Visa, Mastercard Under Scrutiny for Allowing UK Gamblers to Use Unlicensed Sites

Visa and Mastercard are under scrutiny for allowing UK gamblers to fund offshore gambling accounts. Investigate Europe looked into the matter and found a significant number of platforms offering at least one of these payment options, despite the companies committing a decade ago to only work with licensed operators.

Investigators found Mastercard on nine such sites and Visa as an option on two of them. Card payment providers earn a small fee for every transaction.

UK Gambling Commission confirmed it was aware of the platforms

The UK Gambling Commission confirmed it was aware of the platforms and will continue to try to take sufficient action against them, having received extensive complaints about several of the sites.

All-Party Parliamentary Group on Gambling Reform Chairperson Ian Duncan Smith remarked that the presence of Visa and Mastercard can give offshore sites credibility.

Mastercard responded to the revelations by saying that it’s up to individual banks to ensure that merchants act in line with its rules and that it doesn’t have direct relationships with the unlicensed platforms.

Black market gambling is a major issue in the UK, with an estimated £2.7bn ($3.5bn) spent annually on unregulated sites by people in the region.

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Serie A Leads Charge in Attempt to Overturn Italian Ban on Gambling Sponsors

Italy’s decision to ban gambling advertising in 2018 was a controversial one. Many have blamed the move for poor channelisation levels in the European country, with reports suggesting Italy’s illegal gambling market is worth around $26bn per year.

However, the ban is now facing the axe. Mounting pressure to overturn the Dignity Decree of 2018 has led to debates by The Chamber of Deputies at the Palazzo. The Senate endorsed a resolution on March 5, which permitted the Chamber to discuss the issue.

Serie A President Ezio Simonelli has a seat at the table

For changes to take effect, the government must agree on amendments to the laws. Negotiations are now taking place to determine what those amendments are, and Serie A President Ezio Simonelli has a seat at the table.  

Soccer clubs playing in Italy’s top league have consistently voiced their criticism of the initial ban. Since it’s introduction in 2018, the bill is estimated to have cost Italian soccer around €100m ($109m) annually.

Serie A teams, such as AC Milan and Roma, have reported a combined income decline of €350m ($380m) for the 2023/2024 season. Tackling this financial crisis is one of the top priorities on the list of Simonelli, who only replaced his predecessor Lorenzo Casini in December.

There is currently no timeline for presenting the first draft of the new legislation, which will be named the Gambling Sponsorship Decree.

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Esports Pro Ilya “Ganginho” Chernychenko Banned for Three Years Over Betting

Ilya “Ganginho” Chernychenko, a 23-year-old Counter Strike pro from Ukraine, has received a hefty ban over betting and corruption violations.

The Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) announced the action on Thursday. The regulatory body explained that Ganginho will serve a three-year ban from professional events. An investigation was launched after the ESIC’s affiliate network flagged suspicious activity from the esports star.

According to the ESIC, Ganginho placed bets on 390 Counter Strike matches, with total winnings amounting to $20,000. That includes significant bets involving his own team. His current team is Team Next Level (TNL).

engaged in improper influence over matches

In regard to his breaches of the Anti-Corruption Code and Code of Conduct, Chernychenko engaged in improper influence over matches, placed bets on his own team, used confidential information for betting purposes, and failed to report knowledge of corruption.

Ganginho will not be able to play in any ESIC events for three years from December 7 2024 – that includes as a player, coach, manager, or broadcaster.

The body said it “remains committed to maintaining integrity in esports and urges all participants to uphold the highest standards of fair play and transparency.”

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Glastonbury 2025 to Be Headlined by Betting Favorites Olivia Rodrigo and The 1975

The lineup for Glastonbury 2025 is finally out, and bettors who backed the favorites to headline will not be disappointed.

The lineup, which was released on the official Glastonbury Festival X page Thursday morning, features American popstar Olivia Rodrigo and British band The 1975 as the Friday and Sunday headliners. They join the already-announced Neil Young, who will headline the Saturday.

Prior to the release of the lineup, Rodrigo and The 1975 both had identical odds at -400. DJ Fred Again was next up at +120 and Sam Fender after that at +125. Neither Fred Again nor Fender made it onto the lineup at all.

Biffy Clyro, Charli XCX, and The Prodigy also all feature

In addition to the two headliners, the lineup includes Rod Stewart, who will play the legend slot on Sunday afternoon. Biffy Clyro, Charli XCX, and The Prodigy also all feature in the star-studded lineup for the festival at Worthy Farm. The event will go ahead from June 25-29 this year.

