🇮🇹 Scammers promote “Netflix Casino” in Italy

Scammers are using Netflix’s name to promote illegal online casinos to Italian users.

Key details:

🟡 Paid ads are running across Meta platforms from several fake accounts
🟡 Creatives falsely claim the casino is licensed by Italy’s ADM
🟡 Fake articles imitate La Repubblica, Corriere della Sera and La Gazzetta dello Sport
🟡 Landing pages imitate an App Store listing naming Netflix as the developer
🟡 Fake WhatsApp withdrawals and winner lists advertise payouts of up to €15,000

Gambling advertising is prohibited in Italy, with AGCOM tightening restrictions further in August 2026.

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🇧🇷 $58M Tax Bill Hits Brazil’s Biggest Gambling Group

Brazil’s Federal Revenue Service has carried out six searches across three states as part of an investigation into NSX Brasil, the group behind Betnacional, Betfair, Mr.Jack.bet and PagBet.

Key Details:

🟡 Authorities allege companies linked to the group began operating in Brazil 5.5 years before the regulated market launched.
🟡 At least $58M in allegedly unpaid taxes could now be recovered across 11 proceedings.
🟡 The investigation also covers suspected money laundering and misuse of foreign currency.

The case could become one of Brazil’s biggest enforcement actions against betting activity that predates regulation.

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🇭🇺 Hungary Could Scrap Gambling Regulator After Licensing Scandal

Hungary is considering dissolving gambling regulator SZTFH and transferring its powers to government ministries. The justice minister must submit a review by September 30.

🟡 The move follows a controversial 35-year casino licence granted to CAI Hungary Kft
🟡 The company is linked to businessman István Garancsi
🟡 The Sopron casino concession runs until 2061 and was awarded without a public tender
🟡 The deal came shortly after the government promised to review existing casino agreements

SZTFH denies political interference and insists it operates independently, but has agreed to cooperate with the government review.

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🇲🇽 Mexico’s Gambling Reform Nears Congress

Mexico’s gambling law reform is almost through its final internal review and will next go before the security cabinet before potentially reaching Congress.

🟡 The reform targets tighter casino oversight and compliance
🟡 Authorities have already linked casino closures to money laundering and tax evasion
🟡 New AML rules introduce stronger checks and risk-based supervision

Mexico is moving toward significantly tighter control of its gambling industry.

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🇺🇸 Bank of America Institute: only 3–5% of bettors are profitable

Its latest report highlights a sharp rise in US online betting activity in 2026:

🟡 online betting users were up 40% in July vs the start of the year
🟡 first-time bettors more than tripled in June–July vs January
🟡 Gen Z and Millennials accounted for 88% of betting activity
🟡 23% of active bettors wager daily, while 34% bet weekly
🟡 users withdraw less than $0.75 for every $1 transferred to betting platforms

Bank of America also found that 20% of customers view betting as a form of investing, while legalisation appears to be reducing savings rather than replacing other consumer spending.

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🇧🇷 Brazil Blocks 66,000+ Illegal Betting Domains

Brazil’s Secretariat of Prizes and Betting (SPA) blocked 66,482 unauthorised betting domains between January 2025 and September 2026.

The crackdown also resulted in:

🟡 1,511 social media profiles removed
🟡 103 sanctioning proceedings processed or archived
🟡 42 warnings issued
🟡 20 fines + 1 suspension
🟡 R$18M ($3.4M) in total fines

Of that amount, around R$3.1M ($580K) has already been collected.

The figures highlight Brazil’s growing enforcement push against illegal betting and regulatory violations.

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🇰🇷 South Korea Launches Criminal Probe Into 26 Polymarket Users

South Korean authorities are investigating 26 Polymarket users for alleged illegal gambling, with 18 cases already forwarded to prosecutors.

Key details:

🟡Around $12.7M was wagered in total.
🟡One user accounted for roughly $4.1M.
🟡Repeated illegal gambling can carry up to 3 years in prison or a $14.5K fine.
🟡Police identified users by analysing blockchain transactions and matching them with other available data.

The exact charges have yet to be determined. The case also shows how activity on prediction markets can be traced even when platforms do not publicly disclose users’ identities.

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💰 Prediction Markets Could Hit $10 Trillion by 2035

Prediction market trading volume could grow more than 20x over the next decade, according to Bernstein.

The firm estimates yes/no contracts will generate around $410bn in volume in 2026, potentially rising to $10tn by 2035. Bernstein previously forecast just $1tn by 2030.

