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PlayPennsylvania.com: Sportsbooks, online casinos post near-record September

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Betting volume at Pennsylvania’s online and retail sportsbooks in September was the second-most all-time for the state, nearly hitting $580 million for just the second time. A spike in interest was inevitable during the first full month of football, but the surge in both sports betting and online casino gambling — which produced more than $110 million in revenue — is indicative of an industry that continues to grow and mature, according to PlayPennsylvania, which tracks regulated online gaming and sports betting in the state.

“Nothing stirs the sports betting drink like football, even when the Steelers and the Eagles get off to slow starts,” said Katie Kohler, analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “Penn State made a difference in boosting interest, which certainly helps. The bottom line is every sportsbook wants a strong start to the football season, and that is exactly what Pennsylvania’s industry got in September.”

Pennsylvania’s online and retail sportsbooks drew $578.8 million in wagers in September, according to official data released Tuesday. September’s volume was up 25.1% from $462.8 million in September 2020 and up 66.1% from $348.5 million in August. 

Gross sports betting revenue nearly hit an all-time high, falling just short of the record $49.3 million in revenue generated in January. Operators generated $48.1 million in gross revenue in September, up 163.2% from $18.3 million in September 2020 and up 90.1% from $25.3 million in August. That created $28.3 million in taxable revenue, generating $10.2 million in state taxes and local share assessments.

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Growth has been relentless since legal sports betting launched in Pennsylvania in 2018, and it has only accelerated this year. Through the first nine months of 2021, bettors have placed $4.3 billion in wagers, or 45.6% of the $9.4 billion wagered in Pennsylvania since sports betting opened in November 2018. Operators have generated $340.4 million in gross sports betting revenue this year on those bets, or 47.0% of the $724.5 million in revenue produced since sports betting began.

“Pennsylvania’s sportsbooks are in a position to generate more in wagering this fall than the $1.5 billion that was bet in all of 2019,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayPennsylvania.com. “The industry will in all likelihood continue to grow in the months ahead, gaining steam in October with baseball’s postseason and the opening of the NBA season. Sports betting should produce some eye-popping numbers over the next few months.” 

Online sportsbooks accepted $527.4 million in wagers in September, representing 91.1% of the state’s total handle. FanDuel claimed 34.8% of the online market with $183.7 million in wagering, up from $135.7 million in August. Revenue rose to $21.2 million in September from $5.7 million in August, which produced $5.0 million in state and local taxes. DraftKings was second with $164.7 million in wagers, capturing 31.2% of the online market. Those bets yielded $5.1 million in gross revenue.

Penn National’s Barstool-branded app celebrated its first anniversary by attracting $52.8 million in wagers in September, the third-most in the state. Those bets produced $2.6 million in gross revenue. Since launching in September 2020, the Barstool app has generated $52.9 million in revenue on $647.7 million in bets.

The online leaders were followed by:

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  • BetMGM ($50.7 million handle, up from $28.4 million in August; $5.6 million GGR, up from $2.6 million)
  • BetRivers ($19.8 million handle, up from $13.2 million; $3.0 million GGR, up from $882,274)
  • Fox Bet ($15.2 million handle, up from $8.6 million; $1.2 million in GGR, up from $749,103)
  • SugarHouse ($13.5 million handle, up from $10.3 million; $1.2 million in GGR, up from $692,350)
  • Parx Casino ($12.0 million handle, up from $6.4 million; $1.0 million GGR, up from $713,282)
  • Unibet ($7.3 million handle, up from $4.2 million; $511,171 GGR, up from $307,601)
  • TwinSpires ($3.5 million handle, up from $2.3 million; $307,518 GGR, up from $147,448)
  • Caesars ($2.4 million handle, up from $1.2 million; $219,829 GGR, up from $73,785)
  • Betway ($1.0 million handle; up from $617,954; -$23,818 GGR, down from $18,818)
  • Wind Creek ($921,828 handle, up from $521,601; $57,873 GGR, down from $78,195)

“Barstool hasn’t quite achieved the ‘world domination’ that founder Dave Portnoy proclaimed with the app launched, but it has performed well,” Gouker said. “No operator has seriously challenged the dominance of FanDuel and DraftKings yet. But Barstool has at least proven to be an important player in Pennsylvania.”

