Fintech startups and banks face off on new rules over European payments and data access
The HALLO ECHO

A huge group of over 70 European fintech companies is sending caution that new EU rules on payments processing could unfairly pit them against large banks and ruin the industry if they are passed into law. The rules that are a part of the European Union’s Payment Services Directive (PSD) would prohibit the practice of “screen scraping,” a…

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Cyprus submits revised gambling bill to EC
The HALLO ECHO

Cyprus attempted to resubmit its proposed new regulatory framework for gambling after the European Commission. However, its original draft was opposed by Malta. The EU member state’s Betting Law of 2017 was submitted to the EC in June, and included two amended pieces of legislation targeting at remedying several earlier infringements with the 2012 law…

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Gibraltar sets world-first with new blockchain laws
The HALLO ECHO

Gibraltar turned out to be the initial jurisdiction in the world this month to put forward a regulatory structure for companies engaged with blockchain technology. A bench of 17-member local Parliament passed a bill in the month of December that calls for the entire firms using DLT, or blockchain, to store or transmit value possessed…

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Swedish Gambling Market Revamping
The HALLO ECHO

Sweden is taking steps to make its gambling industry more liberal as the gaming regulator has prepared new legislation that will welcome international operators to Sweden and allow gaming operators to function in a more liberal gaming market. A draft of the new gaming regulation was finalized last week. Unlicensed gaming operators have been free…

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Finish Slots Machine players will have to confirm identity to play
The HALLO ECHO

The state betting monopoly Veikkaus is aiming to reduce the detrimental impact of gambling by requiring users to authenticate before they can use slot machines located in remote areas. Veikkaus recently announced that in future users will have to verify their identities before they can play on slot machines. However the new restriction may not…

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New Gaming Licence Fees Regulations coming into force on 1 January 2018
The HALLO ECHO

The Government has revised the Gaming Licence Fees Regulations (“New Licence Fees Regulations”) contained in the White Paper to Future Proof Malta’s Gaming Legal Framework(“Whitepaper”), whereby the fees for Type 1* games have been substantially reduced. Furthermore, start-ups will be entitled to a 1-year exemption on compliance contributions. The New Licence Fees Regulations were published in…

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