Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR South Africa’s National Gambling Board is reaching out to foreign regulators to stop offshore betting sites from targeting local players. Licensed operators generated about R75 billion in turnover last year, while unlicensed activity may total as much as R5 trillion. Offshore sites are often licensed in Gibraltar, Malta, the Philippines, and the UK but operate in South Africa without local approval. The board is working with intelligence agencies, telecom regulators, and police to block access to illegal gambling websites. Shoprite’s chief executive says household spending meant for essentials is being redirected toward unregulated betting. South African gambling regulators are…

TLDR The UK government will raise Gambling Commission licence fees by 25%, ignoring pushback from operators. The decision follows a consultation that received 47 responses, mostly from gambling businesses. Personal licences, supplementary licences, licence variations, and single-machine permits are all affected. The Gambling Commission also received an extra £26 million from HM Treasury to fight illegal gambling. The fee hike comes as the regulator loses its Chairman, CEO, and Policy Director within eight months. The UK government has confirmed a 25% increase in Gambling Commission licence fees. The decision stands despite objections from gambling operators. The Department for Culture, Media…

TLDR Kalshi filed a lawsuit against the Ohio Casino Control Commission on June 29. The suit aims to block a planned $5 million fine over sports contracts. Kalshi says the fine process denies its right to a jury trial. Ohio lawmakers are weighing a separate bill to regulate prediction markets. Google banned prediction market ads in Ohio starting June 2, 2026. Kalshi has filed a new lawsuit against Ohio regulators. The company wants to stop a planned $5 million fine. The case was filed on June 29 in the Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. It names the Ohio Casino…

TLDR Two lawsuits filed in Cole County challenge Missouri Attorney General Catherine Hanaway’s crackdown on “pre-reveal” gaming machines. Tuners Bar & Grill argues the machines don’t meet the legal definition of gambling and seeks class-action status. The Missouri Licensing Advocacy Group says officials are using liquor license threats to force machine removals before courts rule. The lawsuits follow a February federal court ruling against Torch Electronics, which led the company to suspend Missouri operations in April. Hanaway says enforcement has cut the number of unregulated machines from about 25,000 to roughly 7,000. Missouri is now facing legal pushback over its…

TLDR Visualize Group has agreed to acquire eCOGRA, a London-based gaming testing and certification firm. This is Visualize’s second gaming compliance purchase after buying BMM Testlabs earlier this year. eCOGRA will keep its current leadership, including CEO Will Shuckburgh. Visualize plans to extend its employee ownership program to eCOGRA staff. Financial terms were not disclosed, and the deal still needs regulatory approval. Visualize Group has agreed to acquire eCOGRA. The company is a London-based testing and certification provider for the gaming industry. The deal was announced jointly in New York and London. It marks Visualize’s second gaming compliance purchase this…

TLDR French lawmakers approved amendments to the Professional Sports Bill that would set mandatory betting loss limits for adults aged 18 to 25. The exact loss cap has not been set. The government will decide it later after consulting the ANJ, France’s gambling regulator. Around two-thirds of French adults under 25 have placed sports bets, according to regulatory research. The bill also includes measures against sports piracy, which affects a large share of Ligue 1 viewers. Pascal Chèvremont has taken over as ANJ president, replacing Isabelle Falque-Pierrotin after her five-year term. French lawmakers have taken a step toward changing how…

TLDR Esportes da Sorte Group has acquired Apostou.com, operator of BETBR Loterias, B1BET and BRBET. The deal expands the group’s footprint in Brazil, the world’s fifth-largest betting market. Brazil’s regulated betting sector generated nearly BRL6 billion ($1.2 billion) in revenue between January and May 2026. Esportes da Sorte and Onabet, both owned by the same group, rank sixth and tenth among Brazil’s top betting operators. The acquisition is under review by Brazil’s antitrust regulator, CADE. Esportes da Sorte Group has acquired Apostou.com. The company operates BETBR Loterias, a betting brand licensed by Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting. Apostou.com has…

TLDR Supporters submitted about 350,000 signatures across two petitions to legalize online sports betting in Nebraska. Both petitions cleared the signature thresholds needed for ballot consideration. County officials must now verify the signatures before the Secretary of State certifies the measures. The plan would allow up to 10 online sportsbook platforms tied to the state’s five retail casinos. WarHorse Casinos and Sports Betting Alliance members, including DraftKings and FanDuel, back the campaign. Nebraska voters may get to decide this November whether online sports betting becomes legal in the state. Supporters of the measure submitted roughly 350,000 signatures across two separate…

TLDR Malik Beasley pleaded not guilty to four federal charges tied to an alleged prop-bet rigging scheme. He was released on $100,000 bond and must return to court on Aug. 6. Ed Davis is accused of acting as a “gatekeeper” between Beasley and the betting ring. Damon Jones was named as a co-conspirator in a separate filing tied to the case. Prosecutors say the group wagered hundreds of thousands of dollars, including one bet that won $121,000. Former NBA guard Malik Beasley pleaded not guilty on Wednesday to four federal charges. The charges stem from an indictment filed in the…

TLDR Macau’s Commission Against Corruption criticized the Gaming Inspection and Coordination Bureau for trying to collect a fine twice. The case involved a casino visitor fined for nuisance behavior who was later banned from the venue. The fine was paid to the Financial Services Bureau but proof was never sent to the gaming regulator. The gaming bureau then asked a separate agency to collect the same fine again without checking payment status first. The regulator says it is now reviewing its internal procedures after the watchdog’s findings. Macau’s anti-corruption watchdog has issued criticism of the city’s gaming regulator this week.…