Staying silent
UK Gambling Commission holds fire over settling ‘affordability’ questions
‘Affordability’ clarity will have to wait for pilot to come to a close, says GC official.
Underdog loses its Californian legal bid.
Judge allows heavyweight amicus brief in Kalshi v Maryland legal fight.
Louisiana AG takes aim at sweeps.
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Hold fire
Keeping their powder dry: The Gambling Commission may move to settle confusion over the disputed need for UK operators to carry out ‘affordability’ checks, but will stay silent until at least the end of its ongoing financial risk assessment pilot.
The GC’s director of major policy projects, Helen Rhodes, once again told the gambling industry – this time at iGB Live in London – that the regulator “doesn’t have specific regulatory requirements related to affordability.”
This repeated assertion from senior figures at the regulator has angered the industry, which points to numerous evidence from enforcement reports and consultations dating back over five years that appear to contradict that claim.
I see what you’re saying: Rhodes acknowledged this confusion, and told C+M that once the Commission’s lengthy industry-backed test of financial risk assessments was done it would consider clarifying the rules.
The pilot is in its final analysis phase and should conclude later this year, at which point Rhodes said “we’d like to look at guidance” around affordability.
However, in remarks likely to further muddy the water, Rhodes said that while the regulator doesn’t demand its licensees conduct affordability checks “that doesn’t mean operators aren’t looking at the issue of harm and the extent to which spend is connected with harm.”
These linguistic acrobatics are motivated, in part, by a desire not to spook consumers who are allegedly being told by operators that compliance requirements demand an inquiry into their spending power once certain gambling thresholds are met.
Can we just start again? In lieu of any firm guidance on affordability, the industry and its advisors remain deeply frustrated with the Gambling Commission’s approach. Chris Elliott, a partner at Wiggin, rejected the idea that the industry has been over-zealous in foisting affordability on its customers.
“This retrospective clarification does not accord with either the text or the tone of the Commission’s prior enforcement or compliance commentary,” he told C+M.
Elliott said the need to interpret speeches and remarks by senior regulators in order to remain compliant was “troubling” and called for a clear statement of the GC’s position to draw a line under earlier ambiguity.
You guys messed up: Not everyone is angry at the Gambling Commission, with at least one expert backing the assertion that the industry has made the problem worse. Charles Cohen, CEO of financial risk assessment provider Department of Trust, said it was a “pernicious myth” that UK operators were required to conduct affordability checks.
“It’s partly the fault of operators,” who tell customers they are carrying out affordability checks, but are really engaged in assessing the “much more important concept” of financial vulnerability, he said.
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Dog of war
In the dog house: Sacramento Superior Court Judge Jennifer Rockwell has denied Underdog’s last-minute attempt to block California Attorney General Rob Bonta from releasing a legal opinion on the status of daily fantasy sports (DFS) in the state.
The court found Underdog “failed to establish” any concrete harm from the anticipated DFS ruling, which is expected to deem all forms of fantasy contests illegal under California law.
Underdog had filed an emergency motion two days prior, warning that the opinion would “decimate” the industry and threaten over 10% of its annual revenue.
Carry on regardless: Despite the ruling, the company said it would continue to operate in California and thanked the court for confirming the advisory nature of the AG’s view.
“It would be an act of self-sabotage for any daily fantasy sports company to offer DFS contests in California in derogation of the Attorney General’s opinion (once it’s issued),” said gaming attorney Daniel Wallach, noting the AG’s deep civil enforcement powers.
Switcheroo: Separately, rival operator PrizePicks switched its DFS format to a peer-to-peer model in California. PrizePicks will now offer Arena – its peer-to-peer format – in California, which it launched in January 2024 as a way to offer a product in states that were opposed to the against-the-house style of contests.
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Kill bill: An amendment added to the ‘One Big Beautiful Bill Act’ will lower the amount of gaming losses that are subject to tax deductions. Added before the bill passed the Senate, the amendment caps deductions at 90% of annual winnings. It is opposed by US Rep. Dina Titus of Nevada, who plans to vote against the bill in the House, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.
Curaçao crackdown: Overseas operators using Curaçao-registered entities to obtain gaming licenses are violating the country’s gaming laws, the island’s regulator has warned. As of July 1, 2025, all locally based entities must hold a valid Curaçao Gaming Authority-issued licence to legally offer games of chance. Using local entities as legal shells for offshore licensing is “deceptive,” potentially exposing partners to unlicensed operations and criminal liability, the regulator said. Cease-and-desist notices will be issued in the coming days.
Betsson subsidiary BML Group must pay €500k ($589k) to a player after Sweden’s Supreme Court upheld a ruling that it exploited his gambling addiction. The court agreed the operator ignored clear signs of harm and used targeted promotions to encourage further play.
Compliance & Legal Officer – Malta
Senior KYC Operator – Cyprus
Head of Monetization – Cyprus
With friends like these
Brief encounter: A Maryland judge has allowed a heavyweight amicus brief to be included in Kalshi’s lawsuit over its event contracts, despite the prediction market platform’s objections.
Kalshi sued after Maryland regulators issued a cease-and-desist that argued its contracts amounted to illegal sports betting.
The amicus brief, backed by an array of tribes and 34 states, was initially filed in New Jersey where the same argument between Kalshi and regulator is playing out.
It claims Kalshi is using a loophole to offer illegal gambling, and argues the case could set a national precedent, even though Maryland has no tribal gaming.
Judge Adam Abelson is also weighing Kalshi’s request for a preliminary injunction to keep operating in the state, with a decision pending.
Taking aim
Big trouble in Big Easy: Louisiana Attorney General Liz Murrill has declared sweepstakes casinos illegal under state law, warning of significant criminal and civil enforcement actions against operators and their enablers.
In a sharply worded legal opinion, Murrill rejected comparisons to mainstream loyalty programs, calling sweeps platforms “persistent, predatory and profit-driven,” with no resemblance to legitimate promotions such as those run by McDonald’s or Starbucks.
The AG’s opinion states that the platforms are unlicensed, fail to verify age or location and violate multiple Louisiana statutes, including those governing gambling, consumer protection and fraud.
Murrill pledged to pursue penalties ranging from restitution and asset forfeiture to racketeering charges, targeting both direct operators and supporting entities.
Shots fired: The ruling follows the Governor’s recent veto of anti-sweeps legislation, now undercut by the AG’s intent to coordinate enforcement with state police and regulators.
Earlier this year, the state issued a barrage of cease-and-desist letters to social casino operators.
Murrill’s opinion is likely to be the opening salvo in a wave of similar state-level crackdowns, legal experts said, as AGs test the limits of sweepstakes models.
Michigan push
Write one for me: The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) said Wednesday it has sent 19 cease-and-desist letters to offshore gambling operators illegally serving players in the state, billing it the “largest enforcement push yet.”
The list of mostly online casino names includes Bingo Village, Ignition Casino, Jackbit, and others, all of which were found to have violated state gambling laws by operating with no license, the MGCB said.
Northern exposure: Executive director Henry Williams warned that such operators “threaten the safety of our citizens” and leave punters exposed to fraud, rigged games and non-payment of winnings.
Operators were given 14 days to exit the Great Lakes State or face further legal action, with support from the state attorney general.
Investigations are also underway into additional unlicensed sites BUSR, Lucky Legends, Wager Attack Casino and others, as part of a broader targeting of illegal online gambling, the regulator said.
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Calendar
July 9-12: National Council of Legislators from Gaming States Summer Meeting, Kentucky
Jul 14-16: OIGA, Oklahoma City
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