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New Study Reveals Economic and Social Risks of iGaming
In response to the increasing concerns over the social and economic risks of iGaming, the gaming and entertainment business leaders have joined forces to launch the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG).
The organization is formed in opposition to the expansion of iGaming and its well-reported economic and social dangers and urges other local businesses, employee unions, and community groups to mobilize in their effort to protect local communities.
A new study for NAAiG by The Innovation Group, a research and advisory firm specializing in gaming, hospitality, and tourism that has previously conducted multiple studies of online gambling for state governments and industry stakeholders, debunks the myth that iGaming offers easy revenue for states. Instead, the study uncovers the damaging effects of iGaming expansion, exposing widespread job losses and significant declines in economic output across multiple states.
Main findings of the report:
Land-based casino revenue drops by 16% on average after iGaming is introduced, leading to substantial job losses, hundreds of millions of dollars in lost economic output and reduced tax contributions that fund public services.
States introducing iGaming face significant economic losses, with projected job cuts reaching 4921 in New York and 4733 in Illinois by 2029.
iGaming results in significant losses for states in economic output. All states analyzed would see massive GDP reductions, including Ohio ($602 million), Indiana ($428 million), Maryland ($372 million), and Colorado ($313 million).
States’ net tax gains from iGaming are limited, even before accounting for the increased social costs associated with its high rates of problem gambling and related social ills. For instance, Louisiana, Maryland, and Mississippi could all see negative net tax revenue due to displaced in-person gaming dollars and related impacts on state and local economies.
Brick-and-mortar casinos in every state would face significant revenue losses due to iGaming cannibalization. Projections reach up to $983.7 million in New York, $545.3 million in Illinois, $522.6 million in Ohio, and $342.6 million in Maryland by 2029.
The introduction of iGaming reduces in-person casino employment, with an estimated 2818 jobs lost in Ohio, 2642 in Louisiana and 1906 in Mississippi.
The job losses caused by iGaming will result in massive reductions each year in employee wages and related taxes for states. Annual labor income losses would reach nearly $110 million in Colorado and Maryland, $204 million in Ohio, nearly $300 million in Illinois, and nearly $450 million in New York.
States with iGaming experience an 8.3% decline in distributed gaming revenue, impacting taverns and small gaming establishments.
Projected U.S. gambling losses from iGaming are expected to surpass $1 trillion by 2028, straining local economies and public health resources.
“These statistics underscore the urgent need for action. iGaming’s unchecked access to gambling on cell phones is bad public policy that threatens local jobs and businesses and will cost states. When increased social costs caused by iGaming higher rates of underage and problem gambling are considered, the net tax revenue results are uniformly negative for every state,” said Mark Stewart, EVP & General Counsel of The Cordish Companies and NAAiG board member. “
“Beyond the lack of any real upside for states, iGaming puts vulnerable individuals at greater risk of problem gambling and financial instability. NAAiG is uniting stakeholders to push back and stop the spread of these harmful trends and advocate for responsible gaming policies,” said NAAiG board member Jason Gumer, Executive Vice President and General Counsel at Monarch Casino & Resort Inc.
“iGaming is eroding our communities. This isn’t just about responsible gaming—it’s about protecting local family-sustaining jobs and preventing financial harm. In Maryland alone, iGaming could cost $372 million in economic output, $342.6 million in lost casino revenue and nearly $110 million in annual wages. We must act now to protect our state and local economies nationwide,” said Shannon McCracken, Senior Director of Government Relations at Churchill Downs Incorporated and NAAIG board member.
The post New Study Reveals Economic and Social Risks of iGaming appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
QTech has signed a new content agreement with XUP Studio to add more crash and fast games to its aggregation platform, extending its catalogue for operators across emerging markets including Latin America and Africa.
XUP Studio was founded in 2025 and is focused on crash and fast games. The studio said it is building new mechanics rather than relying on reskins. It currently has three games live, including Pingwin and Pigaboom, with four more in development and a further three planned for 2026.
