UKGC settles with Rank Group, Michigan goes after illegal gambling websites

The UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) has settled with Rank Group PLC and three operators owned by the company for a total of £5m.

The regulator investigated and discovered deficiencies in the company’s anti-money laundering and social responsibility obligations, ordering the payment of the money, as well as an independent audit of AML practices.

Commenting on the decision, UKGC Executive Director of Operations Sue Young said:

"Larger enforcement cases are often associated with online gambling but, as today’s announcement shows, the risks of anti-money laundering and social responsibility failures are equally alive in the land-based sector."

The regulator cautioned that Rank Group PLC’s settlement should serve as an example to other operators.

Business and finance

BetMGM, a prominent iGaming brand in the United States, North America, and beyond, has been awarded with the Most Trusted Online Casino Brand accolade in America in the 2026 BrandSpark American Trust Study.

The distinction is based on an independent survey of more than 35,000 U.C. consumers for the 2026 BrandSpark American Trust Study, which was presented in partnership with Newsweek.

BetMGM forged ahead by scoring high on core priorities for consumers such as reliable and secure online casino experiences, with the platform receiving well among older and high-income demographics.

Betsson Group has consolidated its brand identity and presence in Belgium after the company rechristened the country-first betFIRST into Betsson, further strengthening its global footprint.

The latest rebranding is part of an ongoing effort to establish better global recognition for the company’s products, with betFIRST, now Betsson, constituting an important transition on this path.

Stake has further expanded its presence in the North American market, with the global iGaming platform securing a license to launch operations in Alberta, Canada. This is a second province where the company is fully available and licensed, as Canada has been scaling its regulated online casino and sports betting markets.

Tonybet has launched poker in Canada on October 6, 2026, adding the game to a platform that already spans sports betting, live casino and slots.

The rollout gives players a third way to play, in the same account they already hold, as the company continues to expand its local footprint and to seek further opportunitiesto strengthen its appeal in the country. Find out more about the launch here.

Laws and regulations

Michigan and the Michigan Gaming Control Board have taken further action against unregulated gambling websites in the Great Lakes State offering a range of products, including casino-style games, sports betting and sweepstakes gameplay.

A total of 33 offshore gambling websites have been targeted through cease-and-desist letters, following a similar move in April 2026, when another 45 were targeted this way. Michigan maintains that offshore operators are not legally allowed to operate such products in the state, as they lack licensing as well as commitment to consumer safety.

Kalshi will not be subjected to local gaming laws in Illinois for the time being, a federal judge decided.

Judge Martha Pacold of the Chicago federal district court has temporarily blocked Illinois from enforcing parts of its gambling laws against Kalshi'ssports event contracts, including licensing rules that would have limited which contracts can be offered and restricted trading to people aged 21 and over.

This is a rare win for Kalshi, which has mostly been pressured to comply with gaming laws across the U.S. while maintaining that it should not be regulated under these statutes.

In the meantime, Polymarket is heading to The Hague to challenge a ban against the platform in the Netherlands. Polymarket argues that the ban issued by the state regulator does not reflect reality and that gaming laws ought not apply to financial products such as the ones offered by the prediction market platform.

The voice of the industry

Casino Guru has been shortlisted in the 2026 EGR Operator Awards in the Casino Affiliate and Affiliate of the Year categories, once again demonstrating the company’s staying power and further establishing its credentials as a leader in helping players make information-driven decisions.

Casino Guru continues to work on delivering precise, evidence-based information and updating its database in pursuit of the best possible player experience, while actively seeking to change the industry for the better.

Peter Ivanov, the Head of Product (Trading Stream) at DATA.BET, has joined Casino Guru News to talk about why virtual sports requests come from regulated markets first, how the company rebuilt its bot-vs-bot virtual football for Latin America, what makes game-engine fixtures harder to manipulate, and why localization, depth, and betting on the stream will shape the segment next. Find out more in the full interview with Ivanov here.

Casino Guru News also caught up with Ollie Castleman, Managing Director of Hub88, who took a deep dive into what games do well in the highly competitive world of iGaming, and how spotting the next big thing happens. Castleman addresses how the aggregator is expanding its content partnerships and evolving its full-service platform through solutions such as AI analytics, security tools, and major integrations such as Blask and Play.io. Read the full interview to find out more.

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