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WFH could mean your Grand National workplace sweepstake is illegal

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Traditional office sweepstake risks falling foul of gambling law if participants enter remotely

Gambling regulation expert provides guidance on how to comply with law when setting up workplace pool

The recent trend towards flexible working means many businesses are at risk of falling foul of gambling legislation, if organising the traditional office Grand National sweepstake, a leading law firm is warning.

With this weekend’s big race at Aintree attracting the interest of not just racing fans but the general public at large, it is typically one of the most popular events for an office sweepstake.

In pre-Covid times there was little risk involved in such a contest, other than perhaps an excess of workplace rivalry, especially given the event’s propensity for surprises and upsets.

However, Poppleston Allen, a leading gambling licensing law firm, says that with the shift towards hybrid working, organisers now need to be more cautious.

“While formal gambling activity is heavily regulated by the Gambling Commission, there is an exception designed to allow the general public to have a bit of fun by taking part in what is officially called a work lottery,” says Richard Bradley, associate solicitor and gambling regulation expert at Poppleston Allen.

“But what many people may not realise is that the rules are very clear in that you can only sell physical tickets and all players must work in the same office – contests running across different office locations of the same company are not allowed.

“Therefore, if the pandemic has led to staff working from other offices or largely working from home, extra care needs to be taken when running a Grand National sweepstake.

“Organisers, whether employers or employees, must make sure they do not sell any tickets via email or over the phone. Any staff member who wants to play must visit the office and buy a physical ticket. If these rules aren’t followed, organisers and players would technically be involved in illegal gambling.”

Bradley says other rules to make sure a workplace sweepstake doesn’t land anyone in hot water with the Gambling Commission include the following:

  • All players must pay the same amount for a ticket;

  • Horses must be decided by chance, for example, drawn out of a hat;

  • No one can make a profit and all stakes must be returned as prizes, though an organiser can deduct administration costs for running the contest;

  • The sweepstake can only be advertised at the work premises; and

  • There must be a winner – the prize cannot be rolled over.

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Arizona Department of Gaming

BETER Obtains Supplier License to Operate in Arizona

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BETER, the acclaimed provider of live streaming, data, and odds for esports and sports, has expanded into a new US state following the receipt of the Event Wagering Supplier License from the Arizona Department of Gaming.

The supplier license enables BETER to provide its quick-betting content, featuring live streams and live data, to licensed operators in the state for the first time, which includes its exclusive ESportsBattle tournaments and Setka Cup table tennis series.

Both are currently active with the tier-one operator bet365, which has been a long-term partner of BETER. Arizona marks the seventh state where BETER is licensed as the company expands its presence in both the state and the broader US market. BETER holds certifications in North Carolina, New Jersey, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, and Colorado as well.

BETER provides round-the-clock live streaming, instantaneous data, and highly precise odds for over 700,000 rapid events each year, offering as many as 50 markets per event with an average operator margin exceeding 7.5%.

Its esports portfolio features ESportsBattle tournaments that showcase eFootball, eBasketball, eHockey, and eTennis, and its sports portfolio includes the Setka Cup series along with the BSKT Cup basketball league.

Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: “Securing regulatory approval in Arizona is a pivotal moment in our ongoing US expansion strategy. This marks our seventh state, and we are incredibly proud to continue our trajectory of growth in one of the world’s most dynamic betting markets.

“Our mission has always been to provide operators with the most reliable, high-velocity content available, and receiving the green light from the regulator is a testament to the integrity and quality of our offering.

“We are thrilled to kick off this journey with bet365 and look forward to bringing our industry-leading esports and sports content to even more Arizona players in the near future.”

Valeriia Tarchynska, Chief Legal Officer at BETER, added: “We are proud to announce that we have successfully completed the process of obtaining the Event Wagering Supplier License in the state of Arizona.

The process took us a total of eight months and was one of the most challenging journeys for our team. However, thanks to the dedication and expertise of our legal and integrity teams, we successfully navigated it.

This milestone strengthens our commitment to delivering reliable, compliant, and transparent products to our clients.

“We continue to actively work on securing regulatory approvals in key jurisdictions, including Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois, among others.”

The post BETER Obtains Supplier License to Operate in Arizona appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Arizona

BETER secures supplier licence in Arizona

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BETER, the award-winning provider of live streaming, data and odds for esports and sports, has entered a new US state after being granted the Event Wagering Supplier License by the Arizona Department of Gaming.

The supplier licence allows BETER to deliver its fast-betting content, including live streams and live data, to licensed operators in the state for the first time, including its exclusive ESportsBattle tournaments and Setka Cup table tennis series.

