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Indiana sportsbooks Make Huge Leap to $460M in October
Indiana sportsbooks shattered the state record for betting volume for the second consecutive month by handling more than $460 million in October.
The surge in betting brought on in part by the year’s first full month of football also made Indiana just the fifth state to reach $5 billion in lifetime sports wagers, according to PlayIndiana, which tracks the state’s gaming industry.
“Five full weekends of the NFL and college football, the opening of the NBA season, and baseball’s postseason gave sportsbooks a rare convergence of betting inventory in October. To surpass the previous record by so much shows an increasing base of bettors, too. It’s hard to imagine a better start to the football season than what has happened in the last two months,” Jake Garza, an analyst for PlayIndiana.com, said.
Online and retail sportsbooks drew $461.1 million in October, easily surpassing September’s record handle of $355.4 million by 29.7%, according to official reporting released Friday. October’s handle was also up 99.7% from $230.9 million in October 2020. Bettors increased the pace of betting to $14.9 million per day over the 31 days of October from $11.8 million per day in September and $7.4 million in October 2020.
Despite the surge in betting, gross revenue fell 16.4% to $27.8 million from the record of $33.3 million set in September. Year-over-year, revenue was up 10.9% from $25.1 million in October 2020. October’s win created $27.6 million in taxable revenue, yielding $2.6 million in state taxes.
With five weekends of games, football betting jumped 18.4% to $175.8 million in October from $148.6 million in September. The opening of the NBA season led to significant action, too, jumping to $53.5 million in basketball betting from just $5.2 million in September. Parlay betting also rose to $127.6 million from $92.0 million.
The record month pushed Indiana into some rarified air among legal sports jurisdictions, joining New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Illinois as the only states to generate a handle of more than $450 million in a month, more than $5 billion in lifetime legal sports betting, and more than $400 million in lifetime gross revenue.
Since launching in 2019, Indiana sportsbooks have generated $5.1 billion in wagering, $412.5 million in gross revenue and $78.3 million in tax revenue.
“No state has capitalized on its potential as a sports betting market better than Indiana. As impressive as some of these records have been, it is also important to remember that Indiana as a market still hasn’t fully matured,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIndiana.com.
Online betting drew $411.9 million in wagers, or 89.3% of October’s total handle. DraftKings led online operators in October with a $150.7 million handle, up from $130.4 million handle in September. Last month’s bets created $7.8 million in gross receipts, up from $7.2 million in September. FanDuel was next with $113.3 million in online wagering, up from $77.2 million in September. Those bets produced a state-best $9.2 million in gross receipts.
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celebrity-partnerships
Pascal Gaming signs Ronaldinho for football-themed crash and slot titles
First release is Avinho R10, followed by June launch Fortune Ronaldinho as the studio lines up more titles ahead of the World Cup season.
Pascal Gaming has partnered with Brazilian football player Ronaldinho to launch a dedicated portfolio of games inspired by the athlete, the company said on 26 May, 2026.
The planned pipeline includes crash games, slots and additional titles set to roll out through the year. Pascal Gaming said the initiative is aimed at both Brazil and international markets, and will be supported by tournaments, promotional activity and special events tied to the Ronaldinho-branded portfolio.
The first game confirmed is Avinho R10, described as a crash-style title featuring Ronaldinho “above Brazil” in an aviation-themed experience. A second game, Fortune Ronaldinho, is scheduled for release in June and is positioned as a slot-inspired title.
“Ronaldinho is one of the most recognisable and loved football personalities in the world, so for us this collaboration is much more than a game launch. It is a global entertainment project that combines football culture, emotionally engaging gameplay and strong promotional activities ahead of the World Cup,” said Armen Mnaskanian, Head of Sales at SoftConstruct Gaming Content.
Pascal Gaming said it has been expanding its crash game portfolio during 2026 and investing in localised, character-driven content across Latin America, Africa and Asia. The company added that more Ronaldinho-themed titles and marketing campaigns will be revealed in the coming months.
The post Pascal Gaming signs Ronaldinho for football-themed crash and slot titles appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
brand-marketing
Duelbits signs Justin Gaethje for branded content ahead of UFC Freedom 250
The JUSTIN2026 campaign was shot in Denver and rolls out over four weeks ahead of the 14 June event at the White House.
Duelbits has launched a branded content campaign with UFC interim Lightweight Champion Justin Gaethje, timed to UFC Freedom 250 at the White House on Saturday 14th June.
The campaign, branded JUSTIN2026, was shot on location in Denver, Colorado by UK-based creative agency YRDS. Duelbits said the content is designed as a “premium, cinematic series” and will roll out in phases over the next four weeks, peaking on event day.
According to the company, the campaign was planned before UFC Freedom was officially confirmed. Duelbits framed the early commitment as part of a strategy to move faster than traditional sportsbooks around major cultural moments.
“We didn’t want to create another sportsbook promo,” said Jasper Hoekert, Chief Marketing Officer at Duelbits. “We wanted to create something that combat sports fans want to watch, content built around Justin’s authenticity and intensity, not just his fight record. We were planning this before the White House event was even officially confirmed. When you believe in the magnitude of a moment, you don’t wait for permission to act on it.”
“Duelbits came to me with a vision, not just a brief,” said Gaethje. “They wanted to create something that reflected the reality of what I do and who I am, with no smoke and mirrors. When a brand shows up with that kind of conviction and creative ambition, you back it. This campaign is going to be something people remember.”
The post Duelbits signs Justin Gaethje for branded content ahead of UFC Freedom 250 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Belgium
PokerStars Open Namur returns May 27 with €1m guaranteed Main Event
Belgium stop at Circus Casino Resort Namur runs May 27–June 7 and adds PokerStars Live League points toward a €157,500 credit pool.
PokerStars will bring PokerStars Open Namur back to Circus Casino Resort Namur from May 27 to June 7, with the festival returning one day after the operator’s May 26 announcement.
The stop follows a 2025 edition PokerStars said was record-breaking for Belgium, including 1,571 entries in the Main Event and what it called the largest live tournament prize pool in Belgian poker history.
This year’s schedule is headlined by the €1,100 PokerStars Open Main Event, which carries a €1,000,000 guaranteed prize pool. Other listed highlights include the €400 PokerStars Open Cup (May 27-31), €3,300 Super High Roller (June 1-2), €2,200 High Roller (June 5-6), and €800 Mystery Bounty (June 6-7).
“Last year’s turnout reinforced Namur’s place as one of the most exciting live poker stops in Europe,” said Cedric Billot, Associate Director of Live Events Operations at PokerStars. “What makes the event special isn’t just the size of the fields, it’s the atmosphere around the entire festival.”
PokerStars also positioned Namur as a scoring stop in the PokerStars Live League, which awards points across High, Medium and Low leaderboard tiers. PokerStars said players are competing for a share of €157,500 in PokerStars LIVE event credit, with the top 30 players in each tier qualifying for a €100,000 freeroll at the first European Poker Tour festival of 2027.
The post PokerStars Open Namur returns May 27 with €1m guaranteed Main Event appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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