frank-ammirante Page 30 - Sports News, Headlines & Highlights
EKG Report Reveals Regulating Sweeps May Unlock New Tax Dollars for California
The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance recently commissioned Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) to project California state tax revenue from sweepstakes casinos. The projections came at approximately $300 million in annual tax revenue from licensing fees and player purchase taxes. This demonstrates the high upside that regulation could have for California. EKG is a prominent consulting firm that specializes in the ...
Sweepstakes Giant VGW & Partners Hit With Nationwide Class Action Lawsuit in California
Popular sweepstakes operator VGW, which owns platforms like Chumba Casino, Global Poker, and LuckyLand Slots, was served a nationwide class action lawsuit in California. The suit accuses VGW of running an illegal gambling operation. The lawsuit states that VGW depends on California partners for revenue, marketing, geolocation, and banking, which is why it focuses on this jurisdiction. It argues that ...
Thrillzz Quickly Exits Arizona Following Cease-and-Desist, Other Sweeps Yet to Follow
Popular sweepstakes operator Thrillzz immediately pulled out of Arizona following a cease-and-desist letter issued by the Arizona Department of Gaming last week. This order was also provided to Fliff, Pulsz, and Betty Sweeps, but these sites haven’t left Arizona just yet. Unlike other sweepstakes casinos, Thrillzz also offers event wagering, where users can make sports picks, similar to online sportsbooks. ...
Circa Among Operators Joining Missouri Sports Betting Market
With the September 12 application deadline of the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC) approaching, the sportsbook scene in Missouri is rapidly taking shape. Several prominent operators will establish a presence in the Show-Me State at launch on December 1, 2025. Here’s a look at the sportsbooks that have either submitted an application or been granted a license to enter the Missouri ...
AGA Report Shows Illegal Gambling Increasing in U.S.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) reported a 22% increase in illegal gambling in the United States since 2022. It is estimated that approximately one-third of the entire U.S. gambling market comes from illegal platforms. The table below shows a comparison of legal and illegal revenue since the last AGA report in 2022. With illegal betting making up 31.9% of total ...
California Anti-Sweepstakes Bill Gains Rapid Momentum
AB 831 was a bill first introduced in California on February 15, 2025 by Rep. James Ramos. The bill originally focused on tribal gaming compacts. However, in June, this bill was completely altered by Rep. Avelino Valencia to ban sweepstakes casinos. This “gut-and-amend” process has put the California anti-sweeps bill on a fast track. California’s gut-and-amend process is where the ...
From Game Studio to Sweepstakes Casino, PLAYSTUDIOS Set to Launch in the U.S.
PLAYSTUDIOS is set to launch its own sweepstakes casino in the United States by the end of 2025. This was confirmed by CEO Andrew Pascal during the 2025 Q2 earnings call earlier this month. The expectation is that PLAY Studios will be available in eligible states nationwide. PLAYSTUDIOS is a provider that focuses on free-to-play games catered to social casinos. ...
McLuck Resumes Operations in Georgia and Alabama
Sweepstakes giant B-Two Operations, which operates popular social casinos like McLuck, has re-entered the market in Georgia and Alabama. The changes were reflected in the August 7th update of the terms and conditions for McLuck. Alabama was previously listed as an excluded location because there were several active lawsuits against sweepstakes operators like VGW (Chumba Casino), Stake.us, and Blazesoft Limited ...
DraftKings CEO Criticizes Trump’s Bill for Restricting Gambling Loss Deductions
DraftKings CEO Jason Robins spoke against a new tax policy in President Donald Trump’s proposed One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA). The measure would limit gamblers to deducting only 90% of their losses from winnings, a shift from the long-standing standard of full deductions. This means that even players who broke even on the year would still face tax charges. ...
Illinois Enacts Ban on Gambling Advertisements Across Colleges
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) continued to implement regulatory changes, with the latest move being the ban on gambling advertisements at the 249 colleges and universities within the state. The new measures aim to protect the youth from developing problem gambling habits. In an August 4th press release, IGB Administrator Marcus D. Fruchter stated, “By adopting these measures, the IGB ...
