While Lithuania's casino sector underperformed last year, the country's lotteries and betting sectors weathered the economic downturn much better. Meanwhile operators and civil society have been excluded from the latest working group on gambling reforms, which will likely delay any new legislative proposals.

New legislation due to come into force in January 2009 means that Estonia is on the verge of completing a much anticipated modernisation of its gambling regulatory regime. The new law, notified to the European Commission last week, radically increases the capital and machine capacity requirements of existing operators, whilst remote gambling is also to be regulated for the first time. This exclusive analysis summarises the key provisions of the draft law, and provides a sneak preview of what Estonia’s new gambling regime will look like.

Bulgaria's gambling law reform has been the subject of much discussion in recent years, with online gambling a particular priority for the jurisdiction. New taxation rates will come into effect next year.

Although the latest monthly revenues figures show that Nevada casinos have experienced a decline in profits for the 21st consecutive month, visitor numbers are up for the first time in 15 months.

As Kentucky continues to face mounting budget pressures amid a $1.4bn deficit and increased regional competition, Governor Steve Beshear remains committed to advocating expanded gambling measures, with the most recent proposals once again calling for the implementation of video lottery terminals at Kentucky's racetracks.

Madrid is one of the most dynamic jurisdictions in Spain, offering new opportunities for both sports betting and slot machine operators. Madrid has recently unveiled a new slot machine regulation.

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.

Slovenia's HIT Group has recently faced opposition to cost cutting measures implemented following a drop in gaming revenues. Also facing difficulties is the country's sole machine manufacturer ICIT.

Gamblingcompliance.com reviews the taxation regime applicable to gambling operators in Romania.

Whilst the Montenegrin gambling market remains nascent, the country’s few operators have enjoyed a year-on-year revenue growth and foreign investors are slowly emerging onto the scene.