Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Polymarket is expanding trading fees to most market categories including politics, finance, culture, weather, and tech starting March 30 Crypto markets will carry the highest fees, peaking at 1.8% at 50% probability, while sports markets remain the lowest at 0.75% A new referral program offers 30% of fees from direct referrals and 10% from second-level referrals for 180 days Only users who have traded at least $10,000 in volume qualify for the referral program New market integrity rules target insider trading, illegal tips, and manipulation by individuals who can influence event outcomes Polymarket, the prediction market platform, is set…

TLDR A Victoria-based study of 525 women aged 18-40 found gambling marketing has made betting seem normal and socially acceptable for women Female celebrities, influencers, and women’s sports sponsorships were identified as key tools driving female gambling participation Participants said promotions framing bets as “fun” or charity-linked masked the real risks of gambling harm Women were skeptical of corporate social responsibility campaigns by gambling companies, calling them “reputation-building” tactics Researchers called for tighter regulations covering influencer partnerships, novelty markets, and CSR activities used as indirect promotions A new study from Australia has found that women feel modern gambling marketing has…

TLDR Sportradar has launched Playradar, a new iGaming brand combining sports data with casino products for global operators Former Playtech Live CEO Edo Haitin has been appointed to lead the iGaming division Playradar will feature a 24/7 Live Experience Centre, hybrid sports-casino content, and a full range of gaming titles New games will roll out through 2026, starting in the UK, North America, and Latin America The brand will operate only in regulated markets with a focus on responsible gaming Sportradar Group AG has launched a new iGaming brand called Playradar. The company says the brand will combine its sports…

TLDR Germany’s 2021 gambling treaty enforces a €1,000 monthly deposit cap, €1 max stake per spin, and a mandatory five-second delay between slot spins The country’s channelization rate has dropped to just 36%, meaning nearly two-thirds of online gambling revenue flows to unregulated offshore sites An estimated 50,000 illegal physical gambling machines now operate in unregulated backrooms and cafes across Germany Licensed operators cannot use the word “casino” and must brand themselves as “online arcades,” hurting their visibility against offshore competitors Germany’s approach contrasts sharply with the UK and Malta, which focus on affordability checks rather than hard mechanical limits…

TLDR Piia Schults, a 30-year veteran adviser at Estonia’s parliament, was fired after a drafting error in the Gambling Tax Act The mistake, passed in December, accidentally removed online casino taxation for 2026 Estonia now faces a €4 million revenue gap because of the error Schults plans to sue, calling her dismissal unjust and saying false claims led to her firing Riigikogu Chancellery Director Antero Habicht called the dismissal “unavoidable and necessary” A longtime parliamentary adviser in Estonia is preparing to take legal action after being fired over a mistake in the country’s Gambling Tax Act. Piia Schults served the…

TLDR New Jersey’s Senate committee advanced SB 2160 on March 23, which would ban micro bets on the next play or action in a sporting event Sponsors Senator Moriarty and Senator Diegnan say micro bets raise integrity and addiction risks due to their speed and structure Violations would be treated as a disorderly persons offense with fines between $500 and $1,000 per offense DraftKings reported live betting made up over half its handle during its Q1 2025 earnings call MLB has already introduced nationwide limits on pitch-level wagers, capping bet sizes at $200 A New Jersey Senate committee voted on…

TLDR Bet365 has left the American Gaming Association, following DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics out the door All four departures stem from disagreements over the AGA’s opposition to prediction markets Bet365 cited the AGA’s focus on the retail casino industry as the reason for leaving DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics have already launched their own prediction market platforms The AGA is doubling down on its support for tribal, land-based, and state-regulated gaming Bet365 has become the latest major sports betting operator to leave the American Gaming Association. The UK-based company confirmed its departure in a statement to Gambling Insider, pointing to a…

TLDR A Nevada judge issued a 14-day restraining order blocking prediction market Kalshi from operating in the state without a gaming license A federal appeals court rejected Kalshi’s emergency request and handed jurisdiction back to Nevada courts Arizona’s Attorney General criminally charged Kalshi with running an illegal gambling operation earlier this week The CFTC chairman argues federal authority overrides state gambling laws and vows to fight state-level actions Major League Baseball signed an agreement with the CFTC and partnered with rival prediction market Polymarket Prediction market Kalshi is facing legal trouble in multiple states after a Nevada judge issued a…

TLDR Maryland House passed HB 295 to ban sweepstakes casinos, voting 105-24 to send it to the Senate The bill makes operating online “interactive games” that simulate casino-style gaming a criminal offense Violators face fines between $10,000 and $100,000 and up to three years in prison A second bill, HB 1226, faced a tight March 23 crossover deadline to also reach the Senate Maryland could join Indiana and six other states that have passed sweepstakes casino bans in the past year The Maryland House of Delegates has passed a bill that would ban sweepstakes casinos in the state. House Bill…

TLDR Prediction markets are growing fast in the U.S., with platforms like Truth Predict, Kalshi, and Polymarket pushing billions in annual volume Trump Media announced Truth Predict, a blockchain-based platform on Cronos, expected to launch in Q2 2026 with Truth Social integration Regulators are clashing with platforms — Nevada and Arizona have moved against Kalshi, while Argentina and Singapore have banned Polymarket Traditional betting operators like DraftKings and Bet365 are experimenting with prediction-style features The CFTC is treating some event contracts as financial products rather than gambling, creating a regulatory gray area The line between betting and trading is getting…