The market mix could also change significantly:

🟡 Sports could account for only 35% of volume by 2035
🟡 Financial contracts tied to commodities, crypto and equities could reach 49%
🟡 Corporate KPI contracts could become another major growth segment

Bernstein previously estimated that every $1tn in annual trading volume could generate up to $10.8bn in operator revenue.

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🇫🇮 Finland Gambling Licence Demand Beats Expectations

Finland has received 75 gambling licence applications ahead of its regulated market launch in July 2027, exceeding earlier estimates of 40–60.

What we know:

🟡 Applications have jumped from 50 in June to 75.
🟡 Each licence carries a €29,000 fee.
🟡 The 75 applications may include multiple submissions from the same companies.
🟡 Veikkaus has applied to operate both under its lottery monopoly and in the competitive betting and online casino market.
🟡 Applicants may wait up to six months for a decision.

Operators hoping to go live when the market opens on 1 July 2027 will likely need to apply before the end of 2026.

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🇧🇷 Brazil Bans Online Betting

President Lula signed a provisional measure on September 25 banning online betting and casino operations. New deposits are already blocked, while players can withdraw funds until October 5.

🟡 Licensed sites must shut down from October 6
🟡 Betting ads and sponsorships are banned
🟡 Operators will not get licence fees refunded
🟡 The government plans prison terms for illegal gambling operations and payments

Around 90 operators paid about $5.8M each for five-year licences. Industry groups are preparing legal action and warning of black-market growth.

Congress has 120 days to approve the measure or it expires.

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🇳🇴 Norway Moves to Legalise Online Poker via Norsk Tipping

Norway has launched a consultation that could allow state-owned Norsk Tipping to offer online poker for the first time, aiming to draw players away from offshore platforms.

Proposed rules include:

🟡 NOK 5,000 daily and NOK 10,000 monthly loss limits
🟡 buy-in caps of NOK 2,500 for tournaments and NOK 1,000 for cash games
🟡 maximum four tables at once
🟡 mandatory breaks and cooling-off periods between poker and casino games

The government is also considering strict limits or a ban on poker advertising. Around 90,000–150,000 Norwegians are estimated to already play online poker on foreign sites.

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🌍 5 Recent Gambling Crackdowns Making Headlines Around the World

From nationwide bans to licence suspensions, regulators have been busy. Here are five major enforcement actions from five jurisdictions:

🇧🇷 Brazil — thousands of betting sites targeted

🟡 Brazil has banned fixed-odds betting nationwide, with operators ordered to stop taking new bets and platforms set to go offline on October 6.

🟡 Authorities have already requested the blocking of 5,209 betting domains, alongside hundreds of social media accounts and pages.

🇺🇸 USA — New York sues Polymarket

🟡 New York has taken Polymarket to court, alleging that its prediction markets amount to unlicensed gambling.

🟡 The state is seeking to stop its New York operations, recover allegedly illegal gains and impose additional penalties.

🇦🇺 Australia — Tabcorp fined AU$350K

🟡 Tabcorp was fined AU$350,000 after failing to implement mandatory multi-factor authentication for several months.

🟡The regulator said the failures contributed to unauthorised access to some customer accounts.

🇲🇹 Malta — Condor Malta loses its B2C licence

The Malta Gaming Authority has suspended Condor Malta’s B2C licence, preventing the operator from conducting gaming operations under its MGA authorisation.

🇬🇧 UK — operator licence suspended over AML failures

🟡 The UK Gambling Commission immediately suspended Targetlocal’s remote gambling licence after identifying suspected anti-money laundering failures.

🟡 The suspension covers its online casino, sports betting and virtual betting operations while a full licence review is underway.

Five jurisdictions. Thousands of sites targeted. Two licences suspended. And regulators aren’t slowing down.

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🇹🇷 Turkey’s football betting scandal is getting bigger.

The Turkish Football Federation has suspended 448 club officials as part of its widening illegal betting investigation.

🟡 448 current and former officials suspended
🟡 Senior figures from Turkish clubs are among them
🟡 Dozens are linked to Süper Lig teams
🟡 Cases have been sent to the TFF disciplinary committee

The latest suspensions add another major layer to a betting probe that has already hit referees and players across Turkish football.

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🇪🇹 Ethiopia Eyes Betting Comeback After $180M Audit Scandal

Ethiopia is preparing to relaunch sports betting and digital lotteries under stricter regulations after a draft audit revealed a reported Br27.5 billion ($180M) shortfall in payments owed to the state.

