We have had another week of diverse iGaming news and events, so it is time for us to recap all the interesting developments and share more about them. This week was not as busy as the previous one, but Nostrabet.com’s team had to check a lot of data, so here’s what you need to know.
Thailand Arrested 5 Indian Nationals for Online Gambling
Thailand was one of the most promising countries in terms of betting and gambling in 2025. People expected changes, but this did not happen. As a result, the local authorities are doing what they can to prevent the spread of iGaming.
A few days ago, the Thai police detained 5 Indian nationals in Pattaya after it became clear that they were involved in online gambling activities. The police raid ensued after the authorities received a report that foreign workers were operating illegal online services from their homes.
During the police raid, the authorities found all 5 people working on computers and the latter were seized. There were also notes about transactions that resulted in close to $54,000, as well as different mobile phones.
The Gambling Regulators in Several European Countries Will Share Data on Illegal Online Gambling
The gambling authorities in countries such as Spain, the UK, Italy, Austria, France, Portugal, and Germany have decided to start sharing information about their actions against illegal online gambling. People will be pleased with this agreement because it should enable them to be much more effective.
According to the agreement, the gambling regulators will exchange info and data on illegal operators. They will also coordinate complaints to social media and share their best practices and knowledge to enhance their effectiveness. These things took place during the 1st International Gaming Congress in Madrid.
Institutions like the European Gaming and Betting Association welcomed the approval of the new EU standard. The framework is expected to be published in early 2026, and people believe it will improve everything.
Ducky Bhai is Out on Bail After Months in Custody for Promoting Illegal Gambling
Several months ago, the authorities in Pakistan arrested Saad Rehman, a local YouTuber who is known as Ducky Bhai. He was in Lahore’s Camp Jail because there were allegations about him promoting illegal online gambling.
It comes as no surprise that this case gained media attention, given its association with a prominent figure in the country. It even revealed that there was corruption within the National Cyber Crime Investigation Agency.
The arrest came after several months of investigation which the officials retrieved communications and financial records related to the case. During the investigation, the police also found that the YouTuber bribed the NCCIA officials.
This is definitely one of the more interesting cases in Pakistan and it will remain active in 2026. For now, Rehman remains out of jail, but the investigation is still ongoing, so things may change in the near future.
Speaking of Pakistan, local authorities also arrested two people over global match fixing and gambling. The action took place in Islamabad and it seems like the two individuals were a part of a global match-fixing and gambling network. One of the detainees is a former police official and a professional cricketer.
A Turkish Football Team No Longer Has Players Following a Betting Scandal
Turkey has been interesting lately, as local authorities have discovered a massive betting scandal. Hundreds of referees were involved in it, but it seems like they were not the only ones, because a local football club announced it no longer has a team. All 17 of its players were suspended due to an ongoing investigation.
This unprecedented case involved Agri Spor, a Turkish football club competing in the country’s 4th division. The decision came after the local authorities arrested eight players, and even the club’s chairman was accused of match-fixing.
Following this decision, the team will rely on its youth players for the next rounds in Turkey’s lowest football division.
It is worth knowing that this is not Turkey’s only action against players who took part in illegal sports betting. The authorities actually suspended 1024 players across all divisions. What’s even more shocking is that 27 of them played in the country’s most elite league. Two of them were from Besiktas, the current champion.
Spain Fined 32 Gaming Operators
Spain has become a popular destination for online betting, as locals can find numerous companies offering services. Sadly, it seems like not all of them follow the rules because the country’s Ministry of Social Rights, Consumer Affairs and Agenda fined 32 different companies for a total of 33 M EUR.
Some of the fines were very serious because it appears that six of the operators offered their services in the country without holding a license. Each one got a 5M EUR fine and even got a domain shutdown. The other 26 sites received a fine for different, smaller violations.
According to the local authorities, these measures reflect the country’s efforts in 2025 to regulate the industry. Spain definitely tightened its grip on the gambling industry in the last couple of months, and we expect this to continue to be the case in 2026.
A Person from Arizona Won the $12.8M Jackpot from the Lottery
Someone fortunate from Arizona has won a life-changing amount of money just in time for the Thanksgiving holiday. According to the news, a local player got a lucky ticket that resulted in winning $12.8M. The amount is really impressive and it’s actually the 4th largest jackpot in the history of The Pick.
Aside from the big winner, 10 other people also got lucky and will get $2000 each. Other players also received smaller rewards (some got as low as $3).
Now that the prize has fallen, the lottery restarted its reward and it is currently sitting at $1. This amount may be impressive, but it is nothing compared to the Mega Millions. The latter survived for several weeks, but once it reached $980M, it went in favor of a player from Georgia. It seems like Georgia is a lucky state because another person also won $4M from the same lottery.
The Gambling Revenue in the UK Reached $1.13B
The UK is one of the key jurisdictions for online gambling and it has proven it yet again. Based on the statistics from the UKGC, the gambling industry in the country reached $1.13 billion, and it’s safe to say that the rise will fuel calls for higher betting taxes. This is something that authorities have been debating for a while now, but we do not know if it will happen or not.
The majority of the growth in the UK is because of online casino games, as the gross gambling yield increased by 15%. The total amount reached $6.59B, which is 55% higher than what it was when the pandemic began.
According to many people in the UK, the profits of operators are merely “eye-catching” and they believe that these companies should pay more in taxes. Of course, there is also a big lobby against these taxes because companies like Evoke (the brand behind William Hill) said that such a move would result in the closure of over 200 shops across the country.
All in all, 2026 will be an interesting year for the UK gambling industry. A potential tax increase will definitely change the current environment.
The Authorities in South Korea Arrested More than 5196 People
South Korea remains one of the many countries in Asia that is reluctant to legalize online gambling. The most recent actions prove it because local authorities arrested more than 5196 people who were suspected of participating in or running some form of illegal gambling.
These arrests took place in late 2024 and 2025 and they indicate the country’s efforts to battle this industry. An interesting fact is that most of these police actions were carried out in conjunction with local and international companies. There were countless ads targeting locals between the ages of 20 and 30. Authorities believe that many of these people ended up with various gambling-related problems as a result of that.
Korea appears to be in a similar position to Japan regarding its stance on the industry. Having said that, we would not be surprised if things change because some countries were also heavily against online gambling but changed their stance. For now, the country remains steadfast in its reluctance to launch online sports betting and casino gambling. Locals seem to be afraid of its effect on the people.
Ohio’s Governor Wishes He Never Signed the Sports Betting Law
Ohio is one of the several US states where people can legally bet on sports online. Naturally, not everyone was in favor of it and it seems like the state’s Governor Mike DeWine was among them. He was a critic of the decision but had to sign the bill in December 2021 that established the gambling framework for sports in the state.
He decided to speak out against this decision following the huge gambling scandal in the MLB and the involvement of the Cleveland Guardians’ pitchers. With that said, he also admitted that the state has gained a lot of benefit from the legalization. Some stats show that Ohio has gathered more than $500M in tax revenue alone.
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