If you have missed out on any of the big weekly iGaming news, now is the time to catch up. The team at Nostrabet and I paid close attention to all of the most recent news and decided to highlight those that deserve more attention. Some of the things you’re about to read will definitely surprise you, so let’s dive in.
Hong Kong May Legalize Basketball Betting
Hong Kong is one of Asia’s biggest financial hubs and one of the most expensive places in the world. It is also popular with tourists, and the local government wants to make it even more popular, so it decided to open a discussion related to the legalization of basketball betting.
Alongside the potential tourism boost, the proposal is based on the local authorities’ efforts to battle illegal gambling. According to the information, the Hong Kong Jockey Club would receive a basketball betting license, and it would have to follow the same rules as those related to football betting.
The stats from Hong Kong’s regional authorities show that illegal basketball betting generated between HK$70B and HK$90B in 2024. Due to the rise of digital payments, authorities have difficulties regulating illegal gambling sites.
The UK Gambling Commission to Collaborate With GRAI
The Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland and the UK Gambling Commission signed a special Memorandum of Understanding. According to our information, this agreement allows the two gambling regulators to cooperate in Ireland and the UK. The agreement sets the framework and the shared responsibilities of both bodies.
One of the goals of this agreement is to focus on operators that are available in both the UK and Ireland. It will be interesting to see if the collaboration will eventually lead to legislative changes in one of the two regions. Let’s not forget that the UKGC recently introduced regulatory changes related to bonuses and wagering requirements.
Protests in Thailand Against the Parliament’s Casino Proposal
As we reported several weeks ago, the local authorities in Thailand decided to take the needed steps related to legalizing casinos in the country. The idea behind the decision is to make Thailand an even more popular tourist destination than it already is. As of now, the Philippines is one of the only places in SEA with casinos, but this may change.
For better or worse, not everyone in Thailand is on board with the decision to open casinos. Some people really do not like the idea, and they decide to protest against the government’s plans to legalize casinos. The demonstration took place a few days ago and gathered around 400 people in Bangkok.
According to the people leading the protest, they gathered more than 100,000 signatures against the government’s decision. This comes in response to the authorities saying they have around 80% support.
It will be interesting to see what happens, but it seems like there will be casinos in Thailand. This will definitely affect the tourism industry, but locals are afraid that it may lead to problems within the local community.
Several days after the protest, the Deputy Prime Minster of Thailand defended the country’s decision related to casinos. According to him, Thailand has to make this decision because it will allow the country to “defend itself” against the US’s decision to impose a 36% tariff on goods coming from the SEA country. He also said that the country held consultations in February and March of this year. It seems like more than 80% of people who took part in it were in favour of the decision.
With that said, the debate on the casino bill was postponed because the country faces other more important challenges.
North Cyprus May Allow Casinos
Cyprus is an interesting country that is very popular among tourists. Based on the recent news. It seems like the authorities in North Cyprus want to make it even more popular. The authorities may allow Turkish Cypriots with a specific TRNC identity card to use casinos in the region.
The plan is for hotels that have more than 1000 beds to have the chance to apply for a casino license. Also, the new legislation will remove the current restriction that limits companies to having up to 5 casinos.
Another change is that casinos will be allowed within the city center and even near schools. This is definitely an aggressive move, but it is clear that the local authorities want to make North Cyprus even more popular.
The Hellenic Gaming Commission Joins Forces With Mindway AI
Gambling commissions from around the world do everything possible to promote responsible gambling. The Hellenic Gaming Commission is no exception, which is one of the reasons why it partnered with Mindway AI. Following this decision, bettors in Greece will have access to a Gamalyze tool, which will give them access to special tools that will allow them to analyze their gambling behavior.
Gamalyze uses the power of AI and provides advanced self-test services. The platform gives gamblers a chance to analyze their gambling behaviour and identify something that could lead to future problems. The idea behind the tool is to help users stay safer when playing.
The Dutch Gambling Authority Steps Up Its Game Against Illegal Gambling Apps
Mobile gambling is taking over the iGaming industry in every country, and Holland is no exception. As a result, the Dutch Gaming Authority (KSA) decided to step up its game and remove 20 illegal gambling applications from the App Stores in 2025.
Based on the news, these apps were “disguised” as different games and used social media for advertisements. Once a user gets the app, the latter redirects that person to an unlicensed gambling website.
Besides that, it became clear that many of the illegal gambling applications were also accessible to minors. Thanks to reports from the community, the KSA successfully took down several of these apps and will continue to monitor everything available in Holland. These actions are a part of the KSA’s strategy for 2025 that focuses on consumer protection.
Tennis Players Sanctioned For Match-Fixing
Match fixing is nothing new in the world of sports, especially tennis. There have been many scandals over the years, and the last one was a few days ago. Following an investigation from ITIA, it became clear that five French tennis players took part in different match-fixing activities between 2017 and 2018. They were linked to a Belgian match-fixing syndicate.
According to the information, Grigor Sargsyan, the syndicate leader, received a 5-year prison sentence. Tannick Thivant, 38, received a lifetime penalty, whereas Thomas Brechmier got a 7-year and 6-month penalty. Thus, he will be back in action in August 2032.
Gabriel Petit was the next tennis player to receive a sanction – he got a 6-year and 6-month penalty. The same is true for Thomas Setodji, but he got a 10-year penalty. Lastly, we have Hugo Daubias, who received a 2-year penalty.
Alongside the ban to compete in different tournaments, players also had to pay fines.
Several US States Dropped Bills Against Sweepstakes and Social Games
Social casinos are very popular in the USA but some states were not a fan of them. As a result, they decided to start a legislative battle in an attempt to restrict or ban them.
Maryland, Mississippi, and Arkansas were the 3 states that decided to focus their efforts on those types of gambling operators. With that said, all 3 eventually withdrew their proposals (some got filed but not accepted), so people residing in these states will continue to have access to sweepstakes and social games.
Our information reveals that neither of the 3 states had any real facts or proof that these types of companies deserve to be banned and/or heavily restricted. The current US federal law allows sweepstakes operators to provide their services as long as they allow people free entry and do not require the latter to purchase anything.
A Person From Illinois Files a Lawsuit Against Stake
Stake is one of the world’s leading cryptocurrency operators, with millions of fans all over the US. Despite the company’s growth, it also had its fair share of controversies. After it was ordered to stop operating in the UK, Stake is now facing a lawsuit from an Illinois resident.
Brayden Urdan filed a lawsuit against Stake.us, claiming that the .us version of Stake is a clone of the .com platform, which is a fully-fledged casino. As you probably know, Stake.US is a sweepstakes casino. Still, Urdan believes that Stake created this domain solely because it was not able to join the regulated US market and wanted to find a way to mislead consumers that it offers “harmless gameplay”.
We’ll keep an eye on this case to see what’s going to happen.
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