North America

Alberta government gives $2.4m to gambling treatment provider

After welcoming commercial online casinos and sportsbooks to the province this summer, the government of Alberta has pledged new funding to expand gambling addiction treatment and related services.

The government announced in a press release on Thursday, Sept. 24, that it will provide approximately $2.4m to Brick House Recovery Centre in an effort to ensure provincial residents have access to specialized care to address gambling issues.

Brick House is an Alberta-based addiction service provider that offers evidence-based treatment and support. The government said that its funding will help the centre deliver a flexible outpatient program consisting of four weeks of outpatient treatment and up to eight weeks of subsequent individualized aftercare to support ongoing recovery.

Treatment is available in-person at centres in Edmonton and Calgary or online across the province.

“Gambling can ruin people’s lives and livelihoods,” said Minister of Service Alberta and Red Tape Reduction Dale..

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NCPG board president speaks out after members quit over Kalshi deal

The board president of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) spoke out Tuesday on the non-profit’s relationship with Kalshi that is leading some member organizations to quit the group.

Derek Longmeier’s letter affirming NCPG’s “neutral” stance on prediction markets legality arrived shortly after its director of programs resigned, saying she could “no longer reconcile” how she believed her work should be done with the organization’s direction in the past year.

In recent months, members from numerous states have cited the Kalshi collaboration as the reason for ending their affiliation with the NCPG, including:

Michigan

Nevada

Ohio

Washington

All of those states have been involved in federal and/or state court litigation with Kalshi for months.

What is NCPG’s relationship with Kalshi?

In May, Kalshi and the NCPG unveiled a new multi-year partnership wherein Kalshi committed to invest $2m over two years, and the NCPG established a new Financial Services & Trading Subcate..

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iGaming Ontario, Responsible Gambling Council expand gambling education to 40 campuses

Ontario’s online gaming agency iGaming Ontario (iGO) has teamed up with the Responsible Gambling Council (RGC) to expand the latter’s gambling harm education for college-aged students in the province.

The organizations announced on Wednesday, Sept. 23, that the non-profit RGC is doubling its gambling harm prevention program to encompass 40 publicly funded college and university campuses across the province for the current academic year.

Previously aimed at 20 campuses across the province through an initiative funded by Ontario’s Ministry of Health, RGC said that iGO’s new support will double the program’s footprint and target 10,000 in-person student interactions.

Now in its 25th year, RGC’s post-secondary campus tour offers in-person education, supports, and resources and an interactive education program delivered by RGC-trained peer-aged ambassadors.

This year, a Random Tower installation features a life-sized Jenga-style activity customized with important messages about harm re..

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New York defiant on prediction markets as legal tussle escalates

The hostility faced by prediction markets across the US is embodied by the struggles of Kalshi in New York.

Tensions are boiling over in the Big Apple, as New York State Governor Kathy Hochul warned the prediction market platform that it cannot buy itself an exemption from the law as the legal battle between the state and the sector escalates.

The New York attorney general on Friday (31 July) filed a lawsuit against Kalshi, accusing the prediction market platform of breaking the law by offering unregulated gambling under the guise of events contracts.

According to the Wall Street Journal, Kalshi had offered to pay a 6% tax on prediction market traders, which would raise $10bn over five years for the state.

However, Governor Hochul posted on X: “Kalshi can promise 100% of its revenue. You can’t buy yourself an exemption from New York law. If an illegal bookie offers the state a share of their profits, we’ll still shut them down.”

Kalshi can promise 100% of its revenue.

You can’t b..

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Caesars Sportsbook hit with $250k fine by New Jersey regulator

Caesars Sportsbook reached a financial settlement this month with the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) to address a series of responsible gambling violations.

The operator agreed to pay a $251,250 fine and to disgorge $45,465 in profits in order to avoid additional disciplinary action by the DGE, according to an Aug. 5 letter sent to Caesars.

The regulator warned, however, that further violations will result in future discipline, even for small infractions.

