France sets out web 3 regulatory framework
Crypto-betting regulations set for three-year experiment, UK & GC news, Netherlands &Co
Hello, on Gaming&Co today:
France sets out crypto-gaming regulatory framework
UK Commission boss announces departure as regulator nixes prediction markets
Netherlands: No to social sharing, One Casino and Bet365 told off
Ukraine lays out structure for new gambling authority
NIBS: Catena Media, Allwyn, Polymarket, Svenska Spel
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France sets out experimental crypto-gaming regulations
Web 3 fantasy betting decrees finally published, but appetite for the vertical uncertain
Ready for the experience? French players will be required to set spend, loss and time limits when opening accounts with web 3 operators as spelled out by the decree outlining the terms and conditions JONUM (games with monetisable digital objects) operators will have to follow as part of their work in France. Operators will be supervised by the country’s gambling regulator the Autorité Nationale des Jeux and will also have to offer easy-to-access self-exclusion tools. The long-awaited decrees outline the working environments operators will be required to follow, although the legal framework will be experimental for the next three years.
Max payouts: Operators will be able to issue winnings via payments in kind, but their value must not be above €1000. The total value of monetary prizes distributed to all participants as part of a single game during a calendar year, must not exceed 20% of the turnover generated the period year and will be limited to €25,000 per player per year for that game. ANJ will be holding a webinar on 19 February from 10.30 CET for companies interested in offering the products .
Minors will not be allowed to sign up to web 3 offerings and players will have to provide their full details, including their postal address, to open accounts. They will be able to take part in action and combat games, role playing games, sports or horse racing fantasy games based on real sporting events.
Lobbying success: France’s JONUM legislation was passed, amid much acrimony, more than two years ago. The project was based around the one-time French unicorn and crypto-fantasy betting operator Sorare, whose lobbyists convinced the government that France could be a hub for crypto and web 3 startups by pushing for a special regulatory environment for the group.
The move happened despite numerous objections from French MPs, regulated online operators and land-based casinos, who argued that web 3 companies should work under the same real money gambling regulations as they do.
Vibe shift: Recent Sorare news however has shown that its future is very uncertain and that it had closed its New York offices, while the UK Gambling Commission is set to go to court with the company in June for offering what it considers to be illegal gambling products to UK consumers.
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UKGC boss to leave as regulator nixes prediction markets
Andrew Rhodes is on his way out, prediction operators are told to get exchange licences
Rhodes less travelled: After almost five years at the helm of one of the world’s most influential gambling regulators, Andrew Rhodes will leave his role as CEO of the Gambling Commission on April 30. Despite weathering his fair share of criticism from both industry loyalists and anti-gambling activists, Rhodes’s tenure saw a clear shift in the UK compliance landscape. After issuing record fines, penalties have nosedived and Rhodes, who has praised the industry’s improved safer gambling record, said the UK would focus on fighting illegal operators targeting UK players.
He was also handed the complex task of implementing the government’s white paper in 2023 and was the first commission CEO to change the operator of the National Lottery - awarding the concession to Allwyn in 2022.
In a statement, the Betting and Gaming Council’s CEO Grainne Hurst thanked Rhodes for his professionalism. “His hands-on approach and willingness to engage directly with the industry helped foster a more informed and productive working relationship, even where views did not always align”. Deputy CEO Sarah Gardner will take over from Rhodes as acting CEO during a transitional period.
No guesswork needed: Prediction markets currently causing all kinds of angst in the US are just betting exchanges, the Gambling Commission has said. In a message to the industry, Head of Strategy Brad Enright said that if a prediction market wanted to launch in the UK it would need to get a licence and he warned any operators currently accepting British bets to watch their step.
Slots up: New data shows UK slots GGR achieved a quarterly high in the third quarter of 2025, climbing 10% to £788m. This comes after the introduction of new stake limits. Overall GGY fell 2% to £1.5bn retail betting took a more serious dip, falling 7% to £549m.
Bet365, One Casino told off as Netherlands says no socials
KSA reprimands two operators for mixup and orders social features to be deactivated
U21 glitch: Bet365 is one of two operators to be publicly told off by the Netherlands Gambling Authority (KSA) for offering bets on games featuring players under the age of 21. The Stoke-based gambling giant and fellow operator One Casino both blamed errors in their internal processes for accepting bets on the games.
