Author: Charles Shephardson

Evolution CEO Martin Carlesund has raised serious concerns about falling channelisation rates in regulated gambling markets around the world. Speaking during Evolution’s Q2 earnings call, Carlesund warned that channelisation levels in certain markets had dropped to approximately 50%, a figure he described as deeply troubling. He argued that higher gambling taxes and increasingly restrictive regulation are the primary forces pushing players toward unlicensed operators in those affected markets. Carlesund was responding directly to analyst questions about the impact of the UK’s increase in Remote Gaming Duty, which came into effect earlier this year. While he pointed to both the UK…

DraftKings has filed a federal lawsuit against the city of Philadelphia, seeking to stop an investigation into its sportsbook and online casino operations. The complaint was filed on Thursday, 16 July, by DraftKings alongside co-plaintiffs Crown PA Gaming and Golden Nugget Online Gaming, targeting the city’s Consumer Protection Ordinance adopted in 2024. Philadelphia city lawyers issued a subpoena on 24 April, seeking records covering wagering revenue, customer targeting, promotions, VIP programmes and responsible gambling practices. DraftKings says Philadelphia confirmed on 9 July that it was likely to bring a civil enforcement action, prompting the company to seek a full halt…

Gordon Moody has secured NHS England funding to expand its gambling harm treatment and recovery services under the UK’s new statutory levy system. The charity will use the funding to support its residential, online and community-based treatment programmes, building on its specialist expertise in gambling harm recovery. Gordon Moody becomes one of the first voluntary sector providers commissioned by NHS England following its assumption of responsibility for gambling harm treatment in England earlier this year. The new structure forms part of the government’s statutory levy framework, with third-sector providers now commissioned directly to deliver specialist support to those in need.…

The UK’s Culture, Media and Sport Committee has unexpectedly intervened in Britain’s long-running affordability checks debate, demanding answers from the Gambling Commission. The cross-party committee wants to know what evidence underpins the Commission’s decision to press ahead with new “financial risk assessments” for gambling customers. Lawmakers are also pressing the regulator on whether more or fewer customers will be required to provide financial documents than under current arrangements. Committee chair Dame Caroline Dinenage struck a balancing act, stressing that people experiencing gambling-related harm should receive appropriate protection while warning that regulation must also recognise the industry’s economic contribution. The British…

ZOOT Studios has invested heavily in its proprietary AI game development system, called Carbon, to build quality Deep Custom Instant Games for operators around holidays, cultural events, and even VIP customer interests. The Carbon system allows the ZOOT team to build a high-quality game in less than a day, which the studio describes as a genuine game changer for the iGaming sector. Most of the ZOOT team has spent 25 or more years in traditional video games, giving them a deep appreciation for moments when game development becomes radically more accessible to individuals. CEO and co-founder Sean Ryan draws a…

On July 18, MMA fans around the world will turn their attention to one of the most anticipated fights of 2026. UFC Fight Night 281 features a blockbuster main event between two former champions with plenty left to prove at the highest level. MelBet global ambassador and former welterweight champion Kamaru Usman, known as The Nigerian Nightmare, takes on former middleweight champion Dricus du Plessis. Du Plessis has not stepped into the cage since losing his middleweight title to Khamzat Chimaev last August, making his hunger to return to form plainly evident. The South African is determined to demonstrate that…

New Zealand has formally opened its online casino licensing process, marking a significant shift away from a market long dominated by offshore operators. The Department of Internal Affairs is now accepting expressions of interest until 14 August, with operators required to file through the Government Electronic Tender Service. Each applicant must pay a non-refundable NZ$19,000 fee just to enter the process, underlining the government’s intent to attract serious, well-resourced operators only. Accepted candidates will progress to an auction scheduled for September, with successful bidders able to lodge full licence applications from October and a planned market launch at the start…

Brazil’s regulated betting market is heading toward one of two radically different futures over the next five years, and the gap between them runs into billions of dollars. That is the central conclusion of NEXT iGaming Market in Focus: Brazil, a major new report published by NEXT.io in partnership with Pragmatic Solutions. The dividing line between those two futures comes down largely to politics, specifically the outcome of Brazil’s general elections on 4 October 2026. Gambling has emerged as a charged campaign issue, with a fast-growing evangelical voting bloc and moral opposition on one side, and a government that now…

Sportsbooks worldwide just experienced one of the biggest betting surges in history, driven by the 2026 World Cup pulling casual bettors in by the millions. Forecasts reported by Reuters put total wagers for the 2026 World Cup above $50 billion, up significantly from $35 billion recorded during Qatar 2022. Major US sportsbooks reported record-breaking handle during the tournament, with some reporting several times the volume they processed during the 2022 group stage. The surge feels like a win on paper, but the real test for operators begins now that the final whistle has blown and the fixtures have dried up.…

RedCore CEO and founder Marina Ilina is making the case that regulatory technology is not a burden on the iGaming industry but rather a shared opportunity for all parties involved. Ilina argues that the iGaming sector has always presented operators with two distinct paths: a transparent licensed model or an unregulated grey market with no legal protections. She contends that the sheer scale of grey markets globally is largely a consequence of governments not knowing how to build functioning regulatory systems in their own jurisdictions. RedCore grew out of an iGaming holding company, giving the business a rare dual perspective…