iGaming Business News

Key Points Evolution formally terminated its merger agreement with Galaxy Gaming on 21 July 2026, paying a $5,234,678 breakup fee. Two gaming regulators, including Nevada, had not granted approval before the 17 July contractual deadline expired. Evolution CEO Martin Carlesund had already signalled the outcome weeks earlier, calling the deal “not significant” for the business. […]

Key Points GRAI CEO Anne Marie Caulfield confirmed the regulator could pursue High Court blocking orders against one of the world’s largest prediction market platforms still targeting Irish consumers without a licence. Both Polymarket and Kalshi restricted access to Irish users as of 21 July 2026, with a second platform geoblock confirmed on that same […]

Key Points Reports of youth online gambling rose 74% in the second month of South Korea’s voluntary reporting programme, with 806 total cases logged between May and mid-July 2026. Cases include a 14-year-old who withdrew KRW30 million from a parent’s bank account and an 18-year-old paying 200% annual interest to illegal lenders. Proposed AML changes […]

Key Points The Swedish gambling regulatory body has released a comprehensive map regarding the promotional activities of the unlicensed entities targeting Swedish consumers, naming affiliate link farms, Twitch, Kick, TikTok, Snapchat, Meta, X, and Telegram as their key advertising platforms. The first-ever criminal conviction related to unlicensed gambling activities due to economic offences has been […]

Key Points Dr Ahmad Hesham, former Senior Legal Adviser to the UAE Federal Government and Vice President of the Supreme Administrative Court, joins the GCGRA as General Counsel and Board Secretary. The appointment follows Ciarán Carruthers being confirmed as permanent CEO last month, completing a significant leadership restructure at the regulator. The GCGRA is overseeing […]

Key Points Hacksaw grew Q2 revenue 31% to €59.3m, with adjusted operating profit rising equally and the 82% EBIT margin holding steady for the full half-year. The supplier released 34 games in Q2 across in-house and OpenRGS channels, signed 106 commercial deals including 63 with new clients, and entered Slovenia, Paraguay, and, post-quarter, Alberta. Interim […]

Key Points Prediction markets claimed roughly 27% of all legal US sports-betting volume during the World Cup, tripling their market share from 9% in January, according to H2 Gambling Capital estimates. Kalshi surpassed both DraftKings and FanDuel in daily mobile app users during the tournament, while its “FIFA World Cup Winner” market alone generated over […]

Key Points 44% of tested casinos silently doubled wagering requirements by calculating them on deposits plus bonuses combined, not bonuses alone. Multi-stage welcome packages advertised at 20x-30x reached an effective 40x once all deposit stages were completed. Under Finland’s new Gambling Act (Rahapelilaki 10/2026), welcome bonuses for new customers will be prohibited from 1 July […]

Key Points Italy’s Agenzia delle Entrate has lifted its 2026 gambling income estimate by €807m, pointing to the overhauled online licensing system and the GGR rate adjustments baked into the 2025 Budget Law. Between January and April 2026, gambling tax receipts dropped 7.8% against the prior year, pulled down by shrinking gaming machine income and […]

Key Points Cirsa acquired a controlling stake in Sociedade Figueira Praia, the operator of Casino Figueira of Figueira da Foz, giving itself its first entry into the land-based gambling market of Portugal. This partnership goes hand-in-hand with Cirsa’s purchase of CasinoPortugal.pt in December 2024, thus forming an omnichannel platform in Portugal’s regulated market environment. The […]