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AUSTRAC CEO Focuses on Gambling Industry Compliance
AUSTRAC, the anti-money laundering watchdog in Australia, will continue to give a prime focus on the gambling industry and won’t be cautious in taking action against companies that fail comply with their obligations, CEO Brendan Thomas said.
During a Keynote Address on the final day of the Regulating the Game conference in Sydney on Thursday, Thomas said it still has a lot of “activities” around the gambling industry in the works, even as it looks to conclude long-running actions against casino operator Star Entertainment Group and online operator Entain for various compliance failures.
More importantly, he promised that although AUSTRAC will work with industry to achieve appropriate outcomes, its patience has limits.
“I’ve been the CEO of AUSTRAC for just over a year and I’m so proud of the work that we’ve done in that time to reduce the harms to our community. But while I’ve been working with the industry and our reporting entities to reduce that harm, AUSTRAC is not in the business of continuing to educate without action. It is important that businesses understand their legal obligations because I’m prepared to take strong and swift action where it is warranted,” he said.
“If you expect AUSTRAC to educate, educate, educate and then take action years later, you’re mistaken. If you think your business is too small to take responsibility for regulatory compliance, you’re also mistaken. Your services in the gambling industry have been subject to a regulatory regime for many years now and it is your responsibility to comply,” he added.
Noting that licensed operators in Australia face an ever-evolving risk landscape due to “the digitization of currency, financial systems that are more dispersed and complex, the need for more sophisticated customer verification processes, and greater competition in the rapidly expanding online gaming sector,” Thomas called on operators large and small to run thorough risk assessments in order to properly identify where the true risks of infiltration sit for each.
This, he explained, is in line with the Anti-Money Laundering and Counter-Terrorism Financing Amendment Bill 2024 that was passed in federal parliament last year.
The bill, which updated the previous act from 2006, adds a raft of new industries to AUSTRAC’s purview – namely real estate professionals, lawyers, accountants, trust and company service providers, and dealers in precious stones and metals – but also amends laws around how entities should comply with their obligations.
“We’re trying to shift the way that we do regulation in our regulated industries away from pure compliance to a proper discussion about risk so that we can talk to you about what that risk actually is and then we can focus practically on what are the controls that are directly aimed at those risks rather than just ticking a bunch of compliance boxes. We aim to take the bureaucracy out of what we do and how we do it,” he said.
Despite promising to be tougher on those who fail to properly comply, Thomas said the agency also wants to improve its lines of communications with the industries it regulates.
“AUSTRAC is making some significant changes ourselves – establishing functions that are purely about establishing proper partnerships with our regulated industries,” he said.
“In the past we haven’t done that and we are committed to working in partnership with those industries that want to comply with the law. We will also be much more transparent and forward on what our legal position is on a whole range of different moves and we will be more up front about where we are seeing risks that affect our regulated industries.
“[But] there is no question on where [illegal] funds come from and how those funds are impacting Australians. There is the crime that leads to profits in the first place and then the reinvestment of those profits into more crime. At the worst end of the scale, we are talking about illicit drugs running, scams, child sexual exploitation and significant amount of human trafficking, so if you are in the gambling industry you have a pretty big obligation to help us combat these problems,” he added.
The post AUSTRAC CEO Focuses on Gambling Industry Compliance appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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1spin4win celebrates its 4th anniversary
This May, the fast-growing game provider 1spin4win, founded by ambitious developers with over 15 years of experience in the gambling industry in 2021, celebrates its fourth anniversary. Since its inception, it has boosted its team fivefold and extended its client list to 700+.
The brand’s reputation for quality and reliability is backed by top-tier operators such as Pin-Up, 1xBet, Blaze, Rox, BitStarz, LuckyDreams, RocketPlay, GG.bet, and others.
The studio has recently successfully increased its slot production to 4–5 monthly releases. Its portfolio has already surpassed 150 classic online titles with quality mathematics, transparent mechanics, and well-balanced gameplay — key factors driving strong player retention. Each 1spin4win game accommodates 10 languages, including those key to the LatAm market, expanding into which has lately become the company’s primary focus.
Beyond quality products with broad language support, 1spin4win consistently offers effective promotional tools to its business partners. Among them are special in-game features, various Cash & Drops campaigns, and additional marketing options such as pre-releases and free spins, which positively affect player loyalty. The provider launches over 1,300 successful promotions yearly.
Such a comprehensive approach results in well-deserved industry appreciation. As a result, the slot provider continues to receive nominations and recognitions and, at the time of this publication, is vying for the Slot Supplier — Under 5 Years category at the EGR B2B Awards 2025.
Olga Hlukhovskaya, Business Development Director at 1spin4win, commented, I am deeply grateful to the 1spin4win team and our partners for these remarkable four years of triumphs. Of course, we won’t stop there. Our sponsorship of the DAR Bjorn Charity Gala, right around the company’s birthday, is our first step in enhancing social accountability going forward.
Visit the studio’s website to learn more about 1spin4win and its unique offer.
