Gaming & Crypto Gambling

Online gambling is one of the most heavily regulated sectors of the digital economy, and crypto has added a new layer of complexity to it. Crypto casinos, blockchain-based sportsbooks, provably fair games and prediction markets raise questions that traditional gaming regulation was not designed to answer.

Licensing remains largely national. Some jurisdictions have long hosted online operators, such as Kahnawake, Malta, Curaçao, Anjouan, Tobique, the Isle of Man and Gibraltar, and several of them have recently reformed their regimes. Many EU countries, including Italy, require a national license to serve their residents. Prediction markets add a further question: depending on the jurisdiction, they may be regulated as betting, as financial instruments or under specific rules. On top of that, operators face AML obligations, strict advertising restrictions and growing player protection requirements.

We support gaming operators, platform providers and Web3 game developers, from the choice of license through launch to ongoing compliance. We advise on the jurisdictions that welcome crypto operators and, through our network of local counsel, coordinate licensing across borders, with a clear view of what each license allows in each market.

How we can help

• Gaming licenses: licensing strategy, choice of crypto-friendly jurisdictions, application documentation, dialogue with gaming regulators and ongoing compliance with license conditions
• Crypto gambling platforms: legal structuring of crypto casinos, blockchain-based sportsbooks and decentralized betting platforms, including crypto wagering, provably fair mechanisms and on-chain random number generation
• Prediction markets: legal qualification as betting or financial instruments, licensing path, rules on eligible events, oracle and market resolution mechanisms, and safeguards against manipulation and insider trading
• Responsible gambling and player protection: age verification, self-exclusion, deposit limits and cooling-off periods, detection of problem gambling and complaint procedures
• AML/KYC for gaming: customer due diligence for crypto deposits and withdrawals, source of funds checks, enhanced due diligence for high-value players, transaction monitoring and travel rule compliance
• Payments and player funds: relationships with payment processors, crypto exchanges and banks, fiat-crypto gateways and segregation of player funds
• Terms and player documentation: terms of service, betting and game rules, bonus terms, payout policies and dispute resolution procedures
• Marketing, affiliates and influencers: review of advertising and bonus offers, affiliate, streamer and influencer agreements, and controls on who your campaigns reach
• Gaming tokens and Web3 games: token offerings and their classification under MiCA, play-to-earn tokenomics, in-game assets and NFTs, and the line between gaming and gambling

Compliance first

A license in one jurisdiction does not authorize offering services everywhere. Many countries require their own license, and serving their residents without one can expose both the company and its management to serious sanctions. The choice of jurisdiction is only the first step. What matters is how the license fits with the markets you want to reach.

We help you build a market access strategy that holds up. That means choosing the licenses that match your target markets and setting clear rules on which countries you accept players from. It also means backing those rules with effective controls: geo-blocking, KYC checks, marketing restrictions and affiliate obligations. The same discipline applies to prediction markets, where the legal qualification of each market determines who can participate and where.

Our approach

We work with operators who want to build a compliant and sustainable business over the long term. We explain what each jurisdiction actually allows and design frameworks that regulators, banks and payment partners can rely on. We look for solutions that protect players without undermining the product. In a sector where access to banking and payment services often depends on reputation, a solid compliance record is a competitive advantage.