iGaming Daily

Could the 2026 US midterm elections change the future of sports betting and online casino gambling across America?The elections have created new political possibilities for gambling expansion in some states, but Nebraska's rejection of online sports betting has raised questions about public appetite for further legalisation.On today's iGaming Daily, host Fernando Noodt is joined by Pat Evans, Business Journalist at SBC Americas, to examine what the election results could mean for US gambling legislation in 2027.They discuss the changing political landscape in Texas, including Vikki Goodwin's victory over Dan Patrick, and whether the state could finally make progress on sports betting and casino legislation.The conversation also explores Nebraska's unsuccessful mobile sports betting ballot initiatives, the wider implications for the industry, and the prospects for further gambling reform in Georgia, Ohio, Minnesota and Oklahoma.With prediction markets, sweepstakes casinos, tax proposals and regulatory pressures adding to the debate, what should operators be watching as 2027 approaches?**In this episode:**• How the 2026 US midterms could affect gambling legislation• Why gambling expansion remains a bipartisan issue• Texas and the future of sports betting legalisation• Nebraska's rejection of mobile sports betting• The impact of prediction markets and sweepstakes• Georgia's gambling expansion prospects• Ohio and the potential for online casino legislation• Minnesota and Oklahoma's regulatory challenges• Further opportunities and tax pressures in 2027**Featuring:**Fernando Noodt, SBC MediaPat Evans, Business Journalist, SBC AmericasiGaming Daily is brought to you by Optimove, the creator of Positionless Marketing.Subscribe to SBC Media for daily coverage of the global gambling and iGaming industry.Chapters:00:00 Is Gambling Expansion Still Bipartisan?00:22 US Midterms: What Changes for Gambling?01:02 Fernando Noodt Welcomes Pat Evans01:46 The Election Results and Industry Outlook02:56 New Opportunities and Voter Resistance05:22 Texas: A New Path for Sports Betting?08:52 Nebraska Rejects Online Sports Betting12:38 What Nebraska's Vote Means for Other States13:14 Optimove Sponsor Break13:31 Georgia's Gambling Expansion Prospects16:09 Could Ohio Legalise Online Casino Gaming?17:38 Minnesota's Political and Tribal Gaming Debate19:28 Oklahoma and Tribal Gaming Agreements21:00 Other States to Watch in 202722:03 Gambling Taxes and Regulatory Pressure22:24 Closing Thoughts#iGamingDaily #SportsBetting #USGambling #iGaming #SBCMedia

Why is Super Group finding success in Africa while other gambling companies struggle with regulatory uncertainty? And why does Sportradar see prediction markets as an opportunity?Q3 2026 reporting season is revealing two very different approaches to growth across the global gambling industry.In today's episode of iGaming Daily, Charlie Horner is joined by SBC News Editor Ted Orme-Claye and Senior Journalist Viktor Kayed to examine the latest financial results from Super Group and Sportradar.First, Super Group.The Betway and Spin operator reported Q3 profit of $142 million, compared with $96 million in the corresponding quarter last year.With Africa accounting for 43% of group revenue, the discussion explores why Super Group's focus on African markets is delivering growth, and why the operator has chosen to step away from the US and avoid prediction markets.Then, Sportradar.The sports technology and data company reported 24% year-on-year revenue growth in Q3, supported by its expanding sports rights portfolio and the acquisition of IMG Arena.Unlike Super Group, Sportradar sees an opportunity in prediction markets, particularly as a supplier of sports data and technology.The team also discusses:• Super Group's expansion across African gambling markets• Why operators are reassessing opportunities in the US and Brazil• Sportradar's sports data and fan engagement strategy• The risks and opportunities surrounding prediction markets• What Q3 results reveal about the gambling industry's outlook for 2027Featuring:Charlie Horner, HostTed Orme-Claye, SBC News EditorViktor Kayed, SBC News Senior JournalistiGaming Daily is supported by Optimove, the creator of Positionless Marketing and a leading player engagement solution for sports betting and iGaming operators.Subscribe to SBC Media for daily insights into the global gambling industry.#iGamingDaily #SuperGroup #Sportradar #iGaming #PredictionMarkets

