SBC Americas - Player Protection Hub

NBA star Arenas indicted for involvement in alleged illegal poker games

SBC AmericasJuly 31, 20250126 views

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 regulator fines DraftKings $450K for credit card usage

SBC AmericasJuly 28, 20250137 views

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. says online casino is bad idea: ‘We have enough gambling’

SBC AmericasJuly 24, 20250133 views

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..

Online sports betting leads to new injury reporting process for ACC

SBC AmericasJuly 23, 20250139 views

A Power Four conference is making changes amid the influx of wagering on college sports.

ACC Commissioner Jim Phillips announced at the 2025 ACC Football Kickoff this week changes to the conference’s reporting process for football injuries. Starting this upcoming football season, ACC member institutions will provide public injury reports at least 48 hours before all conference games to protect student-athletes from individuals attempting to obtain insider information used for gambling. The change in procedure will mirror the NFL’s injury reporting process, which applies certain injury designations to athletes.

“There’s stresses on our student-athletes from individuals that are trying to garner information,” said Phillips. “Sometimes it’s pretty innocent because they just want to know, they’re a big fan, but other times it really does trickle and lead yourself to the gambling and sports wagering kind of path.”

The ACC’s rule change requires athletic departments to categorize their fo..

NCPG survey says number of US sports bettors isn’t really growing

SBC AmericasJuly 17, 20250140 views

The National Council on Problem Gaming (NCPG) released its latest National Survey on Gambling Attitudes and Gambling Experiences providing key insights.

The NCPG conducted its latest survey in April 2024 building on two previous editions of the study, which were conducted in 2018 and 2021. The NCPG completed its first survey of gambling attitudes in 2018 following the U.S. Supreme Court overturning PASPA. Three years later, the NCPG surveyed gambling attitudes at the peak of COVID-19.

The NCPG leverages the survey to provide stakeholders in the gaming industry with insights regarding player behavior and how problematic wagering extends beyond sports. Its surveys also destigmatize problem gambling as the industry expands nationwide.

The NCPG collected responses from 3,013 American adults between January 2024 and March 2024 for its latest survey with representation from all 50 states and Washington, D.C. The council also used duplicate questions from its first two previous surveys.

P..

Woman who included children in suit against DraftKings reaches settlement

SBC AmericasJuly 16, 20250157 views

The woman who included her two children in a lawsuit filed in New Jersey against DraftKings for allegedly violating state consumer law has settled the case out of court.

According to court documents filed in Essex County Superior Court, Lisa D’Alessandro and her two minor children have amicably resolved their legal dispute with DraftKings, dismissing all claims against the operator. The suit was dismissed with prejudice putting an end to the legal issue between D’Alessandro and DraftKings that began in 2024.

This is the second settlement in the span of a week for attorney Matthew Litt, who represented D’Alessandro in addition to another client who sued DraftKings over its alleged VIP practices.

Husband’s gambling sparks lawsuit

Last December, D’Alessandro filed the lawsuit against DraftKings for allegedly breaching the New Jersey Consumer Fraud Act for allowing her husband to lose more than $940,000 while wagering with the operator despite her spouse having a gambling problem.

D’A..

NCPG granted restraining order to keep 1-800-GAMBLER online

SBC AmericasJuly 16, 20250167 views

Conflict between the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) and the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) could put the national 1-800-GAMBLER helpline in peril.

The NCPG has been granted a temporary restraining order to keep the national portion of the hotline online in the meantime.

NCPG in dispute with NJ problem gambling group

While NCPG operates and maintains 1-800-GAMBLER, the group actually licenses the number from the CCGNJ.

In a lawsuit filed in Mercer County Superior Court in New Jersey, NCPG summed up the situation regarding ownership of the number:

“As part of its operation of 800-GAMBLER, CCGNJ has obtained a registered trademark for the number itself and has a license that allows it to control the routing of calls that are made to that specific phone number.”

In June 2022, the NCPG entered into an agreement with CCGNJ to license the number for national use outside of New Jersey at a rate of $150,000 a year. That three-year agreement technically ..

Iowa regulator fines FanDuel $125K for multiple violations

SBC AmericasJuly 16, 20250139 views

FanDuel is paying the price for multiple compliance violations in Iowa.

The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission levied a $125,000 fine on FanDuel for five violations pertaining to betting markets and the operator’s responsible gaming tools.

FanDuel received fines for allowing improper wagers on the Super Bowl, golf tournaments, Olympic events and soccer matches. The prohibited golf wagers totaled $89,000.

The illicit bets on Olympic events totaled $62,000, while the smallest violation was $330.

FanDuel was also penalized for a lack of RG protections. Its $125,000 fine included a $30,000 penalty for failing to provide customers with adequate “working options” for RG.

“We take responsibility for the matters represented in the settlement before the commission today and understand that we did not meet the high standard that we hold for ourselves,” said FanDuel spokesman Ben Roth in a statement.

FanDuel responded to the regulator’s fines by enhancing its business practices. The Flutter-..

Player Protection Stage puts RG in the spotlight at SBC Summit 2025

SBC AmericasJuly 16, 20250130 views

SBC Summit 2025 will once again shine a light on the industry’s responsibility of safeguarding players, with a dedicated Player Protection stage running throughout the event Sept. 16–18 at the Feira Internacional de Lisboa (FIL).

The Player Protection stage will offer the event’s 30,000 delegates an examination of how industry ethics intersect with regulation, technology and player behavior, featuring insights from experienced professionals across the sector.

“Player protection has rightly evolved from a regulatory checkbox to a core business strategy,” said Rasmus Sojmark, founder and CEO of SBC. “As global frameworks tighten and consumer expectations rise, the operators that succeed long term will be those that genuinely embed safety into their model.”

The Player Protection stage will tackle three core themes across the event. The first day will examine regulation, day two will explore emerging trends and day three will focus on innovative technologies that can better protect play..

Kalshi’s lawyer goes hard at state-regulated gambling

SBC AmericasJuly 11, 20250165 views

Anyone who has attended a gaming conference will tell you that panels are regularly devoid of conflict and debate.

That was not the case during a discussion on prediction markets at the National Council of Legislators from Gaming States (NCLGS) summer meeting in Louisville, KY.

Josh Sterling, a lawyer from Millbank and former Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) employee, represents both Kalshi and Crypto.com in their legal challenges to cease and desist letters from gaming regulators in a trio of states. His comments on a panel regarding prediction markets both gave insight into Kalshi’s legal position and ruffled some feathers in a room full of regulators and lawmakers who believe sports contracts are infringing upon their turf.

Sterling stands firm: sports trading is federal territory

While the gaming industry tries to define where the line between prospecting and gambling is, Sterling found the issue crystal clear.

“The line is drawn in Section 281, Title Seven in the U..