Legal & compliance – FairOdds Network

July 7, 2026

Indictment against ex-college hoops star contains wire fraud charges, but none on point shaving

The arrest of Kerr Kriisa by the FBI initially raised suspicions on potential match-fixing activities, but there were no such charges in a multi-count indictment.

Kerr Kriisa, a former University of West Virginia guard, has been charged with five counts of wire fraud stemming from a $2.2 million fraudulent scheme, according to an indictment unsealed on Monday in the US District Court for the Northern District of West Virginia.

While reports surfaced over the 4 July holiday that Kriisa faced charges on bribery in sporting contests, he was not charged for any infractions related to point shaving in the indictment. Kriisa appeared in 19 games for the University of Cincinnati during the 2025-26 season, the last of his six seasons in NCAA Division I college basketball.

A native of Estonia, Kriisa signed with Tartu Ülikool of the Estonian-Latvian Basketball League after his departure from Cincinnati. Kriisa spent three seasons with the University of Arizona from 2020-23, before completi..

June 30, 2026

The industry we didn’t expect

As the industry prepares to gather at iGB London, conversations are increasingly shaped by data, market signals and long-term strategic thinking. Yet the most important shifts are not always the ones making headlines.

With unique visibility into the market from different vantage points, Robin Harrison of Worldgaming (formerly Clarion) and Alexandra Kavelich of SOFTSWISS come together to discuss how trends emerge, how businesses distinguish meaningful change from noise and what today’s industry should be paying closer attention to.

1. Worldgaming (formerly Clarion) and SOFTSWISS observe the market from very different vantage points. Because you see the industry through different lenses, I’m curious: what are the earliest signs of change that you’re noticing today?

Robin

Robin harrison, global content director b2b at worldgaming

There are a few different ways to interpret this question. This might be quite obvious, but the centre of gravity for the industry is shifting. Much of the ..

June 26, 2026

From player protection to channelisation: Why Europe’s World Cup gambling warnings have changed

As regulators warn of a surge in illegal betting during the World Cup, a deeper shift is taking place in how they think about consumer protection.

Every major football tournament brings a familiar set of anxieties. A decade ago, regulators approaching a World Cup or European Championship would typically focus their messaging on gambling-related harm, excessive advertising and the risk of vulnerable consumers being swept up in a month-long betting frenzy.

This summer, the tone sounds noticeably different.

Across Europe, regulators and industry bodies have spent much of the build-up to the FIFA World Cup warning consumers about illegal gambling operators. The French regulator, l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ), has highlighted the threat posed by prediction markets, illegal affiliates and influencers. The Dutch regulator, Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), has increased supervision of both legal and illegal advertising. In Britain, industry attention has focused heavily on black market acti..

June 24, 2026

Brazilian organisations support federal government crackdown on illegal betting

The Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming (IBJR) and the National Association of Games and Lotteries (ANJL) expressed their support for the government's decision to combat illegal betting by suffocating payment institutions.

On Friday, President Lula signed a decree adopting a series of measures to combat illegal betting and strengthen the regulated market in Brazil.

For the ANJL, the measures represent another step forward in protecting the regulated market. They are the result of an ongoing process of institutional cooperation between the Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA), representatives of the regulated sector and other actors involved in the regulation of the sector.

According to data released by the minister of justice, Wellington César Lima, at a press conference on the subject, 25.2 million Brazilians bet on illegal websites. For the president of the ANJL, Plínio Lemos Jorge, the number shows the scale of the challenge and justifies the strengthening of the anno..

June 23, 2026

Major national operation exposes billion-dollar illegal betting scheme in Brazil

Operation Conto da Sorte is the government's first serious initiative to combat illegal betting and will be intensified to ensure the sustainability of the legal iGaming market in Brazil.

On Thursday, the Federal Revenue Service launched Operation Conto da Sorte, a joint action with state Public Prosecutors’ offices that revealed an illegal betting scheme involving 37 companies and an estimated financial movement of BRL50 billion ($9.7 billion).

The information was confirmed by the Minister of Finance Dario Durigan and by official statements from the federal government. He stated that there is zero tolerance for illegal bets.

The operation executed 14 search and seizure warrants in Pernambuco, Ceará and São Paulo. The focus was on collecting documents and media, and verifying the actual structure of the companies under investigation. In addition, the court ordered the freezing of up to BRL145 million in assets. This amount may be used to compensate for damages resulting from th..

August 12, 2024

Weekend Report: Olympics drive betting in France; Hong Kong arrests over mahjong gambling

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB covers the news that you may have missed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week, we look at an Olympic boost for sports betting in France and the arrest of elderly residents in Hong Kong for mahjong gambling.
Going for gold: France Olympics betting set to triple
French regulator l’Autorité Nationale des Jeux (ANJ) has estimated that players in the country will have bet approximately €360m (£308m/$393m) by the end of this summer’s Olympics in Paris.

The games concluded yesterday (11 August) after two weeks, with estimates suggesting the total bet could triple what was wagered on the last games in Tokyo, Japan.

Week one of the games alone drew around €125m in bets. Tennis was most popular with French players, while football, rugby, handball, basketball and swimming also performed well.

Florida man sues Hard Rock over betting promotion
Heading stateside, one Florida man is suing the Seminole tribe and Hard Rock over a sports betting promo..

