EUROPEAN GAMING
The Lithuanian Ministry of Finance has ordered a crackdown on unlicensed online gambling. The Gambling Control Authority announced last week that it has upped its scrutiny of illegal online...
EU Weights Data Protection Standardization
The European Union’s member states agreed to preliminary standardized laws to protect data and privacy and stiff penalties of up-to hundreds of millions of dollars for companies that violate...
Netherlands Calls for Equal Tax on Online Gambling
Online gambling would be taxed at the same rate as brick-and-mortar casinos under a new legislative proposal in the Netherlands. The proposal would raise online taxes to 29 percent...
Gala Coral Sells Bingo Clubs
British bookie Gala Coral has completed the sale of its bingo clubs ahead of a planned £2.3billion (US$3.4 billion) merger with bookmaker Ladbrokes. Caledonia Investments bought the clubs. Gala...
Eight the Hard Way
Eight international casino operators are vying for a single casino license in Cyprus. Of the eight, three will make the final cut before the winner is chosen in 2016....
Putin: Bookies, Pay Up
Russian President Vladimir Putin wants bookmakers to help pay for national sporting events. His plan, which has the support of Russian football leagues, would include sponsorships akin to those...
Ban FOBTs, Says Scottish Parliament
The Scottish parliament has called for a ban on fixed-odds betting terminals, which have been compared to crack cocaine because of their alleged addictive qualities. Punters can lose hundreds...
Casino Malta Gets Fourth License
Late last month, the Malta Gaming Authority licensed its fourth casino in Malta, to be located on the lower level of the InterContinental Hotel. The $12 million project will...
And Then There Were Five
Five bidders are in the final race to win a casino license on the Greek island of Cyprus. They include NagaCorp; Philippine operator Bloomberry Resorts; U.S.-based Hard Rock; Bouygues...
Landing Buys U.K. Club
Landing International has acquired the exclusive Les Ambassadeurs Club (l.) in London for GBP137 million (US$208 million), the company reports. The upscale gambling club in the Mayfair section currently...
Caesars UK Fined For Anti-Money Laundering Lapses
Caesars UK has been fined $9.5 million for shoddy anti-money laundering practices at its Playboy Club London and London Clubs LSQ, including not assessing the risks of dealing with...
UK Community: Rein In FOBTs
Borough Council members in the historic town of Hartlespool, England have joined a chorus of concern about fixed-odds betting terminals, gambling machines that allow players to bet up to...
British Casino Recruiting For 100 New Jobs
One hundred people are being recruited to fill jobs at the $6 million Casino 36 (l.) in Wolverhampton, U.K. The casino will be the result of the Rubicon Casino...
RGT Commissions Online Gaming Study
The U.K.’s Responsible Gambling Trust has announced that Sophro Ltd. has been commissioned to study online gaming and its potential for harm.
Ukraine to OK Gaming
Ukraine is poised to legalize and regulate gaming after a six-year prohibition (at left, a Kiev casino before the industry was shuttered in 2009). The Eastern European country reportedly...
Ladbrokes Admits Tax-Dodge Scheme
U.K. bookmaker Ladbrokes has lost a £54 million (US$82 million) tax-dodge case. The bookie admits creating an artificial slump in one business to create a loss in another. Even...
Who Will Buy Ladbrokes-Coral Shops?
The owner of Betfred has publicly speculated the company is interested in buying U.K. betting shops that may be shed in the aftermath of the Ladbrokes-Gala Coral merger. Fred...
Coral’s Leaver on Merger: ‘A Great Deal’
Coral Gala CEO Carl Leaver (l.) has responded to criticism by Irish billionaire Dermot Desmond, who said a merger of the UK bookmaker with rival Ladbrokes would be disastrous...
OPAP Sues Greece, Posts Gains
OPAP filed suit in the London Court of International Arbitration seeking damages of $1.06 billion against the Greek government for its "abrupt and counterproductive interventions." The company said as...
Czech Capital Votes to ban VLT Clubs
Prague, the capital of the Czech Republic, has voted to ban non-government sanctioned clubs that offer video lottery terminals.