Author: OnlineGamblingDaily

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…

Commercial gaming in the United States reached a new peak in 2025, according to the latest report from the American Gaming Association. Total US Gambling Revenue for the year reached 78.62 billion dollars, marking a 9.1 percent increase over the previous year. This performance represents a significant milestone for the industry as it continues to expand across both physical and digital platforms. The annual State of the States report highlights that nearly every jurisdiction with commercial gaming operations saw financial gains. Out of 38 states plus the District of Columbia, 34 jurisdictions set new annual records for US Gambling Revenue.…

New casino concession agreements in Portugal are projected to generate more than €1 billion (US$1.16 billion) for the state over the next two decades, according to contracts published in the Diário da República. The new agreements cover key gaming zones including Póvoa do Varzim, Espinho, and the Algarve. The concessions are expected to deliver higher annual payments than initially estimated during the public tender process. The state will now receive €6.7 million (US$7.8 million) per year in fixed payments, up from a previous estimate of €5.2 million (US$6 million)—an increase projected to generate an additional €30 million (US$34.8 million) over…

FairPredicts, a new political nonprofit positioning itself as a prediction market watchdog, is launching a six-figure advertising campaign in Washington, D.C., targeting Kalshi as lawmakers prepare to examine the expansion of gambling and prediction markets. The Senate Commerce Committee is set to hold a hearing examining the expansion of gambling and prediction markets this week. The group, which bills itself as a nonpartisan group that holds “the prediction market industry accountable,” has timed the campaign to coincide with the hearing. “This hearing will examine how we strengthen oversight, protect the credibility of competition and address the growing exposure of young people…

Global unregulated online gambling wagering volume reached $5.9 trillion in 2025, with illegal operators accounting for an estimated 78% of worldwide online gaming gross gaming revenue, according to a report released by Gaming Compliance International. The figure marked a 4% increase from $5.7 trillion in 2024 and extended growth from $5.1 trillion in 2023, according to the report, which focused exclusively on online gambling and excluded retail betting shops and land-based casinos. The study defined unregulated gambling as unlicensed products marketed to local users, including sports betting, online casinos, poker, lotteries, crypto gambling, and prediction markets. GCI used automated surveillance…

Onlyplay has launched Pepper Coins, a new 3×3 video slot featuring colorful visuals, clear mechanics, and fast-paced gameplay. The game combines chili pepper themes, glowing coin symbols, and classic fruit icons in a bright, easy-to-follow format. The title features a Return to Player (RTP) rate of 95.50%, an 11.50% HIT rate, and medium volatility, offering what the developer describes as a balanced mix of consistent action and strong payout potential. At the core of the game is the Hold and Win mechanic, where coin symbols lock into place while players build toward larger rewards. Bonus symbols can award instant payouts…