Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR North Carolina’s SB 595 would require sportsbooks to report bettors with $2,000+ in annual winnings to the state Bettors cannot deduct losses from winnings under current NC state tax law A separate proposal would raise the sportsbook tax rate from 18% to 23% Some provisions were added late to the bill without full review The bill now heads to Governor Josh Stein for approval North Carolina lawmakers have passed a tax bill that puts sports bettors under closer watch. Senate Bill 595 includes a new rule that would require sportsbooks to hand over data on bettors who win $2,000…

TLDR Entain agreed to sell a 20% stake in Entain CEE to joint venture partner EMMA Capital for around €425 million The deal values Entain CEE at €2.1 billion and is expected to close in Q4 2026 Entain CEE includes STS in Poland and SuperSport in Croatia, which generated £522 million in net gaming revenue in 2025 After the deal, Entain’s stake drops from 67.5% to 47.5%, with EMMA gaining majority control Entain updated its 2026 guidance, now forecasting online net gaming revenue growth of 5–7% and an EBITDA margin of 21–22% Entain Sells 20% Stake in Central and Eastern…

TLDR 44% of Americans think betting on election outcomes should be illegal, vs. 30% who say it should be legal Sports prediction markets have the most public support at 53% War and terrorism contracts face the strongest opposition, with 64% against terrorism betting Nearly $700 million has already traded on 2028 presidential election markets on Kalshi and Polymarket Over 25 prediction market bills have been introduced in the U.S. this year at the federal level Most Americans are uncomfortable with political prediction markets, even as the industry sees them as a major growth opportunity, a new poll finds. A POLITICO/Public…

TLDR Egypt’s parliament is drafting amendments to the Cybercrime Law to explicitly criminalise online betting apps Penalties could reach life imprisonment in the most serious cases involving organised crime Apps like 1xBet and MelBet have already been blocked in Egypt A three-tier penalty structure targets platform operators, payment facilitators, and agents A final government draft has not yet been scheduled for parliamentary debate Egypt is moving closer to making online betting a criminal offence, with lawmakers drafting new legislation that could impose some of the toughest penalties in the region. The country has long banned gambling for its own citizens.…

TLDR Brazil is targeting influencers and marketing agencies who promote unlicensed betting platforms with shared tax liability. Fintechs and banks that process payments for illegal betting operators can now be held jointly responsible for unpaid taxes. Funds seized from illegal operators will go toward public safety programs. The Federal Revenue Service will collect income tax and other levies from promoters and payment processors of illegal betting platforms. The measures aim to cut off both the financial and promotional lifelines of unlicensed offshore betting companies. Brazil’s government has launched a new crackdown on illegal betting operators, targeting the people and businesses…

TLDR Licensed operators in Eswatini want the government to define how long self-exclusion periods should last A validation workshop was held to review draft regulations under the Gaming Control Act of 2021 The Gaming Board will manage a central self-exclusion register and notify operators of requests Excluded players who gamble anyway face a fine of up to E2,000 or up to two years in prison The draft also introduces a fee schedule to speed up licensing and renewals Eswatini Gambling Operators Push for Clearer Self-Exclusion Rules Licensed gambling operators in Eswatini are calling on the government to set clear rules…

TLDR Australia banned online casino gambling under its 2001 Interactive Gambling Act Offshore casinos continue to attract Australian players despite the ban Crypto payments are a key draw, as they are fast and hard to reverse Over 54,000 Australians enrolled in the BetStop self-exclusion system by end of 2025 Regulators struggle to keep up as blocked sites quickly reappear under new domains Australia has spent over 20 years trying to keep online casino gambling out of its regulated market. It hasn’t worked. Under the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act, companies cannot offer online casino products like pokies, roulette, blackjack, or poker…

TLDR Georgia’s Parliament is reviewing a bill to create new gambling licenses for international operators only Georgian citizens would be blocked from using platforms run under the new licenses Foreign operators would pay a 5% tax on gross gaming revenue, compared to 20% for domestic-facing operators Licenses would last five years, cost GEL 100,000 annually, and cover online casino, slots, and sports betting The bill also limits operators to one domain per license, down from two Georgia is preparing a major change to its gambling laws. The government wants to attract foreign betting and casino companies while keeping its own…

TLDR Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service launched Operation Conto da Sorte on June 23, targeting illegal betting The scheme involved 37 companies and an estimated BRL50 billion ($9.7 billion) in financial movement 14 search and seizure warrants were executed across Pernambuco, Ceará, and São Paulo Up to BRL145 million in assets were frozen by court order The fraud originated from irregular company accreditation by a municipality in Rio Grande do Norte Brazil Raids Illegal Betting Network Moving $9.7 Billion Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service launched Operation Conto da Sorte on June 23, targeting a large illegal betting network across multiple states. The…

TLDR Dutch trade group VNLOK is suing Meta and filing an EU complaint over illegal gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram Research found 70,000 gambling ads per quarter targeted Dutch users, with over 95% promoting unlicensed operators Meta removed fewer than 5% of those ads, according to VNLOK The illegal Dutch gambling market is estimated at over €1 billion in annual wagers Meta faces similar lawsuits in California and scrutiny from regulators in the UK, Australia, Brazil, and Malaysia Dutch gambling trade group VNLOK has filed a lawsuit against Meta and submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission. The…