Gibraltar Advances Gambling Bill to Modernise iGaming Regulation
GIBRALTAR – Gibraltar’s parliament has approved the Gambling Bill 2025 at first reading, advancing a major overhaul of its gaming laws.
LISTEN TO THIS ARTICLE:The changes could reshape compliance requirements for operators and suppliers while expanding regulatory oversight across the igaming market.
Lawmakers cleared the bill on 18 March 2026, sending it to committee stage for clause-by-clause scrutiny. If passed in full, the legislation would replace Gibraltar’s current framework with a broader and more flexible system designed to reflect how modern gambling businesses now operate across multiple jurisdictions.
Wider Licensing and Stronger Oversight
At the centre of the bill is a push to extend regulation well beyond traditional operator licences. New categories would bring more business-to-business services into scope, including platform provision, certain intermediary roles, and advertising or marketing services that have become increasingly important to the sector.
The bill would also require senior executives and key post-holders to hold personal licences, tightening accountability at management level.
According to Nigel Feetham, Gibraltar’s Minister for Justice, Trade and Industry, the bill is designed to create a “flexible framework” for modern oversight. He told parliament the aim is to protect consumers, preserve financial integrity and ensure Gibraltar remains competitive as an igaming centre.
A key change in the draft is philosophical as much as legal. Rather than focusing narrowly on where technology is physically located, the bill shifts more attention toward where substantive management and control of a gambling operation is actually carried out. That matters in an industry where infrastructure, staff and customers are often spread across borders.
Bill Responds to Market Pressure and UK Dependence
The legislation is not being introduced in a vacuum. Feetham made clear that the reforms are also part of a wider effort to strengthen Gibraltar’s position as the sector faces external pressure.
He said the UK market still accounts for around 75% of gross revenue in Gibraltar’s gambling sector. Recent changes to UK gambling taxation have therefore added real pressure to operators and sharpened the need for diversification.
“We are now working intensively and at pace to bridge, as far as possible, the gap created by the recent UK decision”, Feetham told parliament.
That economic angle gives the bill a second purpose. It is not just about tightening rules. It is also about helping Gibraltar remain attractive to new entrants at a time when relying too heavily on the UK has become riskier.
Feetham said he had met potential investors at ICE Barcelona in January and expected at least one licence application to be submitted shortly. He also pointed to discussions in Hong Kong around digital assets and future licensing opportunities.
More Regulation
More Proportionate Enforcement Powers
The bill would broaden the Gibraltar Gambling Commission’s enforcement toolkit with stronger investigatory powers, higher civil and administrative penalties, and a new standalone Gambling Appeals Tribunal.
That is an important shift. Feetham said the current framework often leaves regulators with what he called the “nuclear option” of suspension or revocation. The new bill would instead allow a wider and more proportionate range of sanctions, alongside more structured investigations and appeals.
The legislation was also shaped by Gibraltar’s recent experience under Moneyval scrutiny, after the territory was placed on the grey list between June 2022 and February 2024. That period increased pressure on authorities to demonstrate strong anti-money-laundering controls and corporate accountability.
Industry Watches Committee Stage Closely
Industry reaction has so far been measured. Operators and suppliers appear broadly supportive of the attempt to modernise the framework, but many also recognise that broader licensing obligations will require more investment in governance, compliance staff and internal systems.
Marketing services are one area drawing particular attention. Gibraltar has developed a strong reputation in gambling marketing, but officials warned that some of this activity currently sits outside direct regulation and could create reputational risks if left unchecked.
For the bill to become law, it must now pass committee scrutiny, a third reading and Crown assent. Amendments are still possible, and stakeholders expect the committee stage to be technical and closely watched.
Feetham insisted the reform does not signal retreat from the industry, but rather a recalibration of how it is supervised.
“If you are prepared to be a good corporate citizen, paying your taxes, protecting consumers and guarding against the facilitation of financial crime then there is a welcome for you in the jurisdiction”, he said. “We are open for business.”
That line captures the balancing act Gibraltar is trying to pull off: tougher rules, but not a colder welcome.
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