Nebraska Online Betting Campaign Raises $21.7M Before Nov. 3 Vote
The committee backing Nebraska’s online sports betting ballot measures has raised nearly $21.7 million this election year, with major sportsbooks adding more than $7 million since late September as the Nov. 3 vote nears. Tax Relief Nebraska is supporting Initiative 440, a constitutional amendment, and Initiative 441, a companion law that would set the rules. Both must pass for statewide ...
StealthX Maker Sues Ex-Texas Distributor Over Phantom Software
A Minneapolis software company has sued its former exclusive Texas distributors in federal court, alleging they copied its sweepstakes game math and reel strips into a competing product called Phantom. Technology Holdings Corporation Inc. and three affiliates filed the complaint on October 20 in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas. The defendants have not publicly responded, ...
Northwestern’s Braun Warns of Gambling Risks Before Oregon Game
Northwestern head coach David Braun used a routine question about betting odds to deliver a pointed warning about gambling, calling sports betting “predatory” at his weekly press conference on Monday. Braun’s Wildcats are 6-1, ranked No. 20 in the AP poll, and preparing to travel to Oregon. The comments came when Braun was asked about Northwestern’s status as a 3.5-point ...
Sweeps Coins Disappear in Iowa at WOW Vegas and Rolla, but Not at Sister Sites
WOW Vegas and Rolla Casino have ended Sweeps Coin gameplay for players in Iowa, leaving only the Gold Coin-style currency available. Two other sites run by the same company have not made the same change, and the operator has not said why. Players in Iowa who open WOW Vegas see a notice that access is limited to social casino mode, ...
Michigan Online Gambling Receipts Hit $355.7M as Sports Handle Jumps 65%
Michigan’s commercial and tribal online operators reported $355.7 million in combined internet gaming and online sports betting gross receipts in September, up 5.4% from August, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board. Online casinos again supplied most of the total, while sports betting handle surged as football season began. The board released the figures on October 22. iGaming gross receipts ...
Illinois Sweeps Cease-and-Desist Letters Draw Few Exits After Eight Months
Eight months after the Illinois Gaming Board sent cease-and-desist letters to more than 60 online casino and sweepstakes operators, the results are mixed. Some brands have restricted Illinois, while several well-known platforms continue to serve the state. The board issued the letters on February 5, 2026, in coordination with the attorney general’s office. No lawsuit or other court action by ...
New York Sportsbooks Win $63.3M in Best NFL Week of 2026
New York’s mobile sportsbooks reached a milestone in Week 6 of the NFL season, keeping 10.3% of wagers, their first double-digit hold of the football season, according to New York State Gaming Commission data. Operators won $63.3 million in gross gaming revenue on a $615.1 million handle during the week ending Oct. 18. Revenue rose from $52.1 million the previous ...
Sweeps Operators Comply With Cease-and-Desist Orders as States Turn to Lawsuits
Sweepstakes casinos have responded to state cease-and-desist orders by leaving or restricting play, not by suing regulators. As Kentucky and Florida file lawsuits instead of sending letters, operators are being pulled into court as defendants. The pattern stands out because other gambling-adjacent industries have gone to court over similar orders. Polymarket US sued Ohio on October 16 over a cease-and-desist ...
Florida Congressman Presses ACC for Its Employee Sports Betting Policies
Florida Rep. Jimmy Patronis has asked the Atlantic Coast Conference to disclose its online sports betting rules for conference employees, officials and others tied to its competitions. The Republican tied the request to the ACC’s support for a federal college sports bill. The request is a letter, not a subpoena or committee demand. The ACC’s response was not publicly available ...
California Federal Judge Rejects VGW’s Arbitration Bid in Spouse Lawsuit
A federal judge in California has declined to send a lawsuit against VGW Holdings and its partners to arbitration. The ruling holds that the spouses suing the company are not bound by the arbitration terms their partners accepted. U.S. District Judge Araceli Martínez-Olguín issued the order on September 18, 2026, in Brown v. VGW Holdings US Inc., No. 4:25-cv-07071, in ...
