Author: Maisie Morrison

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Maisie is the News Editor at AlienWP, where she covers the latest developments in the global iGaming industry, including gambling regulation, online casinos, sports betting, licensing, compliance, and emerging industry trends. She has written extensively across the finance, cryptocurrency, and technology sectors for publications including MoneyCheck.com, Blockonomi.com, and Computing.net, bringing a clear, research-driven approach to breaking news and in-depth industry coverage.

TLDR Dave Yeager developed a gambling addiction after finding a slot machine room on a US military base in South Korea in 2001 The Army Recreation Machine Program runs nearly 1,900 slot machines across 79 overseas locations, earning over $100 million a year at its peak Service members are twice as likely as civilians to develop gambling problems, and roughly 40% of veterans in treatment have attempted suicide The FY 2026 Defense Appropriations Act includes the first ever federal funding to study gambling addiction in the military Funding decisions from the Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program are expected in early…

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TLDR A review of 50 online casinos serving Finnish players found many wagering requirements were higher than advertised 22 casinos calculated wagering requirements against both the deposit and the bonus, not just the bonus Nearly half of the casinos did not list a maximum bet limit in bonus terms Almost three quarters of casinos restricted which games count toward wagering requirements Finland will ban new-customer bonuses starting July 2027 under its new licensing system A study of 50 online casinos has found hidden costs built into welcome bonuses offered to Finnish players. Casino comparison site Kasinohai carried out the research…

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TLDR UK problem gambling fell to 2.4% in 2025, down from 2.7% in 2024 Men aged 55 and over were the only group with a measurable rise in non-lottery gambling Gambling participation among 18 to 24 year olds kept falling Help-seeking rose among 35 to 54 year olds but fell sharply among older adults affected by someone else’s gambling Researchers question the survey’s methods, pointing to gaps between its estimates and operator data The UK Gambling Commission released its third annual gambling survey on July 16. It found that problem gambling rates fell in 2025, the first drop since the…

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TLDR DraftKings, Crown PA Gaming, and Golden Nugget Online Gaming filed a lawsuit against Philadelphia The suit challenges the city’s Consumer Protection Ordinance (PCPO) passed in 2024 Philadelphia issued a subpoena in April 2026 demanding company records DraftKings says the ordinance conflicts with state gambling and consumer laws The company wants a court to block the city from enforcing the ordinance DraftKings has taken legal action against the City of Philadelphia. The sportsbook company wants a federal court to stop the city from investigating its gambling operations. Two other gambling companies joined the lawsuit. Crown PA Gaming LLC and Golden…

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TLDR Kalshi’s trading volume hit $31 billion in June, a jump of over 70% from May, driven largely by World Cup betting. Trump’s teleprompter operator, Gabriel Perez, made over $100,000 betting on speech-related markets and is now negotiating a settlement with the CFTC. A New York judge let FanDuel founder Nigel Eccles’ lawsuit against Flutter Entertainment move forward. Bryce Harper denies knowing his Cameo video would be used in a FanDuel marketing campaign now tied to a gambling addiction lawsuit. Illinois sports betting handle dropped 10.2% in May compared to last year, marking the fourth monthly decline in 2026. Prediction…

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TLDR Greece’s total gambling revenue rose 6% in 2025, according to the Hellenic Gaming Commission (EEEP). Online gambling made up 38.8% of total gross gaming revenue, backed by 24 licensed operators. Public revenue from gambling taxes and fees hit €1.17 billion, up 11.2% from 2024. Online operators contributed €736.94 million to public revenue, the largest share at 63.1%. Blocked illegal gambling domains grew from 9,590 to 12,642 as enforcement increased through the year. The Hellenic Gaming Commission, known as EEEP, released its annual report on Tuesday. It confirmed that gambling revenue in Greece grew during 2025. Total gross gaming revenue…

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TLDR Stake says it has paid more than $14 billion to VIP players since 2019. Manual bonuses from VIP managers made up the largest share, at $6.39 billion. Coupons added $4.06 billion, while reload bonuses reached $2.04 billion. Rakeback, webhook credits, and race prizes made up smaller portions of the total. The numbers come from Stake itself and have not been independently verified. Stake, one of the largest crypto casino platforms in the world, says it has paid out more than $14 billion to its VIP players since 2019. The figures were shared publicly by company co-founder Ed Craven. He…

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TLDR Rep. Josh Gottheimer introduced the Facial Recognition to Protect Children Act on July 16, 2026. The bill requires online sportsbooks and prediction markets to scan a user’s face to estimate age. Prediction market company Kalshi and the group ParentsRISE support the bill. Kalshi already uses Face ID checks, two-factor authentication, and extra rules for users age 18 to 21. Prediction markets currently allow users as young as 18, while most sportsbooks require users to be 21. A new bipartisan bill in Congress would require online sportsbooks and prediction markets to use facial recognition to check a user’s age. Rep.…

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TLDR Svenska Spel posted its strongest second quarter since Sweden’s regulated gambling market opened in 2019. Net gaming revenue rose 7% to about €175 million, and operating profit climbed 13% to €55 million. The World Cup pushed June sports betting revenue up 135% compared to last year. Digital channels made up 67% of total revenue, with mobile devices accounting for 58%. Sweden’s unlicensed gambling market is estimated at €321 million to €652 million a year. Svenska Spel has reported its best second quarter since Sweden opened its regulated gambling market in 2019. The company credited the World Cup for lifting…

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TLDR A New York judge allowed most claims in Nigel Eccles’ FanDuel lawsuit to move forward. The case centers on FanDuel’s 2018 merger with Paddy Power Betfair, which formed PandaCo. Plaintiffs say FanDuel’s 40% stake was undervalued at 559 million dollars. The judge dismissed two claims but let fraud and fiduciary duty claims proceed. Flutter later paid about 4.2 billion dollars for the rest of PandaCo in 2020. A New York judge has let most of a lawsuit against FanDuel move forward. The case was brought by co-founder Nigel Eccles and more than 100 former employees and investors. Judge Andrea…

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