Sportsbet receives AU$313K fine in Australia, NY bill targets in-play betting

The fast-growing betting and gaming brand, Stake.com, is on its way to completely revolutionizing the slot creation and game design in iGaming with the introduction of slotGPT. The innovative solution, available only on Stake, enables the players to use language prompts for the generation of original, fully compliant slot games. Since its launch, tens of thousands of games have already been generated.

Meridianbet, the leading sports betting operator and Golden Matrix Group subsidiary, announced the introduction of a new instant sports simulation feature called Flash Bet. Promising engaging experiences for bettors and sports fans alike, Flash Bet enables players to simulate real sports event outcomes with adjustable speeds and view results in seconds.

A potential fraud case uncovered that thousands of hospitalized patients in Bulgaria gambled at casinos. The country's National Revenue Agency suspects nearly 4,000 false hospitalizations in what can be described as large-scale healthcare fraud. Receiving a tip, the agency discovered 3,890 patients, who were supposed to be hospitalized, filed gambling information.

Business and finance

The fast-growing American company founded by Elon Musk with the goal of addressing urban traffic challenges using advanced tunneling technology, The Boring Company, announced it has started ferrying passengers to Harry Reid International Airport in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new service was officially launched earlier this week, and it marks the first time the company has been permitted to access airport property.

Parimatch, the globally recognizable gaming brand, solidified its presence in South Africa by becoming the Official Principal Partner of Joburg Super Kings, the leading professional T20 cricket team. The activation, valid through the upcoming SA20 season, reaffirms the former's commitment to boosting cricket culture and dedication to offering unrivaled experiences to bettors and fans of the sport.

In New York, a newly filed bill may irreversibly affect the way licensed betting operators do business. That is the case for Bill A 9343, filed by Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal. Filed at the end of 2025, the proposal reportedly seeks to prohibit in-play betting. The bill was filed at a time when more than 70% of the total sports betting handle likely comes from the in-play betting segment.

Regulation and laws

A newly filed discrimination lawsuit named the operator of Horseshoe Casino in Baltimore. The lawsuit alleges discrimination and retaliatory practices against a disabled former employee, naming CBAC Borrower, LLC, Caesars Baltimore Management Co., LLC, and Caesars Entertainment, Inc. as defendants. The legal action was filed by the US Equal Employment Opportunity Commission on Wednesday, December 31, 2025.

Elsewhere, in Australia, the country's largest bookmaker, Sportsbet, has been hit with an AU$313,140 fine from the NT Racing and Wagering Commission. The hefty monetary sanction follows what the gambling regulator described as "systematic failures." The alleged deficiencies affect more than 6,100 customers who were not provided with their "activity statements" for 18 months between 2022 and 2024. The Commission recognized the deficiency as a "distinct and recurring failure" and said the financial sanction is "proportionate."

In China, new draft rules focus on AI chatbots and outlaw gambling-related content. The effort targets harmful content, including gambling, that may lead to self-harm or suicide. China's effort represents the first attempt to regulate AI chatbots in the world. The new draft rules are up for public discussion until January 26, 2026.

Back in the United States, Tennessee's Attorney General deemed social sweepstakes casinos as illegal. AG Jonathan Skrmetti effectively goes after 40 social sweepstakes casinos with the goal of seeing them discontinue their operations.

The actions of Tennessee's AG come in the context of a broader effort against sweepstakes casinos across the country. Throughout 2025, sweepstakes faced legal pressure and scrutiny from gambling regulators and some faced cease-and-desist orders, among other hurdles.

Only recently, US states joined forces in another push back against prediction market platforms offering sports event contracts. A court brief, filed by Nevada's Attorney General, backed and Ohio's Attorney General on behalf of 38 states, as well as the District of Columbia, opposes such offering by prediction market platforms. The court brief argues that prediction market platforms cannot offer sports event contracts. Per the document, such an offer is "masquerading" as financial products, which are in reality gambling.

Despite a promise made by London's incumbent mayor, Sadiq Khan, gambling companies have spent millions of pounds on advertisements via public transport in the UK, a newly released report suggests. Reportedly, a total of £7.5m was spent on advertising on Tfl services by gambling operators in the country. This includes ads that appeared on trams, underground and overground stations.

In New Jersey, the United States, casino workers asked Gov. Phil Murphy to ban smoking on gaming floors. The effort, led by the focus group, Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects (CEASE), seeks to introduce an indoor smoking ban. Ultimately, CEASE hopes Gov. Murphy takes action before the passing of his term.

Responsible gambling

Upwards of £100m worth of bets are spent on illegal gambling, the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) warned recently. According to the Council, Brits spend significantly on Boxing Day gambling, with tens of millions in wagers flowing to unsafe, unregulated gambling operators. Notably, the BGC wants to raise awareness of the issue, warning about the dangers of illegal operators.

Elsewhere in the UK, a new report suggested that adult gaming centers are growing in vulnerable areas. Citing Gambling Commission data, BBC News said that a significant number of the adult gaming centers are located in areas described as "disadvantaged" or "deprived." Looking at the bigger picture, nearly half, or 664 out of 1,400 establishments of such type operate in vulnerable areas, the report explains.

The voice of the industry

Earlier this week, Casino Guru News published an exclusive interview with the Head of Account Management at Gamzix, Aleksandra Kozymir. At a time when artificial intelligence (AI) is used daily by a broad range of sectors, the executive acknowledged that Gamzix leverages AI as a supportive tool and not a replacement. Kozymir also spoke about personalization and other hot topics, including the use of promotional and engagement tools.

This week, Casino Guru News released an analysis focusing on what state has the most casinos. The in-depth report looked into data from the American Gaming Association, highlighting the importance of the commercial and tribal casinos that support jobs across the country. At the same time, the report highlighted the economic impact of casinos state by state, among other interesting details.

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