Brazil bans online gambling, new standard for gambling machines coming to UK

The United States gambling industry association, the American Gaming Association (AGA), released new research focusing on financial literacy. The report outlined that higher levels of financial literacy led to responsible gambling.

Importantly, AGA's research found that sports bettors are more financially literate. David Forman, AGA VP of Research, commented: "This study shows that, contrary to popular belief, gamblers are financially savvy entertainment consumers – especially sports bettors who demonstrate a particularly high level of financial literacy and mathematical capability."

In Florida, the Attorney General, James Uthmeier, asked Google, Meta, and others to switch off ads for sweepstakes casinos. The announcement comes as the latest move of the state against sweepstakes casinos, with the AG urging social media companies to comply by October 23, 2026.

Elsewhere, at SBC Summit Lisbon, SOFTSWISS released its latest 2027 iGaming Trends report. The white paper focused on key industry trends, developments, and narratives and represents the work of more than 500 experts. SOFTSWISS' 2027 iGaming Trends report analyzed more than 480,000 media headlines and was co-produced with WorldGaming.

Business and finance

The former Entain and Hard Rock Digital executive, Leon Thomas, joined White Hat Gaming as Chief Commercial Officer. Bringing more than two decades of experience in the gaming industry, Thomas will oversee strategic processes vital to White Hat Gaming's future expansion. As Chief Commercial Officer, he will be in charge of sales, marketing and partnerships.

Century Casinos, the leading gaming, entertainment and hospitality company, agreed to sell two racinos in Alberta, Canada. The company entered into a definitive agreement to sell Century Mile Racetrack and Casino in Edmonton and Century Downs Racetrack and Casino in Calgary to Highfield Investment Group.

The transaction has a $16.4m price tag and is expected to close in the fourth quarter of this year or the first quarter of 2027. Century Casinos confirmed the sale is part of a strategic review process, with the company focusing on its U.S. properties.

Hard Rock Casino Tejon appointed Mike Bean to the key role of Property President. The new addition to the C-suite at Hard Rock Casino Tejon has more than 30 years of gaming and hospitality experience and succeeds Chris Kelley, who held the role since the opening of the casino resort and its first year of operation. Bean will officially assume the role at Hard Rock Casino Tejon on October 5, 2026.

Regulation and laws

New standards for gaming machines are coming to the UK. The UK gambling watchdog, the Gambling Commission, confirmed earlier this week that it plans to introduce a new standard for gaming machines in an effort to make them safer for consumers. The gambling regulator explained that the new rules are based on collected feedback after a completed consultation period.

Notably, the new standard would be applicable to new slot machines, not existing ones, taking into consideration the complex requirements of such devices. UK Gambling Commission's Director of Major Policy Projects and Evaluation, Helen Rhodes, had this to say about the upcoming changes: "We are confident that the consultation has led to a package of changes where the benefits to consumers are proportionate to the costs of implementation and that the staged timeline for implementation is reasonable and achievable."

In Norway, the Ministry of Culture and Equality proposed the legalization of online poker via the state-owned Norwegian government-administered gambling and lottery operator, Norsk Tipping. A survey from 2022 uncovered that approximately 90,000 Norwegians played online poker, but Norsk Tipping argued the actual number might be in the realm of 100,000 to 150,000 people.

According to the Ministry, regulating online poker will grant consumers protection. At the same time, the government will decrease the share of unlicensed gambling activities. Ultimately, Norway seeks to establish a regulated and responsible online poker market.

Brazil has made a U-turn, effectively killing its regulated online gambling market overnight. As President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is looking for a reelection bid, the country once again banned online gambling. Prior to the ban, the President has repeatedly said that if regulated gambling fails to protect consumers, it may be banned again.

Interestingly, he was the man that brought regulated online gambling in the first place. The change in Brazil had an immediate effect after it was signed, prohibiting previously licensed companies from advertising their services or offering gambling to local players. The ban effectively ended both online casino gambling and sports betting activities.

Responsible gambling

BetBlocker has hit a major milestone, recording more than 500,000 active users. The charity celebrated the major accomplishment at the recent Signature Awards in London, UK, announcing additional language support. As the number of active users on BetBlocker continues to grow, the charity has confirmed the launch of Punjabi and Hindi language support, enabling it to reach more players who need help.

The Spanish Federation of Rehabilitated Gamblers (FEJAR) celebrated the impact of ICE’s Sustainable Gambling Zone donation. At ICE Barcelona 2026, the organization received a €20,000 donation. FEJAR explained the donation will play a major role in strengthening conversations and practices focusing on responsible gambling.

The voice of the industry

This week, Casino Guru News had the opportunity to talk to Danny Rippon, CEO of Axom Gaming. In an exclusive interview, the executive spoke about the evolving iGaming market in Africa, highlighting the importance of retention rather than acquisition. Rippon addressed other hot topics, including how AI-driven decisioning can help operators and why CRM and player lifetime value are more important in the current gambling landscape.

Ahead of the upcoming 2026 Gaming in Germany Conference set to take place next month, Casino Guru News sat down with Willem van Oort, Founder at Gaming in Holland. He spoke about the role of lawmakers and stakeholders in the current regulatory vertical, while acknowledging the ongoing threat of unregulated gambling.

Casino Guru News also had the opportunity to talk to the former Philadelphia Phillies closer, Brad Lidge. In an exclusive interview, Lidge, who is also a 2008 World Series champion, spoke about the Phillies' chance to win the World Series.

This week, Casino Guru News released an analysis focusing on the football career of CJ Daniels, the American football wide receiver. Daniels, whose journey has gone from college football to joining the roster of the Los Angeles Rams, has consistently demonstrated reliability, productivity and resilience.

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