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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.
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NyesteCasino.com Reports: iGaming Industry Navigates Dual Pressures of Regulation and Growth
Norwich, United Kingdom, June 15th, 2026, PlayNewswire
NyesteCasino.com, a leading iGaming analysis resource, released its latest industry overview, highlighting a week defined by intensifying regulatory scrutiny alongside continued global market expansion.
From U.S. Senate hearings and a widening circuit split to the localisation of crypto casinos and a surge in World Cup betting activity, iGaming operators have been balancing risk management with aggressive growth strategies.
Over the past week, the global iGaming sector has faced two powerful and often conflicting forces. Regulators across the United States, Europe, Southeast Asia, and South America have tightened rules around prediction markets, sweepstakes casinos, and credit card usage for deposits. At the same time, online gambling platforms, content providers, and policy advisors have accelerated product innovation and executed timely, region-specific sports marketing campaigns.
According to NyesteCasino.com’s team, these developments signal a broader structural transition across the industry—one in which compliance agility is rapidly becoming as critical to success as product quality. Despite increasing regulatory headwinds, the pace of innovation and market demand continues to point toward sustained sector growth.
Prediction Markets: Courtrooms, Congress, and Cross-Border Bans
The week started with a long-awaited US Senate Commerce Subcommittee gathering. The hearing named “No Sure Bets” took place on May 20 under Chair Marsha Blackburn, and Blackburn indicated more sessions were to come. The debate between American Gaming Association CEO Bill Miller and former Congressman Patrick McHenry quickly turned into a clash over the future of prediction markets. While Miller named the sports event contracts as backdoor betting operations bypassing the state licences, tax regulations, and integrity safeguards, McHenry talked on behalf of the Coalition for Prediction Markets and opposed him, stating that the current CFTC supervision is working perfectly.
On 22 May, a panel from the Ninth Circuit rejected the stay requests filed by both Kalshi and Polymarket, refusing to halt state enforcement proceedings in Nevada and Washington, which complicated the legal situation even more. The court ruled that a federal preemption defence under the Commodity Exchange Act cannot, on its own, establish federal jurisdiction. The ongoing disagreement in the appeals court of New Jersey, which had previously upheld a Kalshi injunction, has gained strength with this decision. Moreover, the process leading to a Supreme Court review of state jurisdiction over event contracts has accelerated even more.
Indonesia’s Ministry of Communication and Digital Affairs categorised Polymarket as an online gambling site, disregarding its crypto-based structure, and has requested a national ban on the market platform on May 25. The reason for this request was a viral contract regarding whether President Prabowo Subianto would resign before the end of his term in October 2029. The contract generated a trading volume of approximately $46,000. The number of jurisdictions where Polymarket is inaccessible is growing, exceeding 33 around the world now, including India, Brazil, and Singapore, among other new blockers.
State-Level Regulations: An Anti-Sweepstakes Bill from Tennessee
There have also been state-level restrictions in Tennessee on online gambling law. During the same week, Governor Bill Lee signed two vital bills. Senate Bill 2136 made Tennessee the ninth US state banning sweepstake casinos and dual-currency systems completely, which grants the attorney general the power to enforce it. And according to the SB 1992, the second bill signed by the governor, anyone who deliberately influences the outcome of an event whilst holding a prediction market contract will be charged with a Class E felony. It is expected that these bills will guide other state legislatures who are planning similar regulations at the moment.
Europe and Brazil: Tax Proposals, Ad Restrictions, and Credit Bans
The European Parliament held a plenary debate on May 20 on a proposed EU-level gambling levy. Budget Commissioner Piotr Serafin confirmed the Commission is actively assessing the option alongside digital services and crypto-asset levies as part of the next Multiannual Financial Framework. Proponent MEP Victor Negrescu estimated the levy could raise between €2 and €4 billion annually for education, youth, and addiction prevention programmes. Opponents from EPP and ECR blocs raised concerns over subsidiarity, competitiveness, and national tax sovereignty, with any operational package targeted for January 2028.
Belgium’s Kansspelcommissie and the Netherlands Gambling Authority separately issued formal World Cup advertising warnings to licensed operators ahead of the June 11 to July 19 FIFA tournament. France’s ANJ flagged a year-on-year rise of more than 25% in operator marketing budgets as the tournament approaches. Meanwhile, Brazil formalised rules on May 25 to close off Pix Crédito as a deposit method on regulated betting platforms, a move prompted in part by a Folha de São Paulo audit revealing that major banks including Bradesco and Banco do Brasil, were still processing credit transfers into betting accounts as recently as mid-May.
