Author: OnlineGamblingDaily

Spanish gaming giant CIRSA opened 2026 with record revenues, sharply lower debt, and another quarter of EBITDA growth, as its retail business continued to offset pressure in online betting margins following Peru’s new regulatory framework. The Blackstone-backed operator reported net operating revenues of €623 million ($723.4 million) for the first quarter, up 8% year-on-year from €576.7 million, while EBITDA rose 8.5% to €193.9 million ($225.1 million). Excluding currency effects, revenue growth reached 9.5%, and EBITDA increased 10.8%. The results marked CIRSA’s 71st consecutive quarter of EBITDA growth, excluding the COVID period, reinforcing the company’s position as one of Europe’s most…

HIPTHER has released the agenda for HIPTHER Baltics & Nordics: Tallinn 2026, scheduled for June 2 at the Hilton Tallinn Park in Estonia. The event will serve as the concluding conference in the HIPTHER Baltics 2026 series and is expected to bring together regulators, operators, fintech companies, founders, compliance professionals, legal specialists, AI practitioners, and startup representatives. Tallinn was selected not only as the host city but also because it serves as the home base of the organization, with the conference focusing on digital governance, startup ecosystems, operational resilience, and regulated innovation. The program includes 16 sessions conducted over one…

Sports betting giants DraftKings and FanDuel notched early political victories in Alabama’s Republican primaries after a super PAC backed by the firms spent more than $9.3 million supporting candidates viewed as favorable to gambling legalization. The American Conservative Fund emerged as the largest outside spender in the state’s primary elections, underscoring the growing influence of gambling operators in state-level political campaigns as the industry pushes for broader legalization across the United States. Twelve of the 17 candidates backed by the American Conservative Fund won or were leading by significant margins during initial reports. Some of the results had yet to be…

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The American Gaming Association issued a stark warning about sports prediction markets to federal lawmakers this week, labeling them as backdoor betting operations that pose a direct threat to the established regulated gaming industry. Testifying before a U.S. Senate commerce subcommittee, AGA President and Chief Executive Officer Bill Miller argued that these markets are effectively operating as nationwide sports betting platforms. Miller stated that these platforms bypass the extensive regulatory systems established by states and tribal governments following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in 2018. During the hearing, titled No Sure Bets: Protecting Sports Integrity…

Royal Caribbean has completed a five-week drydock refurbishment of Harmony of the Seas, returning the ship to service with major upgrades across entertainment, dining, and guest areas, including the single largest casino in its entire 28-ship global fleet. The renovation introduced a dramatically reimagined onboard layout, highlighted by the expansion of the ship’s gaming area. To achieve the milestone, designers reworked key sections of Deck 4’s entertainment zone. Several long-standing venues were removed, including the Attic comedy club, making way for a significantly enlarged casino floor featuring approximately 37 table games and more than 500 slot machines. The redesigned space…

Sportsbook technology provider Altenar has entered the regulated sports betting market in the Philippines through a partnership with DigiPlus Interactive Corp., under which it will supply sportsbook technology for ArenaPlus. ArenaPlus is DigiPlus’ flagship online sportsbook platform, licensed by the Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). Under the agreement, ArenaPlus will migrate its sportsbook operations to Altenar’s fully managed sportsbook platform. The solution includes localized betting options, live and in-play wagering capabilities, risk management tools, and compliance features designed for a mobile-focused market. The platform also incorporates Altenar’s in-house statistical model and automated pricing technology, providing player proposition betting markets…

The National Hockey League (NHL) has signed an information-sharing agreement with the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to help protect the integrity of prediction markets linked to professional hockey. The agreement, signed by CFTC Chairman Michael Selig and NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman, establishes a framework for both parties to exchange confidential information, designate representatives for ongoing coordination, and collaborate on issues involving the integrity of professional hockey and event contracts traded on CFTC-regulated exchanges. “This agreement is another step toward safeguarding the integrity of sports and protecting market participants in prediction markets from insider trading, fraud, and other abuses,”…

