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California Presents Legal Roadblock to High 5 Casino Amidst Operational Efforts
A San Francisco judge has handed a setback to High 5 Entertainment, refusing to throw out a lawsuit that accuses the online casino of misleading players. This ruling could shake up the sweepstakes casino world in California, where similar operations face growing scrutiny. Thomas Portugal sued High 5, claiming he was tricked into spending money on what he calls an ...
New Massachusetts House Bill 4431 Would Legalize iGaming and Ban Sweeps Casinos
Massachusetts wants to change its gaming rules with House Bill 4431, introduced on August 18, 2025. The bill went to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. It builds on earlier plans by Sen. Paul R. Feeney and Rep. Daniel Cahill to allow online gaming, called iGaming, and stop unregulated online sweeps casinos. The goal is to create ...
NY Lawmaker Pivots Toward Legalizing Sweeps Casinos Despite Bill Ban
At the recent Saratoga Racing and Gaming Conference, New York State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. shared a bold idea: legalize sweepstakes casinos. While SB S5935A, a bill to ban them, awaits Gov. Kathy Hochul’s approval, Addabbo believes regulating them could bring big benefits. He’s been pushing for online gaming laws for years, and this could be a step forward. His ...
California WOW Vegas Users: Act Now to Earn and Redeem Sweeps Coins
California’s Assembly Bill 831 prohibits dual-currency sweepstakes gaming platforms, such as WOW Vegas, starting January 1, 2026. As a result, these platforms are required to eliminate any system that allows users to earn free Sweeps Coins that can be redeemed for cash or prizes. This policy change directly affects the timeline players have to earn and redeem Sweeps Coins before they become void in ...
New Jersey Mandates Campus Gambling Awareness Under AB A1715
New Jersey Assembly Bill A1715 was unanimously approved in both the Assembly and Senate before being forwarded to Governor Phil Murphy. Once signed, it will immediately require all public colleges, universities, and community colleges in the state to take proactive measures against compulsive gambling. Institutions must invite the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey at least once per semester, ...
Saratoga Lands Pennsylvania Gaming License, Preps Happy Valley Casino
The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) recently awarded Saratoga Casino Holdings LLC a license to operate in Pennsylvania, marking its entry into the Keystone State’s non‑tribal casino market. The license clears a significant regulatory barrier for the Happy Valley Casino project, underscoring Saratoga’s adherence to state standards and readiness to proceed with its development plans. This development follows a preliminary ...
New York Bill A9343 Proposes Ban on Live Sports Betting
Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal introduced bill A9343, aiming to eliminate all live (in‑play) sports betting options at sportsbooks operating in New York. This proposal comes amid heightened concerns over sports integrity following recent incidents in professional baseball and basketball. In-play betting allows bettors to place wagers during a game, a fast‑growing segment of the industry. For example, 74% of the total ...
Sports Betting Alliance Sues Chicago Over Municipal License Mandate
The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a coalition including DraftKings, FanDuel, BetMGM, bet365, and Fanatics, filed a lawsuit in Cook County Circuit Court on December 30, 2025. The group challenged Chicago’s recent budget provisions, which would require separate municipal licenses for sports betting operators alongside the new 10.25% city tax on online wagers placed within city limits. City officials promised to ...
Chicago Grants Prompts Shift in Legal Strategy with Sports Betting Licenses
Chicago city officials delivered municipal sports betting licenses to major operators—bet365, BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics—just before the new year took effect. This move removed the immediate threat of a shutdown that operators had warned would occur at midnight on January 1. With licenses in hand, the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) withdrew its motion for a temporary restraining order (TRO), ...
Key Oklahoma Politician Adds to Murky Gambling Outlook
Sen. James Lankford (R‑OK) has publicly opposed bipartisan legislation that seeks to restore a 100% deduction of gambling losses, a move that poses a significant hurdle to the proposal’s advancement. His resistance is among the first from a Senate Republican to confront this effort, which currently enjoys support in both parties and both chambers of Congress. Lankford stated to Punchbowl ...
