Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR 34.8% of Brazilians deposited money at betting platforms after the World Cup began, up from 11% in May Data came from a Klavi survey using Central Bank of Brazil Open Finance records covering 1.2 million people Average deposits rose from BRL 188 to BRL 272, peaking at BRL 524 after the Brazil vs Morocco match Brazil’s Ministry of Finance opened proceedings against bet365, Betnacional, and KTO over World Cup ad violations Companies could face fines up to BRL 2 billion under Brazil’s Betting Law A new survey has found that betting activity in Brazil jumped sharply after the 2026…

TLDR Castelli, a municipality in Buenos Aires Province, Argentina, became the first locality to block online betting sites on municipal networks. Ordinance 4023-E-082/25 was approved by Mayor Francisco Echarren and covers schools, public Wi-Fi, and government offices. The mayor said four out of ten young people have already placed bets using mobile phones, often starting at age 13. The municipality will work with local internet provider Cooperativa CUECCA to enforce the technical restrictions. The move follows a separate law in Misiones province that also restricts gambling ads and access for minors. Castelli, a municipality in Argentina’s Buenos Aires Province, has…

TLDR Kazakhstan banks rejected more than 400,000 transactions linked to illegal gambling between October 2025 and March 2026. The blocked transactions totaled $20.8 million and involved 110 blacklisted companies and payment providers. Authorities arrested 11 bank employees suspected of helping operators dodge the restrictions. Mobile carriers Tele2, Beeline, Kcell, and Activ are now coordinating with the government to block payments in real time. Kazakhstan is expanding land-based gambling zones in four tourism regions, though local residents will not be allowed inside. Kazakhstan has stepped up efforts to stop illegal online gambling by targeting the payment systems that support it. New…

TLDR South Korea extradited two suspects from the UAE tied to illegal gambling operations worth trillions of won. One suspect avoided capture for more than a decade while hiding in the Philippines, Malaysia, and Cambodia. The other suspect allegedly recruited middle and high school students into his gambling network. Investigators are also looking into tax evasion, drug offenses, and a 2018 death in Malaysia linked to one suspect. Officials plan to expand the investigation into accomplices and other overseas gambling rings. South Korea has extradited two suspects from the United Arab Emirates in connection with illegal gambling operations worth trillions…

TLDR Moody’s Ratings expects Asia gaming revenue to grow 5% to 6% over the next 12 to 18 months Macau is set to lead the region, with revenue growth of 6% in 2026 and 4-5% in 2027 Southeast Asia faces slower growth because operators rely more on air travel and are more exposed to fuel prices Genting Bhd and Genting Singapore show mixed earnings outlooks for 2026, while NagaCorp stays steady Combined Macau casino earnings are expected to grow 6-7% in 2026, reaching $8.6 billion to $8.7 billion Moody’s Ratings says gaming revenue across Asia will grow between 5% and…

TLDR Police in Can Tho, Ninh Binh, and Da Nang broke up three separate gambling and betting rings. Combined transactions across the three cases reached about VND2 trillion, or roughly $75 million. The Can Tho ring alone handled over $37.6 million in lottery and football betting. The Ninh Binh network used a shared betting account split into smaller accounts across several provinces. Betting activity spiked during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, with millions in wagers placed in just weeks. Police across three Vietnamese cities have shut down gambling networks tied to nearly $75 million in bets. The busts happened in…

TLDR Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry met with Mono Next, the parent company of MonoMax, to discuss stopping illegal gambling and piracy websites during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Between June 10 and June 24, 2026, the ministry blocked 12,671 URLs tied to online gambling and copyright violations. 4,496 of those URLs were blocked under court orders, while 8,175 were removed through cooperation with social media platforms. Mono Next, which holds World Cup and English Premier League broadcast rights in Thailand, agreed to share data with the ministry to speed up takedowns. The public can report illegal gambling sites…

TLDR Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Ministry set up a joint team with Meta to fight online gambling content. Cybersecurity expert Alfons Tanujaya says blocking gambling websites alone won’t solve the problem. Gambling-related comments on social media rose 128% over two weeks compared to the January to June 2026 period. The ministry may extend the same anti-spam approach to platforms beyond Meta. Tanujaya says authorities also need to target funding channels behind gambling networks. Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Ministry has formed a joint team with Meta. The goal is to fight online gambling content spreading through social media. The announcement came…

TLDR Brazil’s Ministry of Finance opened a case against Esportes da Sorte over a betting ad shown before an England vs Croatia World Cup match. The ad, aired on broadcaster SBT, urged viewers to bet on England to score and displayed a QR code linking to the betting platform. This is the fourth World Cup ad investigation from the Ministry, following cases against bet365, Betnacional, and KTO. Esportes da Sorte says it received the notice and has already made changes requested by regulators. The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting plans new rules requiring betting ads to clearly show the risk…

TLDR New Jersey Senate and Assembly committees approved companion bills placing a 9% surtax on prediction market operators. The Senate voted 9-4 and the Assembly voted 10-4, sending the bills to second reading. The new version drops an earlier plan for a 29.75% tax rate and a licensing system. The state expects the tax to bring in $10.3 million to $15.3 million in fiscal year 2027. New Jersey’s Attorney General is asking the Supreme Court for more time to challenge a ruling that favored Kalshi. New Jersey lawmakers took a step toward taxing prediction market platforms this week. On June…