Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Germany’s total World Cup betting turnover could exceed €1 billion Between €300M–€400M may go to unlicensed offshore operators Licensed operators blame a 5% stake tax and product restrictions Germany’s monthly deposit cap of €1,000 is pushing bettors to illegal sites The World Cup will act as a real test of Germany’s 2021 gambling framework Germany’s licensed sports betting industry is worried the 2026 FIFA World Cup will expose a major weakness in the country’s gambling rules. The Deutscher Sportwettenverband (DSWV), which represents licensed online sportsbooks, estimates total betting turnover from German customers could top €1 billion during the tournament.…

TLDR Emma Floyd has been appointed as the UK’s new Director of Sport and Gambling at DCMS, replacing Ben Dean Floyd comes from an energy policy background with little direct gambling experience The sector faces pressure from campaigners pushing for tighter advertising controls Entain has publicly criticised unlicensed operators sponsoring football clubs The Gambling Commission is also searching for a new chief after Andrew Rhodes departed The UK gambling industry is entering a period of uncertainty as a new government director steps into one of the most contested roles in British regulation. Emma Floyd was confirmed on June 8 as…

TLDR Kalshi and Polymarket have updated policies to stop paid influencers from spreading election fraud claims Kalshi asked creators to remove videos alleging misconduct in California’s vote-counting process Polymarket told affiliates that denying election results violates its misinformation terms Federal investigators are looking into trading activity linked to former congressman George Santos and a Kalshi market Donald Trump Jr. serves as an adviser to both Kalshi and Polymarket Two of the largest prediction market platforms are tightening rules for paid promoters after influencers used their affiliate programs to spread unsupported claims about election fraud in California. Kalshi and Polymarket both…

TLDR Army Special Forces soldier Gannon Ken Van Dyke is set for trial on Dec. 7 in a landmark Polymarket insider trading case He is accused of using classified military information to place 13 bets, earning over $400,000 The information allegedly related to the operation that led to the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro Defense lawyers plan to file a dismissal motion by July 31, arguing the case relies on classified info that can’t be fully aired in court A separate case last month charged a Google employee with similar Polymarket insider trading, earning $1.2 million The Case Against…

TLDR Botswana’s Gambling Authority projects P108 million (~$7.9M) in operating revenue for 2025/26 The regulator aims to cut government funding by 50%, from $2.2M to $1.1M Revenue has grown from $215,000 in 2021/22 to $1.8M in 2024/25 Casinos and bookmakers created over 400 jobs by early 2026 Gross gambling revenue is on track to exceed $73M by March 2026 Botswana’s Gambling Authority is forecasting operating revenue of P108 million, roughly $7.9 million, for the 2025/26 financial year. The projection was presented to the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Statutory Bodies and State Enterprises. The regulator says the growth reflects a maturing,…

TLDR New York mobile sportsbooks made $204.2 million in May, down 18% from last year Bettors wagered $2.13 billion, but the hold rate fell to 9.6% from 11.3% FanDuel and DraftKings still dominate, but both saw revenue declines Fanatics and Bally Bet were the only two operators to grow revenue The state collected $104.1 million in tax receipts for May New York’s mobile sports betting market brought in $204.2 million in gross gaming revenue in May 2026. That is an 18% drop compared to May 2025. The decline was not about fewer bets. Players wagered $2.13 billion across eight operators,…

TLDR ADI Predictstreet launched on June 8, three days before the FIFA World Cup 2026 begins The company is FIFA’s official predictions partner and holds the first Gibraltar licence for a predictions operator The platform faced transparency questions earlier this year after markets showed no trading activity Fanatics is supporting the US launch, making the platform available in 23 states via a co-branded World Cup Hub DAZN is also a partner, integrating ADI Predictstreet experiences across its global sports platform FIFA’s official predictions partner ADI Predictstreet went live on June 8, just three days before the FIFA World Cup 2026…

TLDR Four former Alabama State basketball players were found to have thrown a game against Southern Mississippi in December 2024 for cash Players Amarr Knox, Shawn Fulcher, Corey Hines, and Tony Madlock have all been declared permanently ineligible by the NCAA The scheme involved a group chat, a FaceTime call, and a $2,000 payment split among the players Two players were federally indicted in January 2026 on bribery, wire fraud, and conspiracy charges The case came to light after the FBI contacted Corey Hines following his transfer to Temple University Four former Alabama State basketball players have been permanently banned…

TLDR NYRA introduced new rules in February 2026 to limit computer-assisted wagering (CAW) in betting pools CAW’s share of handle at Aqueduct dropped from ~22% to ~13% after the changes Total handle at Aqueduct’s winter meet fell 24%, partly due to fewer races and weather CAW accounts for roughly 30% of the $11 billion U.S. racing handle annually Experts warn the sport is losing casual bettors, comparing it to how Las Vegas drove away recreational gamblers Horse racing is trying to win back everyday bettors by cracking down on the algorithms and software used by high-volume gamblers. The question is…

TLDR Play971, operated by Coin Technology Projects LLC, is the only UAE-licensed online sports betting platform The campaign marks the first time UAE residents can legally bet on international football through a licensed platform The UAE’s gambling legislation has not been fully made public, despite the GCGRA referencing decree no. 30 of 2022 The GCGRA may allow one B2C online gaming license per emirate across the UAE’s seven emirates The World Cup begins June 12, hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico Play971 is running the UAE’s first licensed sports betting campaign ahead of the 2026 World Cup, which…