Another busy week in the gambling sector, filled with important business and regulatory developments wrapped up, and Casino Guru News brings you a concise roundup of the industry's top headlines.
Wynn Resorts, a recognizable gaming, hospitality and entertainment company and one of the likely bidders for one out of three New York casino licenses, announced its withdrawal from the downtown casino race. Wynn Resorts previously joined forces with Related Companies, aiming to build a luxury hotel and casino resort at Hudson Yards.
However, in its latest decision, the company explained that it plans to use its capital to boost its business stability and improve its ongoing expansion and positive momentum. Despite Wynn Resorts' decision, nearly a dozen applicants remain part of the race that would award only three new casino licenses in New York.
In a move that seeks to protect the interests of the sweepstakes casino industry, a new trade group, the Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA), led by VGW, the company behind leading casino and social brands such as Luckyland Casino and Chumba Casino, among others, joined the existing Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA).
The recently announced collaboration seeks to protect the interests of the sweepstakes sector at a time when the vertical is facing significant pushbacks from lawmakers in different states. Sweepstakes operators have been under fire for quite some time, running into legal troubles in Maryland, Mississippi, New York and Arkansas, among other states.
Earlier this week, Casino Guru News announced that Casino Guru has been shortlisted in two categories for the upcoming iGB Affiliate Awards 2025. Entering a competitive field of contestants, Casino Guru was shortlisted in the "Safer Gambling Initiative of the Year" and "Best Casino Affiliate" categories.
The iGB Affiliate Awards are going to take place on the final day of the iGB Live 2025 conference on July 3, 2025. The Awards' official ceremony will take place at the Troxy in East London.
Business and finance
This week, the leading daily fantasy sports operator, PrizePicks, announced a new agreement with the famous professional baseball team that competes in Major League Baseball (MLB), the Houston Astros. The new alliance saw the former become an Official Daily Fantasy Partner of the popular MLB team.
Thanks to the new alliance, baseball fans and PrizePicks customers alike will benefit from exclusive content, special promotions and engaging activations. At the same time, the leading North American fantasy sports operator will reach even more customers than ever before via prominent in-stadium and digital advertising opportunities.
Rivalry Corp, the leading betting, casino and fantasy sports operator, recently delivered an update on its Management Cease Trade Order (MCTO). The order was requested and received approval by the Ontario Securities Commission at the start of the month after the company failed to meet the deadline required for the filing of its fiscal year 2024 Audited Annual Financial Statements.
In its update, Rivalry confirmed there have been "no material changes to the information" from its initial announcement. The company is expected to file its Financial Statements by the new deadline, which is June 30, 2025.
Grover Gaming, the fast-growing software developer powering electronic gaming across the United States, announced the completion of the sale of its charitable assets, Grover Charitable Gaming, to Light & Wonder. The takeover has a total consideration of $1.05bn and Grover Gaming has already received $850m, while an additional $200m remains contingent on financial targets by 2028.
Regulation and laws
In Nevada, Wynn Resorts is preparing to settle past money-laundering failures. The state's gambling regulator, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB), announced a stipulated settlement with the company that supposedly agreed to pay $5.5m to settle alleged anti-money laundering violations, including "unregistered international money transmissions." Earlier this year, Resorts World Las Vegas agreed to pay $10.5m, while MGM Resorts International faced an $8.5m fine in Nevada.
Across the ocean, in the UK, the Gambling Commission confirmed that one white label company will exit its market. The move affects TGP Europe and the operator's withdrawal comes after the operator was notified it would need to pay a £3.3m fine and it needs to address a number of issues in order to continue to operate in the UK.
In Australia, one leading operator received an AU$1m penalty over alleged failures related to rules about self-exclusion from gambling. The fine was confirmed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and affected Betchoice Corporation Pty Ltd, trading as Unibet.
The hefty monetary sanction followed a probe that, according to the Authority, uncovered that Unibet failed to detect and deactivate 954 accounts belonging to people who had self-excluded from gambling after registering with the national program, BetStop. This, ACMA said, was in violation of the established regulatory framework, which is why a sanction was imposed.
This week, the leading gambling software supplier, Oddsgate, secured two strategic certifications, reaffirming its dedication to sustainable growth, compliance and monitoring. Signaling its intention to meet and exceed the highest industry standards, Oddsgate achieved ISO 37001 certification, which refers to Anti-Bribery Management, as well as ISO 37301 certification, which is tied to Compliance Management.
In Texas, an overwhelming Senate vote resulted in the dismantlement of the state's Lottery Commission. The legislative move followed the actions of a syndicate that spent $26m to buy nearly all lottery tickets last year in April and win a $95m Lotto Texas jackpot. Striking down the Texas Lottery Commission, the Senate seeks to transfer its powers and responsibilities to the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation in a move that is expected to enhance control.
Responsible gambling
At a time when artificial intelligence continues to advance and research in this innovative area is ongoing, the UNLV's International Gaming Institute welcomed the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) as a founding member of its AI Research Hub. The innovative hub has the ultimate goal of assisting players while at the same time promoting leading consumer protection strategies via innovation and research.
In another move that analyzes the role of AI in gambling, researchers from the University of Nevada and the University of Florida joined forces. The collaboration seeks to determine the risks of AI in gambling, focusing on the impact of the innovation on consumer safety and other important aspects.
As a part of its latest funding round, the National Council on Problem Gambling awarded five grants, totaling $192,000. The latest Agility Grants seek to help programs and initiatives that support responsible play and address gambling harm. As a result, Artreach, Inc, Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota, Ohio State University Foundation for the benefit of the Higher Education Center for Alcohol and Drug Misuse Prevention and Recovery, NICOS Chinese Health Coalition and University of Nebraska received a portion of the grants from the NCPG.
The Caesars Foundation helped the International Council on Responsible Gambling (ICRG) by allocating a similar sum recently. Overall, the ICRG benefited from a new $200,000 grant that would be used for analysis and research related to the biological and psychological triggers of addiction. The goal of the research is to improve the strategies for preventing and addressing gambling-related harm.
The voice of the industry
This week, Casino Guru News had the opportunity to sit down with Evoplay's Chief Commercial Officer, Ihor Zarechnyi. The executive spoke about the company's ambitious goal for global expansion, highlighting that "new horizons are always open to those who dare to be bold."
Earlier this week, Casino Guru News released an interesting op-ed by Yuliia Ch., the Head of Brand Marketing at Stars Partners. The comprehensive analysis focused on why and how zoomers are transforming the iGaming Industry.
Casino Guru News also released a new analysis, focusing on cheating in casinos. The insightful report focuses on some of the most famous cases of cheating, as well as popular tools and tactics incorporated by bad actors.
