SBC Americas

BetMGM came under fire from Massachusetts regulators after a report found the online sports betting and casino operator allegedly sent marketing materials to underage people in the state.

At a Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) public meeting on Thursday, the commission also put BetMGM under the spotlight over what it alleged was improper delivery of promotional emails to certain populations for a period of more than a year.

BetMGM sends thousands of improper emails, says MGC

According to the MGC, between April 2024 and July 2025, BetMGM allegedly sent promotional emails regarding MLB, its mobile Ballpark app and the Boston Red Sox to 3,803 people under the age of 21, violating the state’s gaming rules. In the Bay State, sports betting is only legal for people aged 21 or older.

The operator also allegedly sent rounds of emails to 19 people on the state’s self-exclusion list and 25 players who were in a “cool off” period.

In addition, BetMGM admitted that it was unable to confir..

The latest responsible gambling proposal in New Jersey hinges on how gaming operators can encourage users to gamble.

Sen. Andrew Zwicker introduced Senate Bill 3401 on Monday, legislation that would ban licensed online casinos and sportsbooks from using mobile push notifications or text messages to solicit wagers or deposits. The bill specifically focuses on operators sending those kinds of alerts to users who do not currently have the app open or visible on screen.

New Jersey would be able to fine operators up to $500 per instance if they violated the prohibition.

The ban would apply to not only online sportsbooks and iCasino platforms but all gaming licensees in New Jersey, also including Atlantic City casinos and retail sportsbooks.

New Jersey legislators put RG front and center

The first state to legalize online sports betting post-PASPA and a core online casino jurisdiction, New Jersey has typically been one of the most proactive states in looking to add more responsible gamb..

Users of the two biggest online gambling operators in the U.S. will not be able to fund their betting activity with a credit card.

After DraftKings stopped accepting credit cards as a deposit method anywhere in the country last year, FanDuel is making the same change.

“Over the last few months, FanDuel has been evaluating the payment methods that we offer to customers and made the decision to remove credit cards as an option for our sportsbook, casino and racing product in the United States,” a FanDuel spokesperson told SBC Americas.

The spokesperson did not confirm a timeline for the phase-out, but messages to customers suggested it will take effect on March 2. Like DraftKings’ own change last year, the FanDuel ban does not impact its operations in Canada.

FanDuel follows in DraftKings’ footsteps

Last August, DraftKings announced it would no longer allow customers in the U.S. to deposit funds via credit card on its sportsbook and casino platform.

The company said at the time t..

The University of Tennessee is dealing with a gambling-related incident tied to one of America’s most popular prediction market platforms.

A member of Tennessee’s student broadcast team has been relieved of their duties over the use of Kalshi to trade sports event contracts during the 2025 college football season.

The university’s decision to part ways with the student worker marks an important milestone in the NCAA’s approach to gambling, as it involves event contract trading rather than standard sports betting. The NCAA’s gambling rules, which recently underwent a controversial evaluation, do not explicitly provide standards for event contracts but the organization has called for enhanced consumer protections for college-based contracts.

According to Knox News, the fired student worker at Tennessee used Kalshi to trade sports event contracts for the NFL, NBA and college football, including at least one trade on the university’s football team. The trades by the unidentified student..

NCAA student-athlete leaders have spoken out about prop betting, calling on NCAA President Charlie Baker to work to restrict or ban player-specific wagers on college athletes.

The Big Ten Conference Student-Athlete Issues Commission, the formal athlete leadership body of the oldest Division I conference in the U.S., sent a letter addressed to Baker on Tuesday to cite their concerns over the threat that they feel the growth of prop bets poses to student-athletes.

Members of the commission, which includes 22 athletes representing all 18 Big Ten schools, wrote that prop betting presents “unique risks” at the college level.

“These bets focus on individual and team actions and performances, leaving student-athletes directly at the center of gambling outcomes and exposed to potential backlash,” they wrote. “Limiting or eliminating prop betting on college athletes would be a meaningful step toward reducing harassment, protecting mental well-being and preserving the integrity of college co..

The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) is requesting prediction markets to promote its new problem gambling helpline amid the growing popularity of event contracts.

The NCPG’s board of directors has made a request to all prediction market operators accepting customers in the U.S. to promote 1-800-MY-RESET, the council’s new National Problem Gambling Helpline™. The NCPG is calling on all prediction markets that are approved to offer event contracts, including sports, to provide clear and concise messaging to promote its problem gambling helpline. The council wants prediction markets to take the same steps in promoting responsible gaming resources as licensed online sportsbooks.

“Prediction markets have proliferated at an outstanding rate and, so far, there are minimal regulations and safeguards to protect consumers, despite carrying substantially similar levels of risk as traditional sports betting,” said the NCPG in a statement to SBC Americas. “All operators offering gambli..

Washington State Attorney General Nick Brown filed a lawsuit this week against Aristocrat and Playtika, alleging that the two companies and their subsidiaries are operating unlicensed social casino apps that equate to gambling.

Stressing that Washington has a statewide ban on all online gambling activities, the King County Superior Court filing dated Feb. 3 claims that the two companies have allowed state residents to spend more than $225 million over the last five years on “gambling activities that are banned in the state.”

The filing names various Playtika-branded companies as well as Aristocrat Leisure, Aristocrat Technologies and the company’s Product Madness, Big Fish Games, Plarium and Pixel United gaming subsidiaries as defendants. Washington and Brown are seeking a declaration that the companies’ operations violate Washington’s Gambling Act and Consumer Protection Act, as well as a preliminary and/or permanent injunction, civil penalties and other restitution.

Companies kno..

New documents reportedly suggest that the alleged match-fixing scheme involving two Cleveland Guardians pitchers is much more extensive than originally thought.

According to an ESPN report, Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase allegedly manipulated his own pitches in nearly 50 games for the purposes of receiving kickbacks. According to court documents filed in November, Clase and teammate Luis Ortiz allegedly conspired with a group of people to rig specific pitches based on speed and location.

The scheme allegedly allowed the co-conspirators to profit from wagers placed using information provided by Clase and Ortiz. Clase and Ortiz’s alleged involvement in the scheme led to charges of wire fraud conspiracy, bribery and money laundering.

Clase initially suspected over 9 games

In court documents filed last year, federal prosecutors initially tied 27-year-old Dominican Republic native Clase to suspicions of rigging pitches in nine games over two years. That number has now been more than ..

U.S. military service members and the gaming industry are expected to receive a major boost sparked by the looming signature of the latest Defense Appropriations Act.

The Defense Appropriations Act for FY2026, a bill that provides $838.7 billion in total spending, will provide federal government funding for gambling addiction research. The act allows federal funding to be used for gambling addiction research for the very first time.

The bill provides federal funding to research gambling addiction in both active and veteran military members through the Department of Defense’s Peer Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP), which provides grants for medical research and treatments.

Each year, Congress provides a list of conditions and treatments that are covered under the program. In FY2025, Congress allocated approximately $150 million toward the PRMRP.

“This is an important step forward,” said National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) Executive Director Heather Maurer. “For the f..