Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Visualize Group has completed its purchase of eCOGRA, a UK-based testing and compliance provider for the regulated iGaming sector. The deal brings eCOGRA under the same owner as BMM Testlabs, which Visualize bought in March. The combined platform now holds licenses or accreditations in more than 800 jurisdictions. The deal was announced June 30 and closed after regulatory approvals. Financial terms were not disclosed. Leaders from BMM and eCOGRA will attend G2E in Las Vegas this week. The Visualize Group has completed its acquisition of eCOGRA, a United Kingdom-based company that tests and certifies products for the regulated iGaming…

TLDR Macau casino gross gaming revenue fell 1.2% year over year in August to about MOP21.89 billion (US$2.71 billion). The result missed the consensus forecast, which expected a 1% gain. CreditSights said Chinese capital-control rules may have hurt VIP gambler sentiment. Visitor arrivals hit a record for August, but GGR per visitor fell 7% to MOP4,888. Year-to-date GGR is up 4%, with 72% of the MOP236 billion 2026 target already reached. Macau’s casino revenue slipped in August, and a research firm says new Chinese rules on moving money abroad may be part of the reason. CreditSights Inc. said the rules…

TLDR Prediction market Kalshi is reportedly in advanced talks to raise about $1 billion at a $40 billion valuation. Sequoia Capital and Wellington Management are in talks to lead the funding round. Tiger Global Management and Dragoneer Investment Group could also join the deal. Kalshi was valued at $22 billion after a $1 billion Series F round in May. The Financial Times first reported in June that the deal could close in the third quarter. Prediction market platform Kalshi is in advanced talks to raise about $1 billion in new funding. The round would value the company at $40 billion,…

TLDR Heather Maurer has resigned as executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling after less than a year. Her exit came days after program director Jaime Costello quit over the council’s deal with Kalshi. Kalshi pledged $2 million over two years to the council in a partnership announced in May. Ohio, Michigan, Nevada and Washington left the council, and Maryland did not renew its membership. The council has started searching for a new leader and says its programs will continue. Heather Maurer has stepped down as executive director of the National Council on Problem Gambling. She held the…

TLDR Dutch trade group VNLOK filed a lawsuit against Meta at the Amsterdam District Court on September 28. VNLOK says over 90% of gambling ads it reviewed on Facebook came from illegal sites. The group says Meta has broken its duties under the European Digital Services Act. Dutch lawmakers are voting on a motion that could let the Gaming Authority fine platforms that fail to remove illegal ads. VNLOK wants the court ruling to force platforms to stop illegal ads before they appear. Dutch trade association VNLOK has taken Meta to the Amsterdam District Court. The group accuses the tech…

TLDR Wisconsin is defending Act 247, a law that lets Native American tribes run online sports betting. The state says the Brown County Taxpayers’ Association lacks standing to challenge the law. Opponents claim the law violates a 1993 state constitutional amendment that limited gambling. The groups suing argue the law gives tribal members a race-based benefit. DraftKings and FanDuel opposed the law but are not part of the lawsuit. Wisconsin is defending its new law that lets Native American tribes offer online sports betting. The state is asking a court to reject a lawsuit that claims the law breaks the…

TLDR Kyrgyzstan collected KGS443 million (about US$5.07 million) in gambling taxes from January to August 2026. Physical casinos brought in KGS422.7 million, making up nearly all of the total. Slot machines and simulators ranked second with KGS13.9 million, or around US$158,000. Sports betting added KGS4 million, while online casinos contributed KGS2.8 million. A new industry group was recently formed to represent licensed gaming operators in the country. Kyrgyzstan collected KGS443 million in gambling taxes between January and August 2026, according to data from the country’s Ministry of Finance. That amount equals about US$5.07 million. The money came from several parts…

TLDR Brazil signed a measure on September 25, 2026, banning fixed-odds betting, including sports betting and online casino games. Industry groups IBJR and ABRAJOGO say the ban conflicts with the federal rules in place since January 2025. A study cited by IBJR estimates R$58 billion to R$73 billion in lost tax revenue from 2027 to 2030. IBJR puts the government’s possible liability for licenses alone at R$2.55 billion or more. ABRAJOGO says it will keep talking with officials and plans to take legal action in court. Two gambling industry groups in Brazil have criticized the government’s decision to ban fixed-odds…

TLDR Flutter Entertainment stopped sports betting and iGaming in Brazil after a Sept. 25 government ban on online betting. The company expects 2026 revenue to drop about $70 million and adjusted EBITDA to fall $20 million if the ban lasts through year end. Brazil’s Congress must approve or amend the ban within 120 days, and Flutter is reviewing options, including an appeal. Peter Jackson steps down as CEO on Sept. 30, and Dan Taylor takes over on Oct. 1. Flutter shares fell about 4% on Monday, adding to a 2026 decline of more than 50%. Flutter Entertainment has stopped its…

TLDR DigiPlus says Brazil’s ban on online fixed-odds betting will not have a material effect on its finances. President Lula signed a provisional measure on September 25 banning fixed-odds betting and its advertising. New deposits stopped September 25, and players have until October 5 to withdraw their balances. Betting sites and apps must stop operating on October 6, and banks will return leftover funds from October 9 to 14. Brazil was DigiPlus’ first overseas market, where it soft-launched its GamePlus platform in September 2025. DigiPlus Interactive Corp. said Brazil’s new ban on online fixed-odds betting is not expected to have…