The European Commission has confirmed the removal of Gibraltar from its list of high-risk jurisdictions. This is a significant milestone for the territory and cements its position as a responsible and regulated financial centre. The EC is satisfied with Gibraltar’s anti-money laundering (AML) and counter terrorism financing (CFT) standards and has proposed to remove it from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list. The decision awaits a final nod from the European Parliament.
Key Points of the Story
- Its delisting from the FATF’s grey list is a major win for Gibraltar, which has been working to bolster AML and CFT standards since 2022.
- In February 2024, the FATF confirmed that Gibraltar implemented all 40 recommendations outlined in the plan of action and was ready for delisting this year. The decision awaited the UC’s official backing.
- Other nations ready for delisting include the UAE, the Philippines, Barbados, Jamaica, Uganda, Senegal, and Panama. On the other hand, Angola, Algeria, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Laos, Monaco, Lebanon, Nepal, Namibia, and Venezuela were added to the FATF grey list.
Gibraltar Meets the FATF’s AML/CTF Recommendations
The European Commission announced the removal of Gibraltar and seven other nations from the Financial Action Task Force’s grey list on June 10, 2025. The list includes high-risk jurisdictions posing an imminent threat to globally established Anti-Money Laundering (AML) and Countering the Financing of Terrorism (CFT) protocols.
Gibraltar made the list in June 2022, following a critical report by MONEYVAL, the European Committee of Experts on the evaluation of Anti-Money Laundering Measures and the Financing of Terrorism. The report mentioned shortcomings in the British Overseas Territory’s execution of regulatory sanctions and final confiscation orders.
Responding to the report, Gibraltar stepped up a full-scale reform effort. By February 2024, the territory had implemented all 40 of the FATF’s recommendations, earning praise from MONEYVAL itself. Although the FATF was prepared to remove Gibraltar from its grey list the same year, the European Parliament blocked the move.
What This Means for the iGaming Industry in Gibraltar
Gibraltar’s removal from the grey list once again hangs in the balance as the list awaits scrutiny and non-objection of the European Parliament and Council within one month. Nigel Feetham, Gibraltar’s Minister for Justice, Trade, and Industry, welcomed the EC’s decision, pledging his support for maintaining high regulatory standards in the long run. His statement read:
We remain fully committed to ensuring the institutional and regulatory improvements that we made are sustained and further improved with time. We are grateful to the EC and its senior officials for acknowledging our efforts and deciding in our favour. While this marks an important milestone for us, we plan to continue with our efforts to ensure long-term sustainability.
Gibraltar’s track record mirrors that of Malta, which found itself on the FATF’s grey list between June 2021 and 2022. Both territories have been criticised for their role in the online gambling and financial services sectors. Gibraltar’s removal from the FATF grey list will reinstate its position as a responsible and reputable gambling regulator. The territory has historically been a reliable base for major gambling operations as well as operators planning to launch online casino businesses, despite major global and territorial challenges, including Brexit.
The recent FATF update also saw the removal of the United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Panama, Jamaica, Barbados, Uganda, and Senegal from the grey list. However, a list of other countries made their way to the list, including Venezuela, Namibia, Monaco, Nepal, Laos, Lebanon, Kenya, Côte d’Ivoire, Algeria, and Angola.