North America

Fanatics Betting and Gaming has partnered with betting technology provider OpenBet to launch the supplier’s suite of geolocation, fraud prevention, AML and responsible gaming tools on its sportsbook platform.

Fanatics Sportsbook will deploy OpenBet’s full Protect Suite, which includes OpenBet Locator and the AI-enhanced responsible gaming and AML platform Neccton.

“The OpenBet Locator and Neccton products deliver a secure and frictionless experience for our customers,” said Fanatics Chief Business Officer Ari Borod. “When we launched, we stated that our intention would be to innovate on the tech side, and we have now delivered two critical integrations in Neccton and OpenBet Locator to enhance our player protection framework and our geolocation needs.”

Rollout reflects Fanatics’ expansion

Fanatics Sportsbook now operates in 22 U.S. states plus D.C., a geographical spread that the operator said exposes it to close to 95% of the total addressable online sports betting market. It most..

Kalshi’s list of legal battles now includes one with citizens in addition to state governments.

Last week, a group of individuals from across the United States filed a class action against the site related to its offering of sports-related event contracts.

Filed in the Southern District of New York, it is the second such lawsuit filed in the district, following one that was filed in October. The law firm representing the plaintiffs in the first lawsuit is the Almeida Law Group, a firm that is no stranger to gaming-related class actions. The firm represents the plaintiffs in the pending litigation in California against DraftKings and PrizePicks as well as some sweepstakes-related lawsuits.

The uniting thread of all of the cases is that the product being offered is tantamount to illegal gambling and the plaintiffs are seeking damages and restitution. To date, none of the cases have been resolved.

The plaintiffs in the second lawsuit are represented by Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernste..

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the Professional Footballers’ Association (PFA) Canada continue to work together to safeguard Canadian soccer from match-fixing and integrity concerns, with nearly 200 Canadian Premier League (CPL) players and staff completing integrity training in 2025.

IBIA and PFA Canada have completed the second year of their joint anti-match-fixing education program, part of an initiative funded by a $300,000, three-year investment from IBIA and its members – bet365, Betway and FanDuel. The overarching initiative provides Canadian athletes and sports organizations with access to free, in-person integrity education.

Players and staff across all eight CPL clubs completed integrity training this year, just as they did last year.

Real-world experiences
The key aim of the IBIA training is to equip athletes and coaches with the knowledge to identify, avoid and report betting-related integrity risks. The focus on in-person training creates the opportunity to share and discuss real-world experiences, says IBIA.

The ‘Protecting the Integrity of the Game’ player education program is built around three foundational pillars of rules, responsibility and reporting. Those 3Rs cover the key information every athlete should know about sports betting-related match-fixing. In addition to highlighting the potential threats from sports betting-related match-fixing, the program educated players on rules and sanctions, the scale and accuracy of technology-enabled sports integrity monitoring and how to report incidents.

“Preventing sports betting-related match-fixing starts with educating the athletes and coaches,” said IBIA CEO Khalid Ali. “Through collaborative campaigns, industry-funded initiatives and unique face-to-face training, IBIA is setting the global standard for athlete education on betting integrity, in line with our Mission 2030 strategy. Alongside regulation and monitoring, it is very important that player education is placed at the heart of a maturing Canadian sports betting integrity ecosystem.

“We’re pleased to see this program delivering real impact. Everyone benefits when sports are clean.”

Resources like IBIA’s work are ‘beyond integral’
“The IBIA sports integrity training was super informative for our players, providing essential information on the rules of sports betting, the consequences of being involved, and ways to report any illegal activity,” added Vancouver FC captain and six-year CPL veteran goalkeeper Callum Irving. “Resources like the IBIA are beyond integral to safeguarding our sport and locker rooms from sports betting-related match-fixing.”

IBIA is a not-for-profit association funded by operators committed to safeguarding betting integrity. Its Global Monitoring & Alert Platform (Global MAP) uses operator intelligence from 90+ members to identify and share alerts on suspicious betting across regulated online sports wagering markets worldwide. Its model enables intelligence sharing between operators, sports governing bodies, regulators and law enforcement to help prevent the manipulation of sports and betting markets through athlete education, policy guidance and by promoting integrity standards.

