The gambling world never stands still, and this week is no exception. The industry continues to evolve at full speed, which is why the team at Nostrabet.com has analysed all of the news from the last week. Some are much more interesting than others, so it’s time for our weekly roundup.
The Police in Tokyo Busted an Illegal Underground Casino Shop
As reported several times in the last couple of weeks, Japan is one of the countries that did not legalise iGaming. The country does everything possible to “fight” against this industry, and the most recent efforts come from Tokyo.
Based on the news, the local police arrested 12 people during a raid in Japan’s capital. It seems like the raid was caused by these people being offered access to offshore online casino platforms. All of this was possible via the in-house computer terminals that gave players access to the specific sites.
The police mentioned that the specific store had close to 20 computers. Moreover, it seems that close to 5000 people used its services over the years.
The Gaming Revenue in Nevada Fell 2.2% in May
Nevada is one of the hottest gambling locations around the world because it is home to Las Vegas. The state has always been among the leaders in terms of gambling revenue. Sadly, it seems that May 2025 was not as good as some people expected.
The state’s unrestricted gaming licensees reported a 2.18% year-on-year decline in May, making it the third consecutive monthly decline. The Strip in Las Vegas has a 3.87% decline, whereas some parts of the city have seen a rise. For example, North Las Vegas has a 6.5% increase, whereas Laughlin has a 17% increase.
New Zealand Banned Offshore Sports Betting Operators
Just a week after the news that New Zealand wants to regulate the online casino industry, the local authorities enacted legislation that prohibits all forms of sports betting and online racing offered by overseas companies. Following this decision, Tab NZ will have the exclusive rights to provide these services in this part of the world.
The new measures will significantly impact the local sports betting scene. Any person or entity outside of Tab NZ cannot promote or accept bets in the country. The authorities even noted that many offshore sports betting operators have already stopped offering their services in the local market.
As for the online casino legislation mentioned earlier, the process is still ongoing. When the local authorities decide to give it a green light, we can expect a similar restriction process to the one mentioned here.
Following the new regulation, Entain, one of the largest companies in iGaming, will pay Tab NZ close to NZ$100M. The company has a 25-year partnership deal that began in 2023 and has helped the local operator immensely.
Vietnam’s Van Don Casino Resort Has a Green Light
According to the latest news from Southeast Asia, Vietnam approved a large casino resort in the Van Don Special Economic Zone. According to the information, the project will cost close to $2B and will cover 244 hectares of land. Besides the casino, the resort will also have conference halls, villas, hotels, retail zones, and more.
Many sources claim that the resort’s construction will most likely take at least 9 years. Once the project is ready, it will cement Van Dong as the go-to economic hub and tourism destination in this part of Vietnam. The place already has an international airport and will be connected via trains, making it easily accessible from China and other parts of the region.
Betsson Group Became Club Brugge’s Main Partner
Betsson has been in the news lately because the company is trying to strengthen its position in the European market. One of the latest moves that will help it achieve its goal is the special three-year partnership deal with Club Brugge. This deal is important for both parties because the stats reveal that it is Brugge’s biggest shirt sponsorship deal in history.
Instead of advertising Betsson’s leading iGaming site, the company decided to use betFIRTS.sport. This live score app will be on the front of Club Brugge’s jerseys when the team is playing domestically. When the club has to play in different European competitions, it will wear a kit with the Betsson.sport logo, which is a media platform that also belongs to the operator.
Betsson Subsidiary To Repay 500,000 EUR to Former Clients
The Supreme Court of Sweden ruled that the BML Group, a subsidiary of Betsson, must repay close to 500,000 EUR to a former client. This ruling follows the appeal in the Patent and Market Court in 2023.
According to the information, the former customer was diagnosed with a gambling addiction, but Betsson continues to offer “aggressive marketing” to him. Consequently, the player ended up losing a lot of money. The events happened between 2009 and 2014, before Sweden introduced its Gambling Act (this happened in 2019).
This is yet another blow to Betsson because the company was also recently fined by the Swedish Gambling Authority.
Malik Beasley Under Investigation Due to Gambling Allegations
Malik Beasley is a professional basketball player for the Detroit Pistons and one of the big names in the NBA. Unfortunately, he is under federal investigation for his potential involvement in gambling activity related to NBA games.
According to the information, there are some suspicious betting patterns involved, Beasley from season 2023-24. This was when he was playing for the Milwaukee Bucks.
As of yet, Malik Beasley has not been charged with anything, but it’s important to know that this is not the first time he has been involved with the law. In 2020, the player pleaded guilty to a felony charge, which resulted in 12 weeks in jail.
Evolution Gaming Extended a Live Casino Studio in Asia
Evolution Gaming is the leader in live casino games. The company has become the go-to option for operators and players worldwide and is behind many fan-favourite games, such as Lightning Roulette.
The company’s live casino studios were mostly based in Europe and North America, but the brand decided to launch its first live studio in Asia. According to the news, Evolution will now operate in Cebu, the Philippines, and will support licensed online gambling operators in the country. Evolution will work alongside One Visaya Gaming Corporation and will start by offering live Baccarat games. Aside from that, it will also expand into other options, such as Super Color Game, which is specific to the given region.
The company chose the Philippines because of its regulated market. It will allow the company to “prove itself” in Southeast Asia and maybe even expand into the neighbouring countries.
BoyleSports Partnered with West Ham
West Ham is one of the big names in the English Premier League, and the Hammers will wear jerseys with BoyleSports’ logo in the next season. The Irish-owned operator decided to relaunch into the UK market by signing a long-term sponsorship deal with West Ham United.
Alongside the new sponsorship, BoyleSports also announced it will make close to 100M GBP investments over the next three years. Alongside its online platform, the brand wants to open more than 200 stores across the UK.
Remember that BoyleSports won’t be able to stay on West Ham’s shirts for too long. According to local laws, Premier League clubs won’t be allowed to have betting sponsorships on their shirts starting from the 2026/27 season.
New Jersey Banned Sweepstakes
The so-called sweepstakes casinos are very popular all over the US because they allow people to test a real online casino. Sadly, they are not legal in all parts of the country, and New Jersey has become the latest state to ban these operators. Aside from the ban, NJ also raised the online gaming taxes.
The idea for the sweepstakes ban was revealed in March, but most people did not expect it to come through. For better or worse, the final voting favored the ban, so starting June 30, sweepstakes gaming is prohibited in the state.
In addition, local authorities have also raised the gaming tax. Previously, it was 13% for iGaming and 15% for mobile sports betting, but after the changes, both are 19.75%.
Lithuania Started Banning Gambling Advertising
The latest information from Lithuania reveals that the country has decided to gradually ban gambling advertising. The new regulations will allow gambling operators to display branding only at their premises and websites. TV, radio, and online ads can only be 15 seconds long and will be restricted to a specific time slot.
Interestingly, all of these measures are temporary because the country plans to introduce a full gambling advertising ban in 2028.
Betano Signs a Partnership Deal with FC Bayern
Betano has been the centre of attention because the company has been involved in many sponsorship deals. Aside from the FIFA Club World Cup and the Copa América Femenina 2025, the company became FC Bayern’s official sponsor. The three-year deal with the German football powerhouse will allow Betano to be the team’s Official Sponsor until 2027/28.
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