Retail sportsbooks drew $51.3 million in wagers in September, up from $48.7 million in September 2020 and from $30.4 million in August. Those wagers created $7.2 million in gross sports betting revenue, up from $5.1 million September 2020 and $3.3 million in August. Rivers Pittsburgh topped the retail market with $7.9 million in bets, topping Rivers Philadelphia’s $7.1 million handle.

Online casinos and poker

Online casinos and poker rooms produced $111.8 million in gross gaming revenue, the second-most all time in Pennsylvania and the seventh consecutive month with gross gaming revenue over $100 million. September’s revenue was up 61.3% from $69.4 million in September 2020 and up 8.4% from $103.2 million in August. The monthly revenue record for online casinos and poker is $113.8 million, set in May.

The win was whittled to $97.8 million in taxable revenue, which yielded $41.7 million in state and local taxes. Wagering at online casinos hit $3.5 billion in September, up from $3.2 billion in August.

“Online casinos have a symbiotic relationship with online sportsbooks,” Kohler said. “When sportsbooks do well it tends to lift the fortunes of online casinos, and vice versa. We saw that in action in September.”

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Other highlights from September:

  • Online casino and poker rooms generated $3.7 million in gross gaming revenue per day over the 30 days of September, up from $3.3 million per day in August.
  • Penn National, which includes the DraftKings, BetMGM, Barstool, and Hollywood casinos, topped the market with $43.0 million in gross revenue. Rivers Philadelphia, which includes SugarHouse, Borgata, and BetRivers casinos, was second with $31.1 million.
  • Poker generated $2.9 million in revenue. Mount Airy/PokerStars topped operators with $2.0 million in revenue.

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AGLC

Casino ATM Scam in Edmonton Reveals Money Laundering and Drug Links

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Law enforcement in Alberta continues to search for the last suspect in a sophisticated fraud operation that targeted ATMs in Edmonton-area casinos and resulted in over CAD 1 million ($720,487) in losses throughout Western Canada.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has confirmed that Hisham Ismaeel, 28, remains at large with a province-wide warrant for his arrest. He faces charges of fraud exceeding $5000 and possessing proceeds of crime. Police have already arrested four other men linked to the scheme. Investigators describe the operation as a well-planned effort to exploit financial systems and clean dirty money.

The accused, Elliot Miao, 42, Van Bau Ta, 39, Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad, 37, and Dennis Jones, 42, showed up in the Alberta Court of Justice last week. They face charges from fraud and money laundering to owning criminal property. Miao also has a narcotics trafficking charge after police found cocaine when they searched with warrants.

Investigators claim the group made coordinated withdrawals at several casino ATMs, timing their transactions to avoid getting caught. This action messed up ATM networks in the area and showed flaws in the systems that banks and casinos use to stop misuse.

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The RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region led an investigation that involved six search warrants in Edmonton. The Edmonton Police Service, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), and several banks supported this effort. Officials said the case shows how teamwork between public agencies and the private sector plays a key role in combating modern financial crime.

AGLC representatives pointed out that casino operators in the province must follow strict reporting and surveillance rules under Canada’s anti-money laundering laws. The specific casinos affected remain unnamed, but the Edmonton region has seven licensed facilities. AGLC said its policies helped spot problems and backed the RCMP’s investigation.

Compliance experts say this fraud shows how criminals change their methods to take advantage of weak spots in reporting limits and transaction checks. They claim that casinos, which deal with lots of cash, are still easy targets unless they keep improving their detection systems and teach their front-line workers to notice coordinated actions like several big withdrawals happening one after another.

For now, the case highlights both the money and crime aspects of casino-related fraud. Besides the million-dollar losses, finding drugs during the raids points to a bigger criminal operation where financial crimes and drug dealing overlap.