Editorial Perspective
“What this week makes clear is that the iGaming sector is entering a phase where regulatory IQ is as strategically important as product development,” said the editorial team at NyesteCasino.com. “The prediction markets debate alone spans courtrooms, congressional hearings, and international bans and it is far from resolved. Operators who can track and adapt to this multi-jurisdictional complexity while still executing on World Cup campaigns and localisation strategies will be best positioned for the second half of 2026.”
About NyesteCasino.com
NyesteCasino.com is a leading independent iGaming review and analysis platform. The editorial team tracks regulatory developments, operator news, and product releases across global markets to help players and industry professionals navigate the evolving online casino landscape. Users can learn more at nyestecasino.com.
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Anita Haugen
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DraftKings has renewed a multi-year agreement with GeoComply to continue providing real-time geolocation and compliance services, the companies said.
The extension comes after DraftKings’ Super App launch, a unified platform approach that lets customers access either sportsbook or sports predictions depending on their location. The press release positions the renewal as supporting scale, fraud controls, geolocation and compliance requirements tied to that rollout.
GeoComply said its geolocation signals are embedded into DraftKings’ internal risk workflows, including step-up authentication and automated decisioning. The vendor said it processes 2.5 billion checks a month across its platform.
Under the extended agreement, the companies said GeoComply will continue to support DraftKings with dedicated forward-deployed engineering support.
“The operators winning this next cycle are treating geolocation intelligence as critical trust infrastructure,” said Kip Levin, CEO of GeoComply. “DraftKings has done that for years. This extension reflects how seriously they take the architecture behind player trust—and it’s what lets them keep moving fast on everything else.”
The post DraftKings renews multi-year geolocation deal with GeoComply appeared first on EE Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Platform pioneer unlocks one of the world’s most dynamic iGaming markets, offering operators and providers a seamless, compliant gateway to millions of new players.
Groove, the award-winning iGaming aggregation platform, has today announced a monumental leap in its global expansion strategy with the official granting of its license to operate in Brazil.
This landmark regulatory approval marks a decisive moment in Groove’s strategic blueprint for Latin America, a vision further reinforced by the significant strengthening of its established and fully regulated infrastructure in Argentina. Together, these developments create an unrivalled dual-hub strategy, positioning Groove as the definitive gateway to the continent.
This hard-won license provides a fully compliant and powerful conduit for Groove’s partners to engage a market on the cusp of historic growth. For operators, it translates to a frictionless, single-integration pathway for capturing market share in this coveted region. They can now leverage Groove’s robust platform to deploy a fully localised and compliant casino offering at unparalleled speed, complete with curated game portfolios tailored to local preferences, integrated local payment processing, and bespoke marketing tools designed to captivate Latin American players. This eliminates years of complex regulatory legwork, allowing partners to go to market in a matter of weeks, not years.
For game studios and content providers, the Brazilian license acts as a direct and streamlined conduit to a vast new audience. Groove offers a managed route to market, taking on the heavy burden of complex regulatory technical standards and certification processes. This allows creators to focus on their core mission of developing world-class entertainment, secure in the knowledge that their content will be efficiently placed in front of a massive, engaged audience through a trusted and fully compliant pipeline.
Rachel Tourgeman, Head of Partnerships at Groove, emphasised the transformative nature of this development. “The green light in Brazil is more than a license; it’s a key that unlocks a kingdom of opportunity for our partners. We’ve built a platform capable of not just entering, but driving in regulated markets.”
Tourgeman put the new license in perspective, saying: “Operators can now immediately tap into Brazil’s immense potential, while providers gain a trusted pipeline to a passionate new player base. This is a definitive moment that accelerates the entire LATAM iGaming ecosystem.”
This strategic expansion is a direct reflection of Groove’s commitment to being the most reliable and agile aggregation partner in the world’s most promising emerging markets. With over 20,000 games available and a raft of over 150 games partners, Groove brings unrivalled choice to the Brazilian market.
Yahale Meltzer, Co-Founder and CEO of Groove, commented, “Our vision has always been to build the bridges that connect great content with passionate players, wherever they are. Securing our Brazilian license and reinforcing our Argentine operations is a testament to our team’s relentless execution and our long-term commitment to LATAM.”
Meltzer concluded: “We are not just following trends; we are actively architecting the future of iGaming in the region, providing a secure, scalable, and sophisticated platform for our partners to grow with us. The door to Latin America is now open, and Groove is the key.”
For further information visit the new web domain at www.groovetech.com
The post Groove Secures Pivotal Brazilian License, Cementing LATAM Expansion appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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