Flutter has reported Q3 standalone losses of $1.2bn in the first set of results under new Chief Executive Officer Dan Taylor, while leadership maintains that the NYSE-listed group holds unmatched scale in its global business structure.Yet EBITDA and profitability continue to be affected by the fallout from Brazil’s betting ban, a squeeze on UK margins and compounding US costs as FanDuel works to reset its competitive edge against new threats.In today’s iGaming Daily, host Fernando Noodt is joined by Ted Menmuir, SBC Editor-at-Large and Ted Orme-Claye, SBC News Editor, to break down the results and what they mean for Taylor.The team looks at what the $1.2bn figure accounts for, the positives Flutter is pitching to the market, the pressure on UK and Ireland margins and whether the group can recover under its current structure.In this episode:What stands out from Flutter’s Q3 trading updateWhat new CEO Dan Taylor is seeking to fix firstWhat the $1.2bn Q3 standalone loss accounts forWhere investor concerns are likely to be greatestThe positives Flutter is pitching to the marketWhether FanDuel can deliver its turnaroundHow the squeeze on UK and Ireland margins is being tackledWhether Flutter could exit Brazil without a pathway to a regulated marketAs Flutter faces pressure across its markets, the episode asks whether the group can mount a comeback under its current structure.Further reading:SBC News: https://sbcnews.co.uk/featurednews/2026/11/04/flutter-q3-net-loss-1bn/iGaming Daily is supported by Optimove, the creator of Positionless Marketing and a player engagement solution for sports betting and iGaming operators.Subscribe to SBC Media for daily news, industry insights and analysis from across the global gambling sector.#iGamingDaily #Flutter #FanDuel #DanTaylor #Q3Results

Did Bradley Walsh's Million Pound Shot expose the gambling industry's biggest problems, or give viewers a misleading picture of regulated betting in the UK?Channel 4 has sparked controversy with Bradley Walsh's Million Pound Shot, a staged game show designed to highlight gambling-related harm and the techniques that can encourage problematic gambling.What began as a high-stakes quiz with contestants risking their own money was revealed to be an elaborate television production exploring the experiences of people affected by gambling addiction.While the programme received widespread attention, its portrayal of the gambling industry has drawn criticism from the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC), which argues that several practices shown would not be permitted by licensed UK operators.In today's iGaming Daily, host Charlie Horner is joined by Joe Streeter, Editor of iGaming Expert, and Viktor Kayed, Senior Journalist at SBC News, to examine the controversy and its wider implications for UK gambling.Was the programme an effective way to raise awareness of gambling harm? Did it fairly represent the safeguards and regulations in place across the licensed sector? And can the industry communicate its position to a mainstream audience in the same way?The panel explores the differences between regulated and unlicensed gambling, the industry's response to Channel 4, the growing public debate around gambling regulation and what this could mean for the future of the sector.**In this episode:**- What happened on Bradley Walsh's Million Pound Shot?- Why Channel 4 created a fake game show about gambling harm- The Betting and Gaming Council's criticism of the programme- Whether the show accurately portrayed regulated gambling practices- How gambling-related harm is presented to mainstream audiences- The importance of customer protection and safer gambling interventions- Whether the industry can improve its public reputation- The potential impact on future gambling regulation and taxationAs debates around gambling harm, regulation and industry responsibility continue, the episode asks whether a more balanced conversation is possible.**Further reading:**SBC News: Million Pound Shot and the gambling industryhttps://sbcnews.co.uk/features/comment/2026/11/02/million-pound-shot-gambling/iGaming Expert: Channel 4 and Bradley Walsh's Million Pound Shothttps://igamingexpert.com/features/channel-4-bradley-walsh-uk-gambling-million-pound-shot/iGaming Daily is supported by Optimove, the creator of Positionless Marketing and a player engagement solution for sports betting and iGaming operators.Subscribe to SBC Media for daily news, industry insights and analysis from across the global gambling sector.#iGamingDaily #BradleyWalsh #MillionPoundShot #UKGambling #Channel4

