Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Thailand’s Digital Economy and Society Ministry met with Mono Next, the parent company of MonoMax, to discuss stopping illegal gambling and piracy websites during the FIFA World Cup 2026. Between June 10 and June 24, 2026, the ministry blocked 12,671 URLs tied to online gambling and copyright violations. 4,496 of those URLs were blocked under court orders, while 8,175 were removed through cooperation with social media platforms. Mono Next, which holds World Cup and English Premier League broadcast rights in Thailand, agreed to share data with the ministry to speed up takedowns. The public can report illegal gambling sites…

TLDR Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Ministry set up a joint team with Meta to fight online gambling content. Cybersecurity expert Alfons Tanujaya says blocking gambling websites alone won’t solve the problem. Gambling-related comments on social media rose 128% over two weeks compared to the January to June 2026 period. The ministry may extend the same anti-spam approach to platforms beyond Meta. Tanujaya says authorities also need to target funding channels behind gambling networks. Indonesia’s Communication and Digital Ministry has formed a joint team with Meta. The goal is to fight online gambling content spreading through social media. The announcement came…

TLDR Brazil’s Ministry of Finance opened a case against Esportes da Sorte over a betting ad shown before an England vs Croatia World Cup match. The ad, aired on broadcaster SBT, urged viewers to bet on England to score and displayed a QR code linking to the betting platform. This is the fourth World Cup ad investigation from the Ministry, following cases against bet365, Betnacional, and KTO. Esportes da Sorte says it received the notice and has already made changes requested by regulators. The Secretariat of Prizes and Betting plans new rules requiring betting ads to clearly show the risk…

TLDR New Jersey Senate and Assembly committees approved companion bills placing a 9% surtax on prediction market operators. The Senate voted 9-4 and the Assembly voted 10-4, sending the bills to second reading. The new version drops an earlier plan for a 29.75% tax rate and a licensing system. The state expects the tax to bring in $10.3 million to $15.3 million in fiscal year 2027. New Jersey’s Attorney General is asking the Supreme Court for more time to challenge a ruling that favored Kalshi. New Jersey lawmakers took a step toward taxing prediction market platforms this week. On June…

TLDR The Prize Competition Council (PCC) has officially launched as a trade association for the UK prize draw sector. The PCC brings together more than 50 operators to promote player protection and responsible standards. The launch follows a voluntary code of conduct that came into effect in May this year. A nine-person board, led by independent chair George McGregor, will serve a two-year term. The UK prize draw market generated £1.3 billion in revenue last year from around 7.4 million active players. The Prize Competition Council has officially launched in the UK. It will act as a trade body for…

TLDR Tim Miller flagged a “disconnect” between the Gambling Commission and operators over financial risk assessments (FRAs). The FRA pilot found a group of players in arrears that operators’ own checks were missing. Miller said the policy is meant to focus on higher-spending customers showing signs of financial distress. The Gambling Commission delayed its decision on full FRA implementation back in May. Miller, who is leaving the Commission after ten years, said tech firms are failing UK consumers by not acting fast enough against illegal gambling sites. Tim Miller, an executive director at the Gambling Commission, spoke at iGB Live…

TLDR Illinois Senate President Don Harmon’s campaign will send $50,000 to charity after receiving a donation from ARB Interactive, the company behind online gambling platform Modo. The Illinois Gaming Board sent Modo a cease-and-desist notice, saying it offered unlicensed casino games to state residents. Harmon’s office says a 15-minute meeting with ARB Interactive representatives did not include talk about gambling business. ARB Interactive disputes the state’s legal position and says its platform follows Illinois law. The company also faces scrutiny in Arizona and a federal lawsuit in California over its sweepstakes gambling model. Illinois Senate President Don Harmon is giving…

TLDR Indiana’s sweepstakes casino ban took effect on July 1, prohibiting dual-currency games. Major operators including Chumba Casino, Stake.us, McLuck, and WOW Vegas withdrew from the state. VGW pulled all of its brands, including LuckyLand Slots and Global Poker. Some operators switched to entertainment-only Gold Coin play instead of leaving entirely. Maine’s similar ban starts July 15, with Louisiana’s ban following on August 1. Indiana’s new sweepstakes casino law took effect on July 1. The law bans online sweepstakes games that use a dual-currency system. The law was signed earlier this year. Operators had several months to prepare for the…

TLDR UK Gambling Commission license fees will rise 25% starting October 1, 2026 The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed the increase after a public consultation Larger operators with gross gambling yield above £100 million will see the biggest cost jumps The hike aims to close the UKGC’s roughly £4 million annual budget deficit The change follows other recent tax increases and comes alongside fresh reform proposals Britain’s gambling operators will pay 25% more for most UK Gambling Commission licenses starting October 1, 2026. The Department for Culture, Media and Sport confirmed the change on June 30. The decision…

TLDR The ASA ruled against Videoslots Ltd, trading as Mr Vegas, over a Facebook ad that ran in February 2026. The ad used cartoon-style tiles including a pink elephant, a robotic shark, candy branding, and a cartoon fisherman. The ASA said the imagery had strong appeal to under-18s, even though age restrictions were set on the platform. Mr Vegas argued the artwork was surreal rather than childlike and was aimed only at verified adult users. The ASA ordered the ad pulled and told Mr Vegas to avoid content that appeals to under-18s in future campaigns. The Advertising Standards Authority has…