Today’s roundup spans regulatory shifts from the UK to Japan, enforcement actions in Rwanda, and major deals reshaping the industry. Operators face new tax pressures and compliance demands, while prediction markets draw legal scrutiny.
Regulation & Policy
- Industry survey warns proposed UK gaming machine tax rise could risk jobs — Gaming hall operators in the UK are warning that a proposed increase in Machine Games Duty (MGD) could threaten jobs and investment, according to a new industry survey.
- Illinois expands addiction treatment framework to include gambling disorders — Illinois Governor JB Pritzker has signed Senate Bill 2749 into law, officially recognizing gambling disorder as part of the state’s Substance Use Disorder Act.
- Japanese Government Mulls Issuing Geoblocking Orders for Online Casinos — The Japanese government is considering issuing geoblocking orders against online casino platforms, according to a report from the Yomiuri Shimbun.
- Putin Signs Off on New Russian Gambling Regulations — Russian President Vladimir Putin has signed off on new gambling regulations that will require gambling-related companies to block anyone listed on a central self-exclusion…
- Sunderland and Nottingham Forest yet to fill gambling void ahead of 26/27 Premier League — Sunderland AFC and Nottingham Forest FC are still without a front-of-shirt sponsor just three weeks before the start of the 2026/27 Premier League season, as a ban on gambling…
- Lack of white-label partnerships scrutiny is a money laundering risk, reports GC — The UK Gambling Commission has published a risk assessment report that flags remote casinos as high risk for money laundering and terrorist financing, with society lotteries rated…
Enforcement & Licence Actions
- Rwanda regulator suspends operator for offering casino-style games outside of licence — Rwanda’s gambling regulator has suspended an operator for offering casino-style games that fall outside the scope of its licence, according to iGaming Business.
Deals & Acquisitions
- Churchill Downs explores sale of nine regional gaming properties — Churchill Downs Incorporated, the company behind the Kentucky Derby and a major US gaming operator, has announced it is exploring the sale of nine of its regional gaming…
- IG Group makes billion dollar punt on Underdog in move into prediction markets — IG Group, a major player in online trading, has agreed to acquire Underdog Sports in a deal valued at around $1 billion, marking its entry into the prediction market space.
- IG Group agrees $1.1bn Underdog acquisition to enter US prediction markets — IG Group, the London-listed trading firm, has agreed to buy US sports company Underdog for $1.1bn, a deal that will push the broker into American prediction markets and sports…
Partnerships
- DSTGAMING named Main Entrance Sponsor for SPiCE Southeast Asia 2026 — DSTGAMING, a supplier of gaming technology and content, has signed on as the Main Entrance Sponsor for SPiCE Southeast Asia 2026, a regional industry event scheduled for August…
- GGBET pledges to ‘bring sport closer’ to Ukrainian fans via FC Polissya deal — Ukrainian betting operator GGBET has announced a new partnership with FC Polissya Zhytomyr, a club in the Ukrainian Premier League, as part of its effort to strengthen its…
Product Launches
- PopOK Gaming introduces its latest slot, Wild Matador — PopOK Gaming has released a new online slot called Wild Matador, a high-volatility 5×3 game set in a bullfighting arena.
- ITV launches comparison app for horse racing punters — ITV has launched a new betting comparison app called ITV OddsFinder, aimed at horse racing punters who want to compare live odds from multiple bookmakers in one place.
Across the Industry
- UK National Lottery tender appeal dismissed — The Court of Appeal has dismissed the final appeal in the long-running legal battle over the tender for the fourth UK National Lottery licence, bringing the saga to a close.
- Codere Online upgrades full-year outlook after strong quarterly results — Codere Online has raised its full-year financial guidance after a strong second quarter, which the Spanish gambling operator credited largely to an “outstanding” World Cup betting…
- World Series Odds on Kalshi: Dodgers Favored to Repeat as Champions, but Brewers Offer Value — Kalshi, the prediction market platform, is now offering odds on the 2026 World Series, with the Los Angeles Dodgers listed as the favorites to repeat as champions.
- CFTC Addresses Market Maker Ownership, Underdog Acquired, WNBA Slips Up in This Week’s Bingos & Busts — The U.S.
- Infantino’s FIFA HQ sets the scene for latest Paddy Power social media jibe — Paddy Power, the UK-and-Ireland-focused operator owned by Flutter Entertainment, has aimed its latest social media jibe at FIFA and its president, Gianni Infantino.
- Sponsor Spotlight: Betting sponsors eye EFL Championship — Betting operators are increasingly turning to sports sponsorships to reach millions of fans, with the English Football League (EFL) Championship emerging as a key target.
