BGC warns tax hike may impact jobs, CFTC refines prediction markets rules

A new report by the Wheatley Institute at Brigham Young University looked into more than a dozen gambling activities and what is their impact on adults across America. The report uncovered that more than half of all respondents, or 55% of U.S. adults, gamble monthly. At the same time, the white paper identified that one in eight people gamble every day. Not unexpectedly, the study identified that 67% of young men, between the ages of 18 and 29, engaged in online sports betting, while highlighting other key trends.

The fifth edition of the Casino Guru Awards officially opened for nominations on Thursday, October 15. The upcoming edition of the prestigious awards will focus on player protection as well as new categories. Full details regarding the upcoming Casino Guru Awards 2027, including nominations, the complete list of categories, as well as key dates, are going to be confirmed soon.

Earlier this week, Casino Guru News published an op-ed by Jason La Canfora, the award-winning NFL reporter, analyst and insider. La Canfora discussed recent developments regarding the Dallas Cowboys, the franchise's owner, Jerry Jones, and potential trades.

Business and finance

Brightstar Lottery, the global leader in lottery solutions, technology and games, inked a new licensing rights deal with one of the world’s most popular airlines, Pan American World Airways LLC. The new five-year agreement enables the former company to develop Pan Am-themed omnichannel lottery games, including instant tickets, draw-based games, and iLottery games.

In addition to obtaining rights for lottery game development, Brightstar Lottery will leverage Pan Am's experience in trip planning and travel to grant lottery players a chance to win once-in-a-lifetime travel opportunities.

GiG, a B2B iGaming technology company, joined forces with River Cree Resort and Casino, Canada's premier entertainment, hospitality and gaming destination. Per the agreement, the former will power the latter's entry into the iGaming vertical in Alberta, Canada.

What's more, River Cree Resort and Casino will bolster its operations with GiG's end-to-end technology ecosystem. As a result, the operator will enhance and optimize its land-based operations, while preparing its launch into Alberta's online gambling market.

Regulation and laws

The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) introduced a new proposal that seeks to define and delineate event contracts and gambling. Under the proposed rule, casino-style gambling will be excluded from prediction market platforms. The move comes as prediction market platforms face scrutiny and legal woes on a state level.

While the new rule will exclude casino-style gambling, it also expands the definition of "swap," with the term now specifically including event contracts tied to politics, sports, cultural events and even weather. The CFTC's proposal will be up for public comment for a total of 30 days.

The National Basketball Association's (NBA) Commissioner, Adam Silver, wants the Association to gain access to prediction markets data to repel insider trading. According to the executive, such a move would improve sports integrity and stave off insider trading.

In an interview with CNBC’s Contessa Brewer in a Squak Box interview, Silver explained that regardless if sports betting or prediction markets are involved, integrity in sports remains a key objective for the NBA. "Whether it’s called a prediction market, whether it’s sports betting, it’s the same issues for our league, and I think for all the leagues, there are issues around integrity first and foremost. We want access to that data. We also want control of the market," he explained.

Amid talks about a potential increase in the Machine Games Duty (MGC) from 20% to 40% in the UK, the Betting and Gaming Council sounded the alarm, claiming such a move may threaten jobs across the country. The Council estimated the gambling sector directly employs more than 10,000 people and supports an additional 3,700 jobs, while contributing £515m ($682.2m) in the form of taxes annually.

The sector will sustain a significant hit if the government proceeds with a new tax hike, the BGC argued, predicting up to 3,800 jobsmay beat risk. BGC’s Chief Executive, Grainne Hurst, discussed the topic and deemed the tax hike an "existential threat to casinos across Britain." She stressed that increasing MGC from 20% to 40% would impact thousands of hardworking people and directly affect venues across Britain that have been operating for decades.

Responsible gambling

Casino Guru Academy, offering free educational courses and best practices on safer gambling, contributed to the South East–South-South Responsible Gambling (SESSRG) Capacity Building Programme. The event brought together key industry stakeholders, experts and speakers from across the gambling industry with the goal of strengthening responsible gambling practices and bolstering consumer protection in the region.

Simon Vincze, Casino Guru’s Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, had this to say about the Casino Guru Academy resources: "We are thrilled to support this initiative by offering free courses through our Academy. It's a globally accessible resource, but initiatives like these connect it with the right people and motivate them to build capacity."

The NBA and WNBA joined forces with the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to raise awareness about problem gambling and responsible betting. The collaboration comes ahead of the start of the official NBA and WNBA seasons, with the two organizations uniting to promote safe and responsible gambling.

The NCPG, NBA and WNBA warned about the dangers of excessive gambling, reminding sports fans that such activities cannot be used as a method to generate steady income or offer financial stability. Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA's Head of Media Distribution and Partnerships, explainedthat fans need to understand the risks whenever they are betting on sports events. "[We] want to help fans make informed decisions, understand the risk and, if they choose to bet, trade or anything similar, that they do so responsibly," Kaufman-Ross said.

The voice of the industry

Casino Guru News had the opportunity to sit down with Yury Makarov, Evenbeter's Chief Commercial Officer, during SBC Summit Lisbon 2026. In an exclusive interview, the executive spoke about the company's ongoing product portfolio expansion, while focusing on future objectives. Makarov also discussed the evolution of Evenbeter from a poker-focused provider into a business that offers casino platforms, quality games, and game aggregation.

Earlier this week, Casino Guru News published an analysis focusing on the NFL Pressure Index. The first edition of the NFL Pressure Index is part of a four-section study by Casino Guru, and it outlines which league teams are under the most pressure throughout the football season.

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