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New Study Reveals Economic and Social Risks of iGaming

Published

1 year ago

February 14, 2025

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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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Affiliate Succes

TAG Media and Gamblitude launch affiliate tool affie.ai

Published

1 minute ago

April 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

tag-media-and-gamblitude-launch-affiliate-tool-affie.ai

TAG Media and Gamblitude have launched affie.ai, a guided decision-making engine designed for iGaming affiliate managers. The companies said the product will make its debut at SBC Summit Malta, running 28–30 April.

At the event, affie.ai’s Elaine Gardiner, Alana Weldon and Wojtek Sznapka will demonstrate the platform to operators interested in becoming one of five launch partners. The companies said they are offering a “No Strings Attached” six-week trial to five operators.

affie.ai is positioned as a decision layer rather than an affiliate tracking platform or dashboard. TAG Media said the product is built on strategic frameworks the company has used across “50+ programme launches” over the past decade, while Gamblitude provides the data and analytics layer. Gamblitude was founded by former STS chief technology officer Wojtek Sznapka and former STS chief sportsbook officer Piotr Cerlak.

The companies said affie.ai provides data-informed recommendations covering deal structures, partner performance, programme optimisation and commercial risk insights, with the goal of reducing time spent on reporting and spreadsheet-based analysis.

Elaine Gardiner, Co-Founder of affie.ai says: “After 17 years managing affiliate programmes for operators including Cherry Casino, Ninja Casino and Rizk, I know what good decision-making looks like in this role and I know how rarely it’s supported by the right tools. affie.ai takes the strategic thinking our team applies every day and makes it available on demand and at pace: specific to your programme, specific to your data and ready when the affiliate manager needs it.”

The post TAG Media and Gamblitude launch affiliate tool affie.ai appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Brazil

São Paulo appeals court rejects SPRIBE bid to halt Aviator Studio Brazil operations

Published

1 minute ago

April 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

sao-paulo-appeals-court-rejects-spribe-bid-to-halt-aviator-studio-brazil-operations

Aviator Studio Brazil has won two consecutive decisions in São Paulo rejecting SPRIBE’s request for an injunction aimed at stopping its operations, according to the company.

The latest ruling came from the São Paulo Court of Appeals (2nd Reserved Chamber of Business Law) on 16 April. The court declined to grant urgent relief and allowed Aviator Studio Brazil to continue operating with partners including Foggo Entertainment (Blaze) while the broader AVIATOR trademark dispute proceeds through the judicial process.

In its decision, the Court of Appeals cited three points highlighted by Aviator Studio Brazil: controversy over SPRIBE’s claimed exclusive rights to the “AVIATOR” trademark, no showing of imminent or irreparable harm, and the fact that Aviator Studio Brazil is operating under a licence from Aviator LLC, the effects of which will be assessed during the case.

The company also referenced a separate proceeding that SPRIBE announced on 15 April involving NSX Betnacional. Aviator LLC said neither it nor Betnacional were initially aware of that matter, and stated that once it became known, Aviator Studio Brazil moved to support Betnacional and assume responsibility for defending use of the AVIATOR brand.

Commenting on the decision, George Pruidze, CEO at Aviator Studio, said:

“Following two consecutive victories in both the trial court and appeal courts in São Paulo, it is clear there is no basis for the urgent measures sought by SPRIBE. Aviator Studio Brazil continues to operate lawfully under licence, and we remain fully committed to supporting our partners and defending the AVIATOR brand wherever necessary.

“As similar actions by SPRIBE continue to trigger proceedings in Brazil, including the ongoing matter involving Betnacional, we will continue to stand behind our partners and ensure the legitimate use of the AVIATOR brand is protected. We are confident that the same facts and legal position will continue to prevail as these cases progress.”

The post São Paulo appeals court rejects SPRIBE bid to halt Aviator Studio Brazil operations appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

Conferences

Alea lands two award nominations ahead of SBC Summit Malta panels

Published

1 minute ago

April 22, 2026

Wladimir P.

alea-lands-two-award-nominations-ahead-of-sbc-summit-malta-panels

Alea will return to SBC Summit Malta this year as a finalist in two categories: Game Aggregator of the Year and Employer of the Year. The company will also have founder Alexandre Tomic and COO Ramon Glieneke on the conference agenda on April 29.

Tomic is set to appear on the Product Visionaries stage in a session titled “Casino vs Sports: Can Gamification Truly Cross Over?” (April 29, 10:45h, Conference Room 2). The panel includes Brian Christner (Grand Casino Baden), Alexis Wicén (Unibo Ltd), and Mykhailo Kachanov (SlotCatalog.com), moderated by Shahar Attias (Hybrid Interaction).

Glieneke will join “The COO Horizon: Challenges and Opportunities in 2026/27” on the Risk, Regulation & Resilience stage (April 29, 15:00h, Conference Room 3). The session features Tim De Borle (Casumo), Chris McGowan (Scatters), and Tom McGovern (Flutter UKI), moderated by Joe Streeter (iGaming Expert).

In the release, Alea linked the two award nominations to its internal culture and operating model. “Quality comes from ownership, not just execution. That’s been at the core of Alea since day one. We’ve always focused on building an environment and a tribe where people feel trusted and take real responsibility for what they’re creating.
Seeing us nominated for both our product and our culture is a meaningful milestone. It shows that the foundation we’ve built is working, and that the team’s approach is consistent across everything we do,” said Alexandre Tomic, Founder of Alea.

Alea said it will attend with teams across Business Development, Account Management, Partnerships, and Marketing, and will be based at Booth D22.

The post Alea lands two award nominations ahead of SBC Summit Malta panels appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.