Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Costa Rica’s Comptroller (CGR) audited the Junta de Protección Social (JPS) and found irregularities in how unsold lottery tickets were managed and destroyed Prizes were linked to lottery fractions previously reported as unsold and destroyed, raising fraud concerns The audit flagged weak physical security at regional offices, missing signatures on destruction reports, and poor electronic scanning of returned tickets The CGR warned these issues posed risks to operational integrity, financial management, and fraud prevention JPS acknowledged the findings and is now developing new risk assessments, IT upgrades, and formal procedures to improve traceability and accountability Costa Rica’s national lottery…

TLDR Indonesia says nearly 200,000 children have been exposed to online gambling, with 80,000 under the age of ten Officials warn the trend poses a serious risk to future generations as gambling systems are designed for players to lose The government says website blocking and raids alone are not enough to fight the problem Authorities are calling on social media platforms like Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube to remove gambling ads Officials linked online gambling to family financial collapse and domestic abuse cases across the country Indonesia Sounds Alarm Over Children and Online Gambling Indonesia’s government has revealed that nearly 200,000…

TLDR S&P upgraded NagaCorp’s long-term credit rating from B to B+, following a similar upgrade from Moody’s NagaCorp’s net income nearly tripled in 2025, reaching $309.9 million compared to $110.6 million in 2024 A full recovery to 2019 profit levels remains unlikely due to the collapse of the VIP junket segment The company holds about $372 million in cash with minimal debt, giving it a strong balance sheet S&P expects 5%–6% profit growth in 2026 and 2027, with spending on the Naga 3 expansion project ahead S&P Global Ratings has upgraded the long-term credit rating of NagaCorp Ltd from B…

TLDR Philippines gross gaming revenue fell 15.9% year-on-year to PHP87.60 billion (US$1.42 billion) in Q1 2026 Electronic gaming revenue dropped 22.4% to PHP39.90 billion, driving the overall decline Licensed casinos remained the top revenue source at PHP44.52 billion, down 9.7% from last year PAGCOR chairman cited softer consumer spending, Middle East tensions, and inflation as key factors The full year 2025 saw PHP396.14 billion in GGR, up 6.4%, suggesting Q1 2026 marks a reversal from recent growth The Philippine gaming industry reported a 15.9% drop in gross gaming revenue during the first quarter of 2026, according to data from the…

TLDR Police in Visakhapatnam arrested 24 people connected to an online betting scam that processed over ₹500 crore (US$52 million) in transactions The operation spanned seven Indian states and had links to Sri Lanka, using at least seven betting websites Alleged kingpin Karan Pakhrani, known as “Gabbar,” was arrested in Kolkata along with six associates Around 224 mule bank accounts were used to route betting proceeds through layers of UPI and bank transfers Total money linked to illegal gains and public losses from the case reached approximately ₹1,500 crore (US$156 million) Police in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, have arrested 24 individuals…

TLDR Brazil collected BRL 3.4 billion in betting taxes in Q1 2026, up 123.7% from last year Congress is debating how to distribute growing betting revenue across sports, education, and public safety A Senate bill proposes directing betting funds toward military sports development programs The government will gradually allocate up to 3% of betting tax revenue to fund Federal Police operations Illegal betting operators still control 41% to 51% of Brazil’s market despite regulation efforts Betting Tax Revenue Surges in Brazil Brazil’s regulated betting market is generating massive tax revenue, and now the country’s Congress is debating where all that…

TLDR The UK government launched a 12-month Illegal Gambling Taskforce to disrupt payments and advertising tied to unlicensed operators. The taskforce will operate under confidentiality rules, with its membership list kept private. Unlicensed gambling stakes in the UK hit £16.6 billion in 2025, more than triple the 2019 figure. The group is pushing for voluntary, non-legislative action from payment providers and tech platforms. The move comes after the Remote Gaming Duty was raised to 40% in April 2026, raising fears of more players turning to black-market sites. The UK government has created a new Illegal Gambling Taskforce with a clear…

TLDR Dana White sent a letter to Trump asking him to roll back a new federal limit on gambling loss deductions The 2025 tax law now only allows gamblers to deduct 90% of losses instead of the previous 100% Some bettors who break even or lose money could still face a federal tax bill under the new rules White argues the cap hurts Nevada’s tourism economy and undermines the “No Tax on Tips” message The legal gambling industry warns the change pushes bettors toward unregulated offshore sportsbooks UFC president Dana White has written directly to President Donald Trump asking him…

TLDR House Oversight Chair James Comer confirmed an active investigation into suspicious prediction market trades tied to Iran and other geopolitical events Comer said subpoenas will follow if parties do not cooperate with information requests Seven Democratic lawmakers sent a letter citing trades where one trader allegedly made nearly $1 million with a 93% success rate on Iran-related bets A U.S. Army special forces soldier was recently charged with using classified information to place prediction market trades The Senate has already approved a ban on members and staff participating in prediction markets The House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation…

TLDR Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed Senate Bill 1589, which would have banned online sweepstakes casinos in the state The bill had passed the Senate 48-0 and the House 65-21 before being struck down on May 7 The vetoed bill targeted dual-currency sweepstakes platforms and would have held geolocation providers, affiliates, and promoters liable Lawmakers have until May 29 to override the veto, or sweepstakes operators will remain unregulated in Oklahoma A separate sports betting bill also failed in the Senate in April, leaving Oklahoma without progress on either gambling measure Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has vetoed a bill that…