SBC Americas

Illinois regulator adopts rule to ban credit cards to fund online gaming

The Illinois Gaming Board is changing its policies regarding sportsbook payments.

The gaming regulator has announced that it has adopted a proposed rule to ban credit cards to fund gaming accounts for online sports wagering. The IGB has implemented changes to its practices to protect players and promote responsible gaming.

The regulator has adopted the new rule following a review of sports wagering practices and rules as Illinois reached the five-year mark as a regulated online sports betting market.

“As part of our review, we determined that prohibiting the use of credit cards to fund sports wagering accounts is a justified and impactful advancement in Illinois sports wagering,” said IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter. “There is a growing body of recent research showing that restrictions on credit usage to fund wagering accounts encourages responsible gambling and mitigates the harms of compulsive gambling.”

The proposed rule adds to existing standards in Illinois regarding cred..

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New Jersey Task Force recommends advertising restrictions and more

The New Jersey Responsible Gaming Taskforce has delivered its first report to the state’s Governor recommending a series of statutory changes, including adding a warning on all advertising that gambling can be addictive, and a ban on advertising on public transport. In addition to the advertising rules, the Taskforce recommends a law requiring operators to…

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New DraftKings lawsuit scrutinizes casino deposit playthrough requirements

Another lawsuit is taking issue with the large deposit bonuses DraftKings offers to users.

Filed in the Eastern Pennsylvania District Court, the new suit comes from five DraftKings customers and aims to be a class action others can potentially join in down the line.

Suit takes issue with complicated bonus offers

Like many other suits brought against DraftKings, this one centers largely around its $1,000 deposit bonus. As others have argued, the suit claims the terms to clear the maximum value of the bonus are difficult to understand, complex and require a substantial amount of play in order to maximize the value of the offer.

“DraftKings attracts new users and keeps existing users coming back by advertising an all-upside gambling experience, falsely promising users that they will get free money which they can wager without any risk. In reality, DraftKings has created an all-upside opportunity only for itself: the hidden terms of its promotions require users to deposit and gamble a..

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Indian Gaming panel discusses problem gambling in a digital-first world

The Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention is a premier event for gaming brands and tribes providing attendees with the opportunity to discuss and learn about key topics.

Earlier this month, the convention held an educational session about mobile betting and the challenges it presents for problem gambling in a digital-first world. A group of industry leaders spoke during the session about the evolving risks of problem gambling amid a digital-first world and where real-time data and AI are being leveraged daily.

The topic was discussed by a panel that included IC360 Co-Managing Director Dan Trolaro and Almond Digital Health founder Kevin Winters. The panel, moderated by Safer Gambling Strategies CEO Keith Whyte, also included California Council on Problem Gambling Executive Director Robert Jacobson and Cornell professor Dr. Soojin Ha.

Accessibility of gambling through mobile devices

Problem gambling is an aspect of the industry that regulators across the country have allocated time an..

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NCAA penalizes former Baylor employee for improper DFS bets

A former employee at Baylor University is being penalized by the NCAA for a series of sports betting infractions involving the school and its student-athletes.

Sam Hancock, a former Director of Resource Development at Baylor, has been issued a two-year show-cause order by the NCAA for placing impermissible daily fantasy sports wagers on professional and amateur sports. According to the NCAA, Hancock placed 2,950 impermissible bets between July 2019 and September 2024 while employed at Baylor.

The illicit wagers, placed across three different DFS platforms, totaled $45,979. The DFS wagers included 113 bets involving Baylor teams and student-athletes despite Hancock being informed by Baylor of the NCAA’s rules and standards concerning sports betting.

Hancock informed the NCAA that he wagered with DFS and sports betting platforms before his time at Baylor but continued to wager on pro and amateur sports after he was hired.

The NCAA determined that Hancock violated Bylaw 10.3, which ba..

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Illinois bill would shine light on compulsive gambling disorders

A proposal in Illinois to add compulsive gambling to the list of recognized substance use disorders is making headway.

SB 0118, sponsored by four Democrat lawmakers, was first introduced in January and passed the Senate by a unanimous 55-0 vote in recent days. It has been engrossed in the House of Representatives and is awaiting a reading in that chamber’s Rules Committee.

The bill would amend the state Substance Use Disorder Act to add a gambling disorder, which it defines as “persistent and recurrent problematic gambling behavior leading to clinically significant impairment or distress.”

The Department of Human Services would be responsible for a state-wide strategy that would include creating and administering prevention and treatment programs for disordered gamblers. One of the department’s duties would be to create grants that would draw funds from, among other things, revenue dedicated to the department under the provisions of the Video Gaming Act and the Illinois Gambling Ac..

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AGA launches new messaging programme around positive play

The American Gaming Association (AGA) has introduced a new responsible gambling campaign, Play Smart from the Start, which it describes as a “research-backed messaging platform” designed to bolster the industry’s approach to responsible gaming and foster stronger connections between players and responsible play. Play Smart from the Start is shaped by in-depth research over the…

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iGaming Daily: Councils demand a local fix of the Gambling Review

In the latest episode of iGaming Daily, brought to you by Optimove, the two Ted’s return return as Ted Menmuir and Ted Orme-Claye, explore the evolving landscape of the UK’s gambling review, focusing on the growing push from local councils for greater authority over gambling venues and advertising. The duo unpack the rising involvement of…

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iGaming Daily: Baltimore takes on DraftKings and FanDuel

In this episode of iGaming Daily, Jessica Welman and Charlie Horner unpack the recent lawsuit filed by Baltimore Mayor Brandon Scott against DraftKings and FanDuel. The duo dives into the heart of the allegations—claims that the operators are targeting vulnerable individuals with gambling problems—and explores the broader implications for the industry. From media scrutiny to…

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Ohio cites consumer protection concerns in action against Kalshi, Robinhood and Crypto.com

Additionally, the commission raised concerns about responsible gaming practices, highlighting that the companies’ offerings may have been accessible to individuals under 21, which violates Ohio’s legal gambling age restrictions. “Purchasing a contract based on which team a person thinks will win a sporting event is no different than placing a bet through a traditional sportsbook,”…

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