TLDR Google Ads now allows gambling promotions in Alberta starting May 4, but only for operators licensed by the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission. Advertisers can initially run brand awareness campaigns only, with all ads geo-restricted to Alberta. Alberta’s regulated online gambling market is set to launch on July 13, making it the second Canadian province after Ontario to allow private operators. All sportsbooks and casinos must earn RG Check accreditation for responsible gambling before they can operate. Major operators like BetMGM, Caesars, DraftKings, and Rush Street Interactive have confirmed plans to enter the Alberta market this summer. Google…
Author: Maisie Morrison
TLDR Resorts World New York City opened the city’s first live dealer casino floor on April 28, featuring blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette The new gaming area includes over 240 table games alongside more than 2,500 existing slot machines The launch followed regulatory approval from the New York State Gaming Commission Resorts World hired around 1,250 new employees, including roughly 950 table game dealers, for the expansion Additional gaming spaces are expected to open in fall 2026 as part of a larger property build-out Resorts World New York City has officially opened the first live dealer casino floor in New…
TLDR EGB Group reaffirmed its commitment to building a safe and legal betting market in Brazil through education and public awareness. Chief Business Officer Hugo Baungartner spoke at the IAB Brazil Public Policy Forum for Digital Advertising in Brasília. The company argues that regulated advertising helps consumers tell legal operators apart from illegal ones. Restricting licensed operators’ ability to advertise may create a vacuum that illegal platforms exploit. The forum brought together industry leaders and policymakers to discuss the future of digital advertising in Brazil’s regulated betting space. Brazil’s regulated betting market is still taking shape, and one of the…
TLDR The Isle of Man’s Gambling Legislation (Amendment) Bill passed its final vote in Tynwald on Wednesday, completing a full overhaul of the island’s gambling laws. New fitness and propriety standards will require operators to pass competency and financial assessments on top of existing character-based checks. A civil penalty regime will allow regulators to levy fines against individuals for breaches involving consent, connivance, or negligence. Two public consultations are open until May 25, 2026, seeking industry feedback on how the new standards and penalties will be implemented. The law is expected to take effect this summer, pending Royal Assent before…
TLDR Brazil marks 80 years since President Dutra banned casinos on April 30, 1946, a decision reportedly influenced by his religious wife and political rivals of Getúlio Vargas The ban shut down roughly 70 casinos overnight, leaving 40,000 workers unemployed with no transition period for businesses or employees Brazil legalized sports betting in 2018 and online casino gambling in late 2023, collecting nearly BRL 10 billion ($2 billion) in taxes in 2025 A pending bill could legalize resort casinos, urban casinos, and bingo halls, potentially creating 700,000 jobs and generating BRL 70 billion for the economy Las Vegas alone welcomed…
TLDR Polymarket is in talks with the CFTC to bring its main exchange back to the US after being banned since 2022 The company’s current US beta only offers sports markets and has a long waitlist CFTC Chairman Michael Selig is effectively the sole decision-maker with four of five seats vacant A US Army soldier was recently charged with using classified intel to earn over $400,000 on Polymarket Rival Kalshi has reached a $22 billion valuation while operating under US regulation Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market platform, is pushing to bring its main exchange back to the United States.…
TLDR The Georgian Gambling Association says unlicensed gambling operators make over $742 million (GEL 2 billion) per year in the country Proposed fine increases would raise casino operator penalties from $2,600 to $7,400, with similar hikes across other license categories The GGA argues higher fines unfairly target licensed operators instead of addressing illegal and offshore platforms Georgian authorities disagree with the industry’s estimate and say enforcement against illegal activity is already underway The industry group is calling for government cooperation to shut down unregulated platforms rather than penalizing compliant businesses The Georgian Gambling Association has raised concerns about the scale…
TLDR Remote gaming duty in the UK will jump from 21% to 40% starting April 2026, with general betting duty rising from 15% to 25% in April 2027. The UK gambling industry generated roughly £16.8 billion in gross gambling income for 2024–2025. The Treasury has allocated an extra £26 million over three years to the Gambling Commission to fight illegal gambling operations. 48% of UK adults reported gambling in the past four weeks, with 2.7% scoring at levels linked to problem gambling. New gaming machine compliance rules take effect July 29, 2026, requiring operators to remove non-certified equipment. The UK…
TLDR The CFTC received over 1,330 public comments on prediction market regulation, with a last-day surge of filings before the April 30 deadline Tribal governments and casino groups argue prediction markets are gambling and should fall under gaming law, not derivatives regulation Academics are split — some praise prediction markets for price discovery, while others flag $143 million in suspicious trading profits Senator Catherine Cortez Masto called prediction markets “nothing more than gambling” and cited national security risks Kalshi created an AI tool to generate supportive comments, but only about 15 of the last 120 filings came from it The…
TLDR South Korea’s illegal gambling market is now estimated at 96 trillion won ($65 billion) 4% of the country’s young people have participated in illegal gambling Youth gambling criminal cases jumped 62% from 478 in 2024 to 777 in 2025 Officials warn the social cost of youth gambling could reach 2 trillion won New gambling commission chairman Choi Byung-hwan took office April 28 with a reform agenda South Korea is dealing with a rapidly expanding illegal gambling problem that has reached an estimated value of 96 trillion won, or roughly $65 billion. The issue is hitting young people especially hard.…