Gambling

Hedge funds have generated enormous profits this year by betting against publicly traded gambling companies, as a wave of declining share prices across the online betting sector delivered billions in gains to short sellers. Hedge funds have earned at least $2.3bn in 2025 through short positions targeting major online gambling operators. The profits came as several of the industry’s largest listed companies suffered steep market declines amid increasing regulatory pressure,

Kazakhstan is moving aggressively to expand its gambling industry, with authorities announcing the creation of several new gambling zones across resort destinations and urban centers as part of a broader economic development strategy. Under the country’s current legislation, gambling activities are legally restricted to just two designated areas: the city of Konaev in the Almaty region and the Shchuchinsk-Borovoye resort district located in the Akmola region of north-central

Spain has temporarily halted the operations of prediction market platforms Polymarket and Kalshi within its territory after regulators concluded that both services were offering gambling-related products without the legally required authorisations. The country’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs & Agenda 2030 confirmed that the Directorate General for the Regulation of Gambling has initiated formal sanction proceedings against the two companies. The measure was also

Mounting financial problems among young people in the Dutch city of Enschede have intensified calls for stricter gambling regulation, with local councillor Meryam Sümer urging the Netherlands government to increase the legal minimum age for online gambling from 18 to 24. Sümer, a representative of the Christian Democratic Appeal (CDA) party and a welfare worker, has also advocated for tighter controls on buy-now-pay-later (BNPL) services and stronger enforcement against gam

Indonesia has intensified its nationwide campaign against illegal gambling by officially blocking access to the crypto-based prediction market platform Polymarket, following controversy surrounding wagers tied to President Prabowo Subianto and his political future. Although gambling remains illegal throughout Indonesia, underground betting operations and offshore online gambling sites have continued to attract users for years. Under Prabowo’s administration, however, author

France has taken another step toward strengthening oversight of its gambling industry after the National Gaming Authority (ANJ) unveiled a new risk algorithm designed to help online operators identify compulsive and excessive gambling behavior. The initiative comes as the French gaming market reached a value of €14.1 billion in 2025, increasing pressure on regulators to improve consumer protection measures across the sector. Rather than serving as a medical diagnostic tool,

Nevada gaming regulators have officially approved a far-reaching overhaul of the state’s anti-money laundering framework, imposing strict new operational requirements that are expected to permanently reshape compliance practices throughout the casino industry. The updated regulations introduce direct personal licensing obligations for compliance executives while simultaneously restricting the methods high-value gamblers can use to fund wagering accounts. Casino compliance d

The regulation of online betting in Brazil is already producing a substantial financial impact on public accounts. During the first quarter of 2026 alone, the federal government recorded R$3.4 billion in revenue generated from licensed betting operators. The figure stands out not only because of its size, but also because it represents a 123.7% increase compared to the same period in the previous year, when collections totaled R$1.5 billion. Official data released by the Fede