Match-Fixing, New Software Suppliers, PGA Tour Betting Bans & More Weekly iGaming News

Welcome to another roundup of the hottest weekly iGaming news. The Nostrabet.com team and I are about to show you some news you may have missed from last week. We will take a closer look at the key stories in the sports betting and gambling world, so let’s dive in.

Match-fixing Scandal in Finland

Finland made serious legislative changes that will make it one of the most interesting decisions for iGaming and sports betting. With that said, the country made the news after it became clear that there were match-fixing allegations in a Helsinki derby.

The match in question was between Atlatnis FC and HIFK Football, and the Finnish Football Association said it received numerous alerts about it. It seems like there has been unusual wagering activity linked to that particular match, especially around the first 20 minutes of the game.

Atlantis FC is the one whose activity was suspicious. The team’s goalkeeper was questioned, but in the end the authorities found nothing against them.

Interestingly, this is not the first match-fixing issue in Finland. Last year, the local regulator banned around 80 players after they took part in a betting scandal.

The Venetian Las Vegas to Pay a $7.2M AML Fine

The Nevada Gaming Commission approved a special $7.2M anti-money-laundering fine that the Venetian Resort in Las Vegas must pay. The fine comes after it became clear that the resort failed to meet certain AML standards related to illegal bookie.

In fact, most experts agree that the scandal around it resembles those of Caesars Entertainment, MGM Resorts, and Resorts World. All of them were related to Mathew Bowyer, a gambler whose source of funds was not adequately investigated. In the end, all 4 of the major Las Vegas resorts paid a total of $34M in fines.

An interesting fact is that Venice’s fine is actually not as big as the one others have to pay.

South Africa is Looking to Increase its Efforts Against Illegal Online Gambling

Like in other parts of the world, South Africa has serious issues related to illegal online gambling sites. In an attempt to fix that, the National Gambling Board wants a service provider in the country to monitor and block all of the sites that target locals who don’t have a license.

All of this comes after it became clear that around 62% of all online gambling activity in the country goes to illegal operators. This number is huge and it’s equal to around $3.1B per year that goes outside of the country.

If the proposed blocking system becomes a reality, it will monitor and profile illegal gambling sites. The end goal is to block these sites from being available in the country and report them to the gambling regulator.

The only issue is that the current legislation does not require internet service providers to block unlicensed gambling sites. There is no legal framework yet, so it will be hard for the commission to enforce that on private companies.

Kalshi signed a Prediction Market Deal with the Dodgers and Other Teams from the MLB

Kalshi is one of the world’s largest prediction market platforms. It is competing against the likes of Polymarket, so it’s no surprise it spends a ton on advertising. That’s why Kalshi decided to sign partnership deals with a total of five clubs from the Major League Baseball.

Perhaps the most interesting name in this deal is that of the Los Angeles Dodgers. Kalshi announced the partnerships early this week, but it was just one of the clubs that were involved. Outside of that, the prediction market will work with the Boston Red Sox, San Francisco Giants, and the San Diego Padres. The partnership with the Boston Red Sox raises questions because Kalshi can’t offer its services in Massachusetts due to the lawsuit against them.

Following this deal, around 25% of all MLB clubs have some kind of a partnership with a prediction market platform.

Timisoara to ban gambling halls

Romania has one of the biggest gambling markets in Europe, but it seems like local authorities want to regulate it more than before. As a result, the local council of Timisoara, a city in Romania, decided to ban all new gambling halls. Moreover, all existing ones must cease operations by 2027.

The only remaining option people will have access to is the lottery services offered by the country’s lottery. As of today, 173 authorized gambling venues will have to cease operation once their licenses expire in 2027.

This is just the latest development in Romania because authorities have already taken drastic measures over the years. In 2024, for example, the government banned slot halls in towns. As a result, the number of slot machines in the countries was halved.

The PGA Tour Suspended Matt Gogel for Betting

Matt Gogel is one of the interesting names in golf and he is also the PGA Tour Champion. Sadly, we won’t see him in action anytime soon because the PGA Tour actually banned him from playing. This comes after it became clear that he was involved in different sports betting-related violations.

The ban will last 6 months because he placed bets on PGA Tour events. Fortunately, he did not wager on events that he played in, which is probably why the ban is only six months. If that was not the case, he may have received a permanent ban.

Following these actions, the 55-year-old golfer won’t be able to enter any PGA Tour competition until February 2027. He admitted that he had violated the regulations, but he did not know it was against the rules.

Many people may not know that Gogel is actually the third golfer to be suspended for gambling-related integrity issues. The first one came in 2018 with Vince India, followed by Jake Staiano.

The Philippines To Launch Special App to Help Users Identify Illegal Operators

PAGCOR, the Philippines’ regulator, announced a special app to help people identify illegal gambling sites. The idea is to help those unsure whether the site they’re using meets all the regulations.

If everything goes according to plan, the app should become available by the end of 2026. It will integrate with PAGCOR’s existing verification system, but the app will work through collaboration among the organization and other government agencies.

Authorities in the Philippines have recently changed many of the rules related to iGaming and are seeking greater control. This is no surprise, as the country has one of the largest markets in its region.

Efbet added Evoplay Games in Bulgaria

Efbet is one of the big Bulgarian online gambling platforms and it has decided to expand its casino game offerings. The operator will not work alongside Evoplay and will allow local gamblers to access 20 games from the legendary software supplier. This includes titles like Temple of Thunder II Bonus Buy, The GFreatest Catch Bonus Buy, and so on.

Evoplay’s entry in the Bulgarian market continues the company’s ambition to expand in this part of the world. Efbet’s customers in Bulgaria may even have access to additional casino content not available elsewhere.

Betsson to work with Vivid Gaming

Betsson is one of the big names in the iGaming industry in Europe, and the company decided to expand its offerings through a partnership with Vidid Gaming. Based on it, the company will integrate the software supplier’s slot portfolio in multiple jurisdictions around the world. Speaking of the portfolio, this provider has around 35 different slots.

Brazil Count Restrict Betting Sponsorship

After it became one of the hottest sports betting and iGaming destinations in the world, Brazil is trying to regulate the industry. One way to do that is by introducing new measures related to betting sponsorship. One of the ideas is to not allow any kind of betting sponsorship.

Based on the information we have, Brazil’s president is looking to implement the ban by presidential decree, but there could also be a change in the law. The goal of these changes is to discourage betting companies from investing in different cultural activities.

What’s interesting is that all existing sponsorships will not be affected by the changes. This is very interesting, considering the growing criticism of this industry from Brazil’s current president.

The Gambling Revenue in Sweden Increases by 5.1% in Q2 of 2026

Sweden is slowly becoming a gambling powerhouse in Europe and the recent results prove it. Based on the information from all licensed operators, the iGaming revenue in the country increased by 5.1% in Q2 of 2026.

There was a 7% increase in online gambling and sports betting, whereas land-based gambling received a 13% boost. This is very interesting because most other European countries see a decline in this sector.

The country also shared details about its self-exclusion list, revealing that around 138,000 people are on it. It seems the number is 0.7% lower than it was last quarter.