Nebraska Casinos Top $240M for 2026 as WarHorse Omaha Leads
Nebraska’s five licensed casinos generated $25.9 million in gross gaming revenue in September, up 17.9% from the same month last year, according to figures from the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. The total was down from the $27.5 million reported for August and the $28.1 million reported for July. Four of the five properties grew revenue year over year. Harrah’s ...
Maine iGaming Launch Faces Fresh Delay Risk as Regulators Weigh More Rule Change
Maine residents waiting for legal online casinos may have to wait longer than anticipated. The state’s developing iGaming market faces another potential setback as regulators determine whether proposed rules need yet another round of substantive changes. The Maine Gambling Control Unit has already reached the third publication of its proposed iGaming rules, released Sept. 30. Executive Director Milt Champion said ...
Pulsz Faces $14 Million Settlement Over Virtual Coin Sales
Yellow Social Interactive, the operator behind Pulsz and Pulszbingo, has agreed to an estimated $14 million class action settlement over allegations that its sale of virtual coins violated gambling laws in six states. The agreement received preliminary court approval on Aug. 31, 2026, although the settlement still requires final approval. The case targeted the way consumers spent money playing Pulsz ...
Sports Betting Giants Pour Millions Into New York's Political Arena
The sports betting industry has developed a sizable financial presence in New York politics, with companies and industry-backed groups putting millions of dollars behind political organizations during the 2026 election cycle. Super PACs backed by sportsbook interests have spent nearly $8.3 million on New York races this year, according to an Oct. 19 investigation by New York Focus. Much of ...
D.C. Sweepstakes Casino Crackdown Could Open Door to Legal iGaming
Washington, D.C. lawmakers are considering an approach to sweepstakes casinos that differs from the straightforward prohibitions gaining traction elsewhere. Rather than simply trying to remove sweepstakes casino platforms from the market, legislation before the D.C. Council would establish a regulated real-money online casino industry while addressing unlicensed sweepstakes sites. Bill B26-0656, the Internet Gaming and Consumer Protection Act of 2026, ...
Michael Rubin Warns Sports Betting Industry Faces "Very Difficult" Years Ahead
Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin is preparing for an increasingly expensive fight for U.S. sports bettors, warning that the next several years could be especially challenging as traditional sportsbooks and prediction markets compete for the same customers. Rubin said the next few years will be "very difficult" for the industry while appearing on CNBC's "Squawk Box." His warning centers partly on ...
Sweepstakes Casino Shakeup Continues With October Closures And Oklahoma Exits
October is shaping up to be another consequential month for the U.S. sweepstakes casino market. Several platforms are either shutting down entirely or reducing where their sweepstakes products are available, giving players a series of deadlines to follow before the end of the month. GiddyUp and Coin Wizard Games are winding down on separate schedules, while Baba Casino and ACE ...
DraftKings Sportsbook Margins Face Pressure After Rough NFL Start
The NFL season has brought higher betting activity back to U.S. sportsbooks, but the opening stretch has not produced equally favorable results for DraftKings. The operator is facing scrutiny over weaker sports betting margins following a run of NFL and college football outcomes that favored bettors more than bookmakers. Susquehanna analysts flagged the trend after examining betting results from the ...
Pennsylvania Gaming Bill Targets Sweepstakes Casinos With $500,000 Fines
Pennsylvania lawmakers are weighing another significant change to the state's gambling landscape, this time targeting online sweepstakes casinos with a proposed penalty that could make violations particularly costly. House Bill 2801 would prohibit online sweepstakes casinos and establish fines of $500,000 per offense. The proposal arrives as Pennsylvania is already navigating a major shift involving skill-game machines. In June, the ...
Indiana Sweepstakes Debate Faces Shift as Ron Alting Steps Back
Indiana’s sweepstakes casino debate could look considerably different in its next legislative chapter. Ron Alting, one of the state Senate’s most prominent voices for considering regulation rather than prohibition, has stepped back from active campaigning while seeking medical evaluation and treatment. He remains on the Nov. 3 ballot for Senate District 22. The longtime Republican senator has represented District 22 ...