Chilean operator Enjoy reported a 16.4% loss for the first half of 2026, attributing its deteriorating financial performance primarily to the unchecked growth of unregulated online betting in the country. This highlights the significant challenge licensed operators face from the black market.
A research consortium, Local Health and Global Profits (LHGP), is urging the UK's Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) to broaden its proposed ban on unlicensed gambling sponsorship in sports to include all regulated operators. While supporting action against the black market, LHGP believes extending the ban is crucial for public health and reducing gambling harm.
Better Collective and Yahoo Sports have announced a partnership to provide comprehensive sports betting coverage, data, and technology to fans. Yahoo Sports will integrate Better Collective's data and tech across its products and distribute select Action Network content within its betting hub. This collaboration aims to enhance sports betting understanding for a broad audience.
Axom Gaming is expanding its operations across Africa, leveraging a strategic partnership with 888AFRICA to capitalize on the continent's growing iGaming market. This collaboration aims to secure a leading position in emerging African territories, highlighting significant investment and market entry strategies.
Illegal betting operators were projected to profit significantly from the Betfred St Leger Festival, with an estimated £8 million staked with black market bookies across the Doncaster meeting. This includes £2 million wagered illegally on the St Leger race itself, highlighting the ongoing challenge of unlicensed gambling during major events.
FIRST.bet, a Tier-1 sportsbook technology provider, has appointed Victor Arias, previously a LATAM leader at Pragmatic Play, as its VP of LATAM and Head of Commercial LATAM. This strategic hire emphasizes FIRST.bet's focus on the Latin American market and aims to leverage Arias's extensive experience and network in the region.
BETER, a provider of live streams, data, and odds for esports and sports, has secured Gaming-Related Supplier Registration from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). This registration allows BETER to offer its services to licensed operators in the Canadian province, marking its official entry into the Ontario market.
Connecticut has issued cease-and-desist orders to nine prediction market operators, targeting illegal gambling activities within the state. Governor Ned Lamont and Consumer Protection Commissioner Bryan T. Cafferelli initiated these actions to curb unlicensed operations. This move follows an estimated $40 billion wagered on NFL games via prediction markets, highlighting increased regulatory scrutiny.
Regulatory authorities from Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein (DACHL) met in Bern to discuss joint strategies against illegal online gambling. The focus is on combating cross-border, complex illegal operations, moving beyond targeting individual providers to ensure more effective enforcement in the DACHL region.
Aristocrat Leisure Limited has issued an update regarding a buy-back notification, as part of their ongoing capital management strategy. This involves the company repurchasing its own shares from the market.
Nevada gaming regulators are set to consider several revisions to the state's technical standards next month. These proposed changes are the culmination of several years of work by the NGCB to overhaul the existing technical framework, impacting operations for licensees.
A football match in Estonia's second tier was curtailed due to suspected betting fraud, raising integrity concerns for the jurisdiction's ambition to become a major iGaming licensing hub. This incident highlights potential vulnerabilities in the market and could impact its regulatory reputation.
Sunderland AFC has signed a multi-year sponsorship deal with Shuffle, a crypto-centric online casino and sports betting platform that operates without a UK Gambling Commission license. This partnership is controversial given increasing scrutiny on football clubs promoting gambling and the platform's unlicensed status in the UK, raising questions about regulatory oversight. The deal highlights ongoing tensions between sports sponsorship and responsible gambling practices within the UK.
Spectrum Gaming's 63-page report revealed significant compliance deficiencies within Evolution, confirming that its games were accessible in prohibited markets. This highlights potential regulatory failures and poses serious concerns for the live casino giant's operational integrity. The findings could lead to further scrutiny and regulatory action against Evolution.
Anthony and Laura Lee, two more Conservative figures, have pleaded guilty to cheating in connection with bets placed on the 2024 UK general election date. This scandal involves illegal betting activity by individuals with insider knowledge, raising questions about betting integrity and regulatory oversight. Several other Conservative Party members are also under investigation for similar offenses.
The Financial Action Task Force (FATF) has released new risk indicators highlighting casinos and betting as sectors with high money laundering exposure. These indicators are crucial for compliance professionals to identify and mitigate financial crime risks within the gaming and gambling industries.
Yggdrasil is introducing Game in a Box™ and Studio in a Box™ initiatives to reduce the cost and risk associated with game development. These programs aim to make game creation more accessible and experimental for studios. This strategy could impact how new iGaming content is produced and brought to market.
Playtech CEO Mor Weizer anticipates the company will launch in Brazil by early 2027, following delays partly attributed to political uncertainties within the newly regulated market. This timeline offers insight into major B2B supplier strategies for a significant emerging iGaming market.
The UK House of Lords International Agreements Committee has endorsed the government's plan to ratify the Council of Europe's Macolin Convention, an international agreement designed to combat match-fixing. This move signifies the UK's commitment to strengthening legal frameworks against sports competition manipulation, impacting sports integrity and betting operations.
RubyPlay has acquired Splash Tech, aiming to enhance iGaming engagement products beyond just jackpots and free-to-play games. The acquisition is intended to help operators increase player lifetime value, simplify jackpot infrastructure, and boost engagement across various content types including casino and sportsbook.
Playtech CEO Mor Weizer used the company's H1 earnings call to emphasize the industry's responsibility to cut off technology supply to illegal gambling operators, despite refusing to comment on ongoing litigation with Evolution AB in New Jersey. This stance highlights a critical issue for major B2B suppliers regarding market integrity and regulatory compliance. The refusal to discuss the Evolution litigation suggests its sensitivity and importance to Playtech.
German authorities have launched a major crackdown on an illegal gambling network, following a three-year investigation into heightened money-laundering risks flagged by the Financial Action Task Force (FATF). Eleven premises were raided, targeting an operation reportedly handling €6 billion in stakes. This initiative aims to combat criminal activities threatening the German economy and market integrity.
Codere Online has secured a multi-year agreement to become the official betting partner of the NFL in Mexico. This strategic partnership aims to enhance Codere Online's brand presence and market share in the Latin American region by aligning with a major global sports league.
Two individuals closely associated with the UK Conservative Party, including its Head of Campaigning, have pleaded guilty to cheating offences under the Gambling Act 2005. Anthony Lee and his wife, Laura Lee, admitted to placing bets on the date of the 2024 UK general election using insider information. This development is part of a wider scandal involving bets made by political figures on the election timing.
BetMGM has secured a multi-year partnership with the Minnesota Vikings, becoming the team's Official Sports Betting and Online Casino Partner in Canada. This agreement grants BetMGM rights to utilize Vikings branding for sports betting, online casino, and marketing activities, and will include an exclusive Vikings-themed casino game launch.