The iGaming industry is evolving, so it’s no surprise we have another week of fresh updates, market trends and hot news. The team at Nostrabet.com spent some time going through everything, so it’s time to learn more about some of the hottest news from the last week. It is true that we did not see as many ground-breaking events as before, but there was still plenty of news that are worth mentioning.
Gameskraft in India Released 120 Staff Amid Gaming Law Fallout and CFO Fraud
The gambling news in India is boiling once again after one of the big online gaming platforms in the country made a shocking announcement. Following the changes in the gambling laws, Gameskraft said it will have to lay off 120 employees. The brand cited the new legislation as the big factor that led to this decision. It also said that the layoffs were unrelated to these employees’ performance.
An interesting fact is that Gameskraft is actually in the middle of another problem. A few weeks ago, the company filed a report against its former CFO regarding the fact that he used company funds for personal expenses. The stats reveal he used more than RS 270.4 crore over five years, which has led to substantial losses.
We will keep following both cases related to Gameskraft closely because they seem very interesting.
Spain’s Q2 Gambling Result Show an 18.6% GGR Increase
The gambling regulator in Spain decided to share the country’s gaming financials for Q2 of 2025. Based on the stats, people have deposited a total of $1.59B, which is a 23.7% increase from last year. Withdrawals are also up because the stats show around 962.9M EUR, which is 28.9% more than before.
Spain’s gross gaming revenue was around 410.3M EUR, which is 18.6% higher overall. In terms of sectors, the casino industry is in the lead because it was responsible for more than 52.7% of the revenue. Sports betting is second with 41.8%, followed by bingo and poker.
Boyle Sports to Have an Online Casino in the UK and Ireland
Boyle Sports decided it was high time to launch an online casino that would be available to customers in Ireland and the UK. This comes following a massive $135+M investment into the sports betting market.
The plan for Boyle Sports is to launch an app that will include thousands of different games. What’s more, players will also have access to several exclusive options that won’t be available elsewhere. The app should also offer a personalized top 10 games list for each player.
Boyle Sports will do everything in its power to become one of the leading brands in the UK and Ireland. The competition is fierce, but the company invests a lot so it can become the go-to option for many players.
Ireland Launched a New Self-Exclusion Initiative
Self-exclusion is among the oldest yet most effective responsible gambling features. It seems to work well because the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland decided to implement a new initiative together with the Irish Banking Culture Board and a few banks. The goal is to allow players to block their bank cards from being used on online gambling sites.
The changes took place recently and allow players to take advantage of the additional security. Players wishing to self-exclude themselves can contact their bank provider and request their card to be blocked. Banks, on the other hand, have to follow this request and people working have to go through enhanced training so that they can help users.
The decision came after a recent study revealed that over 90% of all gambling transactions in Ireland take place online. What’s even more surprising is that 99% of them are funded with debit cards.
A recent post from GamStop revealed that almost 1% of the entire UK adult population has now self-excluded itself. Some of these people are responsible for the increase in illegal gambling activities in the country.
Relax Gaming entered into a Partnership with Bet365 in Italy
Relax Gaming is a popular casino software developer, and it seems that the company has decided to expand into new jurisdictions
. To achieve that, it entered into a new agreement with bet365 and will allow the latter to offer its casino titles in Italy. Following this deal, bet365 will offer games like the Book of Power and Money Train 3.
Italy is among the most interesting gambling markets, so we can’t say we are surprised by the decision. Bet365 is an established operator there, and this partnership will help Relax Gaming to become a popular choice in one of the leading European markets.
Argentinian Authorities blocked 112 illegal Gambling Sites
South America has become a popular market for many gambling operators. While Brazil leads the way following the recent law changes, Argentina also has a fair share of these sites. It seems like some of them have operated illegally because the authorities in Misiones (a province in the country’s northern part) decided to take down 112 sites.
These actions took place following a request from the state-owned Misiones lottery. Authorities have discovered that these sites were also easily accessible by minors, so the ban was needed.
Argentina will step up its battle against illegal gambling sites and introduce a new tool to detect such sites.
Pragmatic Play Adds Money Time
Pragmatic Play is one of the world’s most popular casino software companies that offers Megaways, slots and Live Casino tables. It seems like the brand wants to improve the latter even more, which is why it decided to add a new live casino game called Money Time.
Money Time is a title based on the spinning wheel format. The wheel in this game will have 54 different segments and will allow players to get at least one bonus round (there will be 4 of them in total). The new game also allows players to win up to 40,000x their bets.
Alongside its new game, Pragmatic Play also announced several strategic partnerships. The company will join forces with TQJ in Brazil. This decision came just a few weeks after Pragmatic Play had to exit the US sweepstakes market.
The Senate in Thailand Rejected the Casino Bill
Thailand is one of the countries in Southeast Asia that is going through a massive change in its gambling sector. We saw tons of back-and-forth action over the last couple of months but it seems like gambling won’t be legal because the Senate officially rejected the draft bill regarding casino operations.
The Senate believes that the long-term risks are more dangerous than the potential economic benefits. The committee believes that it could lead to money laundering, undermine social stability and even diminish public trust.
It is safe to say that this decision will disappoint a lot of people in and outside Thailand. There were high hopes that it would become a reality because it would allow Thailand to compete with South Korea, Vietnam, the Philippines, Macau and Singapore as another destination for land-based casino fans. For now, it seems like this will not be the case.
The Gambling Tax in Latvia Will Increase to 18%
Latvia is among the many countries in Europe where people can access all kinds of gambling companies. Local authorities do not want to change that, but plan to raise the gambling tax from 15% to 18%. The changes should take place following January 1, 2026.
An interesting fact is that Latvia’s decision to increase the gambling tax is not new. Authorities were planning to do that from January 1, 2027 but it seems like they’ve made up their minds and moved it one year closer. The extra funds will help the country’s financial situation.
Ezugi and PokerStars Strike a Deal
Ezugi is a popular casino software supplier operating in many countries. The company is part of Evolution and decided to strike a deal with PokerStars. Following the agreement, PokerStars will offer more products from Ezugi in the UK and Ontario. This is good news for people in this part of the world because they can access games like Revolution Roulette, Unlimited Blackjack, and Lucky 7.
The Responsible Gambling Department in Uganda Started Focusing on Schools to Warn About the Dangers of Gambling
Uganda may not be the first country people think of when it comes to responsible gambling measures. However, the African state decided to set a good example by focusing on different secondary schools across the country to discuss the dangers associated with gambling. The idea is to inform people that gambling can be dangerous and that they need to be responsible.
The authorities in Uganda decided to take this step based on recent studies. They revealed that students regularly engage in mobile betting, which is against the law. We really hope that the campaign will be successful and will prevent future gambling problems.
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