Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Georgia’s Parliament is reviewing a bill to create a new licensing regime for international gambling operators The new licenses would only allow services to foreign citizens — Georgian residents would be blocked International 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 operators would be limited to one domain per permit The bill aims to attract foreign investment in tech sectors like software, cybersecurity, and digital marketing Georgia is trying to turn its gambling sector into an export industry — welcoming foreign…

TLDR Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service launched Operation Conto da Sorte, targeting an illegal betting scheme worth BRL50 billion ($9.7 billion) 37 companies were investigated across multiple states, with 14 search and seizure warrants executed Up to BRL145 million in assets were frozen by court order The scheme used shell companies and “front men” to hide financial control and launder money The fraud originated from irregular betting licenses issued by a small municipality in Rio Grande do Norte Brazil’s government has launched one of its biggest crackdowns on illegal betting, uncovering a scheme that moved an estimated BRL50 billion ($9.7 billion)…

TLDR Dutch trade group VNLOK is suing Meta and filing an EU complaint over illegal gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram Research found around 70,000 gambling ads per quarter targeted Dutch users, with over 95% from unlicensed operators Meta removed fewer than 5% of flagged ads, according to VNLOK The illegal Dutch gambling market is now estimated at over €1 billion annually, roughly equal to the legal market Meta faces similar legal challenges in California, Australia, the UK, Brazil, and Malaysia Dutch gambling trade association VNLOK has taken legal action against Meta, alleging the tech giant has failed to stop…

TLDR Egypt is amending its Cybercrime Law to explicitly criminalise online betting apps for the first time Life sentences are possible in cases involving organised crime or large-scale fraud Authorities previously tried to block around 80% of betting apps, targeting platforms like 1xBet and MelBet The law would target not just operators but also payment facilitators and local agents VPN usage and user-level penalties remain unresolved in the draft legislation Egypt is moving toward one of the strictest online gambling crackdowns in the Middle East. Lawmakers are drafting amendments to the country’s Cybercrime Law that would, for the first time,…

TLDR Kalshi blocked Indian users on June 17, 2026, reversing its October 2025 expansion into 140+ countries India’s Online Gaming Act 2025, which took effect May 1, treats prediction markets as illegal gambling Polymarket was blocked by Indian authorities around May 21, with Kalshi following weeks later Nine European countries signed a joint declaration on June 17 targeting unlicensed prediction market platforms Kalshi now lists 55 restricted jurisdictions, with European ISP blocking already in place in several countries Kalshi has quietly blocked users in India from trading on its platform, reversing a major international expansion it announced just eight months…

TLDR North Carolina lawmakers raised the online sports betting tax rate from 18% to 23% Bettors placed over $561 million in wagers in May 2026 alone — the ninth straight month above $500 million Since launch in March 2024, the state has collected over $299 million in tax revenue The Sports Betting Alliance warned the hike penalizes regulated operators who already contribute hundreds of millions in taxes North Carolina now sits above New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Ohio in tax rates, but well below New York’s 51% North Carolina has raised its online sports betting tax rate from 18% to 23%,…

TLDR Pzena Investment Management spent US$112.22 million buying Galaxy Entertainment shares in two separate transactions The first purchase on May 14 raised Pzena’s stake from 4.89% to 5.01%; the second on June 16 pushed it to 6.27% Galaxy Entertainment shares closed at a year-to-date low of HKD29.82 following the purchases Morgan Stanley cut its 2026 growth forecasts for Macau gaming revenue and EBITDA Macau casino stocks have underperformed the Hang Seng Index this year, with weak revenue outlook for June and July Pzena Buys US$112M in Galaxy Entertainment Shares as Macau Casino Stocks Slide US-based Pzena Investment Management LLC has…

TLDR Illegal offshore platforms are undercutting licensed operators in Peru by avoiding taxes and regulations Licensed operators pay a 12% sector tax on gross gaming profit plus a 1% tax on every bet placed A sports integrity bill passed by Congress was vetoed by the Executive branch and awaits action Regulators are urged to focus on redirecting consumers to legal platforms, not just enforcement Peru is considering a tourism law amendment to formally register casinos as tourism service providers Peru’s regulated betting market is growing, but two problems keep standing in the way: illegal operators and sports integrity risks. That’s…

TLDR India blocked Kalshi on June 17, 2026, after classifying event-based trading as illegal online gambling under new 2025 gaming laws. Kalshi updated its member agreement to ban users located in India following a formal warning from India’s Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology. India had been a high-value market — one domestic cricket match alone generated over $27 million in trading volume. Kalshi now lists 55 restricted jurisdictions, including Brazil, Spain, Indonesia, Argentina, and Portugal. The core dispute is whether prediction markets are financial instruments or gambling platforms — a debate regulators outside the US are largely settling against…

TLDR Malaysian police are ready to contact ASEANAPOL and Interpol if illegal gambling investigations cross borders 58 people have been arrested under Op Soga XI, a nationwide operation that started June 11 Authorities seized RM25,684 in cash and RM488,582 in betting proceeds 42 websites promoting illegal gambling were detected during the operation Police say syndicates are shifting to apps and digital platforms to avoid detection Malaysia’s Royal Police have launched a major crackdown on illegal gambling tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026, arresting dozens and seizing hundreds of thousands in cash and betting proceeds. Inspector General of Police Tan…