TLDR Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee signed a bill banning online sweepstakes casinos that use virtual or dual-currency systems A second bill creates a new felony offense for manipulating prediction market outcomes Sweepstakes violations will be enforced under the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act of 1977 Tennessee is among the first states to pass a law targeting prediction market integrity Several other states including Indiana, Oklahoma, Louisiana, and Iowa have also enacted sweepstakes bans in 2026 Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee has signed two gambling-related bills into law. One bans online sweepstakes casinos. The other makes prediction market manipulation a felony. The sweepstakes…
Author: Maisie Morrison
TLDR A Dublin-based online lottery player won €3,731,996 in the Saturday, May 23 draw using a computer-generated Quick Pick ticket. The winning numbers were 8, 12, 24, 25, 33, and 45, with a bonus ball of 4. This is the third Irish Lotto jackpot win in 2026 and the second in May alone. A separate €8.7 million jackpot was won on May 2 at a Ballymount service station. The winner’s identity remains private as the National Lottery begins the formal prize collection process. A lottery player in Dublin has won €3.7 million after buying a Quick Pick ticket through an…
TLDR A San Francisco judge paused two new state rules targeting how blackjack is played and how dealers rotate in California card rooms The 45-day injunction pushes the next legal battle to late June The judge said the Bureau of Gambling Control likely overstepped its legal authority The state’s own estimates show the rules could wipe out half of all blackjack revenue at card rooms Cities like Bell Gardens and Commerce have declared fiscal emergencies over the expected revenue losses A San Francisco Superior Court judge has temporarily blocked California from enforcing new regulations that card room operators say would…
TLDR Kenya’s Finance Bill 2026 proposes a 20% withholding tax on gambling winnings for both residents and non-residents The bill also includes a 5% tax on deposits and withdrawals from gambling accounts The definition of deposits has been broadened to include chips, tokens, credits, and similar instruments Public participation on the bill opened May 11 and closed May 25, with the bill tabled in Parliament on April 30 Critics warn heavier taxes could push bettors toward offshore or unregulated platforms Kenya is moving forward with plans to impose a 20% withholding tax on gambling winnings as part of its Finance…
TLDR UK online gambling Gross Gambling Yield rose 7% to £1.55bn in Q1 2026, per the UK Gambling Commission Slots led the way with £773m in GGY, up 12% year-on-year, with spins reaching 25.1 billion Monthly active accounts dipped slightly to 13.4 million, down 1% from last year Sessions over one hour dropped 12%, while total sessions jumped 18% to 202 million Q1 2026 marks the fourth quarter under new online slots stake limits of £5 for adults and £2 for 18-to-24-year-olds The UK Gambling Commission has published its latest quarterly data, showing online gambling continued to expand in early…
TLDR Bangladesh is drafting a new law to replace the outdated Gambling Act of 1867 Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed said the draft is in its final stage and will go before parliament next session The new law targets online gambling, digital betting, and cyber-based betting activities Officials say online gambling poses a serious challenge to youth, the economy, and national security The announcement was made at a meeting with the Bangladesh Secretariat Reporters Forum in Dhaka Bangladesh Plans to Overhaul Century-Old Gambling Legislation Bangladesh is preparing to scrap its 159-year-old gambling law and replace it with modern legislation designed to…
TLDR Brazil launched the “Novo Desenrola” debt relief program on May 9, 2026, targeting debt tied to online betting New rules ban credit operations linked to placing bets, closing loopholes in the Pix payment system As of May 15, major banks Bradesco and Banco do Brasil still allowed credit-based betting transactions Brazilian household debt reached 80.4%, the highest level since tracking began in 2010 Enforcement faces challenges because betting operators say they cannot tell if incoming Pix payments are credit-based The Brazilian government has rolled out a new debt relief program that takes direct aim at the link between online…
TLDR The Netherlands’ gambling regulator KSA has sent warning letters to licensed operators ahead of the 2026 World Cup, reminding them that advertising restrictions remain fully in force. Certain football betting markets, including wagers on first corner kicks and player bookings, remain banned in the country. The KSA is increasing scrutiny of gambling promotion on social media, including “share your bet” features. Dutch operators are already facing steep tax increases, with gambling levies rising to 37.8% in 2026, and industry revenues dropped 18.5% after the first hike. The regulator recently issued a record €25 million penalty to illegal operator Novatech…
TLDR Enschede identified nearly 12,000 cases of extreme financial distress among residents, with over 1,000 families facing eviction or electricity cutoffs Local officials want to raise the online gambling age from 18 to 24 to protect young adults from digital betting platforms Despite a ban on gambling ads targeting under-24s, over 11% of Meta gambling ads still reached users aged 18-23 Regulators warn that stricter age limits could push young gamblers toward unregulated black-market sites with no consumer protections The debate has stalled in parliament while municipal budgets continue to absorb the financial fallout of youth gambling debt The Dutch…
TLDR Super Group launched its ZAR Supercoin stablecoin in a beta rollout for Betway South Africa clients in mid-April, aiming to cut high processing fees across the continent. The stablecoin is pegged 1-1 to the South African rand, listed on the Luno exchange, built on the Solana blockchain, and backed by reserves held at ABSA Group with a 134.54% reserve coverage ratio. Super Group reported $2.2 billion in revenue for the year, with Africa driving a 27% jump in gross gaming revenue and South Africa accounting for 30%–39% of total group revenue. Illegal offshore gambling platforms make up about 62%…