Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Regulators collected $34 million from casino operators in September over anti-money laundering (AML) and know-your-customer (KYC) failures. One casino let a man gamble on 80 separate days without checking where his money came from. Another casino was fined for letting a high-risk gambler keep playing, even after it received a tip about him. Panelists at the Global Gaming Expo said regulators now want proof that compliance programs actually work. A DraftKings AML officer said poor communication between compliance and other teams was a common problem. Casino operators paid $34 million in fines in September over anti-money laundering and know-your-customer…

TLDR Maybank cut DigiPlus’ core net income forecasts by 43% for 2026 and 48% for 2027. Revenue forecasts for 2026 to 2028 were lowered by between 18% and 32%. Monthly active users reached 5.75 million, beating Maybank’s forecast of 4.75 million. Average monthly spending per user was about PHP805, below the earlier estimate of PHP1,250. Maybank expects a gradual recovery in 2027, with casino investments as a possible upside. Maybank Securities has lowered its earnings forecasts for DigiPlus Interactive Corp., a Philippines-listed online gaming company. The brokerage said the company faces a difficult second half of 2026 as household spending…

TLDR Fitch Ratings says slow earnings recovery and heavy capital spending are keeping debt high at several Asia-Pacific gaming operators. Genting Bhd and Genting Malaysia were cut to BBB- in September, and their debt outlook depends largely on the New York casino project. SJM Holdings was downgraded to B+ in May, but Fitch expects its leverage to fall from about 9.0 times to 6.0 times by 2028. Universal Entertainment, owner of Okada Manila, was cut to CCC+ in July over weak demand and a falling share of VIP gaming. Fitch says exclusive and monopoly gaming licenses remain a key credit…

TLDR Brazil’s deadline for licensed betting operators to shut down passed at 11:59 p.m. Brasília time on Oct. 5. The government’s lawyers asked the Supreme Court on Oct. 2 to strike down Brazil’s 2018 and 2023 betting laws. Operators must now redirect all traffic to the government site brasilsembets.gov.br. Industry groups say 83 companies paid 2.55 billion reais ($488 million) for licenses that end Oct. 25 without refunds. Justice Luiz Fux has not yet ruled on requests from operators and football clubs to suspend the ban. Brazil’s licensed betting operators reached their final deadline to shut down at 11:59 p.m.…

TLDR Polymarket has gone to a Dutch court to overturn the Netherlands’ ban on its prediction market. The company argues its event contracts are financial products that belong under the AFM, not the gambling regulator. The KSA ruled Polymarket blocked Dutch users one day late and moved to collect a €420,000 ($471,000) penalty. The regulator rejected Polymarket’s objection on June 23, quoting the platform’s own help page describing it as betting. The Netherlands joins a list of countries, including France, Spain and Brazil, that treat Polymarket as unlicensed gambling. Polymarket has gone to court in the Netherlands to try to…

TLDR Alberta will act against unlicensed online gambling operators after its grace period ends on October 13. Minister Dale Nally did not reveal the exact enforcement tools so operators would not get advance notice. Options include cease-and-desist letters and targeting payment processors. Google, Apple, and social media platforms could also face pressure. Licensed sites are expected to grow from about 35 to around 60 by the deadline. Alberta is preparing to take action against online gambling sites that keep serving residents without a license. The move will begin after a transition deadline on October 13. The province opened its regulated…

TLDR Licensed betting companies used ad boards at two Brasileirão Serie A games to protest Brazil’s new ban on regulated betting. The protest targets Provisional Measure No. 1,394/2026, issued by President Lula on September 25. The boards showed messages like “Banning is not protecting” and “Banning does not end betting.” Industry groups ANJL and IBJR warn the ban could hurt clubs and sponsors and push bettors to illegal sites. The groups want stricter rules, such as tighter deposit limits and ad rules, instead of a full ban. Licensed betting companies in Brazil used two top-flight football matches this week to…

TLDR Grand Korea Leisure reported September casino revenue of KRW 37.3 billion, about US$27.7 million. Revenue rose 7.2% from a year earlier and 19.8% from August. Table game revenue grew 8.4% to KRW 34.0 billion. Gaming machine revenue fell 4.5% to KRW 3.27 billion. Casino sales for the first nine months of 2026 reached KRW 337.2 billion, up 5.8%. Grand Korea Leisure, the South Korean casino operator known as GKL, reported higher casino revenue for September. The company earned KRW 37.3 billion, or about US$27.7 million, during the month. That figure was 7.2% higher than in September 2025. It was…

TLDR Paradise Co reported September casino revenue of KRW86.7 billion, or US$64.5 million, up 38.2% year-on-year. September revenue fell 16.8% from August’s all-time monthly record of KRW104.3 billion. Third quarter casino revenue reached a record KRW268.2 billion, or US$200 million. Gaming machine revenue rose 12.6% year-on-year and 3.2% month-on-month in September. Nine-month casino revenue climbed 10.8% to KRW744.6 billion, or US$554 million. Paradise Co, a South Korean casino operator, reported casino revenue of KRW86.7 billion, or US$64.5 million, for September. The result closed out a record third quarter for the company. September revenue rose 38.2% compared with the same month…

TLDR Police Regional Office 4A arrested 14 people in 11 anti-illegal gambling operations across CALABARZON. The operations took place in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas. Police targeted basketball ending, bookies, cara y cruz, and mahjong. Some operations also turned up suspected shabu and marijuana. Complaints against the suspects are being prepared or have been filed, and drug charges will be pursued. Police Regional Office 4A arrested 14 people in 11 separate operations against illegal gambling across the CALABARZON region in the Philippines. The operations were carried out in Cavite, Laguna, and Batangas. Police said the operations targeted several forms of alleged…