2026 arrived and it’s time for our first overview of the latest gambling news. We were away for a couple of weeks and a lot of things have happened during that time. As a result, the team at Nostrabet.com is back in action. We are about to take a look at all of the hot news from the last couple of days, so sit back and enjoy the show.
Players in Illinois can No Longer Access Evolution’s Games on Stake.us
Stake.us has slowly become one of the big sweepstakes casino operators in the USA and it is available in many states. Sadly, it seems like not everyone has access to the same products because players from Illinois won’t be able to play Evolution’s games. In fact, the ban also affects several smaller game studios. These include NoLimitCity, Red Tiger, NetEnt, Sneaky Slots and Big Time Gaming. All of these are household names and are behind some of the most popular slots like Starburst.
According to Evolution, the company has a somewhat careful approach to the U.S. market. Just a few months prior, Evolution (alongside several other companies) had to withdraw from California. This happened following a lawsuit against Stake.us from the Los Angeles City Attorney. Live88, Fat Panda, Booming Games and Just Slots were the other four names that also had to leave the state.
It seems like people can’t access Evolution’s games on other platforms as well. Some reports have stated that the company’s titles are not available on Spinquest nd Modo, two of the other big sites in Illinois.
For now, Illinois does not have any specific legislation against sweepstakes casinos. States like Florida, Maine, Iowa and Indiana are slowly taking steps against these kinds of operators, so we would not be surprised if Illinois does the same.
Sports Betting May be Coming to Wisconsin Soon
Wisconsin was one of the few US states where people did not have access to sports betting services. This can soon change, however, because local lawmakers will make legislative changes and introduce a tribal-exclusive online sports betting bill. According to locals, it is preferable to have a regulated market rather than an offshore sportsbook and prediction market; however, this does not mean there are no issues.
Some of the concerns are related to things like microbetting and problem gambling. Also, it seems like not everyone in Wisconsin is interested in the tribal exclusivity. It will be interesting to follow what’s going to happen here because Wisconsin’s entrance into sports betting will make the US an even more competitive market.
The Government in Colombia Revised its Online Gambling Tax Policy
Latin America has become one of the leading hubs for online betting in 2025 and it seems like the trend will continue in 2026. The government in Colombia decided to take a different approach to taxing online gambling and added a 19% value-added tax on player deposits to GGR.
An interesting fact is that this change was initially implemented in early 2025. Back then, Codere, a popular platform, announced that it would not make any more investments in the country unless the local government changed its approach. There were estimates that operators’ revenue fell by almost 30% after that.
We’ll keep an eye on the local market and see the effect on everything. Colombia has over 53M people, so it’s definitely one of the more important countries on the continent when it comes to betting.
The Sports Betting Operators in Chicago Withdrew Their Bid to Block the New Tax
Chicago was one of the interesting places in the US when it comes to sports betting because of its tax laws. The city’s authorities decided to add a 10.25% tax on adjusted gross receipts from all the different sports bets that people have placed within the city. What’s different here is that this tax is on top of all the existing state taxes and fees that are already in place.
As you can imagine, this decision was not something that operators were happy about. As a result, the Sports Betting Alliance that represented BetMGM, Bet365, DraftKings, Fanatics Betting & Gambling and FanDuel filed a lawsuit. This incident occurred near the end of 2025, but it appears that the sites have since changed their minds. All five operators decided to withdraw their request and will not adhere to the rules instead.
The new tax has not been added yet, but we expect this to happen soon enough.
Lawmakers in Nebraska will try to Legalize Online Sports Betting
We are continuing our weekly gambling news analysis with another US state, Nebraska. It seems like local lawmakers will attempt to legalize online sports betting by adding two bills. One of them is from last year, but it failed to advance and it is called LB421. Its goal is to establish a regulatory framework for online sports and add a 20% tax on the activity.
If the bill passes, 90% of the online sportsbook revenue will go towards the Property Tax Credit Cash Fund. 3% of that amount will be redirected to the Compulsive Gambling Assistance Fund, whereas another 7% will head to the Racing and Gaming Commission’s Racing Cash Fund.
There’s been a Lawsuit Against DraftKings
DraftKings is one of the largest online betting operators in the USA and is available nationwide. Despite its popularity, it seems like the company made a lot of mistakes because a class-action lawsuit was filed against it. The action takes place in the US District Court in Michigan, related to the brand’s alleged flouting of state internet gambling laws in various parts of the country.
Based on the information we have, DraftKings did not include the must-have consumer protection options. According to the plaintiffs, the site allows players to immediately raise the deposit and wager limits. Usually, this should be possible once 24 hours have expired from the so-called cooling-off period.
Outside of Michigan, DraftKings seemed to have done this in Louisiana, New York, Indiana, Connecticut, and Colorado. These events happened between 2022 and 2023 and the plaintiff (at the time) ended up depositing $25,000 more than he wanted.
Keep in mind that this is not the only issue that DraftKing has dealt with recently. A few months ago, a player from Iowa sued the company because the latter refused to pay him $14M that he won.
Argentina’s Province of Santa Fe to Welcome New Sports Betting Sites
Argentina is slowly shaping up to be one of the most interesting countries in Latin America for online betting. Based on our research, a local law that approves the regulation of online gambling and the bidding documents has been published and it targets the Santa Fe province.
According to it, several companies will get licenses and each one will be 10 years long. Each business with a permit has to pay at least 15% of its monthly profit as a fee. The funds will go towards the Caja de Asistencia Social.
Companies wishing to enter this market will have to meet certain criteria and go through the selection process. Foreign brands can participate through temporary unions or local firms and must have the necessary financial resources. Based on our research, local brands need to have at least $42M, whereas international companies should showcase that they have at least $120M. Sites will also have to comply with the different responsible gambling policies and other aspects.
Portugal May Soon Have New Online Betting Operators
Three areas in Portugal have decided to issue temporary casino licenses. The local government also granted a 120-day license extension to some existing operators, and it appears that the local market will soon gain new options. Based on locals, there is a good chance to see the likes of Mercan, Cirsa and Comar enter the local market.
Betfred’s Finances Improved After Exiting the US Market
Betfred is one of the big iGaming operators in the UK and it was also available in Spain and the US. However, the company has had a lot of financial difficulties and those things led to the closure of its Spanish and American businesses. It seems like this decision was for the better because the brand recently reported that its financial situation is much better.
Betfred first entered the Spanish market in 2019, but it decided to sell it in 2024. As for the US, Betfred only operated in Pennsylvania at the time because it pulled out of 9 other states. It seems that the competition was too high in this market, as Betfred had to compete against the likes of DraftKings and FanDuel.
Despite pulling out of these markets, Betfred has not given up on operating outside the UK. Currently, South Africa is the group’s main market outside the UK. It is safe to say that the brand is looking good and 2025 will be an important year for it. Who knows, we may see Betfred dive into other parts of the world as well.
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