Illinois has taken a significant public health step by classifying gambling disorder as an addiction, opening new treatment avenues. Meanwhile, prediction markets are at a legal crossroads, with a Minnesota judge blocking a ban and the NFL urging stricter CFTC rules, as Estonia and the Netherlands grapple with advertising restrictions.
Regulation & Policy
- Illinois Gov. Pritzker Signs Bill Classifying Gambling Disorder as Addiction, Opening Door to New Treatment Options — Illinois Governor J.B.
- Gambling advertising under scrutiny in Estonia — Estonia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communications has signalled growing concern over the rise in gambling advertisements in the country, with the consumer protection…
- Minnesota blocked from enforcing prediction market ban — A federal judge has blocked Minnesota from enforcing a ban on prediction markets, granting a preliminary injunction that halts what would have been the first outright prohibition…
- Finland’s online gambling rules continue to cause channelisation concerns — Finland’s upcoming regulated online gambling market, set to launch next year, is facing ongoing concerns about its ability to attract customers due to tough responsible gambling…
- Campaign for Fairer Gambling urges New Jersey to ban online microbetting — The Campaign for Fairer Gambling has released a report urging New Jersey lawmakers to ban online microbetting, describing the product as an urgent public health risk.
- Prediction Markets Must Engage With Regulators or Face Legal Heat, Warn Lawyers — Lawyers are warning that prediction markets must proactively engage with regulators or risk facing legal consequences, as a contentious legal battle over the classification of…
- Minnesota Judge Rules in Favor of Prediction Markets, Going Against Congress’ Intent — A federal judge in Minnesota has ruled in favor of prediction markets, blocking the state’s attempt to ban most event contracts.
- NFL Tells Regulator Prediction Market Sports Contract Rule-Making ‘Falls Short’ — The National Football League has told the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that the regulator’s latest rule-making on prediction market sports contracts is insufficient.
- South African Bookmakers’ Association calls for ban on prediction markets amid integrity concerns — The South African Bookmakers’ Association (SABA) has called on regulators to ban unlicensed prediction markets, citing concerns over integrity, anti-money laundering (AML)…
- Netherlands gambling ad ban will ‘hand the entire stage to illegal operators’ warn experts — Experts have warned that the Netherlands’ impending ban on gambling advertising will effectively cede the market to illegal operators, drawing cautionary lessons from Denmark and…
- Will Estonia’s tax cuts be eclipsed by stricter marketing rules? — Estonia is positioning itself as a major iGaming hub in Europe with a planned gradual tax cut for its gambling sector, aiming to reduce the tax rate to 4% of gross gaming revenue…
- New York Federal Judge Denies Kalshi an Injunction for Second Time This Month — A federal judge in Manhattan has denied Kalshi’s request for an emergency injunction against New York state officials for the second time this month, leaving the prediction market…
Partnerships
- Tom Brady’s Birmingham City Signs Coral Deal as Championship Clubs Benefit From EPL Ban — Birmingham City, the English Championship soccer club co-owned by NFL legend Tom Brady, has announced a new shirt sponsorship deal with gambling operator Coral.
- FeedConstruct renews partnership with Ukrainian Premier League for exclusive worldwide data and streaming rights — FeedConstruct has renewed its exclusive global partnership with the Ukrainian Premier League, securing worldwide rights to live streaming and official data across the entire…
- Flutter pledges to ‘Do More’ as Leeds Rhinos Foundation support extended — Flutter Entertainment has extended its partnership with Leeds Rhinos Foundation, the charitable arm of English Super League rugby club Leeds Rhinos, reinforcing its commitment to…
- ChatBet partners with iSolutions to scale conversational betting across Africa — ChatBet has entered a partnership with iSolutions to scale conversational betting across Africa, enabling sportsbook operators on the iSolutions platform to offer AI-powered…
- SA Gaming and SOFTSWISS join forces to offer an exceptional online entertainment experience — SA Gaming has partnered with SOFTSWISS to integrate its game portfolio into the SOFTSWISS Game Aggregator, a move aimed at expanding the supplier’s global reach and enhancing…
- 1spin4win expands its LatAm reach through partnership with TriunfoBet — 1spin4win has entered a partnership with Latin American operator TriunfoBet to integrate its portfolio of over 200 classic slots onto the platform.
