TLDR Progress Party politician Himanshu Gulati called Norway’s gambling monopoly “irrational” at an industry event He argued Norwegians are already gambling on offshore sites, undermining the monopoly’s funding purpose Gulati said foreign operators bring responsible gambling tools Norway’s system currently lacks The Progress Party has rising poll numbers, putting reform higher on the political agenda Finland is opening its market in 2027, which would leave Norway as Europe’s only full gambling monopoly Norway’s Gambling Monopoly Faces Fresh Political Pressure Norway’s gambling monopoly is under growing political pressure, with a senior opposition figure making one of the strongest cases yet for…
Author: Maisie Morrison
TLDR A trader on Polymarket bet nearly $1 million on Spain to beat World Cup debutants Cape Verde The match ended 0-0, wiping out the position and leaving a potential return of just $85,000 unrealised Spain dominated with 27 shots and an expected goals figure of 2.29, but goalkeeper Vozinha kept them out On Kalshi, a separate trader placed $2.3 million on Cape Verde not beating Spain — a draw was enough to profit The contrasting outcomes turned both bets into viral stories across social media The Bet That Went Wrong Minutes before Spain kicked off against Cape Verde in…
TLDR Peru’s regulated online gambling market launched fully in February 2024 under Law No. 31557 Demand for online gambling has grown 120% since the framework went live Offshore operators now hold less than 1% of market visibility Apuesta Total controls more than half the market; Betano has grown over 100% year-on-year Peru taxes net gaming revenue at 12%, lower in effect than Brazil’s 12% on gross revenue Peru’s online gambling market has grown sharply in the two years since its regulatory framework went fully live, with demand up 120% and offshore operators nearly wiped out. Before 2022, Peru had no…
TLDR Austria is reforming its online gambling market, replacing the current monopoly held by Austrian Lotteries, whose licence expires in 2027. Coalition negotiators are divided over whether unlicensed “grey market” operators should face a cooling-off period before entering the new regulated market. Casinos Austria and Admiral (Novomatic) support the cooling-off period; industry groups warn it could push players to fully unlicensed offshore sites. A controversial proposal would cut the maximum online casino stake from €10 to €2 per game, with winnings capped at €2,000. The government aims to pass the legislation before parliament’s summer break in July 2026. Austria is…
TLDR Sweden’s gambling channelization rate dropped to 84% in 2025, down from 85% in 2024 and 86% in 2023 Players excluded via the Spelpaus.se self-exclusion register are turning to unlicensed sites Over 2,100 unlicensed gambling websites were identified by April 2026 Industry body ATG suggests the real rate could be as low as 73% Sweden’s gambling regulator is undergoing a leadership change, with a new Director General starting August 2026 Sweden’s gambling regulator Spelinspektionen has reported that 84% of online gambling in the country took place on licensed platforms in 2025. That is down from 85% in 2024 and 86%…
TLDR Florida AG James Uthmeier issued cease-and-desist letters to Visa, Mastercard, and American Express for processing payments for illegal gambling sites Visa has until June 24 to show proof it has blocked transactions for offshore gambling operators AG warns payment processors could face charges under Florida’s RICO Act if they don’t comply Florida has made 81 arrests and seized over 3,100 illegal machines since the start of 2026 Hard Rock Bet is the only legal sportsbook approved in Florida under the Seminole Tribe’s exclusive compact Florida Attorney General James Uthmeier has sent cease-and-desist letters to Visa, Mastercard, and American Express,…
TLDR Laila Mintas, former PlayUp US CEO, filed for CFTC approval to launch 365Prediction, a regulated prediction market exchange The exchange would operate as a designated contract market, clearing trades through Next Gen Clearing, LLC Mintas argues prediction markets are exchange-traded products, not gambling, and should stay under federal oversight 365Prediction has partnered with FiscalNote for expansion into political prediction markets The company licensed Eventus surveillance technology to monitor trading and detect market abuse Laila Mintas, former CEO of PlayUp US, has filed an application with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission to launch a federally regulated prediction market exchange called…
TLDR Lionel Messi posted a paid Instagram ad for Kalshi tied to its Argentina Football Association sponsorship The post got over 1.4 million likes and reached Messi’s 500M+ followers Kalshi reported a record $5.1 billion in trading volume in the World Cup’s opening week Minnesota has banned prediction markets outright; several other states are pushing back The CFTC is blocking state enforcement against Kalshi in Arizona, Minnesota, New York, Illinois, and Connecticut Lionel Messi promoted prediction market platform Kalshi in a paid Instagram post, giving the company one of its biggest marketing moments yet during the 2026 FIFA World Cup.…
TLDR Winning Asia Technology Macau Ltd is partnering with Hong Kong-based Aimo Robotics to bring AI-powered robots to casino resort operations. The robots handle security, surveillance, facial recognition, and data analysis — and can also do marketing and answer visitor questions. Winning Asia launched a new 8-player fishing game, AGT FishKing 8, at G2E Asia 2026 to attract younger and tourist audiences. The company is looking to expand beyond its traditional 40-50 age bracket by developing more innovative game features. Winning Asia continues to distribute games from partners including LT Game, Euro Games Technology, and Jackpot Digital. Winning Asia Technology…
TLDR The Dominican Republic has launched an anti-crisis economic package targeting 40–50 billion pesos in new revenue Large companies earning over 1 billion pesos annually will face a 3-point corporate tax surcharge, raising the rate to 30% Casinos and gambling activities face higher taxes, though exact rates haven’t been announced A new law would turn the National Lottery into an independent state body overseeing all gambling in the country The package also includes new taxes on e-cigarettes, e-transfers, and airline tickets Dominican Republic’s Anti-Crisis Package Targets Big Business and Gambling The Dominican Republic has rolled out a major economic reform…