North America

A group of U.S. Senators have advanced a proposal that would provide the first federal funding to support research into gambling addictions within the military. The Senate Appropriations Committee has included a provision within the FY26 Defense Appropriations Bill that would add gambling addiction to the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), alongside a range of other health issues and disorders that are…

A group of 50 U.S. attorneys general has urged the Department of Justice (DOJ) to take a harder stance against “the rampant spread” of unapproved gambling operations by taking legal action and strong enforcement measures similar to the Black Friday of 2011. The National Association of Attorneys General (NAAG) stated on Tuesday that a bipartisan coalition of 50 AGs has written to federal…

When it comes to the national gambling hotline 1-800-GAMBLER, stakeholders extend beyond just the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) and the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ). The CCGNJ owns the number and the NCPG licenses it, but there are other major gaming groups invested in its preservation and success.

That is why a trio of major groups have united to ask for some sort of resolution regarding the legal battle around the hotline that emerged last month.

AGA, ROGA and SBA want resolution on the number

The American Gaming Association (AGA) and the Responible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) released a statement to SBC Americas expressing their concern about the phone number’s future and calling for a “joint resolution” between the two groups.

“Any disruption to the 1-800-GAMBLER operations—or worse, a degradation of the helpline’s capacity to deliver timely, culturally competent, and clinically appropriate referrals—would significantly endanger the a..

President Donald Trump’s nominee for chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) is reportedly making requests that pose conflicts of interest.

According to a report from The Closing Line, potential CFTC Chief of Staff Kevin Webb asking for CFTC Chair nominee Brian Quintenz to discuss made requests to the gorup regadring “confidential matters” while Quintenz is on the board of directors for prediction market Kalshi. Quintenz, a former CFTC commissioner, plans to relinquish the role if confirmed as CFTC Chair. Quintenz needs committee approval before a full Senate vote.

According to emails obtained through a FOIA request by The Closing Line, Quintenz’s team asked to discuss confidential matters about several topics, including employees on administrative leave, a list of open applications, and seriatims in circulation, a private consideration and voting process by CFTC commissioners.

The list of open applications included in the requests may refer to pending applications ..

DraftKings is launching a new program designed to reward customers when early injuries or events occur during a sports event.

The Boston-based sports betting and fantasy giant announced on Friday the debut of its Early Exit program providing users with cash credits under specific conditions when a player is injured. The conditions include a player exiting a game during a pre-determined early portion of a contest, which varies by sport, due to an injury. The Early Exit program only applies to pre-match wagers and full-game player props placed through DraftKings.

“At DraftKings, we’re committed to delivering an exceptional fan experience while moving at the speed of sports,” said DraftKings CPO Corey Gottlieb. “That means a product that responds to every part of every game, including when a player exits a game early due to an unforeseen injury.”

The Early Exit program also applies to parlay and same-game parlay wagers. It covers professional leagues, which include MLB, NBA, NFL, WNBA,..

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine says that Major League Baseball’s (MLB) sports betting-related investigation into multiple Cleveland Guardians players is more evidence that it is time to stop allowing proposition betting in the state.

The governor issued a press release on July 31 calling on the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) to remove prop bets from the list of legal bets that can be offered by licensed sportsbooks.

DeWine’s statement directly referenced the MLB investigation into Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase, both of whom have been placed on non-disciplinary paid leave amid a sports betting investigation. Multiple reports have suggested that at least one sportsbook flagged suspicious betting activity around Ortiz’s pitches in multiple games in June to monitoring and integrity firm IC360.

The governor noted that it’s not only these recent incidents that have given him concern about prop betting. He also cited harassment and threats that collegiate athletes at the ..

Three-time NBA All-Star Gilbert Arenas is embroiled in controversy related to allegations of operating an illegal gambling business involving poker games collecting a rake.

According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Central District of California, Arenas and five other defendants were arrested on Wednesday for allegedly holding high-stakes poker games at a mansion Arenas owned in Los Angeles. Arenas, drafted out of Arizona by the Golden State Warriors in 2001, is charged with one count of conspiracy to operate an illegal gambling business, one count of operating an illegal gambling business and making false statements to federal investigators. The other defendants in the case range between the ages of 27 and 53, with one being a suspected member of an Israeli crime group.

Arenas allegedly rented out the mansion to host the high-stakes poker games. He allegedly collected rent from the co-conspirators who staged and hosted the games.

Arenas allegedly hosts illegal Pot Limit Omaha..

Massachusetts‘ gaming regulator handed down its verdict on DraftKings after the operator unintentionally allowed customers to deposit with credit card funds and use them to gamble in violation of state law.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) confirmed it has fined the Boston-based operator $450,000 for multiple incidents that occurred in 2023 and 2024.

DraftKings had three separate non-compliance incidents

The Massachusetts statute that legalized online sports betting does not allow operators to accept deposits or wagers via credit card, even if the deposit was made in a state in which credit card deposits are allowed. DraftKings discovered and self-reported violations of this law three separate times, once in May 2023, again in July 2023 and finally in February 2024.

DraftKings believed it had resolved the issue after the first period of incidents, beginning on its go-live date in March 2023 and lasting until May 31. It blamed that initial transgression on an internal misco..

Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has long been skeptical of the idea of legalizing online casino. Increasingly, he is setting out his stall as a firm opponent.

The governor spoke to local media this week about the legislative push for online gambling expansion in the state.

“I’m not for it,” he said frankly, as first reported by Cleveland.com. “Basically, to put a casino in everybody’s hands, 24/7, I think is probably not a great idea. And I think it will cause more pain and suffering in regards to addiction as far as gambling addiction.”

Ohio currently has two online casino bills in play, one in the Senate and another in the House of Representatives, although neither SB 197 nor HB 198 has made any progress beyond being introduced and discussed in committee. DeWine has used that language about putting “a casino in everybody’s hands” before, and it surfaced again in almost identical form at a hearing for Rep. Brian Stewart’s HB 298 on June 3.

As it does in most states considering online casin..