Betting News – Page 6 – FairOdds Network

March 27, 2025

Brazil betting CPI chief demands further laws to restrict online gambling access

Senator Soraya Thronicke, rapporteur of the parliamentary inquiry commission (CPI) on betting in Brazil, has urged politicians to back news bills to restrict consumers' access to online gambling.

Thronicke voiced her concerns at Tuesday’s (25 March) meeting of the betting CPI, which was established in November last year amid increased concerns over the impacts of gambling, ahead of the legal online market launch in Brazil on 1 January.

On Tuesday, Thronicke called upon the congress to establish new laws to restrict the population’s access to online betting sites.

She also criticised the long delay between the initial passing of legislation in 2018 and the final approval in December 2023. Many blamed the proliferation of illegal sites during that period for ongoing concerns over betting addiction in Brazil.

“We need to make it increasingly difficult [to access online betting sites],” Thronicke said at the hearing. “We are here to make amends. We need to legislate to minimise th..

March 26, 2025

Bet365 exits Chinese sports betting market

Global online sportsbook Bet365 will cease taking bets from Chinese punters on Thursday (27 March). The UK firm will pursue a growth strategy in legal markets including the US and Brazil.

In a 19 March statement emailed to Chinese customers, Bet365 announced it will now focus on “core markets [and] regions that provide long-term sustainable revenue”.

Founded in 2001, the UK company has long occupied a grey area in China. Gambling in the People’s Republic is strictly prohibited with the exception of two special administrative regions (SARs): Macau and Hong Kong.

Even so, a 2024 Financial Times report called China a “cash machine” for the family business helmed by Denise Coates. Bet365 reportedly sought out unregulated markets as UK sports betting reached saturation.

By 2014, per Regulus Partners, China “was probably Bet365’s second largest market behind the UK”, although it kicked in less than 20% of revenue at the time.

“Mirror sites” foiled China censors

A 2022 article in Busine..

March 25, 2025

H2 data: March Madness handle to decline in 2025

March Madness handle is expected to decline this year, compared to 2024, according to estimates by H2 Gambling Capital. Here the research firm breaks down handle and GGR growth rates and how March Madness might influence them.

The March Madness NCAA men’s and women’s basketball first round kicked off last week, signalling the start of the most bet-on event in the US sporting calendar. Although the Super Bowl remains the one-off game receiving the most bets across US sports, with an estimated $1.6 billion bet on Super Bowl LIX, basketball remains over a third of overall US betting handle.

This tournament typically presents operators with a great opportunity to grow their customer base and give handle a welcome boost for the three-week period.

H2 Gambling Capital has estimated a total of 169 million bets will be placed during March Madness this year, resulting in handle for the event reaching $2.9 billion. This implies a slight decline of 1.5% from the prior year’s tournament, follow..

March 25, 2025

US sports betting revenue tracker

March 25, 2025

European gross gambling revenue tops €123.4 billion in 2024

Gross gambling revenue (GGR) in Europe hit €123.4 billion (£103.1 billion/$133.4 billion) in 2024, a 5% year-on-year increase, according to data from the European Gaming and Betting Association (EGBA) and H2 Gambling Capital.

Published yesterday (24 March), “European Gambling Market – Key Figures 2025 Edition” covers all European Union member states, plus the UK. It includes analysis of provisional data for both the online and land-based gambling markets during 2024.

Online drives gambling revenue growth

Growth was evident across online and land-based gambling activities, but the former saw the steepest increase in GGR. In total, provisional online GGR climbed 11.7% year-on-year to €47.9 billion, or 39% of total GGR for the year.

Gaming accounted for €24.6 billion of this figure, with €23.2 billion attributed to casino-type games, including slots. In total, online casino games drew 45% of all internet gambling GGR during 2024.

Online betting revenue topped €16.2 billion, of which..

March 25, 2025

Spain online gambling revenue hits record €1.45 billion in 2024

Online gross gambling revenue (GGR) in Spain increased by 17.6% year-on-year during 2024, driven by double-digit increases across both online casino and sports betting.

Total revenue for the 12 months to 31 December 2024 was €1.45 billion (£1.21 billion/$1.56 billion), a new record for Spain. This comfortably beats the €1.24 billion reported in online gross gambling revenue (GGR) during the previous year.

Data published yesterday (24 March), by regulator Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego (DGOJ), shows deposits for the year were 19.6% higher at €4.58 billion. Withdrawals were also up 19.7% to €3.15 billion as players won more while gambling online.

Online casino and sports betting records tumble in Spain

Breaking down each market segment, online casino was again the main source of revenue in Spain. Total GGR from this segment hit €730.7 million, up 17%, marking another new record for the country.

Slots generated the most revenue in this area at €472.2 million, up 22.8%. Liv..

March 24, 2025

Kalshi announces RG tools, IC360 partnership as roundtable approaches

Kalshi today (24 March) announced a new responsible gaming hub and a partnership with integrity monitor IC360 as it continues to toe the sports betting line.

In a post on X, Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour said the platform is debuting a ‘Consumer Protection Hub’. This will include “features like deposit caps, trading breaks and voluntary opt-outs”. These features, Mansour said, work in tandem with Kalshi’s “market surveillance team” and regulatory systems.

The phrase “responsible gambling” (RG) is absent from the announcement. However, the features are essentially identical to those offered by regulated sportsbooks. All major operators currently offer deposit and time limits as well as self-exclusion tools.

Mansour also announced Monday that Kalshi is partnering with integrity monitor IC360 for its sports contracts. The CEO said IC360’s data will enhance Kalshi’s “ability to prevent bad actors” and report them to sports leagues and regulators.

No important financial innovation has eve..

March 24, 2025

Campaign contributions are part of the picture as Hawaii debates gambling proposals

Despite heavy opposition from government agencies and native Hawaiian groups, a Hawaii digital betting bill continues to move.

Like gambling expansion bills in other states, HB 1308 in Hawaii has faced opposition from the start. The bill would allow four digital sports betting platforms and no retail locations.

But as the bill has moved through the house and progressed in the senate, what is unique is that much of the opposition has come from government agencies ranging from the attorney general and local police to the departments of taxation and finance. In addition, the department of commerce and consumer protection – which was initially named in the bill as the regulator – opposes the bill.

Support from the industry, meanwhile, has been tangible as well as vocal. Donations made to lawmakers reviewed by iGB reveal that some lawmakers who received donations from the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) – which prior to 2024 had not made a donation to any Hawaii lawmaker – sponsored gambli..

March 24, 2025

iGaming Ontario reveals year-on-year growth in February

Online gambling spend and revenue in Ontario both increased year-on-year during February, according to new monthly statistics published by the Canadian province’s market regulator.

Previously, iGaming Ontario released online gambling data on a quarterly basis. However, as confirmed by the regulator in January, it has switched to monthly reports, with the February set published on 19 March.

In February, consumers spent a total of CA$7.13 billion (£3.84 billion/€4.56 billion/US$4.96 billion) on gambling. This is 26.9% higher than last year, with figures now available for each month of regulated igaming in Ontario. The province opened its legal market in April 2022.

Month-on-month, however, the February total was 9.1% behind January.

Online casino leads the way in Ontario

As for how players were gambling, $6.07 billion of all wagers were on casino-type games in February. This beat the previous year by 30.5% and represented 85% of all February bets.

On top of this, online sports bett..