Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Online betting searches in Argentina rose 350% during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, according to a new study. Hydration breaks, new to this World Cup, triggered sharp spikes in betting-related searches. Searches during the Argentina vs. England match jumped 4,850%. Operators who advertised during hydration breaks saw far bigger gains in search interest than those who didn’t. After the tournament ended, interest shifted from sports betting to online casino games like roulette and slots. Online betting searches in Argentina rose 350% during the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a new study has found. The research focused on matches involving the…

TLDR The UNODC released a 268-page report on July 21, 2026, covering organized crime in South-East Asia. The report says licensed aggregators and white-label operators may help gaming suppliers reach illegal online casinos. One unnamed European live casino supplier is described as dominant in the Asia-Pacific market. White-label setups can launch a working casino brand within days for as little as $0 to $5,000. UNODC says online gambling now helps finance organized crime, fraud, and human trafficking in the region. The United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime has released a report on organized crime in South-East Asia. It focuses…

TLDR Brazil’s Ministry of Health has launched a national online campaign to raise awareness about the risks of gambling. The campaign will continue beyond the 2026 FIFA World Cup and is part of the Unified Health System (SUS). A new self-assessment tool called “Problems with betting games?” lets users check their risk level through the Meu SUS platform. The Ministry of Finance is expanding a Centralized Self-Exclusion Platform that lets people block themselves from licensed betting sites. The efforts combine mental health support, consumer protection, and financial education for people affected by gambling harm. Brazil’s Ministry of Health has started…

TLDR PAGCOR plans to sell about 40 Casino Filipino branches and satellite venues through an asset sale. A legal analysis from Geronimo Law says the sale structure means buyers are not required to keep current staff. Mandatory staff retention rules could lead to lower bids from buyers. Employees may face three outcomes: redeployment within PAGCOR, hiring by the buyer, or separation with benefits. The deal still needs approval from the Governance Commission for GOCCs and the Philippine president, with a year-end target. PAGCOR is moving forward with a plan to sell off its Casino Filipino venues. The state gaming firm…

TLDR A New York federal judge denied Kalshi’s second injunction request in three weeks. Judge Analisa Torres said her opinion had not changed since her July 9 ruling. Kalshi filed an appeal with the Second Circuit Court of Appeals on Thursday. A Minnesota judge blocked that state’s ban on prediction markets the same day. The CFTC argued federal law takes precedence over state gambling regulations in both cases. A federal judge in Manhattan denied Kalshi’s request for an emergency injunction on Monday. The ruling blocks the prediction market operator from getting protection against New York state gaming regulators for now.…

TLDR Incentive Games’ real-money arm, Incentive Studios, has launched five games with bet365 in Alberta. The titles include Kicker, Mega Flight, Mega Flight Boost, Velocity, and Squid Game Red Light Green Light Cashout. This marks Incentive Studios’ first entry into the Alberta market. The deal builds on the existing partnership between Incentive Games and bet365. The launch follows earlier moves into Ontario, Brazil, and Pennsylvania. Incentive Games has expanded into a new Canadian market. The company’s real-money gaming arm, Incentive Studios, launched five games with bet365 in Alberta. The launch marks the studio’s first entry into Alberta. It gives bet365…

TLDR Australia’s 20 largest super funds hold $14.8 billion combined in gambling-related investments AustralianSuper has the biggest exposure, at around $4.9 billion Gambling firms are rarely excluded from responsible investment screens, unlike tobacco or alcohol Australians lose an estimated $32 billion a year to gambling, the highest rate per person in the world The government is planning ad restrictions and extra funding for gambling harm support A new report has found that Australia’s biggest retirement funds hold close to $15 billion in gambling company shares. The findings come from the Alliance for Gambling Reform, a campaign group focused on reducing…

TLDR BDO director Ollie Woodward says UK gambling operators feel “resilience and bullishness” despite pressure from the tax hike. The April Remote Gambling Duty increase pushed operators to review their cost base and staffing. Entain announced job cuts affecting up to 500 roles, but says the move is not tied to the tax hike. Bally’s Intralot acquired Evoke to expand its presence in Europe after the tax change. BDO says regulated revenue now attracts higher value in gambling deals than unregulated revenue. UK gambling operators are rethinking their costs and looking at possible deals after the April Remote Gambling Duty…

TLDR CME Group CEO Terry Duffy said some sports prediction markets amount to gambling CME certified new sports event contracts for tennis, golf, and college football FanDuel Predicts expanded its offering through a deal with Crypto.com’s Nadex CME is suing the CFTC over its approval of Kalshi’s Bitcoin perpetual futures Flutter’s CEO called prediction markets a strong customer acquisition opportunity CME Group CEO Terry Duffy said some sportsbook-style prediction markets are gambling. He made the comment during the exchange’s second-quarter earnings call on July 22. Duffy drew a line between CME’s own sports-event contracts and other products on the market.…

TLDR Kalshi launched a new Midterms Hub that tracks Senate and House race odds ahead of the 2026 elections. The hub combines market probabilities, polling averages, and campaign fundraising data in one place. Kalshi says about three in four site visitors only watch the markets and never place a trade. More than $30 million has already been traded on contracts about which party will control Congress. CEO Tarek Mansour says market prices offer a less partisan read on political momentum. Kalshi has launched a new tool aimed at people who want to follow the 2026 midterm elections closely. The platform…