There’s always something going on in the gambling world, but this week has been packed with action. The dedicated team at Nostrabet.com has followed everything closely, so it is time to share some of the most interesting news from the last week. Some of the things will probably surprise you, so make sure to stick to the end.
The Police in South Korea Cracked Down on an Online Gambling Ring
There are many illegal online gambling activities worldwide, and it seems like this is also the case in South Korea. Following an investigation, the local police dismantled a big international iGaming network that had more than 530B won in illegal transactions. The network operated over the course of 5 years and had illegal platforms in Cambodia, the Philippines and Vietnam.
Unlike most other gambling syndicates, this one focused on using Telegram to get new customers. The sites had sports betting and casino games and even offered some popular features, such as live streaming.
The authorities got property and luxury vehicles alongside the cash amounts seized during the investigation.
Authorities in Rio de Janeiro Issued Are at War Against Influencers in the Gambling Sector
Following the legislative changes in Brazil, the country has become very attractive for online casinos and sports betting. That said, it seems that not everyone is happy with what’s going on. As a result, Rio’s authorities took a firm stance on influencers who market the gambling sector.
Based on the information we have, the authorities in the city used notices on more than 300 entities regarding their promotional activities. The notices have impacted influencers, operators, advertising firms and even broadcasters.
The big reason why the local authorities took these actions is that none of these entities were complying with the consumer protection legislation.
Delta Airlines Might be Interested in Adding Sports Betting Options On its Flights
Delta Airlines is one of the popular companies in this segment, and millions of people use its services annually. Recently, it released a survey to see whether people would be interested in the potential introduction of sports betting options while flying. The airline also added options like quizzing, free trial entertainment alternatives, and more.
Having said that, the current US laws do not allow companies to offer gambling in-flight. In other words, if Delta adds this option, it will offer betting services that do not include real money bets. Another thing that the airline needs to consider is that sports betting is not allowed in every US state, so it needs to be careful when and how it offers this option in the future.
An interesting fact is that there have been attempts to legalize in-flight gambling before. This happened in 1996, but the authorities decided to cancel their plans. It’s also worth knowing that Delta has an ongoing partnership deal with DraftKings, so it will be interesting to see if it offers this option.
Spain had 21.6% More Gamblers in 2024 than in 2023
Spain is usually not the first European country that comes to mind when talking about gambling. However, it is one of the many places where the industry is flourishing, and the most recent stats from the Directorate-General for the Regulation of Gaming prove it.
According to the Spanish authority, the stats show a 21.6% increase when it comes to active players. 83.15% of those people are men, whereas women are responsible for 16.85%. Interestingly, more than 87% of gamblers in the country are between the ages of 18 and 45.
On average, around 953k people gamble every month. Sports betting has increased by 25.4% compared to last year, whereas casino fans are up by 29.2%. Poker was also up by 15%.
The New Zealand Government Wants to Regulate the Online Casino Industry
New Zealand will likely be the next country to open its doors to online casino gambling and regulate the industry. The authorities invited some of the leading operators to discuss the situation and express their interest in creating a new licensing regime. The Department of International Affairs leads the talks, and the idea is to bring the offshore iGaming operators under local oversight.
Nowadays, many people in New Zealand use offshore iGaming sites, but the current laws prohibit companies from offering their services. If local legislation changes, companies will be able to advertise what they offer as long as they have the license required.
More and More people in Denmark Opt to Self-Exclude Themselves from Gambling
The rising popularity of the online gambling industry attracts a lot of people. Sadly, not all of them can control their behavior when gambling, which is why the authorities in Denmark have an entity called ROFUS. The latter is Denmark’s self-exclusion register.
Established in 2012, the Danish Gambling Authority reported that more than 60,000 people have registered with ROFUS. This means that they have added the exclusion option, preventing them from accessing licensed gambling websites nationwide.
The stats show that 58% of those in ROFUS are male under the age of 40. Men, in general, account for 96% of all registrants.
Thailand is Moving Forward with the Casino Bill
The news about Thailand’s potential legalization of the gambling industry and casinos has been around for a few months now. Despite the political resistance and the protests, it seems like the country will move forward with the casino bill. The local government has reaffirmed its intention to legalize casinos, so we expect the legislative changes to take place next month.
If everything goes according to plan, Thailand will have its first casino complex. The idea came to life following the country’s effort to attract more tourists. Southeast Asia is one of the most visited regions on earth, but Thailand remains one of the countries that does not offer legal gambling services. If that changes, the state will most likely attract even more people and become a gathering hub for players worldwide.
Playtech Will be Available in West Virginia
The US has become the largest gambling market in the world. Many states are welcoming some of the biggest names in the industry, and West Virginia is the latest one. It seems like Playtech, one of the largest casino software suppliers in the world, will officially enter the West Virginia gambling market.
Playtech will partner with some of the state’s big operators, such as BetMGM and DraftKings. The company is famous for providing various world-class casino games, live titles, and more.
An interesting fact is that this is just one of the many partnership deals that Playtech became a part of. Lately, the company has also started working in other parts of the world and has a poker deal in France, Ontario, and New Jersey.
At the time of writing, iGaming is only legal in 7 states, but things will most likely change. An interesting fact is that iGaming is only responsible for around $8B in revenue out of $72.04B for 2024.
Betsson Replaces Betsafe as the Company’s Flagship brand in Lithuania
Betsson Group is one of the largest online gambling companies and it operates in many parts of the world. The brand entered the gambling market in Lithuania in 2016 after acquiring TonyBet. The latter was later rebranded as Betsafe and remained one of the leading iGaming sites in the country.
It seems like Betsson changed its tactic because the company decided to use its “main brand” in the country. The idea behind this decision is related to Betsson’s attempt to align its operations under a single brand in many parts of the world.
The good news is that clients in Lithuania will not lose anything. Despite the rebranding, they will keep their accounts and will have the chance to use all of Betsson’s services.
The country is an essential market for one of Europe’s largest iGaming brands. Betsson recently signed a partnership deal with the country’s Basketball League, as well as a popular football club. Betsson is also the sponsor of several other popular football teams in other parts of the world. This includes clubs like Boca Juniors, Atlético Nacional, and so on.
Betano will be the Official Sponsor of the Copa America Femenina 2025
Betano continues to impress us with its amazing partnership deals time and time again. After we announced that the company would be the next official partner of the FIFA Club World Cup in 2025, Betano informed everyone that it would be the official sponsor of the 2025 Copa America Femenina.
In case you did not know, this is one of the most important women’s football tournaments in the world. Ten national teams from South America will compete in the tournament, which will be held in Ecuador.
Kaizer Gaming’s Betano will be one of the main sponsors and will also award a special “MVP Betano” reward. This trophy will go to the best-performing player.
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