IRS raises slot reporting threshold, Fanatics leaves AGA, Paddy Power Betfair hit in UK

The United Arab Emirates made history this week by confirming the launch of its first online sports betting website. The historic launch comes ahead of a planned bout between Anthony Joshua and Jake Paul, with local players likely having a chance to bet on the much-anticipated fight. In addition to sports betting, Play971, the UAE's first licensed gambling platform, also offers casino-style games online.

In the United States, FanDuel strengthened its betting options with the addition of a new feature in collaboration with Main Street Sports Group. As a result, this week, the leading betting and gaming company launched Bet Tracking, another fan-first experience that elevates the excitement and engagement for bettors placing wagers on select NBA and NHL games.

Fanatics, the leading betting and gaming company, has become the latest to sever ties with the American Gaming Association over prediction markets. The operator's move comes in the context of the growing scrutiny in the vertical. Yet, just like DraftKings and FanDuel, Fanatics sees strong potential for expansion in prediction markets, which is why the company decided to discontinue its membership with the Association.

Earlier in the week, Casino Guru News announced that Casino Guru was honored with three prestigious titles at the Malta iGaming Affiliate Awards. Reaffirming its leadership position in iGaming affiliation, Casino Guru won the Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year, Best Casino Affiliate of the Year and Affiliate Idol – Lifetime Achievement Award.

Business and finance

Global Gaming Women, a non-profit that advocates for the expansion of women in gaming, appointed Siobhan Lane, who served as 1st Vice President, to the role of President and Board Chair. In addition, the organization confirmed that Brandi Ellis will assume the vacant role of 1st Vice President, while Adriana Kasunic will serve as 2nd Vice President.

Sportradar Group AG, the leading sports technology and solutions company, elected Breon Corcoran, the former Paddy Power Betfair executive, to its Board of Directors. The seasoned executive brings solid experience after holding a number of senior-level roles at different companies, including Zepz and Paddy Power Betfair plc, among others.

In a major move in Australia, Brightstar Lottery, through its local subsidiaries, inked a new 19-year contract with Lotterywest. The new contract follows a competitive bidding process and consists of a nine-year base term, as well as one four-year and two three-year extension options. For the duration of the contract, Lotterywest will benefit from Brightstar's industry-leading central gaming system, lottery and digital products, strengthening its offering in Western Australia.

Near the end of the week, Steve Birch, the Chief Commercial Officer at Flutter Entertainment and former CEO of Sky Betting & Gaming, confirmed his plans to step down from his role. The announcement comes after the executive spent nearly two decades at Sky Betting and Gaming and Flutter Entertainment, holding a number of strategic C-suite roles.

Regulation and laws

The ongoing regulatory pushback and scrutiny of prediction markets reportedly brought trouble to one operator in Arizona. Reportedly, the state's gambling regulator, the Arizona Department of Gaming, reached out to Underdog, the fast-growing DFS and sports betting company, warning it may lose its license if it engages in prediction markets.

During a time when there are fewer than a dozen U.S. states that do not offer legal sports wagering, a new report suggested that violent behavior spikes around sports games due to betting. The research, by Rice University in Texas, pointed to data suggesting that violent behavior on game days may be related to stress. While betting isn't identified as a driver of criminal behavior, in some cases, a "spillover" effect is observed.

In a historic moment for the U.S. gambling sector, the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) raised the slot reporting threshold from $1,200 to $2,000. The change, set to come into effect after New Year's, would mark the first increase in the slot reporting threshold in 48 years.

The increase is expected to benefit casino patrons by making their lives easier. At the same time, the historic increase in the slot reporting threshold frees resources for casino operators that can now allocate them to protecting gamblers.

The original $1,200 slot reporting threshold, which required casinos to shut down slot machines and produce the necessary paperwork, was introduced back in 1977. The latest change acknowledges the impact of inflation and raises that threshold, effective from January 1, 2026.

Elsewhere, in the UK, Paddy Power Betfair has been fined £2m by the country's gambling regulator, the Gambling Commission. Per the gambling watchdog's announcement, an investigation uncovered that the operator violated social responsibility related to customer interaction. The Commission confirmed it reached a settlement with four remote operators trading under the names Paddy Power and Betfair, namely PPB Entertainment Limited, PPB Counterparty Services Limited, Betfair Casino Limited and TSE Malta LP.

"Our compliance assessment in 2024 uncovered examples where interactions fell far short of what is required. These failings should never have occurred. While the licensees co-operated fully with the investigation, accepted the failings early, and implemented an action plan quickly, this immediate response is the minimum we expect from operators when serious shortcomings are identified," John Pierce, the Commission's Director of Enforcement, explained.

Across the ocean, in Pennsylvania, the state's gambling regulator, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, issued a warning against prediction markets. In its announcement, the Board encouraged licensed gambling operators to stay away from prediction markets, comparing those to the "Wild West."

An investigation by the global media outlet, Reuters, alleged that Meta made money from fraudulent Chinese advertisers. In 2024, Meta's net revenue from Chinese companies surpassed $18bn. However, as Meta itself estimated, approximately $3bn out of the $18bn figure may derive from harmful content. With the issue known to Meta, the global platform is working on addressing it.

Responsible gambling

BetMGM introduced a new responsible gambling campaign called "Mullet Over." The latest effort includes a television spot with Connor McDavid and Terry Ryan. The new campaign, airing across the United States and in Canada, and appearing via digital channels, encourages consumers to use responsible gambling tools.

Continuing its global localization push, BetBlocker expanded its support service to include a new language - Arabic. The announcement, made earlier this week, marks a milestone moment for BetBlocker, considering that with Arabic, it can serve up to 400m people.

Reaffirming its dedication to responsible gambling, the leading gaming, hospitality and entertainment company, MGM Resorts International, continues to grow the number of certified GameSense Advisors. This week, the company said that it strengthened its GameSense program by hitting a milestone, surpassing 2,000 advisors.

The voice of the industry

Ahead of the fight between Jale Paul and Anthony Joshua, Casino Guru News released a comprehensive Odds, Picks and Preview. At the time of writing, odds suggested Jake Paul is a heavy underdog. The bout is scheduled to take place on Friday, December 19, 2025, at 5 PM ET at Kaseya Center in Miami, Florida. The fight between Jake Paul and Anthony Joshua can also be watched online on DAZN and via Netflix.

Ahead of New Year's Eve, Casino Guru News published an analysis focusing on the states where the internet holds up best and worst. The new analysis, by Casino Guru USA, ranked U.S. states depending on median network latency to estimate the biggest winners and losers on the busiest night of the year.

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