Are UK gamblers really abandoning licensed operators for the black market? New Gambling Commission research suggests the answer is more complicated.The UK Gambling Commission has published new findings from an analysis of banking transactions involving suspected illegal gambling operators, raising fresh questions about player behaviour, regulation and the risks facing vulnerable customers.The research identified 3,426 suspected illegal gambling transactions involving 179 individuals. Among those with repeated detected illegal transactions, **91% also gambled with licensed operators**, challenging the assumption that players who turn to the black market necessarily leave the regulated sector behind.But what does this mean for the UK gambling industry?In today's episode of **iGaming Daily**, host **Charlie Horner** is joined by **Ted Menmuir, SBC Media's Editor-at-Large**, and **Ted Orme-Claye, SBC News Editor**, to unpack the research and debate its implications.The discussion explores whether financial risk assessments and other regulatory measures could be encouraging some customers to explore unlicensed sites, while also examining the relationship between black market gambling and gambling-related harm.The panel also considers another significant finding: 45% of the study's participants with detected illegal gambling transactions and available PGSI scores recorded a score of eight or above, compared with 6% of licensed non-lottery gambling consumers in the study's comparison group.With concerns over player protection, financial checks, GAMSTOP, payment blocking and the limitations of existing research, the episode asks whether the industry and regulators need to rethink their assumptions about the illegal gambling market.**In this episode:**- Why 91% of repeat black market gamblers in the study also used licensed operators- What open banking data reveals about gambling behaviour- The connection between illegal gambling and problem gambling risk- Whether regulation and financial checks are pushing players offshore- Why unlicensed sites can be attractive to vulnerable customers- The role of banks and payment providers in preventing illegal gambling- What further research is needed to tackle the black marketThe Gambling Commission acknowledges that its dataset is not nationally representative and cannot establish that illegal gambling causes harm.**iGaming Daily is supported by Optimove**, the creator of Positionless Marketing and a player engagement solution for sports betting and iGaming operators.Subscribe to SBC Media for daily news, analysis and discussion from across the global gambling industry.#iGamingDaily #GamblingCommission #BlackMarketGambling #UKGambling #iGaming

Experts examine why investors backed Kalshi with a $1 billion Series G at a reported $40 billion valuation, despite mounting US legal challenges. They discuss Kalshi’s plans to broaden beyond sports, the prospects for prediction markets in Europe, and whether consumer demand can withstand regulatory uncertainty.Key TopicsKalshi raised $1 billion in a Series G co-led by Wellington Management and Sequoia Capital, reaching a reported $40 billion valuation.Kalshi’s evolution from election-related markets to sports event contractsKalshi is exploring financial-services products and a broader role in the US financial ecosystem, including a partnership with S&P Dow Jones indices.Kalshi’s stated interest in expansion into Latin America and Europe, while acknowledging that regulatory approval could take time.Utah’s reported 13 criminal charges against Kalshi and its operating LLC, amid wider state-level legal challenges to prediction markets.The discussion contrasts federal CFTC support for prediction markets with state regulators’ objections, including Utah’s anti-gambling stance.IG Group’s plans for prediction markets and its gambling-licence application; he also references Gibraltar’s prediction-market framework.The speakers expect European offerings to differ from the US, potentially with narrower markets and restrictions on sports or politically sensitive contracts.$40 billion valuation or possible IPO is too optimistic given uncertainty over sports contracts and possible Supreme Court review.Host: Charlie HornerGuests: Ted Orme-Claye & Patrick KilleenProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldLearn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

Host Charlie Horner is joined by SB' Editor-at-large Ted Menmuir and SBC News Editor Ted Orme-Claye to examine major European gambling developments beyond the UK budget. They discuss the impact of the UK's machine games duty increase, Flutter's Betfair exit from Italy, Veikkaus's planned Viabet launch in Denmark, and the political and tax pressures shaping 2027.Key TopicsThe UK’s 25% increase in machine games duty was described as a compromise compared with more severe potential increases, but operators and industry groups warned of significant costs.Rank Group estimated an approximately £9 million cost while maintaining its profit expectations; Entain estimated about £25 million, and the BGC said up to 9,000 jobs could be at risk.The panel urged gambling businesses to avoid being pulled into divisive party politics and to keep engaging with government on high-street plans.Flutter is closing Betfair’s Italian sportsbook, casino, and exchange operations, citing regulatory conditions and the lack of a viable business case.Flutter is focusing on integrating its Italian assets, Sisal and Snaitech, following major acquisitions, while its Betfair exit is expected to have minimal corporate impact and no significant Italian job cuts.Finland’s state-owned Veikkaus plans to launch the Viabet consumer sportsbook in Denmark next year, extending beyond its established B2B activity.The planned opening of Finland’s betting market to multiple licences next July could prompt Veikkaus to seek new markets and respond to offshore competition.The speakers identified tax, political change, and the pace of industry transformation as defining forces for European gambling, with major elections ahead in markets including Spain, France, and Germany.Host: Charlie HornerGuests: Ted Orme-Claye & Ted MenmuirProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldLearn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

