Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR The NFL sent formal letters to Kalshi and Polymarket asking them to change certain betting offerings The league flagged four categories of risky bets including single-player events, insider-known outcomes, referee decisions, and injury wagers Kalshi reported nearly $900 million in football trading volume during the recent Super Bowl The celebrity attendance market alone generated nearly $37 million in trading volume The NFL remains cautious about prediction markets while other leagues like the NHL actively partner with them The NFL has taken direct aim at prediction market platforms over concerns about manipulation and insider trading. On Sunday, the league sent…

TLDR Problem gambling rates in Sweden fell from over 2% to just above 1% over 25 years, meaning roughly 57,000 fewer problem gamblers At-risk gamblers also declined by an estimated 200,000 people despite massive online betting industry growth Sweden captures about 85% of its gambling market within the regulated system Around 136,000 users signed up for Sweden’s national self-exclusion program, but about half still gamble through unlicensed operators Sweden recently overhauled its digital gambling laws with a new strict licensing framework Sweden has seen a steady decline in problem gambling rates over the past 25 years, according to a recent…

TLDR BetMGM will stop accepting credit card deposits for sports betting and online casino play starting March 31 across all licensed markets. The move puts BetMGM in line with DraftKings and FanDuel, which already banned credit card funding. Several US states including Massachusetts, Iowa, and Illinois already prohibit credit card deposits for gambling by law. New York, New Jersey, Maryland, Virginia, and Maine are advancing bills to restrict credit card use in online betting. BetMGM was recently fined $100,000 in Pennsylvania over weak identity verification that allowed fraud rings to operate on the platform. BetMGM confirmed it will no longer…

TLDR William Hill will close 200 betting shops from May 24, cutting roughly 14.3% of its outlets Up to 1,500 staff could lose their jobs as a result of the closures Parent company Evoke blamed rising tax burdens from the UK Autumn Budget Evoke is carrying up to £1.8 billion in debt and is exploring a possible sale Recent glitches on 888Casino and William Hill online sites led to accidental jackpot payouts worth millions William Hill is set to close 200 betting shops across the UK starting May 24. The move could result in as many as 1,500 job losses,…

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…

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…