The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has instructed Australian internet service providers (ISPs) to block six additional illegal online gambling websites, after investigations determined that the platforms were operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001.
The latest websites added to the blocking list are Play Jonny, ACO96, TCL99, Waboom77, Wonaco, and WooSpin.
The regulator stated that website blocking is one of several enforcement measures used to protect Australians from illegal online gambling operators. Since the ACMA issued its first blocking request in November 2019, a total of 1,708 illegal gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked in Australia.
The ACMA also reported that more than 230 illegal services have withdrawn from the Australian market since the regulator began enforcing new rules on illegal online gambling in 2017.
In its statement, the authority warned consumers that illegal gambling platforms, even when they appear legitimate, are unlikely to provide essential customer protections. As a result, Australians who use these services risk losing their money. The ACMA encouraged users to verify whether a wagering operator is licensed to operate in Australia by consulting its official register of authorized providers.
The regulator said additional information on online gambling, including consumer protection guidance and instructions for filing complaints against unlicensed sites, is available on its website.
The Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) 2026 is taking place 11-13 August 2026, bringing together industry professionals, exhibitors, and innovators at ICC Sydney.
Australasian Gaming Expo (AGE) 2026 is the place to explore the latest products and solutions, connect with decision-makers, and discover what is shaping the future of hospitality.
As regulatory frameworks evolve and markets transform, IAGR2026 will bring the global community together for four days of expert discussion, cross-jurisdiction collaboration, and practical insights into the future of gambling regulation.
Yevhen Krazhan, CSO at GR8 Tech, explores how surging crypto adoption across Asia is revolutionizing iGaming payments, stating: “When I look at what’s changing fastest in Asia, it’s payment behavior,” as wallets, stablecoins, and seamless cross-border transfers become deeply ingrained in player habits. The winning operators will be those that offer fast, reliable, and local deposits and withdrawals. To make sense of it, Yevhen breaks Asia into two crypto realities.
Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has strengthened its support for the International Association of Gaming Regulators (IAGR) through its Diamond-Elite sponsorship, further demonstrating its commitment to global regulatory advancement.
Through this sponsorship, GLI will support IAGR’s year-round work and will lead the 2026 IAGR Annual Conference in Lima, Peru, from October 19-22, 2026, which will feature a half-day GLI Regulators Workshop. The workshop will offer practical, technical, and operational risk-control education for regulators, with particular emphasis on issues important to Latin American regulators.
In addition to the workshop, GLI will support IAGR’s expanding program of work by making subject matter experts available, as needed, to assist the IAGR Technology Working Group and Model Rules Committee. These initiatives are intended to strengthen regulatory effectiveness, improve coordination across jurisdictions, and help regulators respond to emerging risks and technologies.
“GLI has supported IAGR and the global regulatory community for decades, and we are proud to deepen that commitment through this Diamond-Elite Sponsorship,” said GLI President and CEO James R. Maida. “IAGR’s work is expanding rapidly in ways that are highly aligned with our own long-standing focus on regulatory education, technical excellence, and practical support for regulators. We are especially pleased to contribute programming in Lima that will provide actionable value for regulators, including content tailored to the priorities of Latin American jurisdictions.”
“We are grateful to GLI for its consistent support of IAGR and for the high-quality programming it has delivered over many years,” added Ben Haden, President of IAGR. “This sponsorship reflects a shared commitment to stronger regulatory cooperation and to equipping regulators with practical tools and knowledge to address emerging challenges.”
The Curaçao Gaming Authority has released its first formal Information Security Control Requirements document for public consultation, setting out a comprehensive cybersecurity baseline that will become a mandatory condition of licensure for all CGA-licensed operators, both B2C and B2B.
Published in April 2026 under the authority of the Landsverordening op de Kansspelen (LOK) and Landsverordening Casinowezen Curaçao (LCC), the 62-page framework represents a significant step in the regulator’s push to modernise oversight standards. Industry stakeholders have until 18 June 2026 to submit feedback to [email protected].