Rodrigo is the second-youngest headliner of all time after Billie Eilish, who was 20 when she headlined in 2022. She last played Glasto in 2022 on the Other Stage. Meanwhile, The 1975 have headlined Reading and Leeds three times since 2016, but never Glastonbury.

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Ireland’s New Gambling Regulatory Authority Officially Launches Ahead of Major Shakeup

Ireland now has an official gambling regulator, as the new Gambling Regulatory Authority is up and running as of Wednesday. This new body is in charge of issuing licenses to operators and regulating the industry in the country.

Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan spoke about this landmark day, describing it as a “new era” for the country and a major step toward replacing “outdated gambling laws” and bringing legislation into the modern age.

only became possible following the passage of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 in October

The Gaming Regulatory Authority only became possible following the passage of the Gambling Regulation Act 2024 in October. Lawmakers hope the bill will help protect at-risk gamblers, although critics claim it will destabilize the horse racing industry, which has a €2bn ($2.2bn) in annual economic impact, and the country’s poker scene.

Some of the other upcoming changes as part of the legislation include a watershed on gambling ads from being shown on television between 5:30am and 9pm, stricter betting limits, and more money going toward addiction research and treatment.

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Nearly Half of European iGaming Market Lost 10% of Revenue to Fraud in 2024

New research

New survey research by identity-verification firm Sumsub has revealed that the European iGaming sector was exposed to multibillion-euro losses last year.

could account for losses of over $5.2b annually

Sumsub’s research exposed the losses of the gambling sector. Nearly half (47%) of the compliance professionals surveyed responded that they had lost over 10% of their revenue to fraud last year. That could account for losses of over $5.2b annually, with the sector representing 40% ($58bn) of the regulated European gambling market.

Think losing 10% of their revenue sounds like a lot? Another 15% of respondents to Sumsub’s survey said that fraud claimed more than 20% of their revenue in 2024.

Types of fraud

The sources of fraud include digital fraud, with the main issue occuring during customer onboarding. Identity fraud (65%), money laundering (65%), and bonus abuse (64%) are the largest sources of fraud for the iGaming sector.

Though iGaming incorporates company checks to outwit fraudsters, those same criminals are now using deepfake technology to create nearly undetectable false identification documents. Three-quarters (78%) of compliance professionals reported spotting a surge in AI-generated fakes over 2024, but it has become harder and harder for those professionals to spot the fakes before the crime has occurred.

Updating fraud checks

Unfortunately, the iGaming sector’s challenge to defend itself against fraud means it will need to substantially update its ineffective fraud prevention tactics. Sumsub claims that the sector will be most benefited by replacing labor-intensive manual checks with automated monitoring. Reports indicate that manual checks only prevent around 54% of fraud attempts, with approximately 31% of fraud professionals spending over 40 hours a month of fraud prevention.

Fraudsters are becoming smarter, better equipped, and more capable”

Kris Galloway, Head of iGaming product at Sumsub, said: “Fraudsters are becoming smarter, better equipped, and more capable by the day, making an annual security check-up simply insufficient to dealing with existing threats. For a sector this exposed to fraud, a multi-layered strategy is the most effective defense. Security measures must be in place throughout the entire user journey, from registration to withdrawals. This includes KYC, behavioral analysis, device fingerprinting, and more.”

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YouTube to Restrict Gambling Content Starting March 19

YouTube has announced it will narrow its policies on gambling content. The new rules will affect content creators and consumers starting on March 19. YouTube will restrict creators from verbally referring to gambling services not approved by Google. Content creators will also be prohibited from displaying logos and linking to them in videos.

The new rules rollout could also affect users under 18 by restricting whether those users—or users who are simply not signed into YouTube—would be able to watch videos about online gambling. According to YouTube, this rule will not include videos showing online sports betting and people gambling in person.

YouTube states that it might remove content “promising guaranteed returns.”

In a further move to restrict potentially harmful gambling behavior, YouTube states that it might remove content “promising guaranteed returns.” The move would restrict content regardless of whether the gambling service being mentioned has been approved by Google. In other words, a guaranteed return could be a guarantee for removal.

In the announcement, YouTube said: “We know this update may impact creators who focus on online gambling content like casino games and applications, but we believe these changes are a necessary step in protecting our community, especially younger viewers.”

YouTube’s goal is to provide “age-appropriate experiences.” In 2021, the company banned gambling ads from its masthead ad slot. In a similar move, Twitch in 2022 restricted streams displaying gambling sites with slots, roulette, and dice games.

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