The post Casino ATM Scam in Edmonton Reveals Money Laundering and Drug Links appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Bragg Gaming

Bragg Confirms Cyber Attack – Hackers Access Internal IT Systems

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Bragg Gaming Group, a leading online gaming technology provider, has confirmed a major cybersecurity incident that compromised its internal IT infrastructure in the early hours of Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The company detected unauthorized intrusion attempts that successfully breached its internal network, triggering an immediate and comprehensive incident response.

Key Takeaways

  • Bragg Gaming Group experienced a cybersecurity breach involving access to internal IT systems.

  • No customer personal data or payment information appears to have been compromised.

  • The company has enacted full containment and investigation protocols.

Details of the Breach

According to a preliminary forensic analysis by Bragg’s internal security team, the attack was a targeted breach aimed at the company’s internal computer environment. While the exact method of intrusion is still under investigation, early indicators suggest a sophisticated exploit of internal network vulnerabilities.

Fortunately, the company’s customer-facing systems, including sensitive user data and financial information, appear to have been unaffected. Bragg’s existing encryption protocols and access control systems successfully prevented the attackers from accessing customer information.

Immediate Response Measures

In response to the breach, Bragg launched a multi-tiered containment strategy, including:

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  • Network Segmentation to isolate affected systems

  • Enhanced Monitoring of data flows across its Remote Games Server (RGS) platform

  • Security Audits of critical infrastructure, including the Bragg Hub and PAM systems

  • Engagement of Independent Cybersecurity Experts to assist in incident analysis and system hardening

Bragg’s Security Operations Center has also elevated its alert level, initiating 24/7 monitoring across all server clusters and network endpoints. In addition, company-wide penetration testing is now underway to proactively identify any residual vulnerabilities.

Business Continuity Maintained

Despite the severity of the breach, Bragg reports that its operations remain unaffected. All gaming services, including iCasino and sportsbook offerings across regulated markets, continue to function without disruption.

“While this incident is deeply concerning, we are confident in the rapid and thorough response initiated by our team,” a company spokesperson stated. “We remain committed to protecting our infrastructure, our partners, and most importantly, our players.”

Looking Ahead

As part of its response, Bragg has also launched mandatory security awareness training for all employees to reinforce best practices and prevent future incidents.

Cybersecurity analysts will continue working with Bragg to determine the full scope of the attack, improve system resilience, and maintain the trust of its users and stakeholders.

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Bragg’s handling of the incident highlights both the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the importance of robust, responsive defense systems in the digital gaming sector.

Source: cybersecuritynews.com

The post Bragg Confirms Cyber Attack – Hackers Access Internal IT Systems appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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AGCO

AGCO Removes Cap on Seller Commission for Charitable Lottery Products

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has updated several lottery policies to remove the cap on seller commission for Paper Raffles and Media Bingo, along with removing the prohibition on Catch the Ace paper lotteries, to align with other charitable lottery products.

Licensed charities may now negotiate commissions directly with sellers and determine commissions, provided they are reasonable and tied to the cost of service provided by the seller.

These updates further the AGCO’s commitment to adopt an outcomes-based regulatory approach and reduce burden for the charitable gaming sector. Local charitable organizations will have greater flexibility to make decisions that best serve their fundraising objectives.

Important Reminders

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• Charities must still receive approval for other expenses incurred under their licence and retain receipts for seller commission paid.

• Licensing authorities will not require documentation to be submitted as part of the application process, however, charities are still subject to audit to determine compliance.

• Charities are reminded of their legal requirement to meet their obligations under the Criminal Code and with respect to conducting and managing a charitable gaming scheme.

• As with all licensed charitable lottery events, charities must take the necessary steps to ensure that they are conducting and managing the lottery event within Ontario.

For charitable gaming-related inquiries, email an AGCO Eligibility Officer at [email protected] or call AGCO Customer Service at 1-800-522-2876, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

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The post AGCO Removes Cap on Seller Commission for Charitable Lottery Products appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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