 months and self-exclusion. The latter can be temporary or indefinite and must be processed within 24 hours.

The future sites that will operate in NZ also need to conduct identification checks and age verification. They also have to monitor for prior exclusion and take action when needed. People can only use one account, can’t transact with any credit products and only one deposit method per customer is allowed. As for withdrawals, users may use a separate payment method.

Finland Received Over 50 License Applications Ahead of its 2027 iGaming Launch

Since Finland announced its new gambling regulatory framework, nearly 50 operators have applied for licenses. Companies wishing to offer their services in a European country must obtain a license from the National Police Board.

Those who decide to apply for a license have to pay 29K EUR in processing fees. Once done, the board has to evaluate the company’s reliability, suitability, and financial stability. This also includes an overview of the anti-money laundering compliance.

Given that so many companies have already applied for a license, there is concern about oversaturation. Everyone who gets a permit can start offering their services in Finland starting from July 1, 2027.

On the topic of Finland, the country’s own operator, called Veikkaus, decided to introduce a special system to monitor age-based loss limits. The idea here is to enhance player protection and the system uses loss checkpoints and annual limits that are different for each age group.

At some point, players may reach a checkpoint, at which point they must engage in a care conversation before they can continue playing. It’s definitely an interesting conception, so we will have to wait and see how it plays out.

The Gambling Turnover in Switzerland remains below CHF 4B in 2025

Switzerland’s regulated lottery and sports betting market actually saw a decline in 2025. Based on the stats from Gespa, the Swiss Gambling Authority, the total operating turnover was around CHF 3.87B. This is a 2.4% decrease from last year, making Switzerland among the few places where the numbers are going down.

The stats further reveal that online gambling contributed around 24% of BSE, which is 1% more than before. It seems like the stats are driven mainly by weaker land-based revenues. Speaking of revenues, the per capita spending fell from CHF 478 to CHF 424.

Overall, Switzerland remains an interesting case for iGaming in Europe. The local regulator recently added different kinds of compliance checks and banned more than 671 illegal gambling domains. The local regulator also supported various criminal investigations.

Brazil to Publish Thousands of Betting License Documents

Brazil’s Ministry of Finance decided to publish more than 25,000 completed betting license documents. The idea here is to drive a major transparency shift in the sector and enable companies to learn everything they need to know. People familiar with Brazil’s iGaming regulations know that this is a substantial change after its previous secrecy policies. It seems the publication process will be coordinated to give companies better access.

Outside of that, local authorities announced they will intensify law enforcement ahead of the FIFA World Cup. Regulators will work alongside prosecutors and consumer protection agencies to ensure compliance with advertising and responsible gaming rules.

Brazil will also have its first Responsible Gambling Seminar, which will take place on 16 June this year.

GamCare Issues a Warning that the World Cup Could Result in the Rise of Online Gambling Harm

GamCare decided to issue a warning related to the 2026 FIFA World Cup and the fact that it could drive a rise in gambling-related harm. According to the organization, there was an 11% increase in National Gambling Helpline contacts since the competition in 2022. Considering how things have changed and the growing number of sports bettors, there is a good chance the percentage will be even higher.

Based on the released stats, around 81.5% of the helpline users in 2021 reported gambling issues. All of the major sporting events usually coincide with higher demand for support. Young adults seem to be particularly vulnerable, so they should be careful when playing.

Officials in Florida Stepped Up Their Game Against Illegal Gambling

Authorities in Florida decided to intensify their efforts against illegal gambling with Operation Sunset Stakes. After it became a reality, the police arrested 11 individuals and seized a total of 479 unlicensed gaming machines, as well as a $300K in cash. The state and local agencies decided to target different storefront arcades and backroom operations in Lee and Collier counties.

According to the Attorney General James Uthmeier, these illegal arcades thrive. Since there is minimal regulatory oversight, they can often stay under the radar, unlike licensed casinos.

It seems like there will be a dedicated task force by the Florida Gaming Control Commission that will increase raids, arrests and inspections in the next months. Local regulators also believe that legislative changes should introduce harsher penalties, including additional felony charges.

The Powerball Jackpot Reached $258M and Remained Unclaimed

June 10 was an important day for lottery fans because everyone was eager to see what would happen at the Powerball draw. Well, the jackpot went unclaimed once again, as no one guessed the correct numbers. As a result, the new jackpot has now reached $258m and people will have to wait until the next draw this Sunday.