- Thai Gov’t Unveils Details of $591M Sports Betting Crackdown, Arrests 85-Year-Old Gambler — Thailand’s government has revealed details of a major crackdown on illegal sports betting, reporting that authorities shut down 4,576 World Cup-themed soccer gambling websites.
- Prediction Markets Weekly Roundup: Courts Split, New York Sues Kalshi, IG Buys Underdog — Prediction markets had a turbulent week as courts issued conflicting rulings on federal preemption, New York launched a lawsuit against Kalshi, and IG Group agreed to acquire…
- Former MLS MVP Under Investigation for Spot Fixing After Yellow Card Incites Brawl in Brazil — Former Major League Soccer Most Valuable Player Luciano Acosta is under investigation for potential spot-fixing after betting irregularities were flagged on a yellow card he…
- Arizona Department of Gaming Identifies Opportunities to Address Gambling-Related Harm — The Arizona Department of Gaming has released a new problem gambling report that shows a rise in the number of Arizonans gambling on a weekly basis.
- China analogy echoes 20 years of anti-monopoly rhetoric in Norway — Norway’s state gambling monopoly, Norsk Tipping, is under renewed scrutiny as a political comment suggests a long-standing grudge against the system, echoing anti-monopoly…
- FanDuel and DraftKings seek dismissal of gambling addiction lawsuit — FanDuel and DraftKings are asking a Philadelphia court to throw out a lawsuit that accuses them of exploiting a customer’s gambling addiction through VIP incentives and…
- iGaming Ontario reports 30% rise in June handle — Ontario’s legal online gambling market took in CA$9.46bn in wagers during June, a 30.3 per cent jump compared with the same month last year, according to iGaming Ontario.
- Betfred Follows Entain in Making Huge Job Cuts as UK Tax Increases Hit — Betfred has confirmed it will cut 600 jobs and close 132 shops across the UK, blaming increased gambling taxes and other rising costs.
- NCAA investigates University of Tennessee student worker over Kalshi sports contract — The NCAA has opened an investigation into a student worker at the University of Tennessee after the individual placed a sports-related contract on the prediction market platform…
- Kalshi’s Market on Brad Pitt’s Attendance at World Cup Final Causes Controversy — Kalshi, the prediction market platform, has finally settled its market on whether actor Brad Pitt attended the World Cup final, but the resolution has sparked controversy among…
- Prediction Markets Provide Coinbase Warmth as Crypto Winter Continues to Bite — Coinbase, the major US cryptocurrency exchange, reported a sharp rise in revenue from its prediction markets in the second quarter, even as the broader crypto market continues to…
- New York seeks $36bn in damages from Kalshi and block on prediction market — New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, seeking at least $36 billion in damages and a temporary restraining order to…
- New York Sues Kalshi in State Court, Seeks to Shut Down Alleged Illegal Gambling Operation — New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed a lawsuit against prediction market platform Kalshi, accusing it of running an illegal, unlicensed gambling operation within the…
- Betfred to close a tenth of 1,200-strong retail portfolio — Betfred, one of the UK’s biggest high-street betting operators, is planning to shut down roughly one in ten of its shops, a move that will see around 120 of its 1,200-strong…
- Protected: FA CHAI Gaming: “Players today expect more than a spin and a payout — they want a sense of progression” — FA CHAI Gaming, a developer of slot-style games, has published an interview in which its leadership argues that modern players are looking for more than just the basic mechanics…
- Weekend Conversation Corner – July, 31 — This week’s edition of the Focus Gaming News Weekend Conversation Corner rounds up the most significant headlines from the past seven days, offering a digest of the stories that…
- New York Sues Kalshi for $36B, CFTC Defends Company With Restraining Order — New York’s Governor and Attorney General have filed a lawsuit against Kalshi, the prediction market platform, seeking $36 billion in damages.
- CIRSA marks another quarter of growth as impact of early World Cup stages revealed — Spanish gambling conglomerate CIRSA has posted its 72nd consecutive quarter of growth, with the early stages of the 2026 World Cup giving the firm a significant boost.
- Taking the good with the bad: the lay of the land in the British and Dutch betting markets — Gambling operators in Britain and the Netherlands are navigating a period of significant regulatory change, as policymakers across Europe reshape the rules that govern betting and…
- How compliance is reshaping M&A in the prize draws sector — The UK prize draws sector is seeing a shift in how mergers and acquisitions are conducted, driven by stricter compliance expectations and a new Voluntary Code.