Staying updated with the hottest weekly gambling news is not easy, so we have decided to highlight all of the important things you need to know. What you are about to see is all the regulations, business moves, and everything else that took place. The team at Nostrabet.com spent a lot of time analyzing everything new, so let’s highlight some of the events that we need to know about.
Bet365 becomes Maryland’s 15th Licensed Operator
Bet365 is one of the world’s most recognizable names in the iGaming business. As such, Maryland welcomed the company to its list of legal sports betting operators. This means bet365 will work alongside the likes of DraftKings, BetMGM and FanDuel.
As expected, the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency granted the license. This happened just a few days after Bet365 received a license in Kansas, which was the 14th state in which the website operated. Early in 2025, bet365 also stepped foot in Tennessee and Illinois.
The stats in Maryland reveal that the state had close to $364M in revenue from bets in July. Now that bet365 has joined the party, however, the stats may increase a lot more because the British iGaming operator is among the most popular names in the industry.
Speaking of the operator, we expect to see even more news about it soon because Bet365 will start working alongside Inspired Entertainment. The latter will help the brand offer more virtual sports than before.
Stake.us is Under Fire From the Los Angeles City Attorney
A few days ago, the Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office decided to file a big civil enforcement action against Stake.us, Kick, Bijan Tehrani and Ed Craven (the two co-founders), as well as different gaming suppliers. The lawsuit is related to the operator’s illegal online gambling activities and the goal is to prevent Stake from operating in California.
Based on the lawsuit, Stake will have to pay civil penalties of as much as $2500 per violation of the local UCL and FAL and up to $7500 for senior/disabled person. If the lawsuit comes through, this could cost Stake hundreds of millions of dollars.
If you check the complaint, you will see the attorney believes Stake.us is a mirror version of Stake.com. The latter is not allowed in the US, and the authorities believe Stake.us is just too similar to its original site. They also think that its goal was to circumvent California’s strict anti-gambling regulations.
This is a very interesting case because it also shows California’s attempt to “fight back” against sweepstakes casinos. We will keep a close eye on it because this seems to be the biggest legal challenge ahead of Stake and similar operators yet.
India’s Layoff Live Arrived Following the Gambling Ban
Last week, we reported India’s decision to ban gambling in the country and that this could affect the local job market. Well, we did not have to wait long to find out because the Mobile Premier League will let go of around 300 of its staff due to the country’s real-money online gambling ban. This means the company will lose close to 60% of its workforce.
While 300 people may not seem like a lot, this is just the first real action taken after the gambling ban. Many experts estimate that close to 200,000 people are at risk of losing what they have. This includes people from all areas of work, including marketing, finance, legal, and more.
Mobile Premier League is a big name in India because the company has sponsorship deals with the NBA and the Pro Kabaddi League. The site was among the leaders in fantasy spirits and also offered board games and other products.
Dream11 is another operator in India that is suffering after the new laws. The company had no other option but to stop sponsoring the Indian National Cricket Team. What is even worse is that this happened just a few days before the Asia Cup.
The good news is that not all operators in the country are accepting the regulations. Some, such as A23 Rummy Online, took legal action against the ban. It seems like we will just have to wait and see what happens.
Arman Tsarukyan Becomes Aviator’s Latest Brand Ambassador
Spribe just announced that it will work alongside Arman Tsaruyan, a UFC lightweight fighter. He will become Aviator’s game ambassador (this is Spribe’s most popular game).
In case you do not know, the Armenian athlete is currently ranked 2nd in the UFC’s lightweight division. He will become a part of several marketing campaigns over the next year and they are a part of a larger sponsorship deal between Spribe and the UFC.
Alongside Tsarukyan, Spribe also works with Johnny Walker, Merab Dvalishvili, and Alex Pereira. What’s more, the company is also having an ongoing deal with Tom Aspinall, the current UFC Heavyweight Champion.
Spribe also started working with Nina Drama, another hugely popular personality from the UFC. All of those things mean that the company is doing everything possible to promote its product.
MGA Warns About Unauthorised Websites Pretending to Have a License
The Malta Gaming Authority is a leading iGaming regulator, and many sites operate with its permit. Sadly, many companies operate under the false claim that they own such a license. That’s why the MGA warned people to double-check and ensure their chosen site holds a valid license.
The sites with a proper MGA license have to follow the country’s strict regulations. This includes special consumer protection measures, anti-money laundering tools and specific responsible gambling standards.
In 2024, the MGA granted a total of 17 new licenses and imposed more than 25 fines. If you are unsure about a site’s regulation, check its license number and confirm it on the MGA’s website.
34 Influencers in Kazakhstan Are Facing Criminal Charges for Promoting Online Casinos
It seems like Kazakhstan joins the list of countries that are doing everything possible to combat illegal gambling. The local authorities are looking into a case where a total of 34 influencers were promoting online gambling platforms. All of them have been identified and were using social media for their activities.
Interestingly, 11 of those people have already received administrative fines. Since the latter are only around $420, most influencers simply pay the price and continue doing what they are doing because they get paid way more for it.
To stop this practice, officials are trying to find a way to classify these activities as illegal gambling. If that happens, the people who promote these kinds of operators will be facing criminal charges under local laws.
Like in other parts of the world, illegal online gambling is a problem in Kazakhstan. In 2025 alone, local authorities blocked more than 17,000 links to different websites that were operating in the country.
Hollywoodbets To Work Alongside SIS in Africa
Hollywoodbets is one of the gaming icons in Africa and it’s home to a lot of different products. Following the recent long-term deal with SIS, the brand will also provide the company’s famous 39’s and Fast 15’s live numbers. You may not know, but these two companies have been working together for years. This makes the relationship between the two even stronger.
People familiar with SIS’s products will be happy they have access to them. Fast 15 is a game where the draw happens every 15 minutes. As for 39’s, it is a live draw game that takes place every 3 minutes.
It’s worth mentioning that this is not Hollywoodbets’s only sponsorship deal. The company also started working with EvenBet, making it among the first operators in Africa to offer poker services. On top of that, the brand also has a contract with Greentube, meaning locals can access some of Novomatic’s top slots.
The Dutch Gambling Authority imposed a $524K Fine on Unibet
Unibet, a site that’s a part of the Kindred, received a hefty fine from the Dutch Gambling Authority. The operator received two warnings in June for ad regulation violations and must now pay $524K in fines.
We also have to remind you that Unibet was already fined with around 400K USD at the end of 2024. The fine was for allowing players on KSA’s exclusion list to access the site’s services.
Aside from that, Unibet has been in trouble with other jurisdictions. The brand also received a fine of $640K in May in Australia. It will be interesting to see if it changes its behavior in the future.
While talking about the KSA, the gambling regulator announced changes regarding its licensing rules. From January 1, 2026, applications will have to face additional obligations if they wish to keep operating in the country. They have to provide documents where they’ll explain how they will inform the regulator when something happens. Moreover, the sites will also need to have an exit plan.
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