Gambling: digital technologies are increasing the risk of money laundering

Use of a VPN (virtual private network) to conceal one’s online identity, sudden changes in betting habits, and a predominant use of cash when placing bets in physical shops. These are some of the red flags in the gambling and gaming sector identified by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) in its report ‘Red flag indicators: risks of gaming and gambling’, published on 9 September 2026. According to the Group, suspicious behaviour on the part of a player includes a desire to deal exclusively with the same member of staff and a refusal to interact with other staff members, or even attempts at briberyto have due diligence obligations waived or to prevent checks being carried out on the activity. For those who gamble online, however, IP addresses to which multiple players are connected, a refusal to show one’s face during video calls for identity verification, or multiple accounts opened under the same name may raise concerns. Alarm bells ring, for example, when a bet is placed on a result that turns out to be the result of match-fixing or when the bet appears to have been placed automatically or by a bot. The spotlight is also on the use of high-risk payment methods, such as prepaid cards, vouchers and cryptocurrencies. Furthermore, multiple payment methods registered to different individuals linked to a single account, or repeated failed payment attempts, are cause for concern.

When it comes to platforms, be wary of environments that allow users to register without face-to-face identity verification and that facilitate very rapid transactions. Unregulated messaging and chat platforms, as well as frequent changes to the platform’s URL or website, are other red flags to bear in mind. Gambling, in fact, can be linked to risks of money laundering, the financing of terrorism or the financing of the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. As the FATF points out, land-based and online casinos, together with sports betting, are particularly vulnerable to risk of money laundering. Lotteries and scratch cards, on the other hand, are considered less vulnerable in this regard in some jurisdictions. Terrorist financing, however, is more frequently associated with gaming, that is, the use of online video games. Cash, crypto-assets and e-wallets are among the payment methods associated with both gambling and gaming that are most at risk of money laundering. Indeed, the variety of tools available for making online payments to providers of these services allows for increasingly rapid, anonymous and international transactions. Furthermore, these platforms are increasingly linked to social media and other digital environments that may heighten the risk of money laundering, terrorist financing and the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. Social media, in fact, can be used to communicate and coordinate the carrying out of illegal activities, such as match-fixing or the dissemination of propaganda material by terrorist organisations.