Star Entertainment agrees to improved bid from Bally's Corporation, Maryland goes after Kalshi

It's been a busy week for the gambling industry with significant developments and some unexpected announcements and Casino Guru News brings you a quick roundup of the week's key highlights.

The Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) warned that millions of pounds were wagered on the Grand National illegally. The industry body estimated that £9.4m ($12.11m) would be wagered via black market operators.

The BGC predicted that the main event is expected to attract as much as £250m ($322m). This means that if the prediction about the illegal action is correct, an estimated 4% of the total betting handle would go to unlicensed, black-market operators.

This week, the innovative content provider and iGaming content supplier, Playson, inked a new alliance with Fenikss. The agreement complements the latter's growth in Latvia, enabling Playson's fan-favorite games such as Royal Coins 2: Hold and Win, Royal Joker: Hold and Win and Book of Gold: Multichance to reach new audiences.

In the UAE, Xpoint and The Game LLC joined forces for geolocation services. The latter company enhanced its security and geolocation capabilities under the terms of the new agreement. Ultimately, that is going to help The Game LLC in the future, considering that it is the first licensed lottery operator in the UAE.

Recently, Casino Guru announced community trials for Droodles, in hopes of delivering user insights. The announcement comes under an agreement between Casino Guru and The Digital Wellness Center that saw the delivery of the latter's novel cognitive microbreak tool, Droodles, to the former's forum community.

Business and finance

After failing to raise fresh cash and refinance its debt, Star Entertainment Group, Australia's embattled casino operator, agreed to an improved bid from Bally's Corporation. The latter company proposed acquiring a 56.7% stake in Star Entertainment Group in exchange for AU$300m ($180m).

On Wednesday this week, under the agreement, the Star received AU$100m, which would enable it to continue to operate and settle any outstanding payments. Then, an extra AU$200m is expected to be paid by Bally's once Star Entertainment Group's shareholders and regulatory bodies greenlight the takeover bid.

The provider of gaming content and solutions, BETER, grew its global footprint via a collaboration with Turbo Stars, a leading casino and sports platform B2B provider. The new agreement saw the latter access BETER's innovative and industry-leading fast betting content for esports and sports.

Despite facing legal challenges across the United States, Kalshi, the fast-growing online prediction market platform, strengthened its senior-level management with the appointment of Sara Slane as the company’s new Head of Corporate Development.

The executive brings extensive experience to Kalshi as she formerly served in the capacity of SVP/Public Affairs at the American Gaming Association (AGA), the US gambling industry association. In 2019, Slane created her own consultancy. Overall, she brings solid experience, a wide range of skills and is expected to play a key role in Kalshi's future growth.

Regulation and laws

While Kalshi hired a key expert with solid experience, the platform is facing scrutiny by Maryland's gambling regulator. This marked the sixth legal hurdle for the sports and politics prediction platform after it is already facing similar action in markets such as Nevada, New Jersey, Ohio, Illinois and Montana.

Across the globe, the Netherlands Gambling Authority, the Kansspelautoriteit, shuttered 20 gambling apps since the start of the year. The industry-wide sweep marks the gambling watchdog's latest effort to restrict the reach of gambling apps without a license.

In Ontario, Canada, the up-and-coming B2B gaming provider for the online casino industry, Playnetic, secured a license from the province's gambling authority, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO). The B2B license marks an important and necessary step for the company's future expansion in the province.

Elsewhere, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), the state's gambling watchdog, announced it issued cease-and-desist letters targeting illegal gambling websites. Over a dozen operators received such letters, and they are now given 14 days to comply with the gambling regulator's request.

A newly filed bill in Louisiana saw the state join a growing list of states that are targeting sweepstakes. The new proposal recognized sweepstakes as "illegal gambling" in a move that faced pushback from the Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA). Ultimately, the association argued that designating sweepstakes as unregulated gambling that needs to be stopped is a "reckless silicification."

Responsible gambling

In Australia, BetStop, the country's unified self-exclusion program, recently reported the latest numbers for the Q3 2024/2025 period, highlighting that it has surpassed its goal by reaching 40,121 total registrations. It's important to note that the total number of registrations isn't the number of people currently enrolled in the program as BetStop permits temporary self-exclusion, which can be completed and lifted.

In Europe, the Hellenic Gaming Commission (HGC), the gambling watchdog in Greece, strengthened its focus on responsible gambling thanks to a fresh partnership with Mindway AI. The recent collaboration saw the former tap into Mindway's groundbreaking self-testing tool, Gamalyze.

The voice of the industry

This week, Casino Guru News released an interesting opinion report, featuring the Partner and Head of Consulting Department and Eastern Europe Desk at 4H Agency, Ivan Kurochkin, who spoke about Lithuania's new regulation of gambling advertising and responsible gambling. The overhaul of the country's regulations features nearly a blanket ban on gambling advertising, expected to be implemented over the next three years.

Again, this week, Simon Vincze, Casino Guru's Head of Sustainable & Safer Gambling, talked to Dr. Mary Donohue, CEO at The Digital Wellness Center and Digital Psychologist, in the latest episode of the Safer Gambling Talks. The duo discussed the importance of microbreaks that can help reset a player's brain and enable them to stay in control.

Casino Guru News also released a new analysis that focused on professional gamblers, delving into the highly speculative subject with the goal of uncovering whether professional gamblers are mavericks or charlatans.

This week, Casino Guru News had the chance to talk to 4ThePlayer's Co-founder and Commercial & Marketing Director, Henry McLean, who spoke about the company's focus on evolving and enhancing its products. McLean uncovered unique insights and shared his thoughts regarding the importance of leveling up experience for players and the delivery of engaging and innovative games.

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