The framework adopts the Center for Internet Security (CIS) Controls Implementation Group 1 (IG1) as its enforceable baseline, a set of essential cyber hygiene practices designed for organizations with limited technical resources. But the CGA is clear that IG1 is a floor, not a ceiling.
The document outlines a three-tier progression: IG1 as the mandatory foundation, IG2 as the recommended target within 24 to 36 months, and IG3 as a strategic goal for large enterprises with mature security operations. The CGA explicitly states it views IG2 as the appropriate cybersecurity target for most operators in the sector, citing the industry’s exposure to sensitive player data, financial systems, and elevated threat vectors. All licensed operators will have 12 months from the date of license issuance or the guidelines’ publication to demonstrate IG1 compliance, through annual self-assessments, mandatory third-party audits for online operators, and ongoing CGA monitoring.
The controls span 20 domains and cover the full operational lifecycle of a gaming business. Key obligations include maintaining hardware and software asset inventories reviewed at least twice annually; applying secure configurations and disabling default accounts on all systems; enforcing multi-factor authentication for all internet-facing applications, remote access, and administrative functions; and running vulnerability scans at minimum monthly.
Audit logging requirements are notably detailed for a gaming context, operators must capture gameplay and betting transactions, jackpot events, cash and credit movement, and all administrative system changes, stored in tamper-resistant, centrally managed repositories. The framework also mandates structured incident response, including a hard 24-hour notification deadline to the CGA for incidents affecting gaming integrity, player funds, personal data, or system availability. Failure to notify constitutes a breach of license conditions.
One of the more consequential aspects of the framework is its explicit application to B2B gaming technology providers as primary licensees — not merely as entities referenced in a B2C operator’s compliance documentation. The CGA makes clear that both sides of the supply chain carry direct regulatory accountability.
The document introduces a shared responsibility matrix covering game and RNG certification, platform security, player data protection, and incident notification. B2B providers must hold and maintain certifications and proactively notify partners and the CGA of any lapse or scope change. B2C operators, for their part, must verify certification status at onboarding and at minimum annually, include right-to-audit provisions in vendor contracts, and suspend affected game content if a B2B provider’s certifications are withdrawn.
Content aggregators and sports data feed providers are specifically called out, with requirements for authenticated and encrypted feed channels, cryptographic integrity validation, anomaly monitoring, and documented suspension procedures when feed integrity cannot be assured.
The framework is deliberately mapped against ISO/IEC 27001:2022 throughout, with Annex A control references cited alongside each CIS requirement. The CGA says this is designed to allow operators to integrate the controls directly into an Information Security Management System and work toward ISO certification if desired. Controls without direct ISO equivalents, such as weekly unauthorized asset detection and DNS filtering, are retained on the basis of their practical risk-reduction value for smaller or hybrid environments.
The consequences section is unambiguous. Non-compliance can trigger formal written warnings, compliance orders, administrative financial penalties scaled to the severity of the violation, and temporary or permanent license suspension. The CGA also reserves the right to conduct unannounced assessments and deploy remote scanning tools, automated compliance verification, and on-site inspections — particularly for land-based operations or where high-risk indicators are identified.
The consultation period runs until 18th June 2026. Given the framework’s direct impact on both operator compliance costs and vendor contract structures across the CGA ecosystem, engagement from both B2C operators and B2B platform providers is likely to be substantive. Feedback can be submitted to [email protected]. The full consultation document is available on the CGA’s official website.
Angel Group‘s next-generation smart gaming tables are set to transform the baccarat experience by combining artificial intelligence with pose recognition technology, which the company’s Chief Technology Officer says will become the key differentiator among smart table providers as the industry moves toward broader adoption.
Angel presented its new-generation smart table at G2E Asia, held in Macau from May 12th to 15th. Speaking with AGB on the sidelines of the event, Aaron Raj, Chief Technology Officer of Angel Australasia Pty Ltd, said that while smart tables are expected to eventually become standard across the gaming floor, the quality of data generated will define which solutions stand out.