🟡 Br199 billion in betting and lottery transactions examined
🟡 Br30 billion reportedly owed to the state, but only Br3.6 billion paid
🟡 All sports betting licences revoked in December 2025
🟡 New digital monitoring system planned to track operators’ financial obligations

The government aims to reopen the market with tighter oversight, but no licensing requirements or relaunch date have been announced.

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🎞 Google Opens YouTube’s Top Ad Spot to Gambling Operators

Starting October 21, Google will allow licensed gambling operators to advertise through YouTube Masthead campaigns — the premium ad placement at the top of the platform’s homepage.

🟡Ads must comply with Google’s gambling advertising policies.
🟡Operators must hold the required licences or certifications in their target markets.
🟡The change gives regulated gambling brands access to one of YouTube’s most visible advertising spots.

The move could boost licensed operators’ visibility and help them compete with the growing illegal gambling market, even as restrictions on gambling advertising tighten worldwide.

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🎰 Charity Today, Casino Tomorrow: 448 Domains Exposed

A new Backlinking.com investigation found that 448 of 3,692 expired domains (12.1%) sold between January 2024 and May 2026 were repurposed into gambling and betting websites. The domains collectively sold for $22.3 million.

🟡 UN health initiative: Its former domain now redirects to an Indonesian online casino.
🟡 Vote Leave campaign: Its old website became a directory of casinos operating outside GamStop.
🟡 Queen’s Green Canopy: The former royal environmental campaign domain now leads to an online slots page.
🟡 Government backlinks: 125 domains previously linked by government websites now host gambling-related content.

The strategy exploits existing backlinks and domain authority to boost search visibility. A follow-up audit found the number of gambling-related domains had already climbed to 485.

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🇫🇮 Finland Cracks Down on Illegal Gambling Ads with Fines Up to €1.2M

Finland’s National Police Board is stepping up enforcement against illegal gambling marketing, particularly on social media and streaming platforms.

Key developments:

🟡 4 prohibition orders issued in 2026
🟡 6 conditional fines imposed
🟡 Individual fines: €30,000–€200,000
🟡 Company fines: €100,000–€1.2M
🟡 75 licence applications received ahead of market liberalisation

The fines are intended to enforce compliance rather than punish operators and are only collected if prohibition orders are ignored.

With Finland’s regulated market set to open on July 1, 2027, authorities are tightening enforcement while operators prepare to enter.

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🇩🇴 Dominican Republic Freezes Gambling Licences for 10 Years

The Dominican Republic is introducing a 10-year freeze on new gambling licences as part of a broader crackdown on illegal gambling and tighter industry oversight.

Key measures:

🟡 10-year freeze on new gambling licences
🟡 Ban on new betting shops and lottery outlets
🟡 Stricter enforcement against unlicensed operators
🟡 Increased regulatory oversight of gambling activities

The restrictions aim to curb uncontrolled market expansion and strengthen compliance, marking a major shift in the country’s gambling regulatory framework.

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🇰🇲 Anjouan Gambling Licences Under Fire

An investigation by The Guardian has exposed a UK-linked network allegedly using the name of Anjouan, an island in the Comoros, to issue offshore gambling licences.

🟡 Nearly 1,500 gambling operators appear on Anjouan’s gaming register.
🟡 Licences reportedly cost around £19,000, making the jurisdiction an attractive option for offshore operators.
🟡 The Comoros government says the licensing system operates without its authorisation.
🟡 Authorities are preparing legal action and have requested UK assistance in investigating the businesses involved.

The controversy raises serious questions about the legitimacy of Anjouan-issued licences and regulatory oversight of offshore gambling operations.

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🇨🇴 Colombia Now Ranks Third in South America for Online Betting

According to DataReportal, 13.8% of Colombian internet users aged 16+ gamble online each month, placing the country third in South America behind Brazil (19%) and Chile (16.6%).

Key market figures:

🟡 Annual betting volume: $10.84–14.14 billion
🟡 Active accounts: Over 10.8 million
🟡 BetPlay holds approximately 51% of the market, followed by Wplay with 14%
🟡 Total gambling revenue reached $306.96 million in January–August 2026, up 39.38% YoY

According to regulator Coljuegos, online betting revenue surged 84.24% to $148.57 million during the same period, with increased activity surrounding the 2026 FIFA World Cup contributing to the growth.

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