Regulation

• 

  Curaçao regulator keeps provisional licensees operating as final decisions are delayed Regulation

  The Curaçao Gaming Authority has confirmed that operators nearing the end of their second provisional licence period will continue to operate under their current status, as the regulator works through a heavy due-diligence workload before deciding on indefinite licences.

  January 9, 2026
• 

  Turkey’s gambling tax revenue surpasses TRY 50bn on surge in betting demand Regulation

  Turkey’s gambling tax receipts have jumped to TRY 50.2bn (around US$1.18bn) in the first eleven months of 2025, already exceeding the full-year 2024 total – a spike officials link to stronger enforcement against parallel betting structures and a sustained boom in wagering.

  January 7, 2026
• 

  New Zealand to ban credit card payments for online casinos under new bill Regulation

  New Zealand’s Government has confirmed that licensed online casinos will be barred from accepting deposits made with credit cards, a move Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden describes as a “key safeguard” in the country’s forthcoming Online Casino Gambling Bill.

  January 6, 2026
• 

  Malaysia: Police arrest 28 suspects in Kuching online gambling call centre raids Regulation

  Malaysian police have dismantled an alleged online gambling call centre operation in Kuching, arresting 28 people – including 25 foreign nationals – during coordinated raids on two apartment units on Jalan Song

  January 5, 2026
• 

  Japan MPs shut door on sports betting legalisation amid match-fixing fears Regulation

  Japanese lawmakers from across the political spectrum have formally rejected any move to legalise sports betting, warning that a regulated market could undermine sporting integrity and increase the risk of criminal influence over athletes and competitions.

  January 4, 2026
• 

  South Korea’s president questions private casino licences and demands data-driven gambling policy Regulation

  President Lee Jae-myung has signalled a tougher stance on casino policy, questioning whether highly profitable foreigner-only casinos should be in private hands at all and ordering ministries and operators to deliver precise evidence on gambling harms before any future licensing decisions are made.

  January 1, 2026
• 

  Meta accused of allowing China-linked gambling scam ads to flourish on Facebook and Instagram Regulation

  Meta is under fire after a Reuters investigation alleged that the company knowingly tolerated billions of dollars in ad revenue from Chinese scam campaigns – including illegal online gambling and high-risk investment schemes – rather than enforcing its own rules and risking a hit to profits.

  December 29, 2025
• 

  Play971 becomes UAE’s first fully authorised online sportsbook and iGaming platform Regulation

  Weeks after securing regulatory approval, Play971 has gone fully live as the United Arab Emirates’ first licensed real-money online sports wagering and iGaming site, marking a historic shift in the GCGRA’s rollout of a regulated digital gambling market.

  December 29, 2025
• 

  Myanmar launches nationwide campaign to dismantle telecom fraud and online gambling networks Regulation

  Myanmar’s military government has unveiled a national campaign against telecom fraud and illegal online gambling, combining a new high-level supervisory committee, mass demolitions of scam hubs and large-scale repatriation of foreign workers in an effort to shut down cross-border criminal networks centred on KK Park and Shwe Kokko

  December 20, 2025
• 

  New Zealand locks in 4% iGaming GGR levy for community funding in Online Casino Gambling Bill Regulation

  New Zealand’s government has confirmed that its final Online Casino Gambling Bill will introduce a 4% levy on online casino gross gaming revenue for community funding, aiming to offset expected declines in grants from land-based gambling venues.

  December 12, 2025