Author: Andrew Fletcher

Austria is preparing to open its online gambling market to multiple licensed operators for the first time, ending a long-running monopoly arrangement. A leaked draft of the country’s Gambling Reform 2025, dated 20 May 2026, sets out the conditions under which Austria intends to liberalise its online gambling sector. Online operators seeking a concession would be required to settle all outstanding player claims before being granted permission to offer games legally in Austria. The draft states that all legally binding civil court judgments issued by Austrian courts in favour of players must have been satisfied before a concession is granted.…

Multiple private firms have expressed interest in acquiring parts of Veikkaus, Finland’s state-owned gambling company, according to industry consultant Jari Vähänen. Finland’s gambling market is set to transition to a licensed regime on 1 July 2027, prompting renewed debate over whether Veikkaus should be partially or fully sold. Veikkaus has for decades channelled profits into public coffers but will lose its exclusive rights to online casino games and sports betting under the new system. The company has split into two businesses to prepare for market liberalisation, with its online arm actively restructuring to compete against incoming private operators. A survey…

Prediction market traders have handed Kimi Antonelli a commanding lead in the race to be crowned 2026 Formula 1 world champion, with the 19-year-old Italian now sitting at 39% implied probability on Polymarket and traditional bookmakers following his dominant Canadian Grand Prix victory in Montreal, according to an analysis of odds by GamblingNews.uk. The market, which has attracted $143.8 million in total trading volume since opening in December 2025, prices George Russell second at 30%, reflecting the reality that this championship fight has narrowed into a battle between two Mercedes drivers before the season has even reached its halfway point.…

Colorado’s Governor Jared Polis received Senate Bill 131 on May 13, with 30 days to sign a measure that would make the state the first in the country to impose a statutory daily deposit cap on sports betting platforms and ban credit card use across all licensed sportsbook operators. The bipartisan legislation passed the Senate on a 20-15 vote after the House approved a final version of the bill, completing a legislative journey that began earlier in the year amid growing concern about debt-financed wagering and problem gambling rates in the state. The bill’s core provisions are straightforward in what…

AffPapa distributed more than 40 awards across the global iGaming industry at the fifth edition of its annual awards ceremony, held on May 20 at the Real Casino de Madrid during the final day of the AffPapa Conference Madrid. The event gathered over 1,500 industry professionals representing affiliates, operators, and B2B providers from across the global iGaming ecosystem, with Madrid replacing Malaga as the host city to accommodate the conference’s growing international audience. AffPapa CEO Levon Nikoghosyan said in a statement: “Five years ago, we launched the AffPapa iGaming Awards to celebrate the ones moving the industry forward every single…

The conflict between the UK iGaming industry and its primary regulator has reached its most critical moment yet, with the Betting and Gaming Council issuing a direct legal threat to the Gambling Commission ahead of a pivotal board meeting taking place today, Thursday, May 21 2026. The BGC has warned that if the Gambling Commission pushes ahead with the current iteration of Financial Risk Assessments without addressing the industry’s objections around data accuracy and the risk of driving players to unlicensed operators, a judicial review will follow. At the centre of the dispute is the Gambling Commission’s proposed framework for…

Evoke plc has declined to comment on reports that chief executive Per Widerström is facing mounting internal pressure and could be forced out of the role, deepening the uncertainty surrounding the leadership of one of Britain’s largest gambling groups. GamblingNews.uk reported last week that sources close to the William Hill and 888 parent company indicated the situation around Widerström’s position is fluid, with patience within the organisation not unlimited. When approached for a response to this publication’s enquiries, Evoke offered no comment, a stance that does little to quell the speculation now swirling around the Gibraltar-headquartered group. The silence is…

DraftKings (NASDAQ: DKNG) delivered first-quarter 2026 results that beat revenue expectations by 1% and cash flow expectations by 8%, prompting Macquarie analyst Chad Beynon to reiterate his view that the company represents “one of the most compelling structural growth stories in gaming.” US revenues reached $1.6 billion, up 17% year-on-year, while adjusted EBITDA of $168 million surged 64% compared to the same quarter in 2025. The company achieved positive net income for the second consecutive quarter, marking a meaningful milestone in a business that spent years investing aggressively in customer acquisition ahead of profitability. Sportsbook revenue drove the headline numbers,…

Flutter Entertainment, the gambling giant behind FanDuel, Paddy Power, and Betfair, is conducting a formal review of its secondary listing on the London Stock Exchange and has indicated the outcome may result in a complete delisting from the exchange. The disclosure, buried in the company’s first-quarter 2026 earnings materials published on May 6, committed to an update for shareholders by the end of June 2026. Flutter had already moved its primary listing from London to the New York Stock Exchange in May 2024, leaving only a secondary presence on the LSE. The timing tells a coherent strategic story. Flutter now…

The United States Senate Commerce Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Technology, and Data Privacy has scheduled a landmark hearing for Wednesday, May 20, that will mark the first time any Senate body has directly addressed the proliferation of prediction markets and their intersection with professional and amateur sports wagering in America. Subcommittee Chair Senator Marsha Blackburn announced the hearing, titled “No Sure Bets: Protecting Sports Integrity in America,” framing it as a direct response to a string of match-fixing and insider betting scandals that have touched the NBA, MLB, UFC, MLS, and NCAA over the past 18 months. The hearing’s witness…