TLDR Portugal’s online gambling market generated €337.6 million in gross revenue in Q4 2025, up 4.5% year-over-year and 13.6% quarter-over-quarter. Casino games drove €214 million in revenue, up nearly 16% from last year, making up over 63% of total market revenue. Sports betting revenue fell about 10% to €123.6 million despite a 7% increase in total betting volume. Players wagered €5.9 billion during the quarter, with slots accounting for over 80% of all bets placed. The regulator blocked 116 unlicensed websites and reported over 361,000 self-exclusion requests by year-end. Portugal’s online gambling market closed out 2025 on a high note.…
Author: Maisie Morrison
TLDR Polymarket bettors sent death threats to a military reporter, demanding he change his coverage of an Iranian missile strike on Israel to help them win bets from a $14 million prediction pool The reporter refused to alter his story and filed a police report, handing all threat messages to authorities U.S. lawmakers introduced the Death Bets Act to ban prediction markets involving war, assassinations, and human fatalities Polymarket banned the threatening users and removed a market asking users to bet on a nuclear weapon detonation Despite the controversy, Kalshi processed over $10 billion and Polymarket nearly $8 billion in…
TLDR Offshore gambling operators earned 80.6 billion euros in 2024, compared to just 33.6 billion euros by licensed companies across the EU European governments lost an estimated 20 billion euros in tax revenue to illegal gambling platforms Domain blocking has proven ineffective as illegal operators quickly launch replacement websites Countries like Romania and the Netherlands are raising taxes on legal operators, widening the gap with unregulated competitors Seven European nations signed a joint agreement in November 2025 to target payment providers and tech platforms instead of chasing domains Offshore gambling platforms now control 71% of all online gambling revenue across…
TLDR Kalshi is offering a $1 billion prize for a perfect bracket prediction across all 63 men’s NCAA tournament games The odds of winning are about 1 in 120 billion, but the contest is generating massive buzz and media coverage Kalshi carefully avoids using the trademarked term “March Madness” after being scolded by the NCAA in the past The American Gaming Association says Kalshi is the most visible sports betting brand by digital ad impressions, with 5.2 billion per year The 2026 NCAA Tournament is the first where sportsbooks can officially use “March Madness” branding through a Genius Sports deal…
TLDR Spain unveiled its Safe Gambling Program 2026–2030 at a meeting of the Advisory Council on Safe Gambling in Madrid The program shifts from a “responsible gambling” model to a broader “safe gambling” approach focused on consumers It is built on three priorities: analysis and diagnosis, prevention, and participant protection The strategy includes 6 general objectives and 24 specific measures with a flexible multi-year structure There is a special focus on protecting vulnerable groups, especially youth, backed by scientific research Spain has officially launched its Safe Gambling Program 2026–2030. The new strategy aims to improve player protection and reduce harm…
TLDR Wisconsin lawmakers passed Assembly Bill 601, sending a statewide sports betting bill to Gov. Tony Evers for his signature The bill uses a “hub-and-spoke” model based on Florida’s tribal gaming framework, with servers located on tribal land Wisconsin tribes would reportedly receive at least 60% of sports betting revenue, which may discourage major operators like DraftKings and FanDuel from entering Prediction markets from DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics could offer an alternative path into Wisconsin for national operators Gov. Evers has six days, excluding Sundays, to sign, veto, or let the bill become law without his signature Statewide sports betting…
TLDR Brazilian Congresswoman Tabata Amaral introduced Bill 1172/2026 to ban all digital advertising for fixed-odds betting services The ban would cover websites, apps, social media, and streaming platforms, limiting companies to organic traffic only Betting firms would be required to include anti-gambling messages and addiction resources on their own sites The bill cites World Health Organization concerns about debt and psychological harm from mass betting ads Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting opposes the ban, warning it could push users toward illegal operators Brazil may be about to shut the door on digital betting ads entirely. A new bill introduced…
TLDR Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board launched “What’s Really at Stake” campaign targeting underage gambling during March Madness 75% of U.S. college students gambled in the past year according to CollegeGambling.org 58% of 18–22-year-olds engaged in sports betting per a 2023 NCAA report Illegal and unregulated gambling sites are cited as a major driver of youth gambling Calls to Pennsylvania’s 1-800-GAMBLER helpline from young people have increased in recent years The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has launched a new advertising campaign aimed at reducing underage gambling. The initiative is called “What’s Really at Stake” and it went live during Problem Gambling…
TLDR Argentina has banned Polymarket nationwide after authorities found it was operating without legal authorization Buenos Aires City Lottery (LOTBA) filed the complaint that triggered a judicial order to block the platform A judge ordered the blocking of Polymarket’s website and apps across the entire country Regulators flagged concerns over missing age and identity verification and the use of crypto payments Argentina is now the first country in Latin America to restrict a prediction market platform Argentina has banned the crypto-based prediction market platform Polymarket from operating anywhere in the country. The decision came after regulators found the platform was…
TLDR Sri Lanka’s Deputy Tourism Minister announced plans to make Colombo a gaming technology hub at the Global Game Connect 2026 summit The $1.2 billion City of Dreams Sri Lanka resort opened in Colombo in 2025, targeting wealthy South Asian travelers The government aims to attract 3 million international visitors in 2026, with gaming as a key draw Projected annual revenue from the gaming industry is expected to reach $250 million The tax rate on the gaming industry has been raised to 18% to boost the national treasury Sri Lanka is making a big push to grow its gaming industry…