Both are now live with tier-one operator bet365, a long-standing partner of BETER. Arizona is the seventh state in which BETER is now licensed as the company ramps up its presence in the state and the wider US market. BETER is also certified in North Carolina, New Jersey, Florida, Indiana, Iowa and Colorado.

BETER exclusively delivers 24/7 live streaming, real-time data and hyper-accurate odds for more than 700,000 fast-paced events annually, offering up to 50 markets per event with an average operator margin of 7.5%+.

Its esports portfolio includes ESportsBattle tournaments featuring eFootball, eBasketball, eHockey and eTennis, while its sports portfolio features the Setka Cup series and BSKT Cup basketball league.

Gal Ehrlich, CEO of BETER, said: Securing regulatory approval in Arizona is a pivotal moment in our ongoing US expansion strategy. This marks our seventh state, and we are incredibly proud to continue our trajectory of growth in one of the world’s most dynamic betting markets.

“Our mission has always been to provide operators with the most reliable, high-velocity content available, and receiving the green light from the regulator is a testament to the integrity and quality of our offering.

“We are thrilled to kick off this journey with bet365 and look forward to bringing our industry-leading esports and sports content to even more Arizona players in the near future.”

Valeriia Tarchynska, Chief Legal Officer at BETER, added: “We are proud to announce that we have successfully completed the process of obtaining the Event Wagering Supplier License in the state of Arizona.

The process took us a total of eight months and was one of the most challenging journeys for our team. However, thanks to the dedication and expertise of our legal and integrity teams, we successfully navigated it.

This milestone strengthens our commitment to delivering reliable, compliant, and transparent products to our clients.

“We continue to actively work on securing regulatory approvals in key jurisdictions, including Ohio, Kentucky, and Illinois, among others.” 

The post BETER secures supplier licence in Arizona appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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2025 U.S. iGaming landscape analysis

Full regulation doesn’t kill offshore but cuts it by more than half, Blask data show

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Legalization in the United States does not eliminate offshore gambling activity but dramatically reduces it. According to Blask’s 2025 U.S. iGaming landscape analysis, fully regulated states offering both online casino and sports betting see offshore market share drop to approximately 38% on average.

By contrast, betting-only states average around 74% offshore share, while unregulated states send 100% of their online gambling value offshore by definition. The data suggests a clear structural pattern: regulation significantly improves channelization — but it is not a binary switch.

National context: 77% offshore

Across all analyzed U.S. states, the national average offshore share stands at 79%, compared to 21% domestic. Even after more than a decade of state-level legalization, offshore platforms still capture the majority of U.S. online gambling value.

However, the distribution varies dramatically depending on the regulatory model.

Fully regulated states: majority domestic

States that have legalized both online casino and sports betting show the strongest domestic capture rates.

  • New Jersey captures approximately 73% of its market domestically.
  • Michigan captures roughly 75% domestically.
  • Across fully regulated states, domestic share averages near 62%.

These markets demonstrate that when players have access to a full licensed product suite — including casino — a majority of value can be retained within the regulated ecosystem.

Betting-only states: structurally capped

The picture changes sharply in states that have legalized sports betting but not online casino.In these jurisdictions, offshore share averages around 74%. Examples illustrate the structural limitation:

  • New York, the largest state market by CEB, sees roughly 61% of its value flow offshore.
    Ohio shows an even more extreme split, with 82% of market value offshore.

In both cases, the absence of regulated online casinos pushes players seeking slots and table games toward unlicensed platforms. The data indicates that sports betting alone does not meaningfully channelize broader gambling demand.

Time matters

Even within fully regulated states, maturity plays a role. Rhode Island, one of the newest regulated markets, remains below the tipping point, with offshore share exceeding domestic. This suggests that channelization improves over time as licensed brands build product depth, customer trust, and brand equity.

Regulation sets the foundation — but market capture is gradual.

Regulation as a spectrum, not a switch

The U.S. model demonstrates that legalization reduces offshore participation substantially therefore cutting it by more than half in fully regulated environments compared to national averages. However, no U.S. state has fully eliminated offshore activity. For policymakers, the takeaway is pragmatic rather than ideological: full-spectrum regulation meaningfully shifts economic value onshore, but expectations of total elimination are unrealistic.

The debate is therefore no longer whether offshore exists, but how much of it can be practically reduced through comprehensive regulation.

The post Full regulation doesn’t kill offshore but cuts it by more than half, Blask data show appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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