Hundreds of people lined Kings Mountain Boulevard on Wednesday morning for the opening of the first phase of the $1.25 billion Catawba Two Kings Casino in North Carolina. The casino, located off Interstate 85 at Exit 5 about 35 miles west of Charlotte, officially opened its introductory gaming facility at 10 a.m, The Charlotte Observer reported. Crowds began arriving hours earlier, though, eager to be among the first to experience the new venue. The first phase of the casino features 1,350 slot machines, 36 electronic table games, 22 traditional table games, a 68-seat restaurant, an 18-seat bar, sports betting kiosks, and…

Mexico’s Permanent Commission of the Congress has received a draft resolution calling on the Interior Ministry to publish all casino and online betting permits in open-data format as lawmakers push for greater transparency in the gambling sector amid money laundering concerns. The proposal, submitted on May 13 by Rubén Ignacio Moreira Valdez of the Institutional Revolutionary Party (PRI), targets the Interior Ministry, known as SEGOB, and its Directorate-General of Games and Draws. The resolution seeks disclosure of all valid permits covering casinos and sportsbooks, including permit holder details, authorised gambling modalities, and the status of venues by state, including those operating,…

South-East European sports betting and gaming operator MozzartBet has gone live with the Fast Track CRM platform, rolling it out across its brands in the Balkans, Romania, and Africa. MozzartBet operates across a range of regulated markets, with brands in Serbia, Bosnia, Croatia, Romania, Malta, Kenya, and Nigeria. The company called the launch the next step in its player engagement strategy, as the operator continues to scale its multi-market presence and deepen the experience it delivers across its brands. “We have been genuinely impressed with Fast Track from day one. Their team understood our operation, our markets, and what we…

Construction has officially commenced for the long-delayed casino and entertainment complex in the northern Athens suburb of Marousi. Cranes are already operating on site, which lies adjacent to the Athens Olympic complex (OAKA), and material deliveries are continuing at an intensive pace, according to local media reports. The development involves the transfer of the only operating casino serving the greater Athens-Piraeus area from Mount Parnitha to Marousi. The relocation proposal remained under political, legal, and urban planning debate for years before construction entered the implementation stage. The project has been one of the most discussed property developments in the Greek…

SmartSoft hosted the third edition of its Partners’ Club gathering in Georgia from May 7 to 9, bringing together iGaming industry executives and partners from multiple countries for a series of networking and cultural events. The annual event, positioned by the company as an exclusive community for partners and collaborators, focused on strengthening long-term business relationships and fostering industry connections through shared experiences rather than formal corporate presentations. According to SmartSoft, the initiative reflects the company’s philosophy of prioritising relationships and partnership-building over transactional business ties. “In iGaming, true innovation doesn’t happen in isolation; it thrives through partnership. Partners’ Club…

Efbet has added CT Interactive’s Diamond Tree Jackpot to its online casino platform in Bulgaria, expanding its casino portfolio with a shared progressive jackpot system built around selected slot titles from the supplier’s portfolio. The launch marks another step in CT Interactive’s continued expansion across regulated European markets. The product is a multi-currency jackpot system that combines several slot titles into one progressive experience. The Diamond Tree Jackpot portfolio includes ten games: 20 Mega Slot, 20 Star Party, 40 Mega Slot, 40 Treasures, Chilli Fruits, Lord of Luck, Lucky Clover, Moon Lord, Mystic Moon, and Win Storm. The lineup was selected to…

The Heart Attack Grill, an iconic and controversial staple of downtown Las Vegas, has officially shut its doors. The restaurant closed abruptly on May 18, 2026, ending a fourteen-year run inside the Neonopolis mall on Fremont Street. The establishment had been operating at the location since October 2011. According to Rohit Joshi, the owner of Neonopolis, the closure comes after the restaurant suffered consistent financial losses over the past year. Joshi indicated that he had been in ongoing discussions with the restaurant ownership regarding its bleak outlook after the business found itself operating in the red every month. Joshi noted…

If you can’t make it to a World Cup match, maybe you can experience World Cup in Las Vegas! With huge watch parties, deep discounts on rooms, and fans from all over the world, you can still have a World Cup experience without the World Cup expense! Sin City is promoting itself as a fan destination with special offers and deep discounts. In fact, the strip is turning into a global fan zone. And right now, the hotel deals are absolutely world class for the World Cup. First up, Caesars has their Soccer on the Strip promotion beginning June 7th, while…