Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Police in Visakhapatnam arrested 24 people connected to an online betting scam that processed over ₹500 crore (US$52 million) in transactions The operation spanned seven Indian states and had links to Sri Lanka, using at least seven betting websites Alleged kingpin Karan Pakhrani, known as “Gabbar,” was arrested in Kolkata along with six associates Around 224 mule bank accounts were used to route betting proceeds through layers of UPI and bank transfers Total money linked to illegal gains and public losses from the case reached approximately ₹1,500 crore (US$156 million) Police in Visakhapatnam, Andhra Pradesh, have arrested 24 individuals…

TLDR Brazil collected BRL 3.4 billion in betting taxes in Q1 2026, up 123.7% from last year Congress is debating how to distribute growing betting revenue across sports, education, and public safety A Senate bill proposes directing betting funds toward military sports development programs The government will gradually allocate up to 3% of betting tax revenue to fund Federal Police operations Illegal betting operators still control 41% to 51% of Brazil’s market despite regulation efforts Betting Tax Revenue Surges in Brazil Brazil’s regulated betting market is generating massive tax revenue, and now the country’s Congress is debating where all that…

TLDR The UK government launched a 12-month Illegal Gambling Taskforce to disrupt payments and advertising tied to unlicensed operators. The taskforce will operate under confidentiality rules, with its membership list kept private. Unlicensed gambling stakes in the UK hit £16.6 billion in 2025, more than triple the 2019 figure. The group is pushing for voluntary, non-legislative action from payment providers and tech platforms. The move comes after the Remote Gaming Duty was raised to 40% in April 2026, raising fears of more players turning to black-market sites. The UK government has created a new Illegal Gambling Taskforce with a clear…

TLDR Dana White sent a letter to Trump asking him to roll back a new federal limit on gambling loss deductions The 2025 tax law now only allows gamblers to deduct 90% of losses instead of the previous 100% Some bettors who break even or lose money could still face a federal tax bill under the new rules White argues the cap hurts Nevada’s tourism economy and undermines the “No Tax on Tips” message The legal gambling industry warns the change pushes bettors toward unregulated offshore sportsbooks UFC president Dana White has written directly to President Donald Trump asking him…

TLDR House Oversight Chair James Comer confirmed an active investigation into suspicious prediction market trades tied to Iran and other geopolitical events Comer said subpoenas will follow if parties do not cooperate with information requests Seven Democratic lawmakers sent a letter citing trades where one trader allegedly made nearly $1 million with a 93% success rate on Iran-related bets A U.S. Army special forces soldier was recently charged with using classified information to place prediction market trades The Senate has already approved a ban on members and staff participating in prediction markets The House Oversight Committee has launched an investigation…

TLDR Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt vetoed Senate Bill 1589, which would have banned online sweepstakes casinos in the state The bill had passed the Senate 48-0 and the House 65-21 before being struck down on May 7 The vetoed bill targeted dual-currency sweepstakes platforms and would have held geolocation providers, affiliates, and promoters liable Lawmakers have until May 29 to override the veto, or sweepstakes operators will remain unregulated in Oklahoma A separate sports betting bill also failed in the Senate in April, leaving Oklahoma without progress on either gambling measure Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has vetoed a bill that…

TLDR Kenya’s gambling industry paid KSh32 billion ($247 million) in taxes by the end of April 2026, up from KSh24 billion in the 2022/23 financial year The Kenya Revenue Authority credited the increase to stronger operator compliance and rising customer activity Gambling tax revenues are now funding public services including healthcare, education, and infrastructure The KRA is considering reduced excise duty rates for operators that implement player safety programs Kenya is positioning itself as a regulatory and commercial hub for Africa’s gaming industry Kenya’s gambling sector has produced a sharp increase in tax revenue, with the Association of Gaming Operators…

TLDR Truth Social has dramatically scaled back its prediction market plans, reducing Truth Predict to a marketing collaboration with Crypto.com’s OG.com platform ForecastEx, owned by Interactive Brokers, quietly dropped sports contracts from its platform in early March 2026 Over 40 companies have launched or plan to launch prediction markets, but experts say most will fail Industry analysts compare the coming consolidation to early social media or the post-PASPA sportsbook shakeout Developers are increasingly building tools for Kalshi and Polymarket instead of competing against them The prediction market industry is heading toward a major shakeout, with early signs of consolidation already…

TLDR Colorado’s legislature passed SB 26-131, making it the first state to ban sportsbook push notifications and text messages to bettors. The bill also bans credit card deposits, limits daily deposits, restricts youth-adjacent advertising, and requires anonymized data sharing with regulators. The Sports Betting Alliance, representing FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and others, argues the restrictions could push bettors toward unregulated offshore sportsbooks. Responsible gambling advocates largely support the bill but some suggest an opt-in model for notifications would have been a more balanced approach than a total ban. The bill now awaits Governor Jared Polis’s signature; earlier versions that banned prop…

TLDR Industry suppliers at G2E Asia said regulatory obstacles continue to slow technology adoption across Asia-Pacific gaming markets Light & Wonder and Aristocrat executives called for closer collaboration between gaming companies and regulators during product development Cashless payment technology in casinos remains clunky due to regulatory processes, not the technology itself Philippine land-based operators launching online platforms under PAGCOR’s PIGO scheme are struggling because they lack in-house digital expertise Experts warned that operators using white-label providers to run online businesses risk losing control of their most valuable asset — the customer database The Asia-Pacific gaming industry is facing a familiar…