NFL Partnership, Lawsuits, Stake’s Controversy in Nigeria & More iGaming News

This week’s roundup of iGaming news contains some interesting events. As summer is slowly coming to an end, most businesses are getting back to their usual operations and we at Nostrabet.com believe that gambling is one of them. Let’s analyze the situation and review all the key events.

Entain is No Longer Apart of the FTSE 100 Index

People who invest are familiar with the FTSE 100 index because it includes many large companies. Entain used to be on the list, but the company is no longer there. This became clear following the update from the London Stock Exchange and the company also left the FTSE 250 index as well.

Entain first joined the FTSE 100 index in 2020 when it became one of the UK’s largest companies. However, recent tax changes and growing competition seem to have negatively affected the brand. After reaching an all-time high in 2021, nowadays, Entain’s stock is down 73%.

Despite the events, the management team is optimistic about the company’s future. In fact, recent reports state that the company is doing well, especially in the UK, Brazil and the USA. It seems like we will need to wait for the next update from the LSE to see the results.

Cambodia Tightened its renewal of its Casino License

Cambodia is one of the more interesting places in Southeast Asia for iGaming. It used to be a huge hub for scam centers, but thanks to China and local authorities, it seems this is no longer the case.

Despite that, Cambodia’s gambling regulator decided it was time to tighten the license renewal process. The CGMC (the regulator) proposed an integrity and quality framework that will set minimum conditions for operators to meet. Those who have it can maintain their licenses, whereas others will need to improve their systems before doing so.

There is some news in the country that local regulators want to suspend all online gambling activities by October 2026. One of the reasons for this decision is the ties between casinos and different cyber-fraud operations. We will have to wait and see whether this will actually happen.

The parliament in the Netherlands is united against its iGaming Black Market

The parliament in the Netherlands concluded that it has to contact the big tech companies and find a way to address illegal gambling ads on social media. Once that happens, it will be possible to raise the minimum gambling age nationwide.

It seems that local authorities need to work alongside Google and Meta. The KSA (local gambling regulator) will now have even more authority and can take action against affiliates, social media sites and payment providers.

The local cabinet was also in the process of creating DNS blocking for all illegal sites. There were also talks about the gambling age. Nowadays, people need to be at least 18 to take part in the action, but some want to raise the age to 21.

Lawmakers in Cyprus are trying to find a Way to Prevent People who Receive Statea Welfare to Use it for Gambling

Cyprus is one of the interesting countries when it comes to gambling because it’s home to many of the big companies. It’s no surprise that locals are also interested in playing there and it seems like many of them are using the state’s Guaranteed Minimum Income to do that. Well, the government does not like it and is trying to find a way to put an end to all of that.

One idea is to require people who earn that amount to carry a special card for in-person verifications at gambling venues. This may be a solution because the current laws do not allow minors and those who are “financially vulnerable” to take part in these activities.

DRC Ministry of Finance Takes Full Control of Gambling Regulation

The Democratic Republic of Congo’s Ministry of Finance reaffirmed its authority over the country’s gambling sector. The statement came in late August and the ministry warned all operators against making payments to unauthorized departments. It also urged those who already made such payments to file a report.

All of this comes after it became clear that tax collection has not been going well. There were estimates before that the iGaming industry would generate close to $1.7B annually, but this has not been the case. As a result, the DRC government is working to develop a new legal framework. The idea is to monitor platforms, improve oversight and enhance revenue collection.

Africa Safer Gambling Week is Here

Africa is slowly becoming one of the most important continents for the iGaming industry. It seems like people realize that because the continent’s gaming stakeholders decided to unite for the Africa Safer Gambling Week. This is an event whose goal is to bring together regulators, operators and industry organizations.

The campaign’s banner is #PlaySafeAfrica and it’s led by the African iGaming Alliance. An interesting fact is that it will also try to combat the black market, which continues to grow rapidly. Many of the continent’s regulators have already spoken out about it, including South Africa’s National Gambling Board. In fact, it issued a warning last month that about 36.4% of players aged 15 to 24 use such sites.

Playtech vs Evolution – The Legal Battle

Playtech and Evolution got caught up in a very interesting legal battle. Based on the news, Evolution has a defamation lawsuit in NJ because the company is suing two companies.

There was a report that basically examined the allegations that Evolution’s games were available in certain restricted markets. Playtech supports concerns that Evolution’s games could be accessed in regions, such as Singapore, Hong Kong, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, using VPNs. That said, the report provides no evidence that Evolution actually worked in these parts of the world.

What it does do, however, is criticize the company’s compliance process. It seems like Evolution relied too heavily on operators and aggreattors to follow contract restrictions. As a result, it did not monitor the situation itself.

Unsurprisingly, Evolution “attacked” back, accusing Playtech of misinterpreting the facts. Considering all of that, we expect the legal battle to continue this year and maybe even extend into 2027.

The Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority Declared Stake Illegal in Nigeria

Stake found itself in the news yet again, but this time, it’s not for something good. It seems like the Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority declared the site an illegal operator. It also demanded that the site stop operating in the country and said it doesn’t have any license at all.

An interesting fact is that the regulator issued 10 formal notices to require a permit and payment of taxes. Since Stake did nothing, regulators decided to take action against the company.

Despite all that, Stake remains available in Nigeria and people can still access the site. Stake has faced several major scandals over the years, making controversy nothing new for the company. Entain actually accused them (alongside Rainbet and Duelbits), of using influencers and global celebrities to access clients in the UK.

Nigeria is a huge iGaming market, so we would not be surprised if Stake decides to go through the licensing process and obtain a license. They will have to do that if Nigeria’s authorities decide to block people’s access to the site.

New Zealand to Hold an Online Casino License Auction in September

We reported the news that New Zealand will open its licensed iGaming market throughout the year, and we are slowly getting there. The countdown has now begun because the government will hold its casino license auction this September.

Starting on September 29, the Department of Internal Affairs will hold an auction where it will give a total of 15 online casino licenses. We don’t know the names of all the companies, but there have been reports about Entain and Tabcorp.

What’s interesting is that one license will be required per platform or company. There won’t be a single company that will have more than three licenses and these permits will be for 3 years. There can also be a single renewal for up to 5 years.

NZ is definitely an interesting market for betting platforms. Local authorities decided to take these steps after it became clear that people had been using offshore operators for years. Thanks to the licenses, the government can at least guarantee it will receive tax revenue.

Codere Became the NFL Betting Partner in Mexico

Codere Online, one of the largest online gaming operators in Latin America and Spain, signed a significant partnership agreement. The company has a multi-year agreement with the NFL in Mexico that allows it to be on things, such as the Super Bowl LXI. The new multi-year deal will help the platform further establish itself in the local market.