BetComply, iGaming’s most trusted technical and regulatory compliance firm, has appointed Iliana Lazarova as its first ever Head of Account Management.

Lazarova brings with her more than 15 years of experience in the online gaming sector, including senior account management roles at Markor Technology, Microgaming and Yggdrasil.

She joins at a time of rapid expansion for BetComply, as the company grows its team to more than 20 members to support a fast-growing roster of clients.

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Daniel Brookes, CEO of BetComply said: “BetComply is now providing compliance support to many of the biggest names in our industry. Iliana’s deep experience makes her the perfect fit to ensure we’re delivering exceptional service to our partners at every step. She’s another superstar addition to our already world-class team.”

Iliana Lazarova, Head of Account Management at BetComply, added: “BetComply has built an incredible reputation for trusted, expert compliance, and I’m thrilled to be joining at such an exciting time. My focus will be on strengthening partnerships and ensuring every client feels fully supported as they continue to navigate regulatory change.”

Lazarova is just the latest senior hire at BetComply. In March, the firm appointed former Entain executive Jez White in a new role overseeing safer gambling and sustainability.

Maarten Haijer, Secretary General of EGBA, recently spoke with Antena 3, one of Romania’s leading news channels about safer gambling in Romania.

In the interview, Maarten outlined our recommendation that Romania establishes a national self-exclusion register for gambling—a crucial player protection measure already implemented in 17 EU member states. The interview was conducted at a recent event held at the Romanian Parliament organised by the Romanian online gambling association (AOJND).

EGBA’s recommendations for Romania

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At that meeting, EGBA underlined its recommendation that Romania introduces a comprehensive gambling self-exclusion framework, and recommended that the system should:

• Apply to all licensees (land-based and online gambling operators).
• Be accessible through a user-friendly, GDPR-compliant, government website.
• Be clearly communicated and made accessible via gambling platforms.
• Apply in real-time and be fail proof.
• Have clear minimum and maximum time periods for the self-exclusion duration.
• Ensure registered players receive information on where to seek support.
• Require operators to remove self-excluded players from marketing databases.

Establishing a self-exclusion framework based on these European best practices would provide a crucial safety net for Romanian players.

Source: EGBA

Vixio, a leading provider of regulatory intelligence solutions, ‍is proud to announce its Anti-Money Laundering (AML) Outlook, which found that regulators are cracking down on money laundering weaknesses with severe consequences, totaling over €36m in fines from March 2024 to March 2025 in Europe alone.

Vixio’s AML Outlook examines the challenges of complying with AML requirements in jurisdictions around the world, outlines regulators’ efforts to thwart criminal activity, and considers how payments and gambling firms can prevent being caught up in money laundering scandals.

The report found that in the last year, in the European area alone, there have been around 30 enforcement actions from regulators fining payments and e-money firms for falling short in their adherence to AML/CTF rules.

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Financial institutions found to have money laundering weaknesses face profound consequences, with prosecutors and regulators alike generally unwilling to be empathetic on this matter. For example:

• In March 2025, Germany’s regulator, BaFin, fined Ratepay €25,000 over suspected money laundering.
• In February 2025, Estonia’s Money Laundering Data Bureau revoked B2BX Digital Exchange OÜ’s licence for failing to implement proper customer due diligence, transaction monitoring and risk assessments.
• The Bank of Lithuania, meanwhile, revoked Foxpay’s licence in November 2024 for systemic AML/CTF and governance failures, including fund mismanagement and conflicts of interest.

John Gidla, Head of Payments Compliance, Vixio, explains, “Although AML compliance involves significant costs for payments firms –  including investment in transaction monitoring systems, customer due diligence (CDD) processes and ongoing staff training – the consequences of failure can be significant. In addition to financial penalties, failing to prevent money laundering can severely damage a firm’s reputation, leading to loss of customers, partners and investor confidence. Maintaining a strong compliance framework is crucial for preserving trust and long-term business viability.”

Until now, the EU’s AML enforcement has been more fragmented, but the EU’s new Authority for Anti-Money Laundering and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (AMLA) could be a significant step towards addressing AML enforcement and closing gaps that criminals have been exploiting for years.

Regulatory scrutiny means that firms need to implement know your customer (KYC) procedures, monitor transactions on their systems for suspicious activity and report concerns through suspicious activity reports (SARs) to the relevant authorities.