Author: Maisie Morrison

TLDR Oklahoma lawmakers introduced an amended sports betting bill (HB 1047) with tribal backing ahead of an expected Senate vote this week The bill allows tribes to offer retail and mobile sports betting and partner with commercial operators like FanDuel or DraftKings The state would receive an 8% fee on adjusted sports betting revenue, with funds going to education, workforce programs, and problem gambling services A supermajority of tribes in the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, public universities, and the Oklahoma City Thunder support the bill Governor Kevin Stitt remains a hurdle, insisting on a free-market model rather than a tribal-controlled…

TLDR BetHog closed a $10 million Series A round co-led by Will Ventures and RockawayX, bringing total funding to $16 million. The company launched Sentient Studios, a B2B platform that lets casino operators deploy AI-powered live dealers. CEO Nigel Eccles said BetHog’s AI dealer is 10 times more popular than traditional live dealers in early testing. The platform runs on a revenue-share model with no setup fees or minimum commitments for operators. BetHog plans to expand its AI dealers into baccarat and roulette later this year after launching its first AI blackjack dealer “Sunny” in October 2025. BetHog, the crypto-native…

TLDR The UK Gambling Commission released updated data through February 2026 showing no steady growth in illegal gambling activity over 21 months VPN usage jumped roughly 40% after the Online Safety Act rolled out in July 2025, hiding more illegal gambling traffic The Commission’s previous 30% adjustment for VPN-hidden traffic may no longer be enough to capture the full picture Web traffic estimates carry error margins and miss activity through apps or direct connections, making volume measurement unreliable The regulator is seeking input from international regulators and licensed operators to improve its data and enforcement methods The UK Gambling Commission…

TLDR New York AG Letitia James sued Coinbase and Gemini, calling their prediction markets illegal gambling operations The lawsuits seek to shut down the platforms in New York and recover profits, damages, and penalties The suit invokes the federal Wire Act of 1961 for the first time against a prediction market platform Kalshi was not included in the lawsuits due to its pending federal court case against New York regulators Coinbase has moved to transfer the case to federal court, arguing federal law overrides state gambling rules New York Attorney General Letitia James filed lawsuits against Coinbase and Gemini on…

TLDR Macau mass-market gaming revenue grew 14.4% year-on-year in Q1 2026, the best mass growth since Q3 2024 EBITDA margins are expected to drop by 30 basis points despite 9% year-on-year EBITDA growth Player reinvestment and agent commissions remain high with no near-term improvement expected Sands China led operators in top-line revenue growth, followed by Wynn Macau Seaport expects a sharp slowdown in Macau gaming growth for the rest of 2026 Macau’s casino industry posted strong first-quarter results in 2026, but analysts at Seaport Research Partners warn that the pace of growth is unlikely to hold through the rest of…

TLDR Grupo Orenes bought a 51% stake in Zamba.co and is expanding its presence in Colombia’s regulated betting market Digital payments and growing online betting adoption are driving market growth across Colombia New tax on deposits for online platforms is creating challenges for operators and long-term planning Illegal betting operators remain a top concern as higher costs could push customers to unlicensed platforms The FIFA World Cup 2026 is expected to boost betting activity and attract new customers Colombia’s regulated betting market is drawing fresh investment even as new tax rules create headaches for operators. Grupo Orenes, a global betting…

TLDR The UK is Europe’s largest regulated online gambling market, with online casinos now generating more revenue than traditional bookmakers Around 25% to 33% of UK adults participate in gambling, with smartphone gaming now dominating over desktop The Gambling Commission enforces strict licensing, anti-money laundering checks, and advertising rules for all operators The industry supports tens of thousands of jobs and contributes heavily to the UK economy through a 21% Point of Consumption tax Operators are investing millions in AI to monitor player behavior and meet tougher compliance requirements The UK online gambling market continues to grow in 2026 despite…

TLDR Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Jordan Maynard warned that prediction markets and illegal platforms are targeting users under 21 The MGC is partnering with BetBlocker software to help parents block gambling sites, including prediction markets, on children’s phones Massachusetts became the first state to secure a court ruling blocking Kalshi from offering sports-related prediction market contracts Maynard called for federal advertising guidelines for gambling, saying current ad volume is excessive but protected by the First Amendment The state introduced new rules requiring operators to notify bettors of any betting limits within 48 hours and explain the reasoning Massachusetts Gaming Commission…

TLDR Canadian prediction markets are limited to three contract types: economic indicators, financial markets, and climate trends — no sports or elections allowed A 2017 ban on binary options with maturities under 30 days blocks the short-term contracts popular on US platforms like Kalshi and Polymarket Wealthsimple recently gained approval for forecast contracts, joining Interactive Brokers as only the second regulated platform in Canada Polymarket was barred from Ontario after a 2025 settlement, but promotional flyers were reportedly handed out at Toronto Blue Jays games Vancouver Prediction Exchange is seeking regulatory approval in British Columbia to build a Canadian-owned prediction…

TLDR Arizona is asking a federal court to postpone its next hearing against Kalshi from May 6 to June 3 or later A pending Ninth Circuit ruling in a related Nevada case could directly shape the outcome of the Arizona dispute The CFTC and Kalshi both oppose the delay, saying additional briefing is unnecessary Ninth Circuit judges questioned whether sports event contracts are different from traditional gambling during an April 16 hearing Arizona and Kalshi also disagree over whether the current temporary restraining order allows the state to investigate possible violations Arizona officials are asking a federal court to push…