MLB urges CFTC to take sports event contracts in hand

Major League Baseball (MLB) wants the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to create an “integrity framework” around sporting event contracts as the burgeoning vertical continues to expand.

In a letter dated March 7, MLB EVP of Legal and Operations Bryan Seeley stressed that, “as the resemblance between sports event contracts and traditional sports betting markets continues to grow, so too does the need to replicate the integrity and consumer protections that exist at the state level.”

The executive noted that, while leagues have partnered with sportsbooks, regulators and integrity monitoring firms to track betting activity, he does not know of any stipulation that requires prediction markets such as Kalshi and Crypto.com to notify leagues of potential integrity threats or share data for integrity purposes.

“MLB has been advised that some exchanges and brokers take the position that they are not even permitted to share information with MLB under current CFTC regulations,” add..

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Lawmakers reintroduce SAFE Bet Act ahead of March Madness

The SAFE Bet Act is being reintroduced ahead of one of the largest U.S. sports events.

Rep. Paul Tonko and Sen. Richard Blumenthal held a press conference to reintroduce the Supporting Affordability and Fairness with Every (SAFE) Bet Act. The legislation would create federal oversight of sports betting, which is currentlyregulated by states that offer it. The two lawmakers have reintroduced the act ahead of March Madness, one of the largest sports events in the U.S.

“Tens of millions of Americans are anxiously awaiting the beginning of March Madness,” said Tonko during the press conference at the U.S. Capitol. “In exactly one week, those Americans will be placing and most likely losing bets made on their favorite teams.”

The SAFE Bet Act claim the measure would protect sports bettors across the country while cracking down on illegal gambling operations and a lack of oversight.

“We are not here because we want to stop the industry from breaking records, nor are we here to prevent A..

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PrizePicks first DFS operator to receive NCPG’s iCAP certification

Daily fantasy sports giant PrizePicks is the first DFS operator to receive Internet Compliance Assessment Program (iCAP) accreditation from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).

iCAP certification is granted to operators that meet the NCPG’s standards for responsible gaming and consumer protection practices.

The process involves an independent, comprehensive review of an operator’s responsible gaming policies and practices, including considerations such as Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols, staff training programs, work culture, consumer protection measures, RG tool offerings, customer service standards and regulatory compliance.

PrizePicks CEO Mike Ybarra called the certification “powerful recognition” of the company’s operations and “an incredible honor that underscores our unwavering commitment to putting player safety first.”

“I want to extend my sincere thanks to the NCPG for their thorough evaluation, and to our exceptional team for setting the bar as an industr..

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Texas lawmakers file measure to prevent lottery ticket collusion

A pair of Texas lawmakers are taking legislative action to prevent collusion regarding the sale of lottery tickets across the state.

Sens. Bryan Hughes and Paul Bettencourt have introduced Senate Bill 1346 as a measure that prohibits lottery ticket sales to “persons attempting to purchase all possible winning tickets in a lottery drawing”. The two lawmakers co-authored the bill amid allegations of fraud pertaining to a multimillion-dollar jackpot awarded in 2023.

SB 1346 mandates that a lottery ticket sales agent may not “knowingly sell or allow the sale” of tickets for a lottery game to one or more persons who are attempting to buy all possible winning tickets. The measure, pending in the Senate State Affairs Committee, also calls for a hearing if illicit sales are expected. The hearing will determine whether the Texas Lottery Commission (TLC) shall revoke the licenses of sales agents.

Sales agents who violate SB 1346 and have their licenses revoked are prohibited from applying for..

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Ohio campaign for athletes against gambling harassment gets updates

The Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) is enhancing its More Than A Bet campaign as student athletes in the state face gambling-related online harassment.

The commission has made updates to its campaign ahead of March Madness, one of the largest sports betting events in America. It is also observing Problem Gambling Awareness Month with the launch of the revamped campaign. The OCCC has reported continual harassment against student athletes despite regulatory steps to combat abuse.

A year ago, Ohio operators were banned from offering NCAA player prop markets.

Ohio group helps launch campaign

Last September, Ohio for Responsible Gambling helped debut the More Than A Bet campaign with up to 25% of abusive messaging toward student athletes being gambling-related. The poor messaging remains rampant as one in three high-profile athletes receive abusive messages with more than 500 of those messages including death threats.

