The head of Sweden’s gambling regulatory agency is exiting his post ahead of schedule, prompting concerns that his absence will impact the country’s push to liberalize its online gambling market. On Friday, Sweden’s Gambling Regulatory Authority (Lotteriinspektionen) announced that general director Hakan Hallstedt (pictured) had been appointed a judge in Blekinge District Court, a position he will take up on May 15. Hallstedt will resign as Lotteriinspektionen director at the end of March. Hallstedt, who has headed up Lotteriinspektionen since September 2008, was originally supposed to step down when his current term ended this September. But Hallstedt apparently felt the…

The Golden Nugget Casino in Las Vegas has joined forces with Miomni Gaming to develop and launch a new mobile sports betting application for punters in the US state of Nevada. Consumers can sign up for the app by visiting the casino’s sportsbook with photo ID, their social security number and placing a cash deposit. Once registered, players will be able to access the app from any location in the state, with the option to place bets on a wide range of sports events. The Golden Nugget is the only sportsbook in Las Vegas that independently offers betting odds to…

The New Jersey General Assembly has issued a resolution to urge newly sworn-in US President Donald Trump to oppose efforts to reintroduce a ban on online gambling in the country. New Jersey is just one of three states that currently offer some form of legalised internet gaming in the US, along with Nevada and Delaware, although a host of other states are said to be considering regulating such services. This form of regulation has been allowed since 2011, when the US Department of Justice ruled that individual states could legalise online gaming within their own borders. However, this decision was made…

Antigua and Barbuda is optimistic that a Donald Trump Administration could finally lead to the end of a decade-long online gaming dispute with the United States. According to a report from the Jamaica Observer, the island nation’s Governor General, Sir Rodney Williams, believes that Trump will move to resolve the matter in a way that’s satisfactory to his government. “My government believes that the new administration that is about to take office will recognize the lawfulness and justness of our actions and will quickly settle the differences that have kept our negotiators apart,” Williams said prior to Trump’s inauguration. “Hopefully…

US financial services company Western Union has agreed to pay a federal penalty of $586 million (€545.2 million) after admitting to clearing transactions related to illegal online gambling activities. According to the Financial Times newspaper, Western Union allowed agents to send money to illicit internet gaming operations in Costa Rica, thus violating US laws regarding anti-money laundering. Western Union pleaded guilty to the named violations, which included “aiding and abetting wire fraud”, as well as failure to maintain an effective campaign in regards to anti-money laundering activities. The company has also agreed to have its financial transactions monitored by an…

Switzerland has withdrawn plans to introduce regulation that would require internet service providers (ISPs) in the country to block online gambling websites licensed abroad. The Legal Affairs Committee of the Swiss National Council voted 13-12 to remove language related to such rules from the country’s proposed gambling legislation. Earlier this month, the country’s Council of States gave its approval to the plans, with the support of the majority of the Swiss land-based gambling market, which has struggled in recent years due to the emergence of online wagering. More at iGaming Business