Image: Andy Borysowski / Shutterstock.com

What NJ sports betting rules did Caesars violate?

According to the letter, Caesars committed the following violations over an unspecified period of time:

Displaying signage that did not contain the appropriate RG language in accordance with regulations

Not sending to DGE the daily self-exclusion list

Offering a permanent self-exclusion option through its platform

Permitting self-excluded patrons the opportunity to wager through other platforms

More specifically, sign..

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MLBPA says league ‘balked’ at prop bet ban in letter to Congress

In the wake of the furor surrounding FanDuel’s use of a message from Bryce Harper, the MLB Players Association (MLBPA) told members of Congress that it is open to banning players from participating in personalized marketing campaigns tied to sports betting VIP programs, and that MLB “balked” at a ban on prop bets.

MLBPA General Counsel Jeffrey Perconte wrote in an Aug. 24 response to a letter sent Aug. 10 by federal legislators that the players association “welcomes dialogue with lawmakers regarding our Sports Betting Policy and potential measures that can be taken to promote the safety and wellbeing of both our members and the public.”

Union: MLB not on board with player prop ban pitch

The players association stated in its letter that the MLBPA proposed a joint lobbying effort with MLB to ban prop bets and functionally similar in-game performance event contracts on prediction markets that are based on in-game performance.

That was one of its planned measures to curb “bets that are..

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Half of Americans say they are gambling, but rate is declining

Around half of American adults say they partake in at least one form of gambling, but confirmed participation in almost every category fell in recent years. That’s the bottom-line conclusion of a new Gallup poll, which combines the results of telephone surveys and an online poll conducted in recent weeks. The phone survey concluded that 45% of respondents reported they…

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Congress sends letter to MLB demanding answers amid Harper, FanDuel controversy

Three mmbers of Congress are calling on Major League Baseball to make changes to its gambling policies amid a controversial video delivered by FanDuel that featured superstar Bryce Harper.

On Monday, MLB Commissioner Robert Manfred and MLBPA Interim Executive Director Bruce Meyer received a letter calling on MLB to change its policies that allow players and teams to secure partnerships with licensed sportsbooks.

The letter was sent by Rep. Paul Tonko, Sen. Richard Blumenthal, and Rep. Valerie Foushee.

Manfred and Meyer received the letter following a controversial video sent to a former FanDuel VIP customer who has admitted to having a gambling addiction. The video was sent by a FanDuel VIP manager, with the content including Harper. In the video, the Philadelphia Phillies superstar wished former FanDuel customer Terry Thompson an “extra special Thanksgiving.”

Why is Harper video problematic for FanDuel, MLB?

The video was sent to Thompson in 2024 to encourage betting despite the ..

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Iowa regulator fines FanDuel for soccer, basketball betting errors

FanDuel was handed a sizable fine by Iowa’s gaming regulator last month, adding to recent sports betting infractions by the operator in the Hawkeye State.

According to documents obtained by SBC Americas, the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) fined FanDuel a total of $95,000 for two separate sports betting violations. The infractions occurred between June 2024 and July 2025, and relate to impermissible betting markets offered by FanDuel tied to basketball and soccer.

FanDuel self-reports basketball violation

According to the IRGC, FanDuel self-reported to the regulator that it offered impermissible wagers on the Maharlika Pilipanas Basketball League (MPBL) between June 4, 2024 and April 2, 2025. FanDuel violated Iowa’s gaming rules and procedures by offering betting markets on a basketball league that is not officially sanctioned by the International Basketball Federation (FIBA). The IRGC requires operators to only offer betting markets on international professional basketball..

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Underdog RG chief Warrington joins prediction markets rival Novig

Former Underdog VP of Responsible Gaming Adam Warrington has joined rival prediction markets operator Novig as SVP, External Affairs. Warrington leaves Underdog just as the operator announces a $1.1bn acquisition by UK-based derivatives trading company IG Group. “What led me to Novig is the company’s clear commitment to responsible trading and being the leader in…

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