Estonian internet service providers (ISPs) have begun blocking unlicensed gaming sites after a blacklist of 175 domain names was circulated by the Estonian Customs and Excise Board.

Greek gaming giant OPAP is looking to cash in on the government’s financial desperation by exploiting a licence to operate low stakes slot machines, but any deal will need support from their increasingly disgruntled agents.

Governments in Central America and the Caribbean need to tighten rules to prevent gambling websites that still accept US bets from laundering proceeds through their jurisdictions, the US State Department has said.

The implementation of Italy’s latest gaming laws could be delayed for at least a month after the country’s leading online operator Microgame chose to issue comments on the proposed legislation that is presently in the final phase of “standstill” with the European Commission.

Nevada’s gaming watchdogs are considering severing the business relationships between the state's casinos and operators of non-gambling sites.

Confirming promotional deals with partners including Orange and members of France’s 1998 World Cup winning team, Française des Jeux (FDJ) said it expects to deliver €1bn in sports-betting turnover this year as the French online market opens up.

Large-scale M&A activity in the online gaming sector is all but inevitable say commentators, but some observers are questioning whether or not looming decisions in the European Court of Justice (ECJ) still have the potential to throw some of the most high-profile deals off course.

Odds on Richard Glynn taking over the reins from departing chief executive Chris Bell at Ladbrokes shortened this week as his industry associations were scrutinised.

Gala Coral will seek a public listing on the stock market in less than three years after a dramatic restructuring of its debt.

All parties found reason to celebrate the long-awaited decision of the Italian High Court yesterday regarding last year’s controversial tender process for the sale of scratchcards.

Monaco's casino monopoly Société des Bains de Mer sought to offset its dwindling casino revenues by diversifying its interests and acquiring 50 percent of Mangas Capital Gaming, a company which now owns the BetClick, Bet-at-home, Expekt and recently Everest online gaming brands. Outdoor gambling areas have also been installed in casinos to counter the smoking ban set up in 2008.

In the wake of the recent football match-fixing scandal, Turkey has adopted a tougher stance on illegal online betting and match-fixing. Although privatisation of the National Lottery has been shelved, lottery revenues have enjoyed a steady increase.

Macedonia's state lottery market marked a new beginning at the end of 2009 with a tender process for a number of services still ongoing. In the meantime, the country is also set to revamp its anti-money laundering legislation.

Italy has recently issued regulations to allow for the introduction of VLT machines, cash internet poker, new scratchcard lotteries and online casino games. In 2009 gaming companies operating in Italy collected €53bn in bets.

The draft gaming bill tabled by minister Carl Devlies last year, which introduces the licensing of online gambling, was passed by parliament in December 2009 and must be enacted by January 2011.