Key Gambling News: December 2025 edition

Regulatory Changes and Enforcement

Finland finally crossed the line on iGaming liberalisation when parliament passed the Gambling Reform Bill on December 18 with 158 votes in favour and just nine against. The long-standing Veikkaus monopoly ends, replaced by a multi-license regime. Applications start in March 2026, full market opening is slated for July 2027, and a new regulatory agency takes over. Gross revenue tax sits at 22 percent. Deputy CEO of Veikkaus Velipekka Nummikoski commented on the change, saying the company has been waiting for a model that improves the possibilities of channelling gambling into a licensed offering.

The Finnish market in 2025 totals 2.4 billion euros. Online gambling makes up the majority at 65 percent, which comes to 1.56 billion euros. Players continue directing between 600 and 900 million euros a year to offshore operators.

Europe saw coordinated raids on illegal gambling rings in late November. Swedish and Spanish police, backed by Europol, hit properties in Stockholm and Murcia, arresting five suspects and shutting down underground clubs linked to money laundering, drugs, and possible human trafficking. The network generated around 20 million euros a year. Europol described the operation as part of a broader, multi-disciplinary strategy aimed at systematically dismantling networks that harm local communities while relying on international criminal connections. Over 150 officers took part.

China tightened its grip on AI chatbots with new draft rules released December 27, explicitly outlawing gambling-related content alongside anything promoting violence or self-harm. Public comments run until January 25, 2026.

In Brazil, offshore operators now control 55 percent of the iGaming market, according to the Brazilian Institute for Responsible Gaming. Legal platforms have slipped from 55 percent share in Q1 to 45 percent. Managing partner at the institute André Gelfi pointed out there are thousands of clandestine websites operating locally. The report highlights two major red flags. First, 72 percent of players simply cannot tell regulated sites apart from illegal ones. Second, black-market promotions target younger audiences aggressively, pushing out around 22,000 ads daily.

ICE Barcelona, set for January 19-26, 2026, will host around 400 regulators at its World Gaming Forum to tackle illegal gambling. With 70 percent of European play flowing offshore and governments losing an estimated 20 billion euros in tax revenue, the closed-door sessions will focus on AML, taxation, and advertising rules. Event organiser Margaret Dunn explained that they have assembled a Regulatory Advisory Board to most effectively support the industry.

Market Trends and 2026 Outlook

Analysts expect 2026 to bring more turbulence than smooth sailing. Several headwinds are already clear, from tax hikes to stalled expansions and stubborn black-market competition.

The main challenges heading into 2026 break down like this:

1. U.S. operators keep investing heavily in prediction markets, yet clear profits remain elusive
2. New York approved three new land-based casinos
3. UK tax rates rise sharply — remote gaming duty to 40 percent from April 2026, general betting duty to 25 percent in 2027
4. Brazil’s regulated sports betting continues losing ground to illicit sites
5. Asia shows setbacks with Thailand scrapping casino plans, India rejecting regulation, and Macau recovering but wary of U.S.-China tensions

On the European side, growth looks more stable. Online casino revenue approaches 50 billion euros, with online making up 39 percent of total spend. Mobile accounts for 58 percent of online play. Germany keeps a strong emphasis on compliance and player protection with moderate online penetration. The Nordics, led by Sweden, show high adoption in mature markets where more than 50 percent of play happens online. Southern Europe, including Italy and Spain, enjoys consistent growth and steadily rising online shares. Finland’s upcoming licensing changes should pull a lot of current offshore activity back to regulated channels, with the biggest effects likely showing up in Q3 and Q4.

Technology and AI Advances

Researchers at South Korea’s Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology looked into whether large language models can show patterns similar to human gambling addiction. They tested leading models in simulated slot machine games with negative expected returns, starting each with $100 virtual bankroll. The goal was to see if the AIs would make rational choices or fall into irrational traps like chasing losses.

When the models had limited options, such as fixed bet sizes, they mostly played safely and quit early with minor losses. Things changed dramatically once researchers gave them more freedom, like choosing their own bet amounts or setting win targets. Irrational behaviour spiked, with the models often escalating bets after losses in an attempt to recover. Bankruptcy rates jumped as a result. For GPT-4o, it reached 21 percent of simulations. Claude-3.5-Haiku hit around 20.5 percent, while Gemini-2.5-Flash proved the most vulnerable at 48 percent.

In one example, an AI justified continuing after several losses by reasoning that given the context of three consecutive losses, there’s a chance that the slot machine may be due for a win, though it also needed to be cautious about further losses, and decided to bet $10. This kind of thinking mirrors common human biases, such as the gambler’s fallacy.

The findings raise questions about risks in AI-driven tools for trading or gambling platforms, where similar decision-making could lead to real harm.

Stake.com launched slotGPT on December 31, allowing players to generate original slots through text prompts. More than 28,500 custom titles have been created already, with a daily cap of 55 per user. The tool builds visuals and audio but rejects unfair mechanics.

EveryMatrix introduced Bonus Guardian in early December to fight bonus abuse, which accounts for 63 percent of casino fraud. The AI-powered system spots multi-accounting and suspicious patterns early. Product owner at EveryMatrix Stian Enger called it not just another fraud filter, but a living shield that adapts to everything that is thrown at it thanks to the power of AI.

Awards and Industry Honors

Amusnet had a strong showing at the BEGE Awards on December 1, winning Slot Machine of the Year for its Type S 55J cabinet and Online Game of the Year for Live Bulgarian Roulette. Head of land-based sales Borislav Marinov thanked the team for their focus on authentic player experiences. Later in the month, the company picked up the True Leader Award from ICAP CRIF for the fourth year running. CFO Rumyana Metodieva noted that the recognition reflects more than strong financial results and highlights the leadership, accountability, and dedication of their people.

The Casino Guru Awards revealed their first sponsors for the May 25, 2026, event in Malta. The confirmed partners include RedCore, Bragg, PayOp, and SPRIBE. Chief commercial officer at SPRIBE Giorgi Tsutskiridze said the awards have quickly become one of the most respected platforms recognising real impact in the industry.

Game Providers and Promotions

Spribe signed UFC welterweight Valter Walker as brand ambassador for Aviator on December 22. The one-year deal targets Brazil and Latin America. Walker drew a parallel between the game and his sport, calling Aviator fast-paced and a place where high risk can lead to high reward.

Greentube released Enchanted Pegasus BOOM on December 10, a mythology-themed slot with expanding reels, free spins, and jackpots up to 3000x. Senior product manager Richard Ganster commented: "This game blends aesthetic visuals with powerful mechanics to deliver a magical and highly engaging experience." The provider also strengthened its presence in Spain through new casino partnerships with AdmiralBet and bet365.

Indigo Magic, the studio under Bragg Gaming Group, added a fresh holiday title to its lineup with Karen’s Merry Meltdown. This high-volatility 5x5 slot with 50 paylines turns office Christmas party chaos into wins, centred around an angry Karen character. Players get multiplier wilds up to 6x that stack together, splitting pizza symbols for bigger values, collector features, free games with sticky wilds, or cash respins. A side bet option boosts bonus chances, and there's a direct buy-in for 75x the stake. The game fits right into seasonal promotions with its mix of humour and solid payout potential.