Philip Doftvik, QTech’s CEO, said: “XUP Studio’s initial launch of some jaw-dropping crash and fast games is premised on clever mechanics, easily intelligible gameplay, high payouts and colourful graphics. This kind of content is well-suited to LatAm and African markets, which directly tracks our ongoing expansion throughout these territories. After such a dazzling beginning, we can’t wait to see what’s next from this rising star.”
Nikoloz Kadjaev, Co-Founder of XUP Studio, added: “Our idea was to build new mechanics in the fast and crash game segments. With the market flooded by reskins, XUP’s vision has always been to create something truly unique – not just visually, but mechanically as well. Emboldened by the breakout success of Pigaboom, our team will continue building games with mechanics that stand apart from everything else on the market. Having such a strong in-house think-tank enables us to carefully craft each product to a high standard. We are in no rush, never compromising on quality for faster delivery. In short, we don’t copy – we create something fresh that we would love to play ourselves.
“Partnering with QTech represents an ideal opportunity for us to strengthen our product distribution across emerging markets and deliver our fantastic crash games to more and more top-tier operators, unlocking untapped jurisdictions from Asia, through Africa and Eastern Europe, and on to Latin America for diversified growth.”
The post QTech expands crash and fast games lineup with XUP Studio content appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
New 5×3 Hold & Hit title adds four bonus symbol types, a Buy Feature, and a top prize capped at x3,000 of the bet.
Spinomenal has launched a new slot title, 3 Scarabs Of Rebirth, expanding its Egyptian-themed content catalogue. The game is a 5×3 reel video slot built around a Hold & Hit-style bonus.
In the base game, the Pharaoh serves as the Wild and substitutes for all symbols except the Bonus, Boost, Collect, Multi and Jackpot symbols. The slot includes four main bonus symbol types: a Bonus symbol with values, a Boost symbol that applies a random bet multiplier (x2, x3, x4, x5, x7 or x10) across symbols, a Multi symbol that multiplies the value of other symbols (x2, x3 or x5), and a Collect symbol that aggregates Bonus symbol values into one prize.
A Bonus Blast Feature can add additional Bonus symbols when one or more appear without triggering the main bonus. The Hold & Hit Bonus Game triggers when six or more qualifying symbols land, holding triggering symbols in place and starting with three bonus spins that reset when new symbols land. During the feature, prizes can include symbol values ranging from x1 to x10 of the total bet, plus Mini (x20), Minor (x50) and Major (x150) jackpots. Filling all 15 cells awards the Grand Jackpot, capped at x3,000 of the total bet.
The title also includes a Buy Feature that lets players purchase direct entry to the Bonus Game at a cost scaled to the chosen bet.
Spinomenal CO-CEO Omer Henya said: “3 Scarabs Of Rebirth combines the eternal appeal of Ancient Egypt with the satisfying Hold & Hit gameplay that our players enjoy. There are four different Bonus symbols, each opening up a different path to victory and a Grand Jackpot of x3,000 up for grabs, making this a treasure hunt players won’t want to put down.”
The post Spinomenal releases Egyptian-themed slot 3 Scarabs Of Rebirth appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
GoldenRace has launched its next-generation V5 mobile solution, the supplier announced on 1 July 2026 in Malta. The company positions the release as a mobile delivery upgrade for its virtual sports and betting content, aimed at maintaining performance under high player traffic.
According to GoldenRace, V5 consolidates its previous architecture into a single application and “drastically reduces load sizes by 80–90%.” The company also said the platform is built “completely from the ground up” with a unified UI/UX designed to remain responsive across different network conditions.
On product features, GoldenRace said V5 introduces “advanced WebGL capabilities” to support high-fidelity graphics and operator-controlled branding. It also adds native gamification tools across games, including custom Tournaments, Leaderboards and Free Bets.
The company also outlined three mobile upgrades intended to reduce friction in the betting flow: a Lobby with modular layouts and a one-click toggle between scheduled and instant views; a next-generation Betslip with richer visual components and “smart organisation”; and dynamic Leaderboards with configurable funding and custom point logic.
GoldenRace said operators can switch to V5 by “changing a single line of code,” and added that a demo is available for operators evaluating the new mobile solution.
The post GoldenRace launches V5 mobile solution with unified app and WebGL branding appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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