UK braces for 40% remote gambling duty, prediction markets in focus

Much has happened around the world of gambling this week, but prediction markets and a new tax rate on online gambling in the UK have taken the limelight

The United Kingdom and the Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rachael Reeves, confirmed earlier this week that the remote gambling duty will increase to 40%, overtaking previous estimates, which were closer to 30-35%.

The new measure will come into effect in April 2026, and it will be aligned with the country’s push to raise additional funds from the industry, addressing public spending deficits while, at the same time, ignoring fears that tens of thousands of jobs would be at risk as industry insiders, trade groups, and companies speculate.

As tax regimes are tightening, the United States continues to battle prediction markets as they seem determined to push forward. Polymarket is expected to make an immediate return to the market as the company has already secured a license from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

In a similar vein, Underdog has announced that it would be exiting Missouri and not launch on December 1, 2025, after all.

The move comes as a surprise and has been motivated by Missouri’s growing hostility towards the sector, with the state gaming commission warning against local licensees engaging in such markets, even in other jurisdictions nationally.

Business and finance

Speaking of sportsbooks, DraftKings has announced that it is rolling out a full Spanish version for its online casino and sportsbooks, seeking to secure a stronger pull with a core demographic in the United States.

Hard Rock Bet Casino has also made the news this week, launching a new bespoke game, Kick Drum Cash, with IGT PlayDigital. This marks the operator’s latest such partnership that has seen it aggressively create original and unique titles exclusively available for its own casino only.

EveryMatrix is happy to report that it has teamed up with a leading tech company, Goma Gaming, which specializes in the development of front-end solutions for firms in the betting sector. The company excels at creating strong consumer-oriented product designs as well as digital UX experiences.

Kalshi has been dealt a losing hand in Nevada, after a judge ruled that the platform would have to stop offering its sports event contracts this week. Kalshi has sought a stay on the order, but as of the time of reporting, nothing has come out of it.

Laws and regulations

The European Casino Association (ECA) has become the latest to commission independent research into the state of illegal online gambling on the continent.

ECA reached out to Yield Sec, an international intelligence firm, which estimates that in 2024, 71% of the online gambling in the European Union specifically took place with unregulated operators, generating €80.6bn in gross gaming revenue.

In the meantime, numerous gambling regulators from across the European Union have agreed to take collective action against the offshore gambling market, including but not limited to flagging to social media and search engine platforms the existence of illicit advertisements and operators, but also exchanging information about unregulated platforms and, similarly, know-how on how to counter these platforms in the first place.

Responsible gambling

Stake has joined the Esports Integrity Commission, an international body tasked with overseeing the integrity of professional video gaming by turning to esports operators. ESIC has been carrying out corruption probes and ensuring the integrity of contests all over the world, and primarily with the help of prominent operators such as Stake.

Casino Guru is proud to announce that the Casino Guru Academy project has crossed the 5,000 registered user milestone. which clearly demonstrates a growing interest in accessible and meaningful education for iGaming professionals.

As an extension of Casino Guru, the world's biggest source of information about online casinos and player advocacy, the Academy offers free practical courses that help raise as well as improve iGaming industry standards.

The voice of the industry

This week, Matej Novota, Casino Guru’s Head of Casino Research, published an opinion in which he spoke about the merit of closer cooperation between the industry and gambling regulators, touching on a sensitive topic – can gambling industry insiders be trusted to create the consumer safeguards that protect people?

Next up, we caught up with NeverEnding’s Taras Barannik. NeverEndinghas broken onto the iGaming scene as a fast, frictionless, and bureaucracy-unhampered provider. The company draws inspiration from the land-based slot sector to shape a mobile-first experience while starting with familiar mechanics to build player trust.

Similarly, we reached out to TonyBet’s Anna Badaeva, Group DPO & Security Expert. Badaeva discusses the evolving cyber threat landscape, the need for constant innovation, and how TonyBet’s balanced approach to personalization, responsible gaming, and ethical AI use helps strengthen the operator’s own resilience to such emerging challenges.

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