Quick Navigation
Regulators, lobbyists, and deal-makers kept the gambling industry busy this week. High-profile fines and frantic lobbying showed compliance costs rising fast. Corporate finance stayed active too, with billion-dollar buyouts, loan repricings, and brisk growth in Asia-Pacific markets.
This week in the online gambling industry:
- DraftKings fined $450 K in Massachusetts for illegal credit card betting.
- Flutter bought Boyd’s final 5 % of FanDuel for $1.755B.
- Bet365’s launched a new horse-racing product.
- Sportradar unveiled “Bettor Sense,” an AI tool that flags risky betting patterns.
- Irish bank PTSB introduced an in-app gambling-block toggle.
😄 Skipped last week’s news? Catch up with our previous Weekly iGaming News Recap!
😎 Eager to hear from the iGaming Community? Visit our Opinion Corner, where we share our expert opinions on trending stories shaping the iGaming conversation.
Here’s the full rundown:
Regulatory & Legal Updates
AGA Survey: 90% of Players Sweepstakes Casinos Are Gambling, Gambling Insider
A recent study highlighted by the American Gaming Association (AGA) reveals that a striking 90% of sweepstakes players in the US regard sweepstakes casinos as a form of gambling. The AGA has expressed serious concern that these unregulated operators are undermining the integrity of the regulated market and contributing significantly to illegal gambling activity in the country.
The AGA estimates that in 2024, such unregulated operations resulted in $109 billion in bets and $17.3 billion in lost tax revenue for the US. This situation has prompted renewed calls from the AGA for stricter regulatory scrutiny and enforcement against sweepstakes operators, who are currently able to bypass the regulations applied to legal online casinos and sportsbooks.
DraftKings Fined $450K in Massachusetts for Illegal Credit Card Betting, SBC Americas
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has imposed a $450,000 fine on DraftKings after discovering the company allowed customers to fund their sports betting accounts with credit cards, a practice explicitly prohibited by the state’s 2022 sports betting statute.
DraftKings’ violations spanned from March 10, 2023, to February 13, 2024, during which time 1,160 bets totaling $83,667.92 were placed using credit card deposits. The regulator identified three separate periods when these violations took place, involving 218 customers making 242 deposits.
UK Betting Giants Woo Lawmakers as Tax Hike Looms, the Guardian
The UK gambling industry has launched a coordinated lobbying campaign aimed at persuading lawmakers to reject Treasury plans that could significantly raise taxes on betting firms. The move comes in response to proposals to simplify the gambling tax structure, a change that operators fear could increase their overall tax burden.
The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which represents major players such as Flutter and Entain, has organized a summer of charm offensives in Westminster, including darts-themed social events and receptions targeting Labour staffers and advisers.
Financial Performance & Business Moves
Flutter Finalizes Deal for Complete FanDuel Ownership, Gambling Insider
Flutter Entertainment has finalized its acquisition of Boyd Gaming’s remaining 5% stake in FanDuel for $1.755 billion, giving Flutter full ownership of the leading U.S. sportsbook brand.
The transaction values FanDuel at around $31 billion and marks a significant milestone in Flutter’s expansion strategy across the American market.
The deal was funded through a combination of debt instruments, including a bridge credit facility and a bond offering. As part of the agreement, Flutter and Boyd extended their strategic partnership through 2038, shifting to a fixed-fee arrangement in key states like Indiana, Iowa, and Pennsylvania. This new model is expected to generate $65 million in annual cost savings for Flutter.
Entain Cuts Loan Costs with Strategic Debt Repricing, Halifax
Entain has announced a major refinancing move, repricing and extending two of its substantial dollar-denominated term loans in a deal that is expected to save the company approximately £10million in annual interest costs.
Specifically, the margin on its $1.1billion Term Loan B, previously due in March 2027, was reduced by 35 basis points to 225 basis points over Term SOFR, with the maturity extended to July 2032. Entain also repriced its larger $2.2billion loan due October 2029, cutting the margin by 50 basis points to 225 basis points, while keeping its maturity date unchanged.