November Woes: Rhode Island Casinos See Year‑Over‑Year Revenue Dip
Rhode Island’s two physical casinos—Twin River in Lincoln and Tiverton—experienced a noticeable revenue dip in November compared to the same month last year. According to figures from the Rhode Island Lottery, combined gaming revenue fell to $53.9 million, down from $55.6 million in November 2024. This decline comes after a strong performance last year, which saw an 8% year-over-year increase, ...
Fliff Expands Offering to Feature DFS Matchups Against Other Peers
Fliff’s new Superstars product frames daily fantasy around players competing against each other in pooled contests rather than against the platform itself. Entries consist of selecting two or more athletes and choosing over/under statistical projections, with payouts determined by multipliers and placement within guaranteed prize pools. The format includes “Max Play” and “Flex Play” options that mirror pick’em-style gameplay while ...
NY iGaming Legalization Effort Enters Spotlight Once Again
Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr. (D‑15) has once again introduced Senate Bill 2164—a proposal aimed at legalizing iGaming in New York—and it’s identical to the version he filed in early 2025. The companion Assembly bill (A6027) is currently under review in the Assembly Racing and Wagering Committee. If enacted, the legislation would pave the way for legal online casinos, including ...
Virginia Adds Possibility of Legal Online Casinos to 2026 Session
House Bill 161, pre-filed in early January for the 2026 General Assembly session, would authorize online casino gaming across Virginia. Authored by Del. Marcus Simon (D), the proposal aims to legalize real-money online offerings—slot machines, table games, and poker—extending regulatory oversight to Virginia’s digital gaming landscape. If passed, this marks the most significant gambling expansion in the Commonwealth since sports betting ...
BetRivers’ $5 Minimum in Illinois Highlights Tax-Driven Shift in Betting
BetRivers increased its minimum sports bet in Illinois from $1 to $5, marking its second hike in less than a year. Rush Street Interactive confirmed the change, which places BetRivers behind only Circa’s $10 minimum among major operators in the state. The move follows Illinois’ per-wager tax that took effect July 1—$0.25 on each of the first 20 million online ...
Legislation Introduced to Restore Full Gambling-Loss Deduction
Starting January 1, 2026, the One Big Beautiful Bill cut the allowable deduction for gambling losses from 100% to 90%, creating “phantom income” for bettors who break even or lose overall. Under the new rule, a gambler who wins and loses the same amount—for instance, $15,000—could only deduct $13,500 of losses and would owe tax on the remaining $1,500. The change drew ...
Florida Records 3% Year‑Over‑Year Gaming Revenue Growth Amid Economic Uncertainty
Florida’s non‑tribal casino market recorded a roughly 3% year‑over‑year revenue increase in November, continuing a modest upward trajectory even as economic pressures weigh on consumer spending. According to recent figures from the Florida Gaming Control Commission, total slot‑machine revenue reached approximately $58.2 million, up from about $56.5 million during the same period the previous year. This growth aligns with other ...
DraftKings Sides With Maine Regulators in Bid to Ban Sweeps Casinos
Maine lawmakers are considering a proposal that would prohibit dual-currency sweepstakes casinos, a move supported by major regulated gambling operators, including DraftKings. The company testified in favor of the bill during a recent bicameral hearing, aligning itself with regulators who argue these games operate outside Maine’s legal gambling framework. Kevin Cochran, DraftKings’ senior legal and government affairs director, said unregulated ...
New Jersey Weighs Casino Expansion as Meadowlands Proposals Resurface
New Jersey lawmakers have entered 2026 with a renewed focus on major changes to the state’s gaming landscape, including proposals that could authorize casino gambling outside Atlantic City for the first time in decades. Several bills introduced at the start of the new legislative session address both the long‑running casino smoking exemption and, more significantly, a potential casino project at ...
Pennsylvania Sets New Casino Revenue Record in 2025
Pennsylvania ended 2025 with its strongest casino revenue performance to date, reaching $6.796 billion across all gaming categories, according to new data from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. This marks a 10.74% increase over 2024’s total of $6.137 billion and represents the fifth consecutive year of statewide revenue growth. The state's gaming revenue total includes slot machines, table games, sports ...