“People are mad when they lose a bet. That’s not an excuse to ..

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Mississippi State & Texas self-report NCAA gambling violations

A pair of college athletic programs are being proactive in notifying the NCAA of gambling-related infractions.

According to documents obtained by the Austin American-Statesman, the University of Texas athletic department has self-reported five NCAA violations related to improper sports betting. The violations were caused by two unnamed football players, a person associated with the women’s tennis team, a student assistant and a staff member.

The self-reported violations occurred between July 2024 and November 2024 with the five individuals spending a combined $14,885 on daily fantasy sports platform PrizePicks.

The five individuals used PrizePicks to wager on statistical player performances as Texas remains one of the last remaining U.S. markets to not offer regulated sports betting.

The University of Texas reported the five individuals as the NCAA bans wagering by all players, coaches, and team officials on events sponsored by the organization whether with sportsbooks or DFS sites..

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Mastercard and Visa underpin strong approach to black market

Mastercard and Visa have underline “zero tolerance” to black market activity on network

It follows a Guardian report that alleged that Mastercard and Visa are falling short in terms of halting transactions to the illegal gambling market.

The report stated that Mastercard found itself alongside cryptocurrency being offered as a payment option for a myriad of unlicensed operators.

Nonetheless, Mastercard rallied back against the accusations, telling Payment Expert: “We have zero tolerance for illegal activity on our network. When specific instances of potentially unlawful or illegal activity are identified, we investigate the allegations so that we can work with partners to take the appropriate action. We will now do so with the sites which were noted.”

The report was less scathing about Visa, revealing that it appeared on fewer sites, however, did still have a presence on the black market.

Visa, however, lauded the impact of its Integrity Risk Programme, which is a set of guide..

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Dutch Gaming Authority recovers significant cash sums from thwarted illegal poker tournaments

Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the Dutch gaming authority, has shut down several illegal poker tournaments and recovered tens of thousands of euros in cash.

Six tournaments across Amsterdam, Asten, The Hague, Rotterdam and Tilburg were halted by the regulators in conjunction with police and municipalities in the final quarter of 2024. According to the body, significant cash sums were also seized at each location, including €40,000 in one case.

Additionally, last month, the KSA also imposed a €110,00 penalty on the organiser of unlicensed poker.

In doing so, the KSA warned against the dangers of illegal poker tournaments for the player and also due to their links to criminal activity.

It stated: “Illegal poker tournaments are often part of subversive crime, in which criminals use legal businesses (such as catering establishments) or citizens for criminal activities.

“In addition, poker players are at risk of gambling addiction, especially when playing in an uncontrolled environment wi..

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Ghana set for regulatory overview? 

The Gaming Authority in Ghana is set to intensify its efforts around regulation of the gambling industry, with a specific focus on the location of the gambling venues.

Commissioner Emmanuel Siisi Quainoo has emphasised during a recent meeting that the body is aiming to tackle the level of gambling venues in areas that could see an increased impact on the most vulnerable corners of society.

The framework is set to be around zoning rules and the enforcing of gambling compliance as the sector continues to grow in terms of engagement.

Quainoo stated: “As part of our mandate, gaming operators are prohibited from establishing facilities near schools and religious institutions. If an applicant’s proposed location is too close to these areas, we will not grant a license. Our goal is to prevent school children from being drawn into gambling at the expense of their education… We will take firm action against illegal gambling operators and ensure strict enforcement of the law.”

The Ministe..

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Former Australia crime intelligence head issues stark over-regulation warning

The former head of the Australian Criminal Intelligence Commission (ACIC) has warned the market is edging towards a tipping point as excessive regulation and taxation push players towards the black market.

Speaking at Sydney’s Regulating the Game conference on Tuesday (11 March), Michael Phelan, who served as CEO of the ACIC between 2017 and 2022, told attendees that a “happy equilibrium” must be found to protect both players and operators.

He said: “The issue is that if the market or taxation gets to a point beyond the equilibrium – if you get to a point where you tax the industry so much and you overregulate – then people will look to other markets to go to and we’ve seen that happen in [the Australian tobacco] industry where regulation falls off a cliff and you have zero visibility.”

Phelan cited Australia’s growing “tobacco wars” which has seen stringent regulations and excises applied to tobacco products, leading to organised crime groups flooding the market with illegal produ..

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