Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service launched Operation Conto da Sorte on June 23, targeting illegal betting The scheme involved 37 companies and an estimated BRL50 billion ($9.7 billion) in financial movement 14 search and seizure warrants were executed across Pernambuco, Ceará, and São Paulo Up to BRL145 million in assets were frozen by court order The fraud originated from irregular company accreditation by a municipality in Rio Grande do Norte Brazil Raids Illegal Betting Network Moving $9.7 Billion Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service launched Operation Conto da Sorte on June 23, targeting a large illegal betting network across multiple states. The…

TLDR Dutch trade group VNLOK is suing Meta and filing an EU complaint over illegal gambling ads on Facebook and Instagram Research found 70,000 gambling ads per quarter targeted Dutch users, with over 95% promoting unlicensed operators Meta removed fewer than 5% of those ads, according to VNLOK The illegal Dutch gambling market is estimated at over €1 billion in annual wagers Meta faces similar lawsuits in California and scrutiny from regulators in the UK, Australia, Brazil, and Malaysia Dutch gambling trade group VNLOK has filed a lawsuit against Meta and submitted a formal complaint to the European Commission. The…

TLDR North Carolina lawmakers voted to raise the online sportsbook tax rate from 18% to 23% The state has collected over $299 million in tax revenue since sports betting launched in March 2024 Bettors placed more than $561 million in wagers in May 2026 alone — the ninth straight month above $500 million The Sports Betting Alliance warned the hike penalizes licensed operators who have already delivered major tax revenue North Carolina now sits above New Jersey, Massachusetts, and Ohio in tax rate, but well below New York’s 51% North Carolina has raised the tax rate on online sports betting…

TLDR Pzena Investment Management spent US$112.22 million on two share purchases in Galaxy Entertainment Group The first purchase on May 14 raised Pzena’s stake from 4.89% to 5.01%; the second on June 16 pushed it to 6.27% Galaxy Entertainment’s share price hit a calendar-year low of HKD29.82 on Monday Morgan Stanley said Macau gaming stocks are underperforming the Hang Seng Index in 2026 The bank cut its 2026 growth forecasts for Macau gross gaming revenue and EBITDA Pzena Buys Into Galaxy Entertainment While Macau Casino Stocks Slide US investment firm Pzena Investment Management has increased its stake in Galaxy Entertainment…

TLDR Illegal offshore operators are undercutting licensed betting companies in Peru by avoiding taxes and regulations Licensed operators pay a 12% sector tax on gross gaming profit plus a 1% tax on every bet placed A sports integrity bill passed by Congress was vetoed by the Executive branch and awaits further action Regulators are urged to focus on redirecting consumers to legal platforms, not just enforcement Peru may update its tourism law to formally register casinos and slot machine operators Peru’s regulated betting market is growing, but two big problems are holding it back: illegal gambling operators and sports integrity…

TLDR India banned Kalshi after its 2025 Online Gaming Act took effect May 1, 2026, classifying event-based trading as illegal gambling Kalshi updated its member agreement on June 17, barring users in India from trading India represented a large market — one cricket match alone generated over $27 million in trading volume Kalshi now lists 55 restricted jurisdictions, including Brazil, Spain, Indonesia, Argentina, and Portugal The core dispute is whether prediction markets are financial tools or gambling platforms Kalshi Blocked in India as Prediction Markets Face Global Crackdown Kalshi has added India to its restricted jurisdictions list after the country’s…

TLDR Malaysian police are open to working with Interpol and ASEANAPOL if illegal World Cup gambling crosses borders Operation Op Soga XI has arrested 58 people since launching on June 11 Authorities seized over RM488,000 in betting proceeds and RM25,684 in cash 42 websites promoting illegal gambling were detected during the operation Police say syndicates are increasingly using apps, digital platforms, and smart devices to avoid detection Malaysia Police Launch Crackdown on Illegal World Cup Gambling Malaysian police are targeting illegal gambling and match-fixing tied to the FIFA World Cup 2026. The Royal Malaysia Police say they are focused on…

TLDR Brazil’s State Lottery of Paraíba (LOTEP) held a meeting with TikTok Brazil to discuss gaming regulation and digital advertising TikTok presented its content control, user safety, and advertising guidelines to LOTEP officials The meeting explored how digital platforms and regulators can work together on legal compliance LOTEP outlined its licensing, auditing, and monitoring framework during the talks The meeting is part of a broader push by LOTEP to build relationships with digital platforms and industry stakeholders Brazil’s State Lottery of Paraíba, known as LOTEP, met with representatives from TikTok Brazil to talk about gaming regulation and digital advertising. The…

TLDR 44% of Americans think betting on election outcomes should be illegal, vs. 30% who say it should be legal Sports prediction markets have majority support at 53%, while political markets face strong opposition War and terrorism contracts face the most resistance, with 57–64% saying they should be illegal Nearly $700 million has already traded on 2028 presidential election markets across Kalshi and Polymarket Over 25 prediction market bills have been introduced in the U.S. this year, with Minnesota passing the first state ban Most Americans Oppose Election Betting, Even as Industry Eyes Political Markets for Growth Prediction market companies…

TLDR Egypt’s parliament is drafting amendments to its Cybercrime Law to explicitly ban online betting apps Penalties could reach life imprisonment in the most serious cases involving organised crime Around 80% of online betting apps are already being blocked, including 1xBet and MelBet A three-tier penalty structure proposed by MP Martha Mahrous targets operators, agents, and payment facilitators VPN access and liability for payment providers remain unresolved in current drafts Egypt is preparing some of the toughest online betting laws in the Middle East. Parliament is drafting amendments to the Cybercrime Law that would explicitly criminalise online betting apps and…