Philippine Gaming Revenue Soars 26% in First Half of 2025, Gambling Insider
The Philippine gaming industry continued its impressive growth in the first half of 2025, with gross gaming revenue (GGR) reaching ₱214.75 billion (approximately $3.75 billion), marking a 26% increase compared to the same period last year.
The surge was driven primarily by the explosive rise of the online gaming sector, comprising E-Games, E-Bingo, and Bingo grantees, which generated ₱114.83 billion ($2 billion) and accounted for 53.47% of total GGR. Traditional licensed casinos remained a strong contributor as well, bringing in ₱93.36 billion, or 43.47% of overall revenues, while PAGCOR-operated casinos added a further ₱6.56 billion.
Technology & Innovation in Gambling
Bet365 Debuts ‘Position Payout’ to Simplify Horse Racing Bets, iGB
Bet365 has rolled out “Position Payout,” a novel horse racing betting product, ahead of this year’s major racing fixtures. Racing experts and Bet365 have promoted Position Payout as a simpler and more flexible alternative to each-way bets, eliminating the confusion over partial returns and odds calculations.
Unlike traditional betting markets that reward only winners or offer complex each-way bets, Position Payout allows customers to place bets on the finishing position of their selected horse, first, second, third, fourth, and so on. The higher the horse finishes, the greater the payout, with odds offered for each finishing place.
Sportradar Rolls Out AI Tool to Detect Problem Gambling, NEXT
Sportradar has introduced “Bettor Sense,” an artificial intelligence-powered solution designed to help gambling operators proactively identify risky betting behaviors and intervene with personalized, protective measures. BETesporte, a leading operator in Brazil’s newly regulated online betting market, will be the first to implement the tool.
Bettor Sense utilizes behavioral insights and proprietary algorithms to track early signs of problem gambling and deliver timely interventions, supporting user safety and helping operators meet rising regulatory standards. Besides enhancing end-user protection, the initiative supports industry-wide transparency and integrity.
Responsible Gambling & Player Protection
Irish Bank PTSB Adds Gambling Block Feature for Customers, Gambling Insider
Irish bank PTSB has unveiled a new in-app voluntary gambling block for its customers, enabling individuals to instantly block debit and credit card transactions associated with gambling. The feature targets transactions with betting sites, online casinos, poker rooms, and lottery platforms, making it easier for users to self-exclude and limit their gambling activities.
If customers wish to remove the block, a mandatory 48-hour “cool-off” period is enforced, an extra layer designed to prevent impulsive behavior. According to the bank’s data, 91% of gambling expenditure in Ireland now occurs online, with men accounting for 80% of that spend and those aged 40–49 representing the highest-spending demographic.
Sweden’s Licensed Operators Call for Fairer Rules on Game Approvals, European Gaming
The Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS) has formally appealed to the Swedish Gambling Authority (SGA) to accelerate and clarify the regulatory process for approving new types of gambling products. In a public letter, BOS highlighted that the slow regulatory pace and unclear approval criteria for innovative games threaten the competitiveness of licensed operators.
The association urged the SGA to provide explicit regulatory guidance, streamline approval processes, and ensure that the legal market can rapidly offer attractive new products with regulatory certainty. BOS hopes that their ongoing dialogue and latest letter to the SGA will lead to reform, allowing Sweden’s licensed gambling sector to remain both competitive and aligned with consumer protection standards in an evolving industry landscape.
- Kazakhstan Declares War on Offshore Gambling, Roman K. on LinkedIn
- A study that tracked over 700,000 Americans who bet on sports, Kite and Key Media on X
- Can online gambling or sports betting really be addictive? The Whitehaven Clinic on LinkedIn
- Sen. Erwin Tulfo says removing online gambling from e-wallets isn’t enough, ABS-CBN News Channel on X
Stories from iGaming Forums
- Gambling irresponsibility; what could be the criteria? Bitcoin Forum
- Funrize jacked me for $700! Reddit
- In the future there will be no casino that is KYC free, Bitcoin Forum
Keep up with news and trends in the iGaming industry. Gambling ‘N Go provides a recap each week. Join our spam-free newsletter to stay ahead. We are a GPWA-approved portal that supports responsible gambling. Check out our guides for beginners and experts to find trusted and reliable games, avoid scams, and responsible gambling practices.
