Key Takeaways
- On January 1, a law in the Czech Republic went into effect requiring online gaming operators to obtain licensing to offer services in the country and pay tax—which has been hiked to arguably exorbitant levels.
- The Spanish regulatory authority, the Director General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), has promoted Juan Espinosa as its new director, following the departure of Carlos Hernandez in November.
- Philippine hardline president Duterte has changed his mind again regarding online gambling. Now he wants all online gambling to cease.
Finland
On January 1, Finland’s Veikkaus went live—a new umbrella entity that brings together the three former state-owned online operators of Fintoto, Finland’s slot machine association RAY, and the original Veikkaus.
