TLDR Evoke Plc will permanently close around 200 William Hill betting shops starting in May, roughly 15% of its retail estate The closures follow the UK government’s increase to Remote Gaming Duty announced in the autumn budget Evoke is undergoing a broader strategic review that may include selling parts or all of the business Deutsche Bank cut Evoke’s earnings forecasts sharply, with EPS expected to fall by 40% in FY26 and 52% in FY27 Industry experts suggest Evoke’s best move may be selling its international division to reduce debt Evoke Plc, the company behind the William Hill brand, told staff…
Author: Maisie Morrison
TLDR Intercontinental Exchange has committed up to $2 billion in Polymarket, while Kalshi was recently valued at $22 billion in a funding round led by Coatue Management. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon said his bank is considering offering prediction market services, and Goldman Sachs CEO David Solomon called the sector “super interesting.” Courts and regulators are still debating whether prediction markets are financial instruments or gambling products, with about 90% of Kalshi’s volume tied to sports contracts. At least a dozen states have introduced bills to limit prediction markets, and 40 Democrats signed a letter urging government training on insider…
TLDR Alberta will launch a regulated online gambling market on July 13, becoming the second Canadian province after Ontario to allow private operators. Companies must pay a CAD 50,000 registration fee and CAD 150,000 annual fee to operate in the new market. The government will take a 20% cut of gross gaming revenue from all licensed operators. Alberta modeled its framework on Ontario, which generated CAD 4.04 billion in gross revenue last year. Unlicensed operators serving Alberta residents after the July launch will be permanently banned from the regulated market. Alberta announced on April 1 that it will open a…
TLDR Sarasota County authorities raided Spin 24/7 Social Club on March 30, seizing 66 slot machines and arresting two employees Florida’s Gaming Control Commission has seized over $14.4 million in cash and 6,700 illegal slot machines in 2025, more than doubling last year’s cash total Suspended Osceola County Sheriff Marcos Lopez, charged in a $21.6 million illegal gambling ring, appeared in court on March 31 for a conflict-of-interest hearing All of Lopez’s co-defendants have accepted plea deals while his case heads to a May 18 proceeding Florida lawmakers failed to pass any major gambling enforcement legislation during the 2026 session,…
TLDR CS2 player Dmytro “nifee” Tediashvili received a four-year ban from ESIC for match-fixing and betting corruption Suspicious Molotov/incendiary deaths during ESL Pro League Season 22 triggered the investigation Betting spikes on proposition markets were traced to dormant and high-value accounts The ban was reduced from five years after nifee admitted guilt and cooperated with investigators He is barred from all ESIC-member events as a player, coach, analyst, or staff until October 2029 Professional Counter-Strike 2 player Dmytro “nifee” Tediashvili has been handed a four-year ban by the Esports Integrity Commission. The suspension covers match manipulation and betting-related corruption during…
TLDR Predict Street Ltd is now on Gibraltar’s official register of licensed betting intermediaries, making it the territory’s first licensed prediction market operator. The platform is marketing itself as the “Official Prediction Market Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026” and is collecting early access sign-ups. Justice Minister Nigel Feetham announced the license in Parliament, saying the application was processed in record time after his trip to Consensus Hong Kong. The move sets Gibraltar apart from European countries like the Netherlands, France, and Portugal, which have banned prediction market platforms like Polymarket. Feetham said the licensing push is partly aimed…
TLDR 37% of Brazilians plan to bet on the 2026 FIFA World Cup, while 77% intend to consume the event in some form Match outcome bets are the most popular category at 51%, followed by goal totals at 26% Free-to-air TV remains the top viewing method at 73%, with streaming at 31% The expanded 48-team tournament runs June 11 to July 19 across the US, Canada, and Mexico Spain is an early betting favorite to win, with Kylian Mbappé favored for top scorer A new study shows that more than a third of Brazilians are planning to place bets on…
TLDR Gov. Hochul and the New York State Gaming Commission released draft rules on March 30 aimed at preventing underage online gambling The proposed measures would require biometric age verification and ban the use of AI to target gamblers New activity triggers would force operators to check on patrons showing signs of gambling harm Public comments are open until May 15, 2026, with input sought from schools, parents, and religious groups Industry stakeholders have given mixed reactions, with some warning the biometric requirements may be too aggressive New York Gov. Kathy Hochul and the state’s Gaming Commission have released draft…
TLDR PAGCOR delayed its new minimum guaranteed fee system for online gaming operators by two months, from April 1 to June 1, 2026 The regulator cited the current economic crisis in the Philippines as the reason for the deferment Gaming system administrators with electronic casino games will face a monthly minimum fee of PHP9 million (about $149,000) The second tranche of fees has also been pushed back from October 2026 to January 2027 There are currently 65 accredited gaming system administrators listed on PAGCOR’s regulatory website The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corp has postponed the launch of its new minimum…
TLDR Brazil’s regulated betting market now has 83 licensed operators, 29.4 million active users, and R$ 37 billion in public revenue A new study warns tax rates on betting operators could rise from 32% to 42% by 2033 due to ongoing tax reform Industry leaders say changing tax rules mid-game could make operations unviable for companies that entered Brazil under a defined framework Higher taxes could push consumers toward illegal betting sites, costing the government potential revenue A proposed “sin tax” set for 2027 could add further costs, though critics say it misapplies lottery logic to a different business model…