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Catch up on some of the stories our gambling compliance analysts have covered lately, and stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Finnish Court Upholds Influencer Marketing Ban, Conditional Fine

Helsinki Administrative Court an appeal against a National Police Board (NPB) decision to ban someone from marketing and impose a conditional fine of €33,000, after they promoted gambling on social media.

The influencer had shared links to websites that were advertising gambling on their Twitch and YouTube accounts as well as in live broadcasts. They also livestreamed the advertised gambling activities on their Twitch and YouTube accounts.

The Helsinki Administrative Court found that “the appearance of the logo of a website advertising online casinos and the presentation of links to the website, as well as the livestreaming of gambling services other than those of Veikkaus, constituted indirect marketing of gambling”.

Laura Rinne, gambling administration senior adviser at the NPB, said: “The decision of the Administrative Court can be considered very significant in many ways, as it confirms the position of the NPB that this kind of influencer marketing of gambling services is unequivocally prohibited when targeted at mainland Finland,” in a on May 14.

However, Antti Koivula, a legal advisor with the law firm Legal Gaming, said the NPB’s assessment of the decision being significant is “curious, considering that the Lotteries Act has for years prohibited all gambling marketing directed at Finland by any operator other than Veikkaus. Moreover, this is far from the first court case to address such issues.”

An application has been made for leave to appeal the decision from the Supreme Administrative Court.

“In practical terms, this means the decision they are presenting as significant is not yet even legally binding, and may ultimately be overturned,” Koivula told 91����ԭ�� GamblingCompliance.

Anjouan Enhancing Oversight As It Celebrates 825 Active Licences

The administrator of online gambling licences in Anjouan says the island now has 825 active licences supporting 2,017 gambling websites “worldwide”.

An update from the Anjouan Licensing Services (ALS) was posted to LinkedIn on May 14, highlighting the progress it has made since it began modernising its gambling framework two years ago, along with Tobique and Kahnawake, as they “the new Curaçao”.

“Together, we have shown that collaboration, transparency, and mutual respect can turn an under-the-radar jurisdiction into a trusted licensing hub,” the ALS said.

The ALS said it is committed to enhancing oversight with “data-driven supervision”, expanding support so licensees “scale comfortably”, and “elevate standards to keep player protection at the centre of everything.”

In the past, representatives from Curaçao jurisdictions being promoted as alternatives, saying operators attracted to them “don’t want to be visible”.

AUSTRAC Ramps Up Data-Driven Enforcement  

Australia’s financial transactions watchdog has announced an expansion of its collaborative “data analytics hub” with law enforcement agencies, banks, remittance companies and gambling operators.

The Australian Transaction Reports and Analysis Centre (AUSTRAC) said in a on Tuesday (May 13) that its “Fintel Alliance” of public and private partners has been so successful in tracing financial crime that its analytics hub will be made “a central function” of the regulator going forward.

Collaboration with law enforcement as well as banking and gambling entities involved in high-volume transactions “has generated real intelligence across a range of serious crimes including money laundering, child sexual exploitation, domestic violence, tax evasion, fraud and illegal phoenixing”, CEO Brendan Thomas said.

“Using the combined datasets, new software, and with our analysts and bank analysts working together in the same room, we were able to see things that were not visible before,” involving cash deposits below the reportable threshold of A$10,000 ($6,400).

“In just a few days, we identified major criminal networks now subject to law enforcement action,” Thomas said. “This shows the power of intelligence partnerships and collective effort.”

The statement made no other reference to the gambling industry, but AUSTRAC’s investigative trajectory in recent years has covered every major Australian gambling segment, including fines totalling half a billion Australian dollars between casino operators Crown Resorts and SkyCity.

AUSTRAC is also likely to fine struggling casino operator The Star Entertainment Group hundreds of millions of dollars for systemic compliance failures.

A separate prosecution of Entain’s Australian arm and an enforcement investigation into bet365, as well as a probe into pub and club slot machine operations, are ongoing.

Ohio iGaming Bill Filed In Senate

A new bill to legalize internet gaming in Ohio has been filed in the Senate, as lawmakers are expected to debate potentially adding a new vertical to the state’s gaming industry.

Republican Senator Nathan Manning, authored , which would legalize iGaming, but includes a multimillion-dollar license fee and one of the highest proposed tax rates in the country.

Manning proposes to tax iGaming at 36 percent for license holders who use their own iGaming platforms, but a 40 percent tax for licensees who contract with an outside company, such as FanDuel, Fanatics Sportsbook and DraftKings.

The bill also reduces the tax on retail wagering from 20 percent to 10 percent, while eliminating a partial tax exemption for promotional bets issued to sports bettors that would have begun on January 1, 2027.

Under the bill, each iGaming license would cost $50m. Licenses are good for five years and renewal fees are $5m.

Representative Brian Stewart, a Republican, also plans to introduce a bill to legalize iGaming in Ohio, according to a report by WOSU. Details on the legislation have yet to be released.

New Jersey Casino Expansion On Legislative Agenda

As New York moves closer to licensing three downstate casinos, a proposed constitutional amendment would authorize slot machines and table games at two racetracks near their neighbor’s border in northern New Jersey.

Senate Concurrent sponsored by Senators Paul Sarlo and Vin Gopal, both Democrats, would allow the legislature to approve casinos at Monmouth Park and Meadowlands racetracks.

Should New Jersey voters approve the amendment, the state legislature would be required to pass a bill prescribing the specific kind, restriction, and control of the operations of the casino games.

In New Jersey, brick-and-mortar casinos are taxed at 8 percent of gross gaming revenue (GGR) from slot machines and table games, with retail sports betting at 8.5 percent. Under SCR130, 45 percent of tax revenues would fund property tax deductions, 20 percent for special education, and 10 percent dedicated to the state’s pension system.

Ten percent of revenues would fund cost-of-living adjustments for retired state employees, with 10 percent to fund Atlantic City tourism, and five percent to support harness racing in New Jersey.

The bill has been referred to the Senate State Government, Wagering, Tourism and Historic Preservation Committee.

This is not the first time casinos have been proposed for northern New Jersey. Ballot Question 1, which asked whether to authorize two new casinos built at least 72 miles from Atlantic City near New York City, was overwhelmingly defeated in November 2016.

Norwegian Regulator Warns Media Firms Of Promoting Illegal Gambling  

With several major sporting events and the Eurovision Song Contest fast approaching, the Norwegian Lottery Authority has warned media companies that illegal gambling businesses will increasingly try to promote their brands.

In a letter sent to media houses, the Norwegian Lottery Authority highlights how it wants to help them make informed decisions in regards to mentioning gambling operators and their brands, linking to illegal gambling websites, and marketing through programmatic advertising.

In the past, the regulator has seen illegal gambling companies use press releases, including stories on odds they offer or about players winning large sums of money to promote themselves.

Hedvig Inderhaug, a lawyer at the Norwegian Lottery Authority, said: “This is brand building for the illegal operators” in a on May 13.

“Our impression is that many editorial offices are aware of this, but that there may still be a need for information. Previously, for example, we have seen that the companies are mentioned without the reader being informed that they are illegal companies,” she said.

The regulator is also aware of media outlets, including editorials on affiliates that promote gambling offers, such as sign-up bonuses for unlicensed sites.

Inderhaug warned that these types of adverts can lead to editorial staff facing sanctions and urged media outlets to be “extra vigilant about attempts to circumvent ad filters, as well as to investigate whether the filters sufficiently detect illegal advertising.”

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