Regulation News

Licensing changes, player-protection rules and advertising standards across the markets we cover - translated into plain English.

CFTC moves to claim sports event contracts and leave casino games to the states
Regulation
The CFTC draws its line between event contracts and gambling

The US derivatives regulator wants sports event contracts defined as swaps, and has codified that sportsbook wagers and casino games are not. Three appeal courts have split on the question.

12 October 2026Purvi Patel
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Stake's first court win against Brazil's betting ban is suspended a day later
Regulation
Stake's Brazil court win lasted one day

Brazil's first court win against its betting ban covered one licensee, Stake Brazil Ltda., for at most 17 days. It lasted one: the appeal court's president suspended it on 9 October.

9 October 2026Lucas Ferreira
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Curaçao licensing leak: what the Casino Secrets documents are said to show
Regulation
The Curaçao licensing leak, and what it does not prove

Reporters say leaked Curaçao files identify about 800 owners behind nearly 650 licensed gambling companies, among them Stake, 1xBet, Blaze and Qbet. A follow-up traced a contract to a UK supplier.

5 October 2026Purvi Patel
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Brazil bans online betting and casino games less than two years after licensing them
Regulation
Brazil bans online betting: timetable, refunds and what comes next

Brazil has banned fixed-odds betting and online casino games by provisional measure. Licences lapse in 30 days, balances are refunded by banks, and Congress must vote by 23 November.

29 September 2026Lucas Ferreira
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A baby named after a crypto casino: what the BetBolt claim means under UK gambling rules
Regulation
Baby named BetBolt: what UK gambling ad rules say

A creator says her newborn's naming rights sold for £1.2m to BetBolt, an Anjouan-licensed crypto casino missing from the Gambling Commission register. What is confirmed and what UK rules say.

24 September 2026Purvi Patel
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UK sets financial risk check thresholds as deposit limits tighten across Europe
Regulation
Financial risk checks and deposit limits: the 2026 picture

On 7 July 2026 the Gambling Commission confirmed staged financial risk assessments. Here is how they compare with deposit rules in the Netherlands, Sweden, Finland, Ireland and Australia.

Updated 24 September 2026Purvi Patel
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Gambling ad rules in 2026: Australia's new law, UK bonus caps and Ireland's watershed
Regulation
Gambling ad rules in 2026: what is confirmed, market by market

Australia's Parliament passed new wagering ad restrictions on 19 August 2026, starting 1 January 2027. We compare the confirmed rules in the UK, Ireland, the Netherlands, Germany and Italy.

Updated 28 September 2026Purvi Patel
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ID and source-of-funds checks: UKGC targets late verification as EU rules near
Regulation
ID and source-of-funds checks: what changed in 2025-2026

In August 2026 the UK Gambling Commission criticised late, loose identity checks. We explain ID versus source-of-funds checks, recent fines and the EU AML Regulation that applies from 10 July 2027.

Updated 24 September 2026Purvi Patel
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Self-exclusion registers in 2026: BetStop passes 65,000 as GAMSTOP sets records
Regulation
Self-exclusion registers in 2026: the numbers and the changes

Australia fined Dabble over BetStop breaches, GAMSTOP set a monthly record and Sweden added a 10-day Spelpaus option. A sourced look at self-exclusion registers in six markets, and Ireland's plan.

Updated 28 September 2026Purvi Patel
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For information only - not financial or legal advice. 18+. Gambling involves risk; please play responsibly.

Authors

John Myer
John Myer
Editor-in-Chief

Leads the review desk and edits every review. Over a decade testing real-money casinos end to end.

Purvi Patel
Purvi Patel
Head of Casino Research

Runs the data team behind our Safety Index and fact-checks every review against primary sources.

Sasha Stann, CCRP
Sasha Stann, CCRP
Responsible Gambling & Compliance Lead

Certified responsible-gambling professional who keeps our content fair, honest and player-first.