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One policy shock was enough to scramble a major betting market this week, sending legal operators, trade groups and regulators into a fight over what happens next. Elsewhere, the race for attention is moving toward prediction markets, crypto payments and new tournament formats, while operators look for fresh ways to grow without adding more friction for players.
This week in the online gambling industry:
- Norway moves toward regulated online poker through Norsk Tipping, with strict loss and stake limits proposed.
- Polymarket leads US prediction-market search demand even as Kalshi dominates trading volume.
- Brazil’s betting trade groups ask the Supreme Court to suspend the nationwide fixed-odds betting ban.
- Topdog raises $2.5 million to expand its real-money sports games, with backing linked to early FanDuel investors.
- ThrillTech launches ThrillArena, a player-funded tournament platform spanning casino, live casino and sports.
😄 Curious about what happened last week? Catch up with the Sept 19–25 iGaming Recap!
Here’s the full rundown:
Regulatory & Legal Updates
Brazil Halts Fixed-Odds Betting Under New Executive Order, The Guardian
Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva has signed a provisional order banning the operation, offering, intermediation, and advertising of fixed–odds betting. The measure took effect immediately, blocks new deposits and gives customers until October 5 to withdraw their funds. Congress must approve the order within 120 days for it to remain in force.
The move came just over a week before Brazil’s presidential election. Lula said the measure was intended to address household debt and gambling–related harm, while political opponents and the betting industry have challenged the decision.
Norway Proposes State-Run Online Poker With Strict Player Limits, iGamingToday
Norway’s Ministry of Culture and Equality has proposed allowing Norsk Tipping to offer regulated online poker, aiming to shift existing play away from offshore platforms. Government estimates suggest more than 90,000 Norwegians play online poker each year, almost entirely through unlicensed operators.
The proposed safeguards include daily losses capped at NOK5,000 and monthly losses at NOK10,000, lower limits for younger players, mandatory breaks and a maximum of four tables at once. Tournament buy-ins would be capped at NOK2,500, while cash-game stakes could not exceed NOK1,000 per table. The consultation runs until November 29.
Brazil Betting Groups Ask Supreme Court to Freeze Nationwide Ban, iGB
Two Brazilian gambling trade bodies have asked the Supreme Federal Court to immediately suspend the country’s new betting ban, arguing that the provisional measure lacks the urgency required for executive action and could violate constitutional protections. The request was filed by ANJL and IBJR.
The groups argue that licensed operators paid BRL30 million for authorisations and that the regulated sector generated BRL9.95 billion in federal taxes during 2025. They also warned that closing the legal market could push more players toward unlicensed sites, which studies cited in their filing estimate already account for 41% to 51% of the market.
Financial Performance & Business Moves
Polymarket Leads US Prediction Market Searches as Kalshi Dominates Trading, Gambling Insider
Polymarket remains the most searched prediction-market brand in the US, but Kalshi has narrowed the gap substantially during 2026, according to data from Blask. Polymarket’s share of branded search demand fell from 74.3% in January to 57.8% in August, while Kalshi climbed from 23.1% to 35.8%.
Trading activity tells a different story. Kalshi recorded $37.17 billion in August volume, compared with $8.16 billion across Polymarket and Polymarket US combined. Blask cautioned that search demand measures brand attention rather than transactions or market share, and the relationship between the two has not yet been validated for prediction markets.
Stephen Parry Takes Over as Enteractive Group CEO, European Gaming
Enteractive has appointed Stephen Parry as Group CEO, with co-founder Mikael Hansson moving from day-to-day leadership into the newly created role of Executive Chairman. The Malta-based player engagement specialist works with more than 100 operator brands across 50 markets.
Parry brings more than two decades of experience across gaming, telecoms and technology, including senior roles at Flutter, William Hill, Superbet and Vodafone. Enteractive said its next phase will focus on international expansion, deeper operator partnerships and further development of its AI-powered solutions.
Topdog Raises $2.5M to Expand Real-Money Sports Games, NEXT
Topdog has raised $2.5 million in a seed round led by Boston Seed Capital, bringing its total funding to $4.1 million. The US company plans to use the capital to accelerate user acquisition and develop more real-time multiplayer sports skill games.
The round also drew participation from Raine Group and Bullpen Capital, both early investors in FanDuel and DraftKings, while FanDuel co-founder Nigel Eccles is already a Topdog backer. Because its contests are classified as skill games rather than games of chance, Topdog can operate in states such as California and Texas where traditional sportsbooks remain restricted.
Technology & Innovation in Gambling
G2E Panel Says Gaming Can Move Faster on Crypto Adoption, iGB
Gaming companies could make greater use of crypto and stablecoin technology even without new federal legislation, according to panelists at G2E 2026. The discussion came after the US Senate failed to advance the CLARITY Act, which would have created a broader market structure for digital assets.
Panelists argued that crypto could help casinos move money faster and more cheaply while still supporting KYC, self-exclusion and responsible gambling checks. Adoption remains low, but separate research cited during the discussion found crypto use among online sports bettors is already more than double the US average.
ThrillTech Launches Player-Funded Tournament Platform, SBC News
ThrillTech has launched ThrillArena, a tournament platform spanning casino, live casino and sports that uses player-funded prize pools instead of requiring operators to finance rewards. Players opt in to participate, while a dynamic scoring system is designed to keep tournaments competitive even for those joining later.
The platform also includes Battle Mode, allowing limited player–vs–player challenges tied to rankings and points. ThrillArena combines SlotsArena, LiveArena and SportsArena in one product and becomes the second major launch in ThrillTech’s side-betting portfolio after ThrillPots.
Responsible Gambling & Player Protection
Illegal Betting Sites Surge 74% After Brazil Ban, SBC News
Brazil recorded a sharp rise in unlicensed betting sites immediately after the government’s prohibition on regulated online betting. Data from monitoring platform Bet Legal showed 575 illegal operators on Sept. 26, up from 331 the previous day, an increase of 74% in 24 hours.
The jump was even steeper compared with earlier in the week, when 102 illegal platforms were identified on Sept. 21. Industry figures cited the increase as evidence that restricting the licensed market could push more players toward offshore operators, though the long-term effect of the measure remains unclear.
Cyprus Conference Puts Player Protection and Illegal Betting in Focus, Cyprus Mail
Cyprus’ National Betting Authority will use its 9th Safer Gambling Conference on Oct. 12 to examine player protection, illegal gambling and the growing role of technology in identifying risky behaviour. The event will bring together regulators, researchers and industry specialists as part of Safer Gambling Week 2026.
Sessions will cover gambling-related harm, regulatory developments and enforcement against unlicensed operators, with particular attention on data and AI-based tools for earlier intervention. The wider initiative also focuses on prevention and protecting young people and other vulnerable groups.
- Spain’s online gambling market reached a record €539.2m in Q2 GGR, Global Gaming Insider on LinkedIn
- Former Stoke player Tony Kelly opens up about gambling addiction, Gambling Insider on X
- Unregulated online gambling generated an estimated €91.6 billion from EU consumers in 2025, iGaming Europa on LinkedIn
- Football wins on markets, baseball on data, European Gaming on X
Stories from iGaming Forums
- A betting company pays AU$1m penalty for breaking self-exclusion rules, Bitcointalk
- Stopped gambling but still not happy, r/GamblingAddiction
- ArenaPlus PH denied a Jackpot prize and says its only a GLITCH! Bitcointalk
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