Gambling in the USA
Mattress Mack, Brent Musburger Pick Houston To Win March Madness
Mattress Mack is back in action, wagering $1 million on his hometown Houston Cougars to win the men’s NCAA March Madness title this year. The Cougars (26-3) are ranked No. 1 in the Associated Press and USA Today polls.
Mattress Mack Crosses Louisiana Line To Bet
After sitting out this year’s Super Bowl, the Houston furniture store owner, whose name is Jim McIngvale, drove across the state line into Louisiana to place a bet on the Cougars (+750), using his Caesars Sportsbook app, according to Fox Sports. He stands to collect a payout of $8.5 million.
Sports betting is illegal in Texas. Lawmakers won’t be able to consider any bills to legalize it until the 2025 legislative session in Austin. Even then, McIngvale recently told Gambling.com he doubts the “fractured” Legislature will approve a measure to legalize sports betting in the nation’s second most-populated state. The most-populated state, California, also doesn’t have legal sports betting.
McIngvale told Gambling.com he doesn’t mind driving to Louisiana to place his bets. Sports betting is legal in Louisiana at casino sportsbooks and in most parishes on cellphone apps. Houston, the nation’s fourth largest city, is only about 100 miles form the Louisiana state line. That’s where McIngvale, known for multimillion-dollar wagers, placed his latest bet, banking on the Cougars.
“It was at the first rest stop across the Texas-Louisiana border, three-quarters of a mile into Louisiana. A very glamorous location to bet legally online,” McIngvale told Fox Sports.
VSiN’s Brent Musburger Sides With Mattress Mack
Big 12, March Madness Tournament Dates
The 2024 Big 12 basketball tournament, featuring some of the top teams in the nation, including Houston, runs from March 12-16 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
NCAA Men’s March Madness basketball tournament
- March 17: Selection Sunday
- March 19-20: First four
- March 21-22: First round
- March 28-29: Sweet 16
- March 30-31: Elite Eight
- April 6: Final Four in Glendale, Arizona
- April 8: NCAA championship game in Glendale, Arizona
Compliance
BMM Innovation Group confirms SBC Summit Americas 2026 presence
BMM Testlabs, BIG Cyber and RG24seven Virtual Training will exhibit at Booth 730 in Fort Lauderdale, June 9-11.
BMM Innovation Group (BMM) said it will attend SBC Summit Americas 2026, running June 9-11 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
The company will exhibit at Booth No. 730, presenting its testing and certification, cybersecurity, and compliance-focused training services for North America and Latin America through its brands BMM Testlabs, BIG Cyber, and RG24seven Virtual Training. BMM said its team on-site will include multilingual business development staff supporting English, Spanish, and Portuguese.
BMM’s International iGaming Leader, María Romero de Alba, said, “SBC Summit Americas is one of the most important gatherings for the gaming industry across North and Latin America, and we’re excited to bring the BMM World Tour to Fort Lauderdale. As iGaming continues to grow across the region, BMM is helping suppliers expand into new markets with trusted compliance, cybersecurity, and training solutions.”
Separately, BMM said it has been shortlisted for “Compliance Solution of the Year” at the SBC Awards Americas 2026, scheduled for June 10 alongside the conference.
The post BMM Innovation Group confirms SBC Summit Americas 2026 presence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gambling in the USA
BMM INNOVATION GROUP BRINGS THE WORLD TOUR TO SBC SUMMIT AMERICAS JUNE 9-11 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA
BMM Innovation Group (“BMM”, “BIG Group”, or “BIG”), a global technology company providing compliance testing, cybersecurity, and training solutions for the regulated global gaming industry, today announced its participation in the SBC Summit Americas 2026 June 9-11 at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
BIG will exhibit in Booth No. 730, where the Company will showcase its leading testing, certification, cybersecurity, and training solutions for North America and Latin America.
In Latin America, BMM plays a leading role in gaming testing and certification, with offices in Argentina, Brazil, and Peru. In North America, the Company supports the growing iGaming and sports betting market with its full portfolio of testing, certification, cybersecurity, and compliance-grade training solutions.
Representing BIG’s global brands, BMM Testlabs, BIG Cyber, and RG24seven Virtual Training, the team will feature multilingual business development experts speaking English, Spanish, and Portuguese to support suppliers, operators, and regulators across the Americas.
Attendees visiting the Company’s Booth No. 730 can learn more about BMM’s expert testing and certification services, cybersecurity solutions, and compliance-grade virtual training designed to help gaming companies launch faster, stay secure, and meet regulatory requirements across global markets.
BMM’s International iGaming Leader, María Romero de Alba, said, “SBC Summit Americas is one of the most important gatherings for the gaming industry across North and Latin America, and we’re excited to bring the BMM World Tour to Fort Lauderdale. As iGaming continues to grow across the region, BMM is helping suppliers expand into new markets with trusted compliance, cybersecurity, and training solutions.”
BMM Innovation Group has also been shortlisted for “Compliance Solution of the Year” at the SBC Awards Americas 2026, which will be held June 10 in conjunction with the conference.
To book a meeting with the BIG team at SBC Summit Americas 2026, visit BMM World Tour.
The post BMM INNOVATION GROUP BRINGS THE WORLD TOUR TO SBC SUMMIT AMERICAS JUNE 9-11 IN FORT LAUDERDALE, FLORIDA appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
executive-moves
Yaspa hires Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales
Yaspa has appointed US fintech and gaming executive Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales, as the company pushes further into North America. The company said Fears will be based in its Atlanta office and will lead strategic commercial growth across the region.
Yaspa said Fears will focus on working with gaming operators to modernise payment experiences using real-time bank payments and transaction intelligence, and will work with its US and global commercial leadership teams to scale partnerships and adoption.
Fears brings more than 18 years of experience across payments, fintech, SaaS, and AML compliance in the gaming sector, according to Yaspa. His previous roles include senior positions at Kinectify, First Data Corporation, Glory Global Solutions, DiTronics Financial Services, NEXGEN Technology, and CASINOMONEY. Yaspa also noted he is a United States Air Force veteran.
James Neville, CEO of Yaspa, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Justin to the team as we accelerate our footprint in the US market. His deep operational understanding of gaming-focused financial infrastructure, compliance technologies, and enterprise sales leadership makes him an incredible asset. Justin’s appointment further strengthens our local team and underscores our commitment to helping North American operators lower costs, reduce fraud, and elevate the player experience through open banking.”
Fears said: “I’m excited to join Yaspa at such an important stage in the company’s growth journey. The combination of open banking, innovative payment solutions, and intelligent transaction data represents a significant opportunity within the US iGaming market, particularly as operators continue to prioritise player experience, fraud reduction, and payment efficiency. Yaspa has built an innovative platform uniquely positioned to support the evolving needs of regulated operators, and I look forward to helping expand the company’s presence and strategic partnerships across the US.”
Yaspa said it was named winner of the Real-Time Payments Innovation award at the 2025 Payments Awards and was included in the CB Insights Top 100 Fintechs list in the past 12 months. The company also referenced a $12m investment round in July led by Discerning Capital, and said it has opened a new Atlanta office and a tech hub in Leeds, UK, in August 2025.
The post Yaspa hires Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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