Aaron Raj, Chief Technology Officer of Angel Australasia Pty Ltd
“It’s a combination of AI and pose recognition that is going to make a big differential, [a] duplicating factor between all the smart table operators,” Raj said. “Everyone will have smart tables at some point in time. But how they’re going to differentiate between one smart table and another is based on the quality of the data, and the quality of data is defined by the kind of solution that you deploy.”
Angel Group is a Japanese manufacturer specializing in playing cards, casino equipment, and smart table technology. It is currently one of only two smart table providers whose products have been adopted by Macau concessionaires, alongside Walker Digital Table Systems. The Japanese manufacturer has already deployed thousands of smart tables across Macau. Its pose recognition technology recently obtained regulatory approval in Singapore, while the approval process in Macau is currently underway.
A new approach: tracking players, not chips
According to Raj, the fundamental difference between Angel’s next-generation solution and conventional smart tables lies in the methodology. Existing systems primarily rely on Radio-Frequency Identification (RFID) chips to track betting activity, but Raj noted that chip-based data can become unreliable.
“Chip has an ID, and it has an owner, and it gets overwritten multiple times, millions of times within a gaming day. And you don’t even know whether it’s right or not,” he explained. “If the chip is owned by someone else, the data is again overwritten with the ownership information, so the data is spoiled.”
To address this, Angel’s solution combines AI with pose recognition, which identifies players directly through their body and movement patterns rather than relying solely on chip data. The system can uniquely identify each player’s bets across the felt, even when multiple players place wagers on the same stack. Raj clarified that pose recognition encompasses broader body movement tracking, with facial features forming only one component of the technology. In Macau, facial recognition remains restricted under current regulations.
The CTO also highlighted the flexibility of the AI-based architecture, citing Angel‘s response to the introduction of the “Monkey no Monkey” side bet in Macau. The company was able to roll out a solution supporting the new side bet within a couple of weeks, a capability he attributed directly to the AI foundation of the baccarat platform. The same flexibility extends to other game types, with Angel’s blackjack solution now described as “shoe-agnostic,” meaning it can work with any card shoe and accommodate multiple blackjack variants without hardware changes.
Real-time data dashboard and industry growth potential
A key feature of the next-generation system is the deployment of large dashboards in casino back offices, allowing operators to monitor real-time data across the entire gaming floor with greater clarity. The dashboards consolidate information on turnover, dealer performance, player ratings, float inventory, and compliance-related metrics, giving operators a comprehensive view of floor activity at any given moment.
The push toward smarter gaming tables comes amid growing recognition of their potential impact on industry economics. In a research note released in early April 2024, Citigroup analysts argued that smart gaming tables could deliver meaningful organic growth in Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) without requiring higher visitation.
According to their estimates at the time, every five seconds saved per baccarat hand could translate into approximately 5.9 percent of organic GGR growth, as faster game speed allows more rounds to be dealt per hour. Since then, smart table adoption has accelerated rapidly, with almost all baccarat tables on Macau’s gaming floors now equipped with the technology across the city’s six concessionaires.
No disruption to dealer operations
The introduction of smart tables in Macau has not been without controversy. Some Macau dealers have raised concerns through local lawmakers, arguing that smart tables have increased their workload rather than simplified their tasks.
A central feature of Angel’s approach, according to Raj, is that the technology integrates into existing tables without altering established dealer procedures. Dealers continue to operate as they would on a traditional table, with the AI working in the background to monitor compliance with game rules, payouts, and bet collection.
“The traditional table, we are fitting in our equipment, and it becomes smart. So no dealer or supervisor can complain because that’s what they have been dealing [with] for the last 20, 30, 40 years,” Raj said. The system only alerts dealers or supervisors when a deviation occurs, such as an incorrect payout.
Raj added that the focus is not solely on speed but on the player experience and the quality of backend data, which supports anti-money laundering (AML) monitoring, compliance, and dealer performance evaluation. “With AI, we want to cover the entire floor, and we are already doing it, and we want to see it in all the game types,” he said.
