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…
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 ..
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..
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) held a public meeting on Tuesday to discuss several alleged noncompliance matters involving four sports betting operators.
The MGC’s open meeting allowed commissioners of the regulator to discuss noncompliance matters tied to retail and online wagering and next steps in addressing the issues. Commissioners can take three actions during public meetings when addressing noncompliance matters.
The regulator can set an issue for future discussion amongst commissioners, refer the matter to its Investigations and Enforcement Bureau (IEB), or levy a penalty. The MGC did not levy penalties against the operators but set the issues to either be referred to the IEB or discussed at a later date by the commission.
The alleged violations were tied to these four Category 1 or Category 3 operators:
BetMGM
Caesars Sportsbook
MGM Springfield
PENN Sports Interactive, the owner and operator of theScore Bet
BetMGM cited for two alleged violations
BetMGM’s ..
Hard Rock Bet is the latest online gambling operator continuing the trend of blocking the use of credit cards for sports betting and casino gaming.
A representative for the Seminole-owned brand told SBC Americas that Hard Rock Bet no longer accepts credit card deposits for its U.S. sportsbook and online casino.
“The move reflects a broader industry shift toward promoting responsible gaming and encouraging the use of alternative payment methods, such as debit cards, bank transfers, and digital wallets,” said a spokesperson.
SBC Americas contacted Hard Rock Bet seeking clarity on exactly when the operator stopped accepting credit cards.
Indirect credit card use also banned
Hard Rock Bet continues to accept a range of payment methods for deposits, including:
Various types of debit cards
Online bank transfers
PayPal
Venmo
However, as well as the direct use of credit cards for depositing and withdrawing, a note on the Hard Rock Bet website states that linked credit cards may not b..
Illinois is changing state law to ensure that treating and preventing gambling disorders will be included in its approach to substance abuse and addiction.
Among numerous bills signed by Gov. JB Pritzkeron July 24, Senate Bill 2749 alters the state Substance Use Disorder Act effective immediately to better align Illinois’ approach to gambling disorders with its broader public health strategy.
“Substance use and gambling disorders, as defined in this Act, constitute a serious public health problem,” reads an introduction to the bill.
“It is imperative that a comprehensive and coordinated strategy be developed … Through local prevention, early intervention, treatment, and other recovery support services, this strategy should empower those struggling with substance use and gambling disorders (and, when appropriate, the families of those persons) to lead healthy lives.”
The bill adds that gambling disorder “shares similarities with drug abuse, as both activate reward systems in the br..
As expectations around player safety continue to evolve, operators face increasing pressure to detect signs of gambling-related harm earlier and implement more effective interventions. Against this backdrop, the Player Protection Symposium at SBC Summit will examine the tools, policies, and partnerships needed to strengthen player protection efforts.
Taking place on Wednesday, September 30, the symposium will bring together regulators, operators, responsible gambling specialists, and technology providers to examine how the industry can shift from a compliance-focused mindset to a more preventative and player-centric approach.
Through a series of expert-led discussions, the symposium will focus on three key areas of player protection: balancing regulatory objectives with efforts to combat the black market, the role operators play in safeguarding players, and the growing role of technology in identifying and supporting at-risk players.
“Gambling harm prevention is a challenge shared b..
Rep. Josh Gottheimer is leading a legislative effort in Congress to ensure prediction markets and online sportsbooks to verify they accept only age-appropriate users via facial recognition.
On Wednesday, Gottheimer (D-NJ) introduced the Facial Recognition to Protect Children Act, a measure that would require prediction markets and licensed online sports betting operators to deploy facial recognition technology to verify the age of users who want to trade or wager.
Gottheimer introduced the bipartisan bill amid concern regarding the availability of trading and gambling to consumers under the age of 18. According to data provided by Common Sense Media, about 40% of boys aged 14 to 17 have gambled in the past year.
“We’re asking our kids to self-police their way past a system built entirely on the honor code. A kid can log into a parent’s, an older sibling’s, or a friend’s account and place a bet with no verification at all. Nobody checks. That’s it. That’s the whole system,” said Gott..
As more states reassess the state of play of their gambling industries, there is a push on multiple fronts happening in Pennsylvania right now for the state to implement a range of new measures aimed at protecting online gamblers.
The bipartisan Joint State Government Commission released a report on Monday that proposes a number of changes, and the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) has put forth suggested regulatory amendments of its own.
What are Pennsylvania legislators suggestions for gambling?
The bipartisan and bicameral research agency of the state General Assembly published a lengthy study on July 13, after being mandated by House Resolution No. 60 to review how sports betting and iGaming are affecting the state and its population.
The ‘Sports Betting and Related Interactive Gambling in Pennsylvania‘ report was written by staff and overseen by the commission’s assistant general counsel. It cites several studies as evidence that increased gambling addiction in Pennsylv..
Amazon is resolving a lengthy legal dispute over the distribution of virtual casino chips that could allow members of a class-action lawsuit to receive more than $200m.
According to court documents filed with the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, Amazon filed a motion for preliminary approval to settle the suit that was initially filed in November 2023 by Nevada resident Steven Horn.
Horn accused Amazon of violating the Consumer Protection Act and Washington gambling law by “brokering illegal gambling transactions on social casino apps available through the Amazon Appstore.” The suit takes issue with Amazon being the “exclusive payment processor for in-app purchases of virtual casino chips in those apps.” It also concerns developers and acknowledges Amazon taking a 30% cut of each transaction.
Amazon immediately disputed the allegations made by Horn, but is now settling the matter.
What an approved settlement for Amazon could look like
The proposed settle..