Crypto Gambling Sector Sees Major Shifts in Licensing, Advertising, and Tax Reporting

The year 2026 brought significant changes to the crypto gambling sector, affecting various aspects of the industry. One major change was in licensing, as Curacao's reform led to a more stringent licensing process. The old master-and-sublicence structure gave way to direct licensing under the Curacao Gaming Authority, requiring licensees to have named beneficial owners and meet local substance requirements.

This change created an issue with grandfathered sublicense holders who failed to complete the transition, leading to fake licence seals becoming a major concern. The number of impersonation scams targeting crypto users increased 14-fold through 2025, with AI-generated endorsements now standard in the playbook.

Google also played a significant role in shaping the industry, tightening its certification regime for gambling operators. In March, Google introduced good-policy-health requirements and stricter domain ownership rules, excluding sites on free platforms or third-party subdomains. A further tightening took effect on September 14, barring operators with insufficient player protections.

These changes had a ripple effect, leading to operators shutting out of paid search pushing spend towards editorial and affiliates. The practical effect for players is indirect but real, as they encounter recommendations in different channels and may be influenced by paid content.