A new rolling commission program launching in May at the Jeju Dream Tower could add more than KRW 100 billion ($66.78 million) in annual revenue for operator Lotte Tour Development, according to Hana Securities.
The program leverages Korea’s 15 percent casino tax rate versus Macau’s 40 percent rate, giving the Jeju property room to offer more competitive commission terms to junket operators and premium players than rivals in the Chinese gaming hub.
As reported by local media outlet Aju Press, Hana Securities cited the rolling commission launch as one of three operational levers supporting its bullish view on Lotte Tour Development, which the brokerage designated its top pick in the leisure sector earlier this week.
The second lever is capacity expansion on the Jeju casino floor. Gaming tables increased from 149 in 2024 to 169 by the first quarter of 2026, with three additional tables planned. Slot machines are set to expand from 287 in 2025 to 371 this year.
The third lever concerns hotel room allocation. Of the 1,600 rooms at the integrated resort complex, the share offered as casino complimentary inventory has grown from 30 percent to between 45 percent and 50 percent. Hana Securities estimates that raising that share to 60 percent could push monthly casino revenue to KRW 60 billion ($40.07 million).
The call follows first-quarter earnings disclosed on May 14th, when Lotte Tour Development reported a 121.5 percent jump in operating profit to KRW 28.8 billion ($19.23 million) on revenue of KRW 156.2 billion ($104.32 million). Operating margin rose to 18.4 percent from 8.3 percent a year earlier.
The Jeju Dream Tower’s casino segment drove the outperformance. Casino revenue rose 40.3 percent to KRW 118.6 billion ($79.21 million), visitor entries grew 37.3 percent to 150,553, and table drop — the amount of money exchanged for chips — increased 36.7 percent to KRW 573.9 billion ($383.29 million). The casino’s hold rate reached 22.6 percent in April, approaching the 26.1 percent average recorded by Macau’s nine major Cotai integrated resorts.
The structural backdrop for the rolling program launch is the return of Chinese tourists to Jeju under the island’s visa-free entry program and the lifting of China’s unofficial restrictions on Korean tourism. Casino drop at the Dream Tower rose to KRW 2.77 trillion ($1.85 billion) in 2025 from KRW 1.73 trillion ($1.16 billion) in 2024, representing a 60 percent increase.
Hana Securities indicated that additional debt refinancing opportunities could emerge in the second half of 2026, when stronger cash flow, the new rolling program, and the peak tourism season are projected to converge.
Macau Legend Development Limited has appointed Baker Tilly as its new auditor for the 2025 financial year, replacing Ernst & Young (EY). The Hong Kong-listed company disclosed the change in a clarification announcement on May 20th, citing the failure of the two parties to agree on audit fees.
In the filing, Macau Legend explained that EY’s resignation, formalized on December 1st, 2025, followed the company’s request for a fee reduction as part of ongoing cost-control measures and after receiving more competitive quotes from other audit firms. The board characterized the departure as a mutual decision.
The company said Baker Tilly’s lower fee reflects its ‘commercial approach’ and ‘lower cost structure’ compared to Big Four firms, noting that EY’s pricing included ‘a premium reflecting its long-standing market presence.’ The reduced scope of the FY2025 audit also supported a lower fee, following the reclassification of Macau Legend’s gaming segment as a discontinued operation, the disposal of its Laos business, and minimal activity at its Cape Verde investment project.
The audit committee endorsed the appointment, stating that audit quality would not be compromised. Baker Tilly has assigned a 10-member team led by an engagement director with over 23 years of experience, allocating more than 3,000 man-hours to the engagement. Planning began in December 2025, with substantive procedures running from January through March 2026.
Key audit matters identified include impairment of non-current assets in Macau, expected credit losses on trade receivables, revenue recognition, management override of controls, and going concern. The going concern matter is particularly relevant given Macau Legend’s reported HK$1.56 billion ($199.2 million) loss for FY2025 and net current liabilities of approximately HK$2.7 billion ($344.8 million).
