TLDR Italy’s communications regulator Agcom approved new guidelines for responsible gambling advertisements and opened a one-month public consultation The draft rules may ban professional footballers from appearing in responsible gambling campaigns New requirements could set strict standards for font size, legibility, and the ratio of branding to safety messaging in ads The consultation is part of a broader regulatory overhaul of Italy’s gambling market across digital and physical platforms Licensed operators must already fund responsible gambling initiatives annually under Legislative Decree No. 41 Italy’s communications regulator Agcom has approved a new set of proposed guidelines for responsible gambling advertisements. The…
Author: Maisie Morrison
TLDR Virgin Bet has launched in South Africa through Virginbet.co.za, its first market outside the UK The platform is operated by LiveScore Group out of its existing Nigerian operations South Africa is Africa’s largest regulated gambling market with $89 billion wagered in 2024/2025 The country’s National Treasury has proposed a 20% levy tax on online gambling Virgin Bet says it will focus on responsible gambling features and local sports betting Virgin Bet has officially launched in South Africa. It is the first time the brand has operated outside the United Kingdom. The platform, run by LiveScore Group, went live at…
TLDR Dutch gambling regulators found multiple sportsbooks offering illegal bet types like MVP awards Operators removed the banned markets immediately after being contacted by the KSA This follows previous incidents including bets on matches involving under-21 players JOI Gaming was also flagged for linking a land-based logo to its online gambling platform The KSA warned that licence holders are fully responsible for all content on their platforms The Dutch Gambling Authority has stepped in again after finding several online sportsbooks offering betting markets that break the country’s rules. The regulator, known as the KSA, confirmed that multiple operators had listed…
TLDR An Israeli Air Force major was indicted for using classified military briefings to place bets on Polymarket about the timing of strikes on Iran The officer and a civilian partner allegedly made over $160,000 from their first bet on the June 2025 strikes The pair continued betting on the end of the war and a Yemen strike, earning thousands more over several months A separate higher-ranking crew member admitted making tens of thousands from similar bets and claimed betting was widespread across the air force Countries across Europe and North America are now moving to restrict or ban prediction…
TLDR A survey of over 15,000 Americans found 81% believe buying contracts on sporting events through prediction markets is gambling Only 29% think the CFTC can effectively regulate sports event contracts, and 49% expressed little or no trust in prediction markets’ ability to stop insider trading 78% of respondents believe prediction market operators should pay the same state taxes and fees as licensed sportsbooks Several states have filed lawsuits against prediction market operators, with Nevada winning court cases against Kalshi and Coinbase Despite opposition, Kalshi reportedly executed over $800 million in trades during the first NCAA Tournament weekend, and DraftKings,…
TLDR A federal lawsuit filed March 27 claims Roblox, Epic Games, Microsoft, and Mojang deliberately designed games to addict children using psychological manipulation techniques. The plaintiff, an 18-year-old from Michigan, says he began playing at age 9 and was eventually gaming up to 16 hours a day with withdrawal symptoms. The complaint points to variable reward schedules, battle passes, and manipulative matchmaking as core addictive mechanics. The lawsuit follows a separate class action against Valve alleging loot boxes in Dota 2 and Counter-Strike 2 amount to illegal gambling. A Los Angeles jury recently found Meta and YouTube liable for designing…
TLDR BetMGM is banning credit card deposits starting March 31, joining DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics in dropping credit card funding across US platforms. Analysts from Citizens JMP and Macquarie Capital say the revenue impact will be “minimal,” noting DraftKings saw no material change after its own ban in 2025. Macquarie estimates credit cards fund only 10% to 20% of US gambling deposits, with most volume expected to shift to debit, ACH, and digital wallets. Several states including New York, New Jersey, Virginia, and Illinois have introduced bills to ban credit card use for online sports betting. Fanatics says it has…
TLDR Detroit plans to file an amicus brief in the Coinbase vs. Michigan prediction markets case, becoming the first U.S. city to enter such litigation The city is home to three commercial casinos that generated over $100 million in monthly revenue in early 2026 Coinbase filed suit after partnering with Kalshi, arguing Michigan gambling laws shouldn’t apply to federally regulated event contracts Michigan’s attorney general has also taken enforcement action against Kalshi, Polymarket, and Robinhood Baltimore recently sued six sweepstakes casino operators, showing a broader trend of cities getting involved in gaming enforcement Detroit is set to become the first…
TLDR Chile’s Comptroller General found 910 public officials gambled in casinos between January 2024 and June 2025, violating Chilean law The officials wagered over 11.49 billion pesos total despite a legal ban on gambling by those managing public funds Just 20 officials accounted for 5.39 billion pesos in bets, with one Air Force member wagering over 1.04 billion pesos alone Evidence has been sent to prosecutors to determine if criminal charges are warranted 371 government institutions have been told to begin disciplinary proceedings against the officials involved Chile is dealing with a major compliance scandal after a government audit revealed…
TLDR A federal judge denied the NCAA’s request to stop DraftKings from using terms like “March Madness” and “Final Four” Judge Tanya Walton Pratt ruled the NCAA did not prove irreparable harm from DraftKings’ use of the phrases DraftKings argues its use of tournament names falls under fair use and First Amendment protections The NCAA believes the branding could confuse fans into thinking there is an official partnership with the sportsbook The case remains active and the NCAA plans to pursue discovery and potentially a jury trial A federal judge has turned down the NCAA’s attempt to stop DraftKings from…