August 12, 2024

Belgium reports 16.7% rise in 2023 GGR despite tighter regulatory controls

A new report from the Commission des Jeux de Hasard (CJH), the regulator of gambling in Belgium, has revealed the country’s industry saw its gross gaming revenue (GGR) grow by 16.7% over 2023.
Belgium gambling gross revenue total for 2023 was €1.7bn (£1.5bn/$1.9bn), a significant rise from the €1.5bn generated in 2022. Online grew by 18% to a GGR of €944.6m, while offline GGR also increased substantially, with €758m reflecting a 15.2% year-on-year rise.

Growth came despite the Belgian government ratcheting up restrictions on the sector. From 2022 operators had to enforce a €200 weekly loss limit, down from 2020’s €500 limit.

Midway through 2023 they were then forced to halt all advertising. After a last-ditch attempt from a consortium of Belgian sports teams and operators failed to halt the move, a ban on advertising came into force from 1 July 2023.

Restrictions? What restrictions? Belgian gambling market grows in 2023
Casino GGR increased 18.7% year-on-year to €594.9m, powered by..

August 7, 2024

Betsson, Galera.bet and F12 file Brazil betting applications as submissions hit double figures

Betsson, Galera.bet and F12.bet have joined the growing list of betting applicants in Brazil almost a week after its final regulations were published.
There is less than two weeks until the government’s 20 August initial submission deadline, which guarantees applicants in the first wave will receive a licence by the market launch date.

Betsson, Galera.bet and F12.bet have this week joined the likes of Betano and Rei do Pitaco, who made their submissions in May and July respectively.

Swedish operator Betsson moved into Brazil in 2019 by acquiring a 75% stake in Brazilian sportsbook operator Suaposta. Betsson has invested heavily in Brazil – LatAm accounted for 23% of the operator’s regulated revenues in Q2.

“I think that we have the possibility of tackling [Brazil] quicker than the big brands,” Betsson managing partner for Brazil Andre Gelfi previously told iGB. “We have a good product, we are a very respected brand. I think reputation is a critical aspect of our industry.”

Galera…

August 5, 2024

Brazil gambling regulation complete as government publishes final ordinances

With less than five months until the anticipated launch date of the legal betting market in Brazil, the final gambling regulations have been outlined in ordinances published by the ministry of finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).
The four-phase regulatory rollout set out in April is now complete and the launch of legal gambling in Brazil is on track for 1 January 2025.

Jump to:

Online games

Monitoring and inspection

Money allocated to the state

Responsible gambling, including a ban on influencer advertising

Sanctions for non-compliance

Operators have been submitting their applications for licences, with the total number of requests now at six after NSX Group’s Betnacional filed its application on Thursday (1 August) with less than three weeks to go until the 90-day initial window of preference closes.

Operators who apply before 20 August will have their applications prioritised by the SPA and ensure they are processed by the expected launch date of the market.

Those..

July 30, 2024

Caesars’ Big Brazil and Sportingbet apply for Brazil licences

Sportingbet and Caesars Sportsbook’s Big Brazil have submitted their licence applications in Brazil, becoming the fourth and fifth operators to do so.
Sportingbet applied for a Brazil sports betting and igaming licence on Thursday (25 July). The following day, Caesars Sportsbook’s licensee Big Brazil joined Sportingbet, Betano, Superbet and Rei do Pitaco in submitting its application.

In applying during the initial 90-day window of preference, Sportingbet and Big Brazil have ensured their applications will be prioritised by the ministry of finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).

The SPA guarantees that operators who submit their applications by the 20 August deadline will have their applications processed by 1 January 2025, the anticipated launch date of the legal market.

Licences will last for five years and will cost BRL30m (£4.6m/€5.4m/$5.9m) in fees. Those who receive a licence will be able to offer gambling via three skins. Meanwhile, operators who fail to secure a lice..

July 29, 2024

Weekend Report: Kayshon Boutte’s “dumb decision” and Betway partner Man City

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB covers the news you may have missed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week we’ve got news of Betway partnering with Premier League champions Manchester City, a bill to restrict online gambling advertising in New York and more.
NFL’s Kayshon Boutte glad to be back
New England Patriots wide receiver Kayshon Boutte spoke of his delight at being back to playing football after charges against him for gambling were dropped earlier this month.

Boutte was arrested in January over accusations he had placed over 8,900 bets while under the legal gambling age of 21 in his native Louisiana. However, the Louisiana State Police Gaming Enforcement Division dropped those charges in July.

Speaking to reporters after the fourth day of Patriots’ training camp, Boutte labelled his actions as a “dumb decision”. He also said he was glad to be focusing on football again, admitting he needs to “stay away” from gambling.

Betway becomes global betting partner of ..

July 22, 2024

In Macau, most suspects bail out in illegal sports betting case

Prosecutors in Macau have indicted 59 people swept up in a sports betting sting earlier this month. All but two have been released on bail. The illicit operation purportedly reaped millions per week during the recent UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.
The Macau Public Prosecutions Office has indicted 59 people allegedly involved in an online sports betting ring. Two of the defendants remain under pre-trial detention. The rest have been released on bail, with orders not to leave the city.

A total of 93 people were arrested in the 2 July sting in Macau, Hong Kong and Guangdong. Police seized MOP88.4m (£8.5m/€196.2m/US$11m) in cash and froze bank accounts containing MOP22.1m.

The websites, based outside Macau, took bets on football and basketball games. They reportedly generated about MOP72m per week during the recent UEFA Euro 2024 tournament.

Authorities estimate the illegal operation has pulled in more than MOP1.08bn since 2016.

Online gambling is illegal everywhere in China, including M..

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Tag: Legal & compliance