Welcome to this week’s iGaming news! We at Nostrabet decided to explore the latest updates from the world of online gaming and share some of the key things you need to know. From emerging trends to essential updates, our team has covered all sorts of things to provide you with the hottest information, so let’s begin.
MLS Makes Polymarket Its Exclusive Prediction Market Partner
The Major League Soccer (MLS) has announced an interesting deal with Polymarket, one of the hottest prediction operators right now. Based on it, the company will be the official partner and become the “exclusive prediction market partner”.
As a part of the deal, there will be special third-party monitoring of trading activity. Moreover, MLS and Polymarket will have to approve the offers they will provide together.
Another interesting fact is that the sponsorship deal gives Polymarket access to the MLS’s proprietary league data. It can also use the official logos on the site and prime advertising space during TV broadcasts of games.
What’s good about this partnership deal for Polymarket and Kalsi is credibility. Since these two are the biggest prediction market operators out there, the fact that they’re a part of the MLS puts them on the same level as all licensed sports betting operators. It will be interesting to see how this will play out in the long run.
The Federal Authorities in the US Investigate NBA Games
Following the massive NBA scandal from a few months ago, the federal prosecutors started looking into other NBA games. There is an ongoing investigation into illegal sports gambling and the authorities want to make sure that certain games were not manipulated.
All of these actions occurred after the events of October 2025. This was when the authorities ddiscovered that some players had manipulated some NBA matches. They even invoked famous players like Terry Rozier of the Miami Heat.
These people were eventually charged and pleaded guilty, but the authorities believe that more NBA matches were “fixed”. We’ll have to wait to see what will come out of this investigation. One thing is certain – this will have a big effect on the league’s integrity and the way people look at online sports betting in the USA.
Authorities in Virginia Advanced the iGaming Bill
It looks like Virginia will become the latest US state to offer an online casino. The bill has moved forward after local lawmakers adjusted the responsible gaming requirements.
The so-called Senate Bill 118 was cleared by the Senate General Laws and Technology Committee. Based on our analysis and comments from the people behind it, it looks similar to the one from New York. An interesting fact is that the changes to the legislation will not allow people to use prepaid cards, as well as credit cards.
Another interesting thing is that operators who want to offer their services in Virginia will have to use player data and the latest tech to identify potential problem gamblers. These sites should also include automated triggers for player behaviour. Lastly, there should be education and, in cases where players are at risk, intervention.
Coral Ended its Cheltenham Festival Sponsorship
There are many sponsorship deals worldwide involving online betting operators to attract new clients. Some of them are more special, however, because they have been around for centuries. Coral’s deal with the Cheltenham Festival is one of them because this partnership is over 50 years old. Sadly, it came to an end.
Surprisingly, the bookmaker decided to withdraw its support for the Coral Cup and cited the UK’s gambling tax changes as a reason. The company has been associated with one of the most famous horse racing events since 1974. The Coral Cup has always been one of the most interesting competitions within the festival, but it seems like the tax changes make it hard for the company to continue its sponsorship.
Speaking of the tax changes, there was an increase from 21% to 40% and it will begin in April 2026. The important thing to know is that the tax increase does not include horse racing itself. However, Coral (and all other operators, for that matter) also provides other sports betting services, so they are affected by these changes as well.
Brazilian Authorities Blocked Over 25,000 Illegal betting Sites
2025 was a massive year for Brazil, as the country became one of the leaders in online betting in South America. Naturally, there were countless attempts by illegal gambling sites to enter the market as well. It seems like the authorities were aware of that because they stepped up their game and took action against over 25,000 different sites.
Aside from just blocking the illegal sites, Brazilian authorities also targeted illicit advertising and even suspicious transactions. There were also many compliance breaches.
An interesting fact is that there are over 79 legal betting operators in Brazil. The stats reveal that more than 25.2 million people placed bets in 2025, and most people believe this number will increase in 2026.
Spinomenal Adds a New Slot to Its Portfolio
Spinomenal is one of the world’s leading casino software studios that is behind multiple fan-favorite slots. Just a few days ago, the brand decided to expand its Asian-inspired slots with a game called Majestics Claws Hold & Hit. The new slot allows players to submerge themselves in a natural world and listen to a special Asian-inspired soundtrack while playing.
Based on our tests, the game features interesting symbols, such as the Pink Lotus Flower, which triggers free spins. As its name suggests, the new title is a part of the classic Hold & Hit mechanic that Spinomenal is famous for. Landing six scatter symbols will trigger a bonus round, where you can win even more prizes. Speaking of the devil, you can find a Mini Jackpot, Major Jackpot and Mega Jackpot. The luckiest players can even land the Grand Jackpot, which offers a x5000 prize.
Evoke’s Revenue for 2025 reached $2.44B, a 2% Increase From Last Year
Evoke is one of the biggest and most popular online gambling companies in the industry, which focuses on different countries. Based on the most recent stats, the brand secured revenue of $2.4B in 2025, a 2% increase from the previous year. Among the reasons for these stats is the exceptionally strong Q4, which generated more than 464 M GBP for the brand.
Despite these numbers, the company’s leaders said Evoke will either sell its business in full or partially. We are yet to see who is going to be a buyer and what will happen, but this move is a part of the steps the brand is taking against the most recent UK gambling tax increase. As mentioned earlier, the remote Gambling Duty will go up from 21% to 40% in April. And the general betting duty on remote betting will be 25% (up from 15%) in 2027.
Another thing that the company will focus on is closing some of its betting shops. Based on the brand’s CEO, these shops are no longer sustainable. Consequently, Evoke needs to close some of them down to secure enough funds.
According to some journalists, Evoke may be looking to sell its Italian business. This woud help it offset the impact of the higher taxes in the UK.
Another Canadian Senator Supports the Idea for Sports Betting ads ban
A few years ago, Canada became one of the hottest countries for online betting. The regulation allows different operators to offer their services, which means that they have to run ads. It seems like many people are not okay with that, however, so there is an ongoing debate to ban the sports betting ads nationwide.
Several senators expressed interest in the idea, and most recently, Rob Black, a senator from Ontario’s Wellington County, also joined. He and 40 other senators have sent a letter to Canada’s Prime Minister urging action against ads for sports gambling apps and websites.
Based on the information we have, senators fare interested in imposing the same cigarette-style ad ban. The idea is to treat sports betting asds as a public health issue, not just consumer marketing.
Betano Revealed its Responsible Gaming Activation on Big Brother Brasil 26
Betano is one of the biggest sports betting companies in Brazil and it proved it once again. The company has an ongoing campaign called “Don’t Go Overboard” that promotes responsible gambling. Instead of promoting it subtly like other operators, Betano decided to use the Big Brother Brasil 26 TV show and promote its main responsible gambling principles. This happened because the iGaming operator is actually one of the show’s main sponsors.
We had never seen anything like this before because Betano decided to do something interesting. People involved in BBB 26 had to collect keywords, which allowed them to advance to the next stage. This was when there was a quiz related to responsible gaming. The successful completion of this quiz allowed the housemates to get a surprising reward.
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