Entain warns offshore gambling companies target UK customers during World Cup, Dutch gambling regulator issues €3m fine

After the recent start of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, the opening game between the United States and Paraguay resulted in a whopping 24.88m viewers in the US. The opening game on June 12, which saw the US men's national team emerge as the winners with a 4-1 final score, attracted nearly 16m viewers on Fox, while close to 9m football fans enjoyed the Spanish telecast on Telemundo, Peacock and Telemundo.

On June 25, 2026, SOFTSWISS, the leading iGaming software and solutions provider, will be hosting a LinkedIn Live Panel on prediction markets. The engaging panel will address hot topics within the prediction market space and comes at a time when the sector has seen exponential growth across the United States.

Business and finance

In the UK, the leading betting and gaming company, Entain, sounded the alarm about offshore operators targeting local audiences via promotions during the World Cup. In a new report, the company warned that at least 30 unlicensed gambling operators are actively trying to reach UK consumers.

The concerning report by Entain comes at a time when the Betting and Gaming Council recently warned that the illegal gambling sector may claim at least £200m in betting handle. Entain acknowledged the constant efforts of the illegal gambling vertical, recognizing deployment of promotions "at scale."

In Atlantic City, New Jersey, the casino industry helped raise $400,000, supporting an initiative by the Community FoodBank of New Jersey. The aforementioned sum represents more than 1.2 million meals to people in need and represents a major milestone for the Casinos Unite Against Hunger campaign that launched last year in May. Notably, Hard Rock Hotel and Casino Atlantic City and the Casino Association of New Jersey donated $50,000 each, helping the Community FoodBank's recent inaugural event "Meal on a Mission: A Chef’s Tableside Experience."

The channelization to the regulated gambling market in Sweden continues to struggle, particularly in the online casino segment. Newly released data suggests online casino channelization stalled at 84% in 2025, below the 85% reported in 2024. Compared to the 2023 result of 86%, a downward trend is observed affecting online casino gambling. In contrast to the decrease in online casino channelization, sports betting fans are loyal to the regulated sector, with 96% channelization.

The bizarre MMA bout celebrating America's 250th birthday and President Donald Trump's 80th birthday, UFC Freedom 250, has drawn mixed opinions. Concerningly, only 16% of Americans found the event appropriate, a recent Reuters/Ipsos poll found. In contrast, an overwhelming 46% of the respondents to the poll deemed UFC Freedom 250 inappropriate.

Regulation and laws

The Dutch Gambling Authority, KSA, has taken decisive action against an offshore gambling operator. The Authority said the operator in question operated without the necessary license. As a result, it imposed a hefty €3,082,000 fine against the Costa Rica-based operator.

According to the KSA, the operator failed to restrict the access of Dutch customers to its website. Despite the multi-million dollar financial sanction, the gambling regulator has limited resources to enforce the fine.

Elsewhere, in the United States, Novig obtained approval by the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) as a Designated Contract Market (DCM). The milestone achievement enabled the company to operate as a federally regulated sports prediction market and offer its services in all 50 states. The announcement comes during growing scrutiny surrounding prediction markets that attracted criticism from state-level gambling regulators.

Responsible gambling

Casino Guru and Gamble Alert's Nigeria team joined forces for a new strategic collaboration to bolster player protection. The effort leverages the duo's expertise, capabilities and connections to enhance the resources available to gambling operators and industry experts in Nigeria. Besides player protection, the initiative focuses on education, developing customizable initiatives that address specific challenges and other important aspects within the gambling industry.

A campaign in Massachusetts seeks to inform students about the dangers of gambling. The effort comes amid increasing concerns about underage gambling, and nearly two dozen schools are now educating their students about the negative impact and risks associated with the activity. Ultimately, the initiative seeks to provide valuable insights and potentially prevent long-lasting negative consequences due to exposure to gambling from a young age.

The Philippines launched a new National Problem Gambling Helpline late last month. Now, the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation has ordered the promotion of the new gambling helpline. Licensed gaming venue operators, suppliers and other stakeholders, are given until July 15, 2026, to replace all gaming-related ads with a template that advertises the National Problem Gambling Helpline.

The voice of the industry

This week, Casino Guru News had the opportunity to sit down for a talk with Flows CEO James King, who spoke about the company's no-code platform and new AI tool "Flo," designed to help operators build and launch new products. He addressed a number of hot topics, including the use of AI directly into core systems that may result in complications for operators.

An analysis by Casino Guru News focused on 10-year data across the NFL. One of the notable discoveries is that NFL fans are paying 78% more for the game-day experience than 10 years ago. Other interesting findings reveal that beer prices have increased by 48%, while the NFL entry ticket price has risen by 82.7%.

Separately, an analysis by Casino Guru News focused on Evoplay's exceptional success over the last few years driven by the instant football phenomenon, Penalty Shoot-out. The instant game has made big waves since its initial launch in 2020, leaving a long-lasting impression on players and operators alike.

At the recent Casino Guru Awards, LuckyHills won the Fairest General T&Cs accolade. Following the achievement, Casino Guru News sat down with LuckyHills to discuss how T&Cs in the online gambling vertical can be designed in a way that prioritizes players, even though many users don't actively read them.

Again, this week, Casino Guru News released a report focusing on a massive $25msports betting scheme involving the famous professional poker player, Cory Zeidman. The analysis outlined some of Zeidman's poker career highlights while revealing the legal woes he faced for his role in the sports betting fraud scheme.

On Thursday, Casino Guru News released the latest episode of Player's Horizon. In episode #004, the AI hosts, Nate and Mike, discussed a double cap dispute.

Last but not least, earlier in the week, Casino Guru News published F1 betting tips, highlighting strategies that fans of the sport and gamblers alike can deploy to win. Besides suggesting winning strategies, the report reveals how bettors can use them to bolster their experience.

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