TLDR Macau reached 10 million visitors in 2026 by March 21, hitting the milestone 12 days faster than in 2025. Daily visitor averages are running at 126,000, a 14% increase over the same period last year. Mainland China accounts for about 75% of all visitors, with Hong Kong second at 15%. Border Gate handles over 44% of all crossings, followed by the Hong Kong-Zhuhai-Macau Bridge at nearly 20%. Last year Macau set an all-time record with 40.06 million arrivals, surpassing the pre-pandemic 2019 high. Macau crossed the 10 million visitor mark for 2026 on March 21, reaching the milestone 12…
Author: Maisie Morrison
TLDR Crypto casinos like Stake, BC.Game, Shuffle, and Rainbet are growing rapidly by offering faster deposits, instant withdrawals, and fewer restrictions than traditional platforms Regulated casinos face spin timers, stake caps, bonus bans, and intrusive checks that frustrate players, pushing them toward offshore crypto alternatives Lower tax burdens let crypto operators reinvest in better rewards, rakeback programs, and aggressive loyalty schemes that traditional casinos can’t match Transparent VIP systems at crypto casinos feel more like airline loyalty programs than traditional bonus structures loaded with complex terms and conditions Traditional operators are stuck on legacy tech stacks and face regulatory ceilings…
TLDR Gibraltar’s 2025 Gambling Bill passed its first parliamentary reading, moving closer to replacing the 2005 Gambling Act The UK plans to raise Remote Gaming Duty to 40% starting April, putting pressure on Gibraltar-licensed operators Gibraltar was removed from the FATF gray list two years ago, clearing the path for new regulations The new bill strengthens the Gibraltar Gambling Commission with risk-based enforcement and financial penalties Officials say Gibraltar aims to expand its gambling sector globally rather than relying solely on UK licenses Gibraltar’s parliament has passed the 2025 Gambling Bill through its first reading. The legislation now moves to…
TLDR Prediction markets like Polymarket are booming in the US but are blocked or banned across most of Europe as illegal gambling France, Germany, the Netherlands, and several other countries have geoblocked Polymarket or issued fines against the platform Despite bans, user traffic from Europe continues through mirror sites and redirect links Some European lawyers suggest prediction markets could find a path forward if classified as financial products instead of gambling Europe lacks a single federal regulator like the US CFTC, creating a patchwork of conflicting national rules Prediction markets exploded in popularity in the United States in 2024. Platforms…
TLDR A new Ipsos poll of 2,363 adults found 61% of Americans view prediction markets as gambling, while only 8% see them as investing Just 9% of respondents are confident prediction markets can prevent insider profiting 91% of Americans familiar with prediction markets consider event contracts “financially risky” Only 4% of Americans believe prediction markets are good for society Young men aged 18-24 are far more likely to use prediction and gambling platforms than the general public The majority of Americans believe prediction markets are a form of gambling rather than investing, according to a new poll from the American…
TLDR Florida’s 2026 legislative session ended without passing any new illegal gambling laws Senate Bill 1580, which targeted online gambling, died after the House and Senate couldn’t agree on changes House Bill 189, a 100-page gaming overhaul, stalled on the House floor Sweepstakes casinos remain in a legal gray area with no new regulations Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has issued subpoenas to sweepstakes casino operators but no public updates have been shared Florida’s 2026 legislative session came to a close on March 13 without a single new law addressing illegal gambling in the state. Several bills targeting unlicensed gaming…
TLDR California Assembly Bill 2617 would block gambling and prediction market ads from targeting minors Operators must verify user ages before granting access, with full requirements kicking in by January 2028 Violations carry penalties of $2,500 each, and minors can seek up to $1 million in civil damages The bill bans paid ads, influencer marketing, and algorithm-driven promotion of gambling to under-18s The Attorney General and city attorneys would gain enforcement powers to bring civil actions against violators California lawmakers have introduced Assembly Bill 2617 to stop online gambling and prediction market platforms from advertising to minors. The bill was…
TLDR Major League Baseball announced a deal with Polymarket as its Official Prediction Market, valued at $150-300 million over three years MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred and CFTC Chair Michael Selig signed a memorandum of understanding focused on protecting baseball’s integrity Polymarket gets exclusive access to MLB logos, digital asset placement, and official league data from Sportradar The NHL, MLS, and UFC already have prediction market partnerships, making MLB the largest US sports league to join The NFL and NBA remain without prediction market deals, though both leagues have signaled interest Major League Baseball has struck a deal with Polymarket, making…
TLDR Alberta’s gambling regulator AGLC has banned all political betting including elections and leadership contests ahead of the province’s new online gambling market launch The amendment to Alberta’s Standards and Requirements for Internet Gaming expressly prohibits wagers on political events Alberta’s regulated online gambling market is expected to go live this summer Unlike Ontario, which allows election betting, Alberta is charting its own course with stricter rules and a higher tax rate Prediction market platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket continue to offer election betting outside of traditional regulated markets Alberta will not allow election betting when its new regulated online…
TLDR A new experiment tracked 227 Australian gamblers over two weeks and found direct marketing from betting companies leads to heavier gambling and more harm Gamblers who opted out of free bet offers made 23% fewer bets and 39% fewer wagers than those who kept receiving promotions The opt-out group experienced 67% fewer short-term gambling-related harms, including emotional pain tied to gambling Researchers say this is the first real-world study to show direct gambling marketing can causally increase harm, not just correlate with it The findings are fueling calls for stricter advertising rules and could even support a full ban…