- VERSUSbet to change gears in Brazil with new Real Madrid partnership — VERSUSbet, the online sportsbook of Spanish gambling and hospitality giant Grupo Orenes, has announced a new five-year partnership with Real Madrid to drive its growth strategy in…
Product Launches
- MelBet Partners expands affiliate toolkit as Beyond Limits enters final stage — MelBet Partners has rolled out a redesigned affiliate dashboard and is gearing up to announce the winners of the second stage of its MelBet Beyond Limits competition during a live…
- Play’n GO unearths divine riches in Temple of Three — Play’n GO has released Temple of Three, a new 3-reel video slot themed around ancient Egyptian deities Ra, Bastet and Anubis.
Across the Industry
- Shane Hennen’s Guilty Plea Portends Potential Cooperation with Feds in Gambling Corruption Case — Shane Hennen, described as the central figure in three illegal gambling scandals involving NBA and college men’s basketball players, pleaded guilty on Tuesday, a move that could…
- Pirlo ruled out from coaching Italy over deal with Russian betting brand — Andrea Pirlo has withdrawn his candidacy to become the next head coach of Italy’s national football team, following controversy over his commercial ties with Russian betting brand…
- Event Contract Market Big Enough for Everyone, Says Laila Mintas as 365Prediction Eyes Launch — Dr.
- VGW Announces LuckyLand Slots Will Shut Down, Chumba & Luckyland Casino Continue — Sweepstakes casino operator VGW has announced that it will shut down its LuckyLand Slots brand, with the platform ceasing operations completely in September.
- Bally’s Intralot secures financing amid Evoke plc takeover bid — Bally’s Intralot has secured a £261.7m debt facility from institutional lenders to support its acquisition activity, the company announced.
- BOYLE Sports: Mayo’s All Ireland Final victory ‘one of most iconic moments in memory’ — BoyleSports has hailed Mayo’s All Ireland Final victory over Kerry as ‘one of the most iconic moments in memory’, as the county ended a 75-year wait for the Sam Maguire Cup.
- Eduardo Lobato, Sportradar: “The most important lesson was that global betting demand is neither monolithic nor linear” — Eduardo Lobato, Enterprise Client Partner Lead at Sportradar, shared key insights from the 2026 World Cup in an exclusive interview with Focus Gaming News, emphasising that global…
- BetMGM expects revenue at the lower end of expectations as retail revenue drops 97% — BetMGM has warned that its net revenue and adjusted EBITDA for the current financial period will land at the lower end of its previously issued guidance ranges, despite a…
- Kalshi threatens Netflix over prediction markets documentary trailer — Kalshi, a US-based prediction market operator, has sent a cease-and-desist letter to Netflix demanding the removal of the trailer for the documentary Instadocs: The Prediction…
- Kenneth Dart investments could have big implications for Evolution and Flutter — Kenneth Dart, the Cayman Islands-based billionaire investor, has increased his stake in Evolution AB to 30.02% through his investment vehicle Candle Lake, triggering a mandatory…
- Bally’s Intralot backs acquisition ambitions with £261m loan — Bally’s Intralot has secured a £261.7m senior debt note facility to support its acquisition ambitions, the company disclosed to the Euronext Athens exchange.
- Public Health Wales pledges £1.4m in funding to ‘de-normalise’ gambling harms — Public Health Wales has committed £1.4 million in funding to initiatives aimed at de-normalising gambling harms across the country.
- SOFTSWISS marks 17th anniversary with F4 Racing for team and partners — SOFTSWISS, a prominent iGaming software provider, marked its 17th anniversary by hosting two Formula 4 Racing Experience events at Poland’s Tor Poznań circuit.
- Where do World Cup bettors go after the final whistle? — As the 2026 World Cup approaches, sportsbooks face the perennial challenge of retaining the surge of first-time bettors that major tournaments attract.
- The rise of portfolio thinking in igaming: ICONIC21 — ICONIC21 Chief Commercial Officer Alina Mihaela Popa has outlined the growing importance of portfolio thinking in iGaming, arguing that operators should move beyond individual…
- GR8_TECH: Inside the World Cup’s biggest betting patterns — GR8_TECH has released an analysis of betting patterns observed during the World Cup, revealing that the tournament generated over 25 million bets on its platform with an average…
- Lottomatica shows “consistency in growth” to retain status in Italian betting — Lottomatica has reported 5% year-over-year revenue growth in its H1 financials, underscoring what the company describes as “consistency in growth” as it navigates the first full…
- The DATA.BET blueprint: a practical guide to fast sportsbook launches — DATA.BET, a B2B sportsbook provider, is advocating for a new approach to fast sportsbook launches that does not sacrifice quality or reliability.
- Roundtable: how to standout within the UK racing market — The UK racing market presents a formidable challenge for new entrants, with intense competition, shifting regulations, and a growing black market creating a complex landscape.