REGULATORY NEWS. WEEK № 35

🇭🇺 Hungary Strengthens Oversight of State-Owned Gambling Operator Szerencsejáték Zrt

State-owned operator Szerencsejáték Zrt is reviewing its marketing structure and the way sponsorships and grants are allocated in order to improve transparency. By the end of 2026, the company plans to hold three closed tenders and move from working with a single agency to a multi-agency model. In 2025, the operator’s revenue exceeded €3 billion, while tax and regulatory payments amounted to around €447 million. Read more

🇦🇱 Albania Reopens the Online Sports Betting Market

Albania will allow up to 10 licensed online sportsbook operators, ending the full ban on online betting that had been in place since 2019. The minimum licence fee is around €4 million, licences will be valid for 10 years, and operators will have to contribute 15% of GGR to a special state fund in addition to corporate tax. Land-based betting shops and slot halls will remain prohibited. Read more

🇳🇱 Meta Blocks Casino Ads Targeting Self-Excluded Players in the Netherlands

An investigation by BNR found hundreds of ads for illegal online casinos on Facebook and Instagram, some of which directly encouraged players to bypass the CRUKS self-exclusion system. At the beginning of 2026, around 100,000 people were registered in CRUKS. Following the investigation, Meta removed a significant share of the ads and blocked the accounts associated with them. Read more

🇰🇭 Cambodia Shuts Down 20 Casinos in Crackdown on Scam Centres

Cambodian authorities have closed 20 casinos as part of a wider campaign against online scam operations and inspected all 195 casinos in the country. Another 29 licences were suspended, while authorities reported that 605 locations linked to scam networks had been shut down between July 2025 and July 2026. The crackdown follows allegations that casinos and former gambling venues were being used by organised criminal groups for online fraud. Read more