In today’s episode, Host, Charlie Horner is joined by Ted and Ted as the trio break down the UK Budget’s decision to hike Machine Games Duty to 25% and block business rates relief for adult gaming centres, asking if high-street betting can survive the extra costs.Key TopicsMachine tax goes up to 25%: The government has raised Machine Games Duty to 25% to help fund wider support for UK high streets.Adult gaming centres hit hardest: Arcades face a double blow, paying the higher machine tax while missing out on the business rates discount given to pubs and shops.Why the tax happened: The panel debates whether this is an anti-gambling move or just a government desperate to raise cash.Shops and jobs at risk: Betting shops and gaming venues may have to close branches and cut staff to cope with the rising bills.What comes next: The team looks at whether this budget settles the gambling debate for now or opens the door to even tighter rules.Host: Charlie HornerGuests: Ted Orme-Claye & Ted MenmuirProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldLearn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

This episode examines Groupe Partouche’s rollout of cryptocurrency payments for casino chips across its French venues, exploring the regulatory backing, technical development, and whether this marks a turning point for crypto adoption in European land-based gaming.Key Topics:Groupe Partouche’s Strategic Pivot: An overview of the prominent French casino operator and the commercial motivations driving its adoption of crypto payments.The Chip-Buying Mechanics & Timeline: How the payment system works at the cage and the rollout schedule extending into 2027.A Four-Year Technical Build: The background on how the proprietary payment infrastructure was developed and tested behind the scenes.Regulatory Compliance & MiCA: How the European Union’s Markets in Crypto-Assets (MiCA) framework provides the legal foundation for French venues to accept digital assets.Industry Impact & Future Adoption: The specific cryptocurrencies supported and whether this signals widespread crypto integration across European land-based casinos.Host: Charlie HornerGuests: Louis Thompsett & Ted MenmuirProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldLearn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service. 

Host Fernando Noodt speaks with Ted Menmuir and Leonardo Biazzi about Lula da Silva’s election victory and what it could mean for Brazil’s online betting market. They examine the extinguished licences, Congress’s role in reviewing the provisional measure, and the legal and commercial uncertainty facing operators, sports and media businesses. Key TopicsWhy Lula’s second-round vote rose by 11 million, while Flavio Bolsonaro gained 3 million, after grassroots organizing and voter outreach.Lula’s centrist campaign tone, his stated interest in regulating social media, and his earlier opposition to betting operators.The provisional measure extinguished previously authorised licences, including those operators had paid R$30 million to obtain, deepening the sector’s uncertainty.Congress could consider proposals to restore regulated sports betting while excluding online casinos, partly because betting sponsors support Brazilian clubs and competitions.The Liberal Party holds substantial legislative representation, but Leonardo expects some centrist politicians to work with Lula for political survival.Lula may gain politically whether a proposed betting ban succeeds or fails, since he can claim to have pursued the policy.Host: Fernando NoodtGuests: Leonardo Biazzi & Ted MenmuirProducer: Anaya McDonaldEditor: Anaya McDonaldLearn how Optimove’s Positionless Marketing is changing how iGaming teams operate. Discover how operators are using Optimove’s Positionless Marketing Platform to launch personalised CRM campaigns, dynamically change casino lobbies and bet slips, and create engaging gamified experiences. Learn more at optimove.com.Finally, remember to check out Optimove at https://hubs.la/Q02gLC5L0 or go to Optimove.com/sbc to get your first month free when buying the industry's leading customer-loyalty service.