Welcome to the weekly gaming news review that will show you the latest industry updates and trends. As always, we at Nostrabet.com have followed the news from around the world, and it’s time to share the most interesting news. Staying informed with what’s happening in this business ensures you won’t miss out on any important shifts and innovations. That’s why it is time to see what’s new.
Bruno Henrique Got a 12-match Suspension Following a Betting Investigation
It’s been a while since we reported cases of potential match-fixing, but here we are again. Bruno Henirque, a player from Flamengo, received a 12-match suspension and a BR$60,000 fine after allegations that he deliberately received a yellow card in a match against Santos in 2023.
The Super Tribunal de Justica Desportiva states that he and four other people have something to do with the accident and will most likely stand trial. If the authorities convict Henrique and the others, the player may face a two-year suspension, fines of up to BR200,000, and a 24-match ban.
The bad news is that this is not Brazil’s only match-fixing case. A club from the country’s third division was also involved in such an accident last month. This proves that there is an ongoing problem in soccer related to the lack of funding.
MSC Cruises Signed a Deal with Playtech
Following a recent deal between MSC Cruise and Playtech, people can now access the company’s retail sports products. Playtech will be able to provide self-service terminals that will let people wager on all kinds of sports. Even more impressive is that the tech will be added to the guests’ onboard accounts.
This will definitely be an interesting experiment and if it turns out to be successful, we can see even more operators joining with the likes of MSC and other companies. Only time will tell.
Bwin Became the NFL’s Official Sponsor in Spain
The NFL recently announced an interesting partnership deal with Bwin, one of the big names in the iGaming industry. The two will work together in the upcoming NFL season. In case you did not know, it will include a game in Spain on November 16 in Madrid.
Based on the information we know, the NFL and Bwin have signed a multi-year partnership, and it will debut in the match in Madrid. Besides the partnership, Bwin will also be the official betting partner of the Super Bowl in Spain. To celebrate this partnership, the company will provide all kinds of options, including special promotions and different content.
The Australian Government Could Add New Betting Ad Restrictions
The latest news from Australia reveals that the Government might potentially change the way gambling operators can advertise their services. The new legislation could restrict the way operators run ads on TV.
It is worth remembering that Australia was among the countries (alongside the likes of Bulgaria) that heavily restricted how companies advertise their services. In 2024, the legislation did not allow gambling ads between 6 AM and 10 PM, and there was a ban on advertising during sports events that took place during the day.
Australia is one of the world’s largest gambling markets, and every change could impact local companies. Albanese’s Government seems determined to make changes, so we’ll keep an eye on everything and see what happens.
Experts Predict Tons of Online Casino Ads in New Zealand
We reported around a month ago that there might be an upcoming lift in the online casino ban in New Zealand. There is still no official confirmation yet, but there are strong concerns that if this happens, NZ will be “swarmed” by aggressive gambling promotions.
Some officials in the country warn that the situation could get hectic as a tsunami of ads may pour in. There are ongoing talks about adding some kind of restrictions on inducements and even shared cases where people were “lured in” and lost their money.
The new bill would allow as many as 15 licensed sites to advertise their services. Fortunately, the authorities will use the geo-blocking option to block unlicensed platforms.
This is definitely among the most intriguing countries when it comes to online casinos. We have no doubts that many operators will pay close attention to the situation.
Portugal Earned 287M EUR in Online Gambling Revenue for 2025’s Q2
Portugal may not be among the first countries in Europe that people think of when it comes to online gambling. That said, the country released its Q2 2025 report, in which it stated that it generated close to 287M EUR in revenue. This number is impressive because it marks a 9.6% increase compared to last year.
An interesting fact is that the games of fortune account for around 62% of total gross revenue. Sports betting is the other department with many fans, and it accounts for 38% of the revenue.
It is probably no surprise that football is the leading sport and more than 67% of people wagered on it. Tennis comes second with close to 22% and then basketball comes third with 6.5%. In terms of casinos, slots account for 79% of all wagers.
By the end of the quarter, 4.87 million players had participated in some kind of betting or gambling activity, which is close to a 10% increase from last year.
The Authorities in Malaysia Dismantled Cockfighting Rings
Malaysia is often in the news for some of the illegal gambling activities happening in the country. The most recent one is from a few days ago, and it is about two illegal cockfighting operations. The police raids resulted in a total of 43 detained individuals.
Based on the investigation data, each cockfight lasted close to 20 minutes, and people placed bets on it. The organisers took a 10% commission from each wager.
To make the fights interesting, the roosters had sharp blades and fought until one died or could not continue. This is illegal under Malaysian legislation, and offenders can get a huge fine and up to three years in jail.
Scotland & The Greyhound Racing Ban
As some may remember, Wales became the first UK nation to ban greyhound racing in February this year. It’s been seven months since that decision, and it seems like Scotland may decide to do the same.
Greyhound racing will mark its 100th anniversary as a sport in the UK in 2026. Despite that, the devolved Scottish Government recently announced that it will back a ban on greyhound racing if there’s such a thing.
According to many people, greyhound racing’s sole existence is for people to gamble on, and it exploits animals. An interesting fact is that greyhound racing in general is not really big in Scotland. In fact, there is only one track there, and it has been closed for some time now.
Keep in mind that New Zealand recently made the same move and also banned this sport. It will be interesting to see if Scotland will follow the same example.
The Spelingspektionen banned Ryker and Bitx
The Swedish Gambling Authority is in the news again after it decided to ban Bitx Operations and Ryker from targeting local players. The authorities removed the two businesses from the market for operating without licenses in the country. With that said, we do not know if they also received any monetary sanctions.
This ban comes as local statistics reveal that the majority of unregulated gambling activities come from the iGaming sector. We expect the local gambling authority to keep working and remove all unlicensed operators from Sweden’s market.
The Anti-Sweepstakes Bill Has Passed the Senate in California
California has officially joined the list of states where sweepstakes casinos will no longer be legal. The Senate voted to pass Bill AB 831 through to the lower house without receiving a single dissenting vote. This means that it will have to enter the Assembly, which will vote, and if it passes (which will most likely happen), it will become an official law.
85% of Americans Believe that Sports Event Contracts are Gambling
An interesting study from the American Gaming Association concerns people’s attitudes toward sports event contracts and the prediction market. The latter have existed for some time but have evaded regulations by the country’s gambling authorities.
These things allow people to wager on two possible outcomes – whether a coin will land tails or heads. They also allow punters to bet on sports teams, and this is possible even in states that haven’t legalised sports betting yet.
AGA’s results reveal that close to 85% of people believe that sports event contracts are some form of gambling. 80% believe that they should be regulated similarly to online sports betting. Close to 69% even believe that the decision to allow prediction markets and sports events contracts should depend entirely on the specific state.
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