Compliance Updates

Wazdan Receives Swedish Certification, Expanding Their Reach Further Through the Nordics

Published

5 years ago

July 18, 2019

Wazdan Receives Swedish Certification, Expanding Their Reach Further Through the Nordics

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Wazdan is thrilled to announce the confirmation of their Swedish certification, enabling them to offer their games through Swedish operators.

Confirmed this month, Wazdan is now fully certified in Sweden and have already enabled their games through their existing Swedish partners, including Kindred, Mr Green, Hero Gaming, and more.

The Swedish Gambling Authority began to accept license applications under a new law, earlier this year, in an effort to liberalise the gambling market and open it up to private actors. Before this, gambling activities were state-owned and had come under criticism from the European Commission for being monopolised. Online, however, under EU law, Swedes had been able to play at online casinos for some time, but finally, in 2018, the government agreed to follow Denmarks lead: quash the monopoly and open up the market. The Swedish Gambling Authority is the authority tasked with ensuring the legality, safety and reliability of the Swedish gaming and gambling market. Their role is to provide consumers with the tools for fair gaming by maintaining a transparent and balanced gaming market, as well as reducing the potentially harmful social effects.

Opening up the market is not just good for game producers, like Wazdan, it is also positive for the players. The main objective under the gambling re-regulation is to create a safer market, with particular focus placed on improving consumer protection, and game security. With this, players will be able to pause their accounts easily, and there will be increased punishments for illegal gambling activities and match-fixing.

Wazdan continues to grow in the regulated markets, with licenses including the MGA, the UKGC, Romania and Curacao. The company is also certified to offer their products in Sweden, Latvia, Lithuania and Estonia. Market expansion comes at a great time for Wazdan and their operator partners, with the company recently announcing a slew of new game title releases, including Lucky Fish, Relic Hunters™ and the Book of Faith, Lucky Reels, Space Spins, Magic Stars 5, Space Gem™, Juicy Reels, and Magic Stars 6, as well as their main game of the year, Larry the Leprechaun.

“We are excited to announce our Swedish certification, which allows us to strengthen our position in the Swedish market and expand the reach of our games through our existing operators. The Swedish certification opens up doors for our team to increase what we offer our partners, and also to develop new relationships with operators to bring Wazdan high-quality games to the Swedish players,” says Andrzej Hyla, Head of Sales at Wazdan.

Keep up to date with the latest Wazdan news at: https://www.wazdan.com

Compliance Updates

IAGR confirms new Board members

Published

3 days ago

November 14, 2024

George Miller

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) has announced the appointment of four new trustees to its Board, each bringing unique expertise and leadership to strengthen IAGR’s global regulatory efforts:

Anders Dorph, Danish Gambling Authority (Europe)
Peter Kesitilwe Emolemo, Gambling Authority of Botswana (Africa)
Kevin Mullally, General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority (Asia/Oceania)
Louis Rogacki, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (North America)

IAGR President Ben Haden said, ‘I’m delighted to welcome our four new trustees to the IAGR Board. Their diverse expertise and leadership across different jurisdictions will bring fresh perspectives to our work, further strengthening our global approach to gaming regulation.

‘I look forward to collaborating with Peter, Louis, Kevin and Anders as we continue to foster innovation and drive forward effective, responsible regulation for the benefit of the global gaming community.

‘We also extend a big thank you to Trude Høgseth Felde and Mabutho Zwane for their dedicated service as they complete their terms on the Board, and I’m pleased to announce that Jason Lane will continue for another term as a Trustee.’

As a leading forum for gaming regulators worldwide, IAGR enables members to meet, share information, discuss legislative developments, exchange views and learn best practices in gaming regulation.

In recent news, IAGR has also confirmed that its 2025 annual conference will be held in Toronto, Canada, from 20 to 23 October 2025, with registrations opening in early 2025.

Compliance Updates

MGA Issues First ESG Code Approval Seals to Licensees

Published

6 days ago

November 11, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Malta Gaming Authority (MGA) has awarded its first-ever ESG (Environmental, Social and Governance) Code Approval Seals to licensees in the online gaming sector, marking a milestone in the Authority’s commitment to promoting responsible and sustainable industry practices.

This initiative follows the launch of the voluntary ESG Code of Good Practice last year, which invited licensees to submit their ESG disclosure returns. The Code, which covers 19 topics categorised under Environmental, Social and Governance pillars, offers a strategic roadmap for online gaming companies to streamline their reporting efforts.

Following the first annual reporting cycle, 14 gaming operators have been awarded the ESG Code Approval Seal. The Code supports two levels of reporting: Tier 1, which establishes foundational ESG standards, and Tier 2, which represents a more aspirational approach.

Seals are valid for one year, with flexibility for renewal in the subsequent reporting period, allowing operators to advance or adapt their reporting tier year by year.

“We believe this initiative will significantly enhance the industry’s reputation and sustainability credentials,” MGA CEO Charles Mizzi said.

“By integrating ESG considerations into their operations, gaming companies not only contribute to the wellbeing of society and the environment but also strengthen the trust and confidence that consumers, investors, and regulators have in the industry. This initiative sends a clear message: sustainability, in the broadest sense of the word, is integral to the future of the gaming sector.”

Compliance Updates

Turkish Football Federation to Penalise Clubs Promoting Illegal Betting

Published

6 days ago

November 11, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: < 1 minute

The Turkish Football Federation (TFF) has introduced new regulations to crack down on illegal betting advertisements in professional football.

According to the TFF, clubs found violating the new rules will face fines and, in case of repeated offenses, the deduction of points.

Under the updated guidelines, any club in the Turkish Super League involved in unauthorised betting promotions will face a tiered penalty system.

The first violation will result in a fine of 2 million Turkish Liras (around $58,000), and the second offense will incur a 5 million lira fine and a third violation will see the fine increased to 10 million liras. For subsequent breaches, clubs will be fined 10 million liras for each offense, along with a three-point deduction from their league standings.

“It is forbidden to promote or advertise betting organizations not licensed by competent authorities. This includes any media, billboards and other equipment used within stadium,” the TFF stated.

The TFF emphasised that the ban also applies to entities affiliated with these betting organisations, including those involved in promoting and advertising activities in a way that suggests endorsement of illegal betting.

The global scale of the illegal betting market is staggering, with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime estimating its worth at $1.8 trillion. In Türkiye alone, the sector is projected to exceed 100 billion liras, according to the Financial Crimes Investigation Board.