Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Citigroup forecasts Macau’s September gross gaming revenue (GGR) to rise 12% year-on-year to MOP20.5 billion ($2.55 billion) The first six days of September brought in roughly MOP3.8 billion, about 10% below August’s daily average VIP gaming volume fell 8% to 10% from August, while mass-market GGR dropped 10% to 12% A busy concert and sports calendar is expected to lift activity through the rest of the month August GGR fell 1.2% year-on-year but climbed 8.1% compared to July Macau’s casino industry is set for growth in September, even though the month started slowly. Citigroup projects that gross gaming revenue,…

TLDR Zitro received a Gaming Related Vendor License from the UAE’s GCGRA. The license allows Zitro to supply products to licensed gaming operators in the UAE. Zitro makes slot machines, video bingo products, and online casino games. The company has not shared which products it will offer or when it will launch. The UAE entry is part of Zitro’s larger plan to grow internationally. Zitro has received a Gaming Related Vendor License from the General Commercial Gaming Regulatory Authority, known as the GCGRA, in the United Arab Emirates. The license lets the company supply its products to gaming operators that…

TLDR A Swansea University study found apparent privacy law breaches on 86% of 624 UK gambling sites checked. About two out of three sites collected user data before visitors gave consent. Some sites, including Hollywood Bets and Admiral Casino, offered no way to turn off tracking. Ladbrokes and William Hill were flagged for gathering data ahead of a consent choice. The UK’s privacy regulator has pushed for cookie compliance, but gambling sites lagged far behind other websites. Researchers at Swansea University looked at 624 licensed gambling and betting websites operating in the UK. They wanted to see whether the sites…

TLDR Dutch MPs from across the political spectrum called for faster, tougher action against illegal gambling sites during a Thursday committee debate. The government is developing legislation for DNS blocking of illegal gambling websites, with a public consultation planned for early 2027. Justice State Secretary KT van Bruggen said Meta and Google are open to talks about illegal gambling ads on social media. Some lawmakers want the legal gambling age raised from 18 to 21, but the government wants to wait until the black market is under control first. SGP member Diederik van Dijk called for a full reversal of…

TLDR DRC’s Ministry of Finance says it holds sole authority over gambling regulation and taxation. A communiqué dated August 27, 2026 told operators to register only through the ministry. Any tax note or authorization from another body has no legal effect, the ministry said. The 2023 Finance Law and a December 2025 ordinance moved gambling oversight to the ministry. DGRAD will enforce compliance, and the CSJA unit will handle accreditation and monitoring. The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Finance issued a warning to gambling operators this week. It said only its offices have the legal power to regulate and…

TLDR The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority is contacting trading platforms about lifting its 2019 ban on prediction markets. British consumers have been using VPNs to access US platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket despite the restriction. The FCA originally classified prediction markets as binary options, citing risks to retail investors. Even if the ban lifts, operators would still need separate gambling licenses to run markets on events like elections. US prediction market volume hit $51 billion last year and could reach $240 billion in 2026. The UK’s Financial Conduct Authority has started talking to trading platforms about whether to lift its…

TLDR FEMAFOOT opened an inquiry into suspicious betting activity tied to a June 10 Ligue 1 match. The match between Afrique Football Elite and AS Korofina ended 5-3. IBIA flagged unusual, coordinated betting patterns linked to the scoreline. The case has been referred to FEMAFOOT’s Independent Ethics Commission. IBIA recorded 11 suspicious betting alerts across Africa in the second quarter of 2026. The Malian Football Federation, known as FEMAFOOT, has opened an inquiry into a Ligue 1 match. The investigation follows reports of unusual betting activity. The match took place on June 10, 2026. It was played between Afrique Football…

TLDR Brazil’s National Consumer Secretariat (Senacon) has named members of a new working group for the fixed-odds betting market. The group was created under Ordinance No. 73, published August 12, 2026, and released in the Official Gazette on September 4, 2026. Members come from Senacon, PROCONS Brasil, the Consumer Prosecutor’s Office, the National Council of General Public Defenders, and the Public Prosecutor’s Office of the Federal District. The group will focus on preventing abusive practices, surveillance, and handling consumer complaints tied to betting. Specific measures and enforcement actions have not yet been defined. Brazil’s National Consumer Secretariat, known as Senacon,…

TLDR Chile’s CMF proposed rules requiring payment operators to serve only licensed gambling businesses The plan comes from a public consultation on activities allowed for payment card operators CMF President Catherine Tornel confirmed the rule would apply to deposits and payouts Unlicensed online casinos, even those based overseas, would be affected if illegal under Chilean law The move follows other government steps including Supreme Court rulings and new tax registration rules Chile’s Financial Market Commission, known as the CMF, has proposed new rules for payment operators working with online casinos. The regulator wants payment providers to only offer services to…

TLDR Bettors finished ahead of bookmakers across all 104 matches at the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to data from Blask. The tournament’s total index score came in at -56.91, favoring bettors overall. Matchday 3 of the group stage alone accounted for more than half the deficit, scoring -29.80. The knockout stage was close to even, with all 32 games combining for just -2.92. New Zealand’s 1-5 loss to Belgium was the single worst result for bookmakers all tournament. Bettors came out ahead of bookmakers during the FIFA World Cup 2026, according to new data from Blask, an analysis platform…