We are back again with another detailed overview of the hottest iGaming news for this week. The Nostrabet.com team had a lot of work this time, as this week featured even more stories than before. A lot of them are interesting, so let’s see what you may have missed out on.
The MLB Betting Scandal
There have been a few betting scandals in the USA over the last couple of weeks, one of which involves the MLB. Several pitchers from the Cleveland Guardians were charged with sharing data about their play with people who bet on sports. The information allowed these bettors (and the pitches themselves) to profit while playing.
This is just one of the many gambling scandals in US sports recently and it comes a few days after the one in the NBA. It seems like the growing betting industry in the country is starting to reveal some of its downsides. More and more people take part in betting-related incidents because they want to maximize their profits.
On that note, a recent poll revealed that more than 70% of people question the integrity of college sports. This comes following the NCAA gambling rule change and the arrests of Chauncey Billups, Terry Blazer, and Damon Jones. The authorities charged all of them with money laundering and wire fraud conspiracy.
Bulgaria may increase the Gambling Tax in 2026
Increasing the gambling tax appears to be a significant issue in many countries worldwide, including Bulgaria. Based on the Ministry of Finance, the country has plans to increase the license fees for gambling operators from 20% to 25% starting January 1, 2026. The increase should apply to lotteries, online betting operators, raffles, toto, keno and bingo.
The current gambling laws require operators to pay around $177,000 for most games and a 20% tax on the difference between the bets they receive and the winnings that are paid out. Assuming that the budget passes and these 5% extras become a reality, this will generate close to $37M in state revenue.
The interesting thing is that the budget initially proposed a 30% increase rather than 25% but it will not happen. It will be interesting to see the final version of the changes, but it seems like more and more countries are following this approach. The UK is probably the most interesting of all because it is also the largest market in Europe.
People Complained Mostly About Illegal Gambling Ads in India
India has something called the Advertising Standards Council that receives complaints about various issues. Based on the data for the first half of 2025, the council received approximately 6,841 reports and led to the investigation of over 6000 ads. This shows a 70% increase in the complaints.
Illegal betting ad violations dominated these complaints and were part of 4,575 cases. In other words, people in India are more vigilant and there is still widespread exposure to betting ads, despite the ban from the Indian authorities.
Thailand Sent a Business Tycoon to China Following Online Gambling Charges
A Chinese-Cambodian businessman recently got into the news after the authorities accused him of running large-scale online gambling operations. His actions were discovered in Thailand and he was extradited to China to face criminal charges.
She Zhijang, a 42-year-old businessman, was in Bangkok’s Central prison and he was escorted to the airport to board a flight to China. This happened following a former request from the Chinese government.
As you can probably guess, the businessman was opposed to the extradition and attempted to appeal it several times. However, the court in Thailand rejected the petitions, which is why he had to take the flight and go to China. The latter promised to strengthen cooperation with Thailand in the future and fight organized crime.
In terms of the accusations, She ran casinos and scam centres located in Myanmar. The authorities have noticed that some of the complexes hosted different illegal online gambling operations that targeted Chinese individuals. He was also linked to other projects known for having call-centre scams. The stats are staggering because the Chinese authorities said he had more than 330K users and generated over $20.7M.
49% of the Young People in the UK Have Gambled, According to the UKGC
The Gambling Commission in the UK released an interesting statement regarding the Young People and Gambling Report 2025. The study took place across different schools in England, Scotland and Wales and concluded that 49% of young people have gambled in the last 12 months. An interesting fact is that 30% of those people have spent their own money playing.
The good news from the study is that the gambling-related problems remain low. The stats revealed it was 1.5% in 2024 and now, it sits at 1.2%.
UK’s gambling operator follows these stats closely because it constantly updates its regulations regarding minor protection. Nowadays, it requires gambling operators to add specific measures that prevent children from accessing age-restricted products. These measures include age verification.
Mexico Suspended 13 Casinos Because of Money Laundering
Mexico does not often get into the news when it comes to gambling, but it has recently ordered 13 casinos to stop operations. This comes following a large-scale anti-money laundering probe.
The investigation revealed that two of the casinos that stopped operating belonged to Ricardo Salinas Pliego. There were also other names in these activities, such as Omar Garcia Harfuch and Grisel Galeano. The scheme itself was very interesting because after accumulating the money, the funds were sent overseas and then moved to tax havens. In the end, the money arrived back in Mexico.
A popular Kick Stremer Won $1.2M from Online Roulette
Kick is full of people who stream different online casino games and Trainwrecks is among them. He is among the old-school streamers who used to be popular in games like WoW, but nowadays, he is mostly playing different online casino games. Recently, the 34-year-old star got into the news by winning a jaw-dropping jackpot of $1.2M.
An interesting fact is that Trainwrecks was banned on Twitch, so he moved to Kick and this was when he started streaming other content. Regarding his impressive win, he placed bets totaling around $144,000 and spread them across various numbers. This was when he got lucky and won an impressive amount of money.
Although $1.2M is a lot, it is important to note that the record belongs to Drake. Many sources claim he has won a lot more, but this is not surprising, considering his wealth. It’s also worth knowing that Drake is an ambassador of some of the big sites like Stake and is also a friend of Kick’s co-owner.
DraftKings and FanDuel Leave Nevada
Nevada is the most famous state in the USA when it comes to gambling, particularly in terms of casinos. However, it seems like it is not as beneficial for online gambling, as FanDuel and DraftKings have left Nevada. This happened following the growing friction with the state regulators related to the legal status of the prediction markets.
There were rumours that this would happen, but the Nevada Gaming Control Board finally proved it. According to them, the prediction markets are a form of gambling under state laws. It seems like this was not acceptable for FanDuel and DraftKings, so the two companies are no longer operating there.
Fortnite Will Not Take Part in Gambling, According to Epic Games
Fortnite is one of the most popular Esports and a game that attracts millions. Despite its popularity and the ongoing controversy where players accused Epic Games (the company behind Fortnite) of implementing mechanics for player-created gambling content, this is not going to happen.
According to the dev, the company does not condone the casino-style games. As a result, it will not implement loot boxes or other types of mechanics that simulate a gambling-like activity. All of these accusations began after the introduction of specific tools that enable people to earn money for random items.
Epic Games does not consider loot boxes to be related to gambling in any form. However, it seems like not everyone agrees because some people think that loot boxes prey on vulnerable minors. They also think that those things instill harmful gambling habits. That is one of the big reasons why some markets have decided to ban these kinds of mechanics.
Brazil will have a Self-Exclusion System by the end of 2025
Brazil has become one of the most appealing online gambling destinations in 2025 after changing its gambling laws. There has been a lot of news about the market recently, but aside from the benefits, the gambling-related problems are also on the rise. Consequently, the country will establish a self-exclusion platform, which should be available by the end of 2025.
Once the method becomes available, it will allow people to request the blocking of their registration to betting sites voluntarily. The idea is to help users who may struggle with self-control.
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