Pennsylvania iGaming Shows Strong Performance in June
According to the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, there was a 15.4% year-over-year increase for iGaming revenue in June 2025. Both retail and online slots were the main drivers of growth. Sports betting also showed improvement this month, despite being in the usual summer slowdown, where revenue is at annual lows. The majority of overall iGaming revenue came from the top ...
Sweeps Company VGW Implementing Sales Tax on Gold Coins Packages
Virtual Gaming Worlds (VGW) is one of the industry leaders in the sweepstakes casino space, featuring popular brands like Chumba Casino, LuckyLand Slots, and Global Poker. As of July 2025, VGW has instituted a sales tax on Gold Coin purchases in several states. The tax rate, along with which states are affected, has not been specified by the company. “Some ...
Tennessee Betting Handle Decreases in June Amid Summer Slowdown
Tennessee sports betting handle was at $350.9 million in June, which was a significant decrease from $437.5 million in May. This slow period is likely to continue throughout the summer, since July and August are some of the least active months for sports betting for the year. Taking a look at the Tennessee sports betting handle since June 2024 sheds ...
Massachusetts Reports Lowest Sports Betting Handle of Year in June
Massachusetts sports betting reported $525.5 million in sports betting handle for June, which was a substantial decrease from $645.7 million in May. Sports betting revenue also fell month-over-month from $79.9 million to $61.6 million. This decline is projected to continue through the summer months, since this is the slowest time of the sports betting calendar. Examining Massachusetts sports betting results ...
Fanatics Teams Up With WWE to Launch SummerSlam Games on Online Casino
Fanatics Sportsbook announced an exclusive partnership with WWE to provide wrestling-themed games on its online casino just in time for SummerSlam, which takes place from Saturday, August 2 to Sunday, August 3. It’s the first time in the event’s history that it will be held over two nights. Players will get to try out these WWE-style games at the end ...
Caesars Upgrades Nevada Mobile Betting App
Caesars has announced enhanced features to their mobile betting app in Nevada, offering a universal digital wallet that gives users streamlined access to rewards and promotions. Players can now redeem Caesars rewards points, deposit funds, and claim winnings without having to switch accounts. “We’re always looking for ways to make things easier and more seamless for our players. The launch ...
New York Sports Betting Revenue Declines in June 2025
New York sports betting revenue decreased from $248.9 million in May to $206.5 million in June. There was also a decline in sports betting handle, falling from $2.2 billion to $1.6 billion. This downward trend is expected to continue throughout the summer, which is the slowest time of the sports betting calendar. Looking at New York sports betting results since ...
North Carolina Sports Betting Reaches $6 Billion in 2025
North Carolina sports betting reached approximately $6.4 billion in total wagers for the last fiscal year, according to the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, putting the total handle at almost $8.4 billion. The Tar Heel State has generated about $116.5 million in tax revenue from sports betting, exceeding initial expectations when the market went live in March 2024. Despite launching ...
Sweepstakes Casinos Banned in Connecticut
Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont signed Senate Bill 1235 (SB 1235) into law back in June, putting an end to sweepstakes casinos within the Constitution State. This makes Connecticut the second state after Montana to ban sweepstakes casinos. The ban will take effect on October 1, 2025. Other states where sweepstakes casinos are unavailable include Washington, Idaho, New York, Nevada, Michigan, ...
Anti-Sweeps Bill Moves Forward in California
Assembly Bill 831 (AB 831) aims to ban sweepstakes casinos in California. The bill was introduced by Asm. Avelino Valencia and passed the Senate Governmental Organization Committee with a unanimous 10-0 result on July 8, 2025. The next step is for this bill to get through the Senate Public Safety Committee. Asm. Valencia stated, “online sweepstakes casinos have increased in ...