Bet365 said the error had been fixed and it had implemented new checks to avoid the same mistake in future. The reprimand comes weeks after the operator was fined for failing to comply with the Netherland’s affordability rules.
Keep it anti-social: The KSA also told Dutch operators that they should stop offering social features that allow gamblers to share their wagers. Encouraging players to send friends their bets via WhatsApp, Facebook or other platforms is an obvious comms benefit for operators, who hope that such messages will entice others to also put down some cash.
The Dutch regulator however said that it was an obvious form of advertising and that because licensees are handing over the reins to consumers, they cannot be sure that their marketing is following the player protection and responsible gambling rules operators are duty-bound to follow.
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Ukraine’s revamped regulator gets busy
Fines, offshore blocking and new lottery licences all in the works
Project strength: Ukraine’s relaunched gambling regulator PlayCity says it has issued more than UAH12.5m ($290,883) in fines for a series of technical failures among its licensees. The authority also issued seven new licences and took five away, it said. The new authority has been in existence just under a year, after ex-regulator KRAIL collapsed amid accusations of ties to Russian gambling interests.
PlayCity says it has, additionally, been busy fighting the illegal market, taking down 80 Tik Tok accounts it believed to be advertising unlicensed operators and blocking 175 websites in January alone.
Lottery reset: PlayCity is also rewriting lottery rules in Ukraine and has concluded a contest that saw three operators deemed eligible. MSL, Patriot, and Ukrainian National Lottery will now need to formally apply for licenses and pay a UAH24.2m ($563,130) fee.
Ukraine’s gambling industry has been dogged by allegations of corruption for several years and officials say PlayCity’s efforts are key to resetting the sector’s reputation. “The long-standing lack of clear rules has created room for abuse in the lottery market,” said Natalia Denikeeva, Ukraine’s Deputy minister for digital transformation.
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News shorts
Catena Media CEO Manuel Stan said the company recorded its strongest quarter since its “transformation plan began” as the number of NDCs grew 56% to 40,364 and Q4 revenues increased 53% YoY to €15.6m. US revenues rose 71% to €15.2m and made up 98% of group income, adj. EBITDA was up 211% to €4.7m in Q4. Revenues were down 6% to €46.6m and adj. EBITDA jumped 84% to €10m in 2025. The company had to write off €16.5m worth of “North American sports assets and casino assets in assets” in Japan during Q3.
Allwyn has revealed that just 6.7% of OPAP shareholders decided to exercise their exit right as part of its $16bn merger with OPAP, which means Allwyn to pay them a total of €456m as part of the agreement. Allwyn CEO Robert Chvatal said the low percentage of shareholders deciding to exit was “a strong vote of confidence in the benefits of this exciting transaction and we are delighted that the remaining shareholders will be investors in the combined business”.
Preliminary results showed Q4 performance broadly in line with expectations and bolstered by product and geographic diversification. iGaming and North America saw strong growth, but results were tempered by “customer-friendly” sports outcomes in October and unfavourable lottery jackpot cycles. Demand remained steady thanks to low price points and a loyal player base.
Regional performance: Solid growth in Continental Europe and for Betano, UK performance remained stable despite currency headwinds and declining scratchcard sales. Trading is currently meeting or exceeding targets for 2026 and a major UK upgrade was completed in January, migrating 18 million accounts.
The former FanDuel/Action Network executive and current COO of Fanatics Betting and Gaming Ari Borod is set to join prediction markets operator Polymarket, according to Front Office Sports. Borod is no longer mentioned on the Fanatics leadership page and the move is arguably the highest profile switch to-date from OSB to prediction markets, said FOS.
Svenska Spel recorded a 2% YoY rise in revenues to SEK7.7bn ($856m) as net profit increased 11% to SEK1.96bn. Despite the closure of its land-based Cosmopol casino, Sweden’s lottery monopoly succeeded in driving lottery, sports betting and online volume growth.
Further reading: How online slots’ RTP is impacted by the UK tax increases.
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