Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Hedge funds have made at least $2.3 billion in paper gains betting against gambling stocks in 2026, with Flutter Entertainment accounting for roughly $2 billion of that total. Flutter has lost more than half its market value this year, while DraftKings and Entain are each down around 30%. Short sellers Muddy Waters and Callisto triggered a 20%-plus single-day crash in Sportradar shares after accusing the company of ties to illegal gambling operators. Tax increases in European markets and the rise of US prediction markets are squeezing margins and creating uncertainty across the sector. Some analysts still see recovery potential,…

TLDR Kazakhstan is building casino zones near its borders in four regions, designed exclusively for foreign tourists Local citizens will be legally banned from entering the new gambling territories The country is copying Russia’s model of isolated gambling zones, inspired by Sochi’s success in generating state revenue A nationwide ban on gambling advertising will accompany the new casino developments The government is forcing telecom providers to block payments to unauthorized overseas betting sites Kazakhstan is preparing to reverse nearly two decades of strict gambling policy with plans to build dedicated casino zones near its borders. The zones are designed to…

TLDR Chumba Casino generated A$5.2 billion ($3.7 billion) in revenue for the financial year ending June 2025, up 25% from the prior year Parent company VGW posted A$7.3 billion ($5.2 billion) in total revenue, a 19% year-over-year increase, with profit rising 33.5% to A$656 million Founder Laurence Escalante took VGW private at a reported A$3.2 billion valuation after shareholders approved his buyout in August 2025 VGW now faces bans or restrictions in up to 16 U.S. states, up from just 4, and has exited Canada Escalante stepped back as CEO earlier this year after being arrested and charged with family…

TLDR Kenneth Dart increased his Flutter Entertainment stake to 27.6%, making him the largest private shareholder with a holding worth about £3.55bn Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce acquired a 5.3% stake in Flutter, marking its first position in the company Flutter shares have dropped more than 55% this year to $96.36, yet multiple investors have been adding to their positions BlackRock lifted its stake above 5%, and Parvus Asset Management doubled its holding to 10%, while Capital Group trimmed its position from 14.9% to 9.9% Flutter is currently running a $250 million buyback programme as part of a wider $5…

TLDR Gibraltar’s Minister for Justice Nigel Feetham is actively seeking to license prediction markets, with one already issued to Predictstreet in April Predictstreet became the official prediction market of the FIFA World Cup shortly after receiving its Gibraltar license A second prediction market license is expected within weeks, with more to follow Gibraltar already handles 80% of bets placed in the UK and hosts 54 gambling operators The country’s new Gambling Act of 2025 requires all existing licensees to re-apply by October under stricter rules Gibraltar is making a direct play to become the global home of prediction markets, with…

TLDR VGW revenue rose 19% to $5.2 billion in FY2025, with profit up 33.5% to A$656 million Chumba Casino drove most of the growth, generating $3.7 billion in revenue alone Founder Laurence Escalante took VGW private in a $2.3 billion buyout deal some shareholders called undervalued Escalante was arrested on assault and drug charges and stepped down, with Mats Johnson named acting CEO VGW faces growing U.S. regulatory pressure, product pullbacks in several states, and new lawsuits including one from Baltimore officials VGW Posts Record Revenue Ahead of Privatization Virtual Gaming Worlds reported revenue of A$7.3 billion ($5.2 billion) for…

TLDR A new Ipsos poll shows 91.1% of Ontario gamblers now use legal, regulated platforms, up 7.4% from 2025 Players using only illegal gambling sites dropped nearly in half, from 16.3% in 2025 to 8.9% Before Ontario launched its regulated market in 2022, an estimated 70% of players used unregulated operators Ontario officials say the data proves their regulatory model is working to protect players and fight illegal gambling Alberta is set to launch its own regulated online gambling market on July 13, citing Ontario’s success as a model Ontario’s Regulated Market Shows Strong Growth Four years after Ontario opened…

TLDR NSW Labor is set to debate a proposal at its July state conference to cut poker machine numbers from around 90,000 to 45,000 over the next decade The plan is backed by both left and right factions of the party, as well as the head of Unions NSW, Mark Morey Inner West mayor Darcy Byrne is leading the push, saying the public overwhelmingly wants action on poker machine harm The state government has already introduced reforms including a 6-hour mandatory shutoff window and reduced cash loading limits on new machines AUSTRAC last week ordered a Sydney club to appoint…

TLDR Malaysia gave Facebook a final warning to remove illegal gambling ads or face legal action Over 271,000 takedown requests were sent to Facebook from January to May 2026 81% of all illegal gambling content in Malaysia was found on Facebook Malaysians lost over $640 million to scams in 2025 including gambling-related fraud Malaysia plans to form a new committee involving regulators, banks, and law enforcement to fight online scams Malaysia is putting pressure on Meta to clean up illegal gambling advertisements and scam content on Facebook. Communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said the government is prepared to take legal action…

TLDR Puerto Rico’s Senate is reviewing Bill 960, which would allow standalone poker rooms, online sports betting, esports gambling, and electronic lottery games The Treasury, Budget, and PROMESA Commission visited Casino Metro to assess the proposed changes firsthand The bill includes new licensing rules and safeguards against problem gambling and underage play The Gaming Commission and hotel industry groups voiced concerns that the bill may just redistribute existing gambling revenue rather than create new income The Hotel and Tourism Association warned that independent poker rooms could pose security risks and hurt Puerto Rico’s image as a tourist destination Puerto Rico…