Briton received in prison for hacking an online casino

A Briton received 2.5 years in prison for hacking an online casino and stealing €835 thousand

According to Yle.fi, the Central Finland District Court found William Anthony Parker guilty of fraud and sentenced him to prison. He was detained in Finland in January 2024 on suspicion of using software to hack the computer systems of two online casinos. In addition to the prison term, all funds stolen from the operators will also be confiscated from the convicted person. At the same time, the verdict in the case is not final; the court decision can be appealed.

More than 130 thousand Kazakhstanis have banned themselves from gambling

The country's government reported that 132 thousand people used the service to self-exclude online gambling through the eGov mobile application. Self-exclusion applies only to legal gambling companies and does not apply to illegal online casinos. Before the launch of this service in March 2024, there were only 3 thousand people on the list.

A network of illegal gambling sites has been blocked in Argentina

The Prosecutor's Office for Cybercrime (UFEIC) has blocked 110 illegal online casinos and betting platforms after investigation on social networks. According to investigators, these sites allowed minors to play without any restrictions and did not pay taxes, unlike legal operators. In total, about $275 thousand received from the illegal activities of operators was seized.

Player wins $3.13 million in Dream Drop jackpot from Relax Gaming

The winnings were received in the Templar Tumble 2 Dream Drop slot with a bet of only $1. The Dream Drop series continues to delight players with big winnings almost every month. In June, the largest winnings of 2024 were recorded - $11.12 million. Relax Gaming CEO Martin Stalros noted that the jackpot stimulated players' interest in the company's content and congratulated the lucky winner.

Finland prepares to legalize iGaming in 2027

As you know, Finland plans to give up its monopoly on online gambling. In 2022, the state-owned company Veikkaus advocated an open iGaming market. In 2023, the government announced that Veikkaus would retain its monopoly on land-based gambling, while a licensing system would be introduced for online gambling.

The new bill provides

• August 18, 2024 — Completion of consultations
• 1 quarter 2025 — Presentation of the bill to parliament
• Q1 2026 — Start of accepting applications for licenses for operators-
• 4 quarter 2026 - End of the Veikkaus monopoly
• Early 2027 - Software providers can apply for licenses

OPAP received exclusive rights in Cyprus

The Greek operator has entered into a 15-year agreement to provide gambling on the island. The company also received a new license from the Cypriot regulator. The license fee will be paid in 15 annual installments. OPAP has already paid the first installment of €4.2 million, with subsequent payments to be made on January 31 of each year. Under the terms of the deal, OPAP will pay a tax of 22.5% of GGR, as well as 5% on sponsorship of sports and social events in Cyprus. OPAP revenue in 2023 reached a record €2.08 billion.