California screaming
Key state Senate committee votes decisively to kick out the sweeps
A 15-0 vote on an influential committee signals discontent with sweepstakes.
In +More: Thai and Brazilian casino moves hit parliamentary roadblocks.
Kalshi’s Mansour says prediction markets operator faces a “brutal war.”
Meta tightens gambling ad rules in compliance overhaul.
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Trouble every day
I really like bagels: California’s influential Senate Governmental Organization Committee voted 15-0 to advance a bill outlawing sweepstakes casinos on Tuesday, indicating a clear desire to quickly end the sector’s presence in the Golden State.
The Public Safety Committee will hear AB 831 the next week, ahead of a Senate floor vote and return to the Assembly.
The bill targets operators, suppliers, promoters, and affiliates involved in unregulated sweepstakes casino activity.
Native tribes and sportsbook industry leaders voiced strong support for the bill, calling for the closure of legal loopholes exploited by unregulated sweepstakes platforms.
Earlier this month, New Jersey became the latest state to push forward proposals to ban social casinos as similar efforts play out across the rest of the US.
Heard it all before: The 45-minute session in Sacramento took in testimony from both sides of the argument before lawmakers aligned with native tribes and traditional betting operators.
Amongst the most prominent voices were the San Manuel Nation and California Nations Indian Gaming Association, who urged lawmakers to uphold tribal gaming exclusivity and consumer protections.
The Sports Betting Alliance, which represents online sportsbooks, added that sweepstakes platforms “undermine” regulated markets and pose risks to players.
They said that sweepstakes dodge oversight, skirt age verification, and lack responsible gambling measures.
Oh brother: In a show of unity, two pro-sweepstakes parties urged legislators to consider further regulation over the draconian approach. Sweepstakes heavyweight VGW, parent of Chumba Casino, and the operator-led Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) said the arguments for a total ban don’t stand up to legal scrutiny.
VGW criticised the bill as “rushed” and claimed it would criminalize players and legitimate digital entertainment businesses.
The SPGA warned that AB 831 threatens free speech and could punish developers, advertisers, and influencers.
In response, lawmakers said they would review the scope, process, and language of the bill, especially its gut-and-amend nature, when it reappeared.
Assemblymember Avelino Valencia promised amendments to clarify that users will not be targeted.
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Casino moves fail
Haven’t got the votes: Moves to legislate for B&M casino gaming in Brazil and Thailand have both foundered in their respective parliaments.
In Thailand, the Entertainment Complex bill was withdrawn by the failing government of Prime Minister Paetongtarn Shinawatra.
In Brazil, a vote on the legalization of B&M casinos will be further delayed after a planned Senate vote did not go ahead.
Trashcan: The Thai measures seems particularly imperilled given that the government coalition is hanging on by a thread as Shinawatra was suspended from her post by the Constitutional Court. The bill was removed at the request of the finance ministry after growing opposition to the measure.
Delay: In Brazil, Senate President Davi Alcolumbre pulled the vote off the Senate agenda due to the absence of multiple senators, noting that a portion of the absentee senators requested the vote be delayed so they could participate.
This is despite earlier approvals from the lower house and key committees. It is not known when the bill will return.
Super bye: Betway operator Super Group is pulling out of US online casinos, citing regulatory headwinds and poor return on capital. CEO Neal Menashe said rising tax rates and capital demands, notably New Jersey’s new 19.75% iGaming levy, were key factors.
New Jersey: State colleges and universities in New Jersey will no longer be allowed to partner with sports betting companies following the implementation of SB 2155 which was signed by Gov Phil Murphy earlier this week.
Malta-based Godwits Limited, part of the ComeOn Group, has been granted a remote online betting and casino license to serve the Netherlands.
A UK soccer player has been banned from the sport for three-and-a-half-years after admitting to placing 6,397 bets over 15 months, including 351 wagers linked to games involving his own clubs, Exeter and Shrewsbury. The Football Association’s independent commission labelled Ryan Bowman’s actions as a “most serious case” featuring “egregious examples” of betting rule violations.
Lithuania: A new ad restriction regime came into force on July 1 that means operators can now only promote brands within licensed locations and on official websites, while digital campaigns, pop-up ads, and direct links to betting platforms are now banned. Meanwhile, the age limit before young people can gamble has been raised from 18 to 21.
Romania: The new coalition government is considering changes to gaming taxes that would include higher licensing fees, taxes and slot fees for operators as well as moving to taxing players’ winnings based on income brackets vs. a flat 3%. The hope is the changes will contribute €1bn a year to the state coffers.
Careers
German gambling watchdog GGL has appointed Sandro Kirchner as chairman. Kirchner is the state secretary in the Bavarian State Ministry of the Interior for Sport and Integration. PrizePicks has appointed Todd Grossman as director of gaming regulatory compliance. Grossman was previously general counsel for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission.
War games
I got a lot of problems with you people: Kalshi’s founder Tarek Mansour has upped the aggressive rhetoric against just about everyone in his path as legal threats mount against the federal-regulated trading platform.
Of course the market fluctuates: In an airing of the grievances worthy of Frank Costanza himself, Mansour took a swipe at the parties aiming to stop Kalshi allowing punters to bet against each other on sporting and political events, which now includes New Mexico.
Kalshi is embroiled in ongoing, overlapping legal actions in Maryland, Nevada, and New Jersey, where it is suing to stop a state ban.
Tribal groups believe a recent Supreme Court decision bolsters their effort to shut it down.
In a July 1 letter to the Third Circuit, more than 60 Tribal Amici said the June 27 SCOTUS decision in Federal Communications Commission v. Consumers’ Research supports their view that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) lacks authority to let Kalshi self-certify betting contracts.
The tribes warn that Kalshi’s federal license threatens the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act and decades of exclusive tribal rights.
They argue that while the FCC must vet what its licensees do, the CFTC provides no real oversight of Kalshi, allowing it to operate without scrutiny from states or tribes.
The Third Circuit will next meet the week of Sept. 8, when it could hear arguments on whether Kalshi can legally continue offering markets in defiance of state bans.
Feel the tension: On the Mescalero Apache Reservation, tribal leaders are sounding the alarm. Speaking before a state legislative committee this week, Vice President Duane Duffy accused Kalshi of “wiggling” its way into New Mexico’s gambling market in violation of tribal compacts.
Duffy said Kalshi’s model threatens sovereign tribal gaming rights by offering sports betting through what he called a legal “backdoor”, disