We are back with our weekly iGaming news, and we have a series of interesting pieces of information to share with you. Our team at Nostrabet kept a close eye on everything, so it’s time to dive deep into our weekly analysis. You are about to learn all of the hot news that took place over the course of last week.
Stake Is Dominating When it Comes to Livestreaming
It’s no secret that some of the biggest online betting platforms are trying to build an online presence by appearing on livestreams. Platforms like Kick are promoting streamers who advertise such sites, so you can find plenty of them. Nevertheless, one site is definitely above the rest and that’s Stake.
According to a report from Stream Hatches, Stake appears in more than 6600 stream titles on both Twitch and Kick. This may not seem like much, but it actually accounts for over 60% of all iGaming brand mentions. In other words, the website is the go-to option when it comes to promoting such platforms.
Aside from Stake, 1xBet is also a popular pick and it comes second with a total of 1800 points. Betano is next with 837, followed by several other sites like bet365, PokerStars and even FanDuel.
It’s worth noting that Kick, one of the leading streaming platforms, belongs to Stake’s owners, which may affect the site’s popularity. Many individual streamers are promoting the site because it’s hugely popular on the platform.
Kick is slowly but steadily becoming a powerhouse in the world of live streaming. Due to its gambling-friendly policy, many of the top-tier contenders have moved to it. It will be interesting to see what will happen in the next couple of years and whether Kick will surpass Twitch.
The Gaming Control Authority in Bolivia Issued Over 1200 Licenses in 2025
Bolivia is set to become one of the most interesting countries in South America for gambling. The country’s regulator issued more than 1200 licenses last year and it seems like it used over 90% of its entire budget. What we do not know, however, is how many of these licenses are B2C instead of B2B.
Considering the ongoing licensing process and everything else, it’s no surprise that the black market in Bolivia is in trouble. According to the authorities, the police busted more than 82 illegal establishments all over the country. These police raids resulted in the confiscation of various gambling devices and the destruction of loads of illegal machines.
Overall, 2026 is looking to be an interesting year for the South American country. Bolivia will most likely experience a massive growth in this segment, especially when it comes to sports betting. Who knows, the market may even challenge Brazil at some point.
A Billion-dollar Money Laundering Case in Macau
Macau is once again at the center of attention after it became clear there was a billion-dollar money laundering case. The information comes from several prosecutors in Taiwan, who ultimately charged 20 people. According to them, the offenders used different casinos in Macau to launder more than $1B.
The scheme is definitely interesting and includes adding money to the cards of people whose goal was to travel to Macau and play. The idea was for these people to play a bit, and after that, they had to redeem the chips for HK dollars.
Based on the details from Taiwan’s prosecutors, the investigation is linked to a popular Asian iGaming group called Jinzhou Entertainment City. The latter operates different platforms and targets people in Cambodia, Vietnam and Taiwan. Keep in mind that iGaming is illegal in the latter and Cambodia and is very regulated in Vietnam.
You Can Buy Codere for $2.3B
Based on a recent report, Codere is actually for sale and its valuation is close to $2.3B. The Spanish company decided to hire people whose job is to prepare it for a sale by preparing the needed documents. This will definitely be a big move because Codere is currently available in several European Markets, as well as in Latin America.
Whether someone would actually purchase the company is yet to be seen because the evaluation is really high. Keep in mind that more than 84% of the brand belongs to several big investment funds.
Malta May Soon Regulate Prediction Markets
Everyone interested in online betting knows that prediction markets are huge. Platforms like Polymarket are popular all over the world and it seems like the regulators in Malta are also interested in them.
According to Malta’s economy minister, the country is looking to expand its regulatory framework and include prediction markets. The stats are clear – the global prediction markets have shown jaw-dropping growth in recent years and are currently valued at over $18B. Polymarket remains the leader, but platforms like Kalshi are close behind.
The platforms that focus on prediction markets believe that they do not really fit into the current legal framework. In fact, operators argue that the product they offer is not a form of gambling and regulators should treat it as a financial contract trading.
Malta (as well as many other regulators) will have to step up their game and change some of their laws if they want to take advantage of the situation. There’s no special regulatory framework for prediction markets anywhere in Europe yet. Some countries treat it as illegal gambling, whereas others classify it as unlicensed financial instruments. In fact, countries like Germany, Belgium, the Netherlands and several more have even banned Polymarket.
If Malta adopts its legislation, it will become the first European market to have something like this. Needless to say, this will further cement the country’s position as one of the leading gambling legislations.
Ukraine to Offer a Special System that Will Ban the Military from Online Gambling
Ukraine has a very interesting plan that will target the country’s military. According to local news, there are plans to introduce a special automated mechanism whose goal is to prevent military personnel from using online gambling sites. The goal is to help people avoid developing gambling-related problems.
Based on the plans, the new feature will work with two separate databases. It will have access to a list of barred individuals, as well as the current military personnel. Once the system detects a restricted status, the person’s access to online gambling services will be blocked.
Keep in mind that this will not be the first enforcement against illegal gambling in Ukraine. In 2024, the authorities requested that Google and Apple remove several casino apps that lacked licenses. Outside of that, regulators took down loads of illegal sites that were targeting locals.
Minnesota Lawmakers are Close to Eliminating Sweepstakes Casinos and Prediction Markets
Minnesota is one of the U.S. states actively trying to combat sweepstakes casinos and prediction markets. The most recent news proves that because local lawmakers advanced two bills targeting these two. The events took place just a few days ago.
First, we have the SF4474 bill, which focuses on banning sweepstakes casinos. Once it becomes active, it will prohibit such sites and restrict revenue from illegal gambling. What’s interesting is that the bill defines these types of operators and what they have. Once it becomes a reality, it will prohibit people from operating, conducting or even promoting online sweepstakes casino titles.
Moving on to the second bill, we have the HF 4437, which targets the prediction market. Its goal is to ban certain options that are related to real-world events. The bill names several categories that fall into it, such as casino-style contests, sports events, and more.
What’s also interesting is that lawmakers raised concerns about allowing people to bet on specific options. Things like wards, disasters and violent incidents can create issues in the long run, according to local regulators.
NJ’s Authorities Advance Bill to Ban Micro Betting in Sports Betting
Another state in the USA is also going through important legislative changes related to betting, but this time, it is against micro betting. New Jersey is the latest name on our list and the local Senate committee has advanced a special bill that targets micro bets. These things would allow punters to wager on something that could happen in a given game. The reason behind this decision is that lawmakers believe these bets raise integrity and different addiction risks.
If the new legislative bill becomes law, it will prohibit NJ sportsbooks from accepting such bets. As expected, there will also be fines that could reach up to $1000.
Now that the bill has received its first approval, it’s time for a second reading. NJ’s lawmakers can approve it and then it will move on to another committee before it gets enacted. If that actually happens, New Jersey will become among the first U.S. states to target micro betting directly. This will most likely set a precedent and several other states will most likely follow its example.
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