IBIA and PFA Canada will continue their joint work in 2026. IBIA Education Ambassador Jean-Francois Reymond said the association looks forward to partnering with additional Canadian sports organizations to help safeguard the integrity of Canadian sport.

A lawmaker in Maryland wants the state to consider prohibiting micro betting as a professional sports league deals with allegations of game manipulation by athletes.

According to a report from The Baltimore Sun, House of Delegates member Jason Buckel wants the state to consider banning or changing rules related to micro bets as MLB deals with a gambling scandal tied to the alleged manipulation of pitch-level markets.

“We definitely should take a strong look at it [micro betting],” Buckel told The Baltimore Sun. “I believe the best course of action would be to either outright ban those types of individual-play prop bets or to very significantly limit the amount that could be wagered on those types of sporting activities.”

Buckel wants Maryland to consider a ban on micro bets after MLB warned state gaming regulators in 2021 about the risks associated with offering the betting markets. MLB pointed directly to the risk of offering pitch-level markets and called for discussions on the ma..

The NCAA is no longer considering a rule change that would have allowed its student-athletes to wager on professional sports.

The governing body of college sports announced that its Division I member schools voted to rescind an approved rule change that would have lifted a ban on pro sports betting.

DI institutions had the opportunity to rescind the rule change as part of the NCAA’s protocols, which allow DI schools to vote whether to rescind an approved rule change within 30 days if a proposal doesn’t receive at least 75% of votes from the DI Board.

Last month, the board voted to adopt the proposal, but with fewer than 75% of the votes.

The lack of votes allowed DI member institutions to vote on the issue, with two-thirds of the schools voting against lifting the NCAA’s ban on pro sports betting.

The NCAA considered a change of stance regarding pro sports betting as its bylaws “were written and adopted at a time when sports gambling was largely illegal nationwide,” said Universit..

The NCAA’s investigations into betting violations continue, and the college sports association has banned another six men’s basketball players at three different universities for manipulating their own performances.

In a statement published Friday, the association said that it uncovered three separate infractions involving student athletes who played for the New Orleans Privateers, the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils and Arizona State Sun Devils. The three cases are not considered to be directly related to one another.

The six athletes — Cedquavious Hunter, Dyquavian Short, Jamond Vincent, Donovan Sanders, Alvin Stredic and Chatton “BJ” Freeman — are all no longer enrolled at their schools.

Students intentionally misled investigators

In all three cases, the violations involved betting-related game manipulation and/or student-athletes providing information to bettors. The NCAA said that student-athletes on all three teams knowingly provided false or misleading information to i..

A new bill authored by the Chair of the New York Assembly Committee on Racing and Wagering would limit how the state’s online sportsbooks can provide problem gambling support.

Assemblywoman Carrie Woerner introduced Assembly Bill 9146 on Oct. 17, and it has been referred to the committee she chairs for consideration.

The act would expressly ban mobile sportsbooks from providing counseling, therapy or other treatment services for bettors in New York via any avenue other than directing them straight to the state Office of Addiction Services and Supports (OASAS). “The mobile sports wagering operator shall not advertise or promote any other organization or entity that provides counseling, therapy or treatment services for compulsive play,” reads the text of Woerner’s bill.

More problem gambling oversight needed?

OASAS is the designated New York agency for addiction services, including problem gambling. The office told SBC Americas that all of its operated and certified services are ava..

Minnesota is the latest state to take action against unlicensed sweepstakes casinos and offshore operators.

On Wednesday, Minnesota Attorney General Keith Ellison announced that his office resent a round of cease and desist orders to 14 unlicensed operators accepting customers in the state. Ellison is targeting online sweepstakes casinos and offshore operators for violating Minnesota consumer protection laws related to fraud and deceptive practices.

“Illegal online casinos and sweepstakes sites make big promises but deliver only risk to Minnesota consumers,” said Minnesota Department of Public Safety Commissioner Bob Jacobson. “Most are based outside the U.S. to avoid laws, regulation and enforcement measures. There’s no accountability, no protection for players and no way to know if the betting will be run fairly.”

Minnesota’s active gaming laws

The Attorney General is demanding that the operators exit Minnesota, as online gambling is prohibited in the state. Minnesota’s active ga..