The post 1spin4win celebrates its 4th anniversary appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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Esports Returns to Singapore with BLAST’s Dota 2 Arena Event After Sellout Counter-Strike World Final 2024
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BLAST Dota Slam Singapore to take place this November at Singapore Indoor Stadium in partnership with Singapore Tourism Board and AEG Presents Asia
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The world’s best Dota teams will meet in Singapore from 4th – 9th November 2025 to compete for a prize pool of $1,000,000 at the first ever BLAST Slam arena event
Esports entertainment company BLAST has announced the return of its world-class events to Singapore with the BLAST Dota Slam Singapore, set to take place in November 2025 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium, supported by the Singapore Tourism Board (STB).
This announcement follows the sellout success of the BLAST Premier World Final 2024, which marked BLAST’s Southeast Asia debut and saw more than ten-thousand fans pack out the Resorts World Convention Centre to witness the world’s top Counter-Strike teams compete for the $1 million prize pool.
Building on that momentum, Singapore will now host the BLAST Dota Slam arena event, teaming up with AEG Presents Asia again to bring together the world’s best Dota teams to battle it out for $1,000,000 in front of a live audience and millions of fans tuning in globally across 50+ territories and in 12 languages.
The BLAST Dota Slam Singapore is the latest milestone in BLAST’s global expansion into Dota 2, and reinforces Singapore’s growing reputation as a premier destination for sports and live entertainment. It marks the second consecutive year the city-state has hosted a BLAST arena tournament, following the successful Counter-Strike event in 2024.
James Woollard, Director of Market Development at BLAST, said: “Singapore delivered one of the most passionate esports crowds we’ve ever seen during last year’s BLAST Premier World Final. We’re thrilled to be returning with our next major arena show – this time for Dota 2 – and to once again partner with the Singapore Tourism Board and AEG Presents Asia to help to further grow Southeast Asia’s esports ecosystem. The response to our events in Singapore has been incredible, and this November’s Dota Slam promises to be another landmark moment for fans and for the region. Singapore has an impressive history and pedigree for the biggest international sporting events, supported by STB, and BLAST is proud to be building on this with the biggest esports events.”
Ms Lilian Chee, Director, Sports, Singapore Tourism Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome BLAST back to Singapore, this time with the Dota Slam. Building on the success of the BLAST Premier World Final, this event further reinforces Singapore’s reputation as a world-class destination for sports and live entertainment. We look forward to welcoming the passionate fans, players and partners once again to our vibrant city.”
BLAST’s return to Singapore is set to shine a global spotlight on the city while delivering significant economic benefits and meaningful destination marketing. With an estimated economic impact in the tens of millions, the tournament further demonstrates how esports events are evolving into major cultural and economic drivers for host cities – on par with large-scale traditional international sporting events.
With Singapore, Rio, London, Austin, and Lyon among the major destinations on BLAST’s global calendar this year, it is evident that governments, cities and tourism bodies are recognising the power of esports to attract young and engaged visitors, create jobs, and drive international visibility.
The post Esports Returns to Singapore with BLAST’s Dota 2 Arena Event After Sellout Counter-Strike World Final 2024 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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LuckyStreak launches new SmartStudio greenscreen technology with WinSpirit
Casino operator’s greenscreen-powered Live Blackjack experience to deliver immersive, custom gameplay and deeper brand engagement
LuckyStreak, the Riga-based live games provider, has launched its fully customisable SmartStudio greenscreen technology with online casino operator WinSpirit, delivering a high-spec branded Live Blackjack experience.
The integration gives WinSpirit the ability to completely customise every visual element of the blackjack environment, from the set, walls and floor, to the dealer’s backdrop, with the brand’s logo and colours. This creates a high-impact, bespoke experience that drives stronger engagement between brand and player.
LuckyStreak’s green screen solution lets operators like WinSpirit create fully customised, branded live casino environments without needing physical set builds. It’s flexible, fast, and cost-effective. Operators can choose different backgrounds, themes, branding elements – even switch between them dynamically if needed.
Designed with flexibility and fast deployment in mind, LuckyStreak’s highly advanced SmartStudio system offers chroma system keys in full HD with low latency, to promise razor sharp streams. The technology offers studio-grade production, multi-camera greenscreen and a semi-dedicated table layout that enables precise drop logos, video and stills layering and vibrant colour matching. The result is a deeply immersive and visually distinct blackjack game that perfectly aligns with WinSpirit’s brand identity.
This launch reinforces LuckyStreak’s commitment to delivering versatile and custom solutions for operators looking for more tailored and brand-led experiences across their live casino offering.
Ido Kamiel, COO at LuckyStreak, said: “We’re delighted that WinSpirit has chosen to enhance their players’ blackjack experiences with our greenscreen technology. It is designed to be highly flexible to meet our customers’ diverse and individual branding needs, and simple to deploy, to really enable us to forge closer relationships between player and brand, and to ensure that those meaningful moments are unforgettable.
“We are pleased to say that this is being reflected in longer and more involved player sessions compared to their generic table KPIs.”
Oleksandr Kotsenko, Business Development Lead at WinSpirit, said: “At WinSpirit, we’re always focused on offering players more choices and enhancing their gaming experience.
“Our partnership with LuckyStreak has been a perfect step in bringing this vision to life. We’re excited about this partnership and confident that LuckyStreak will delight our players while making a fantastic addition to our library.”
The post LuckyStreak launches new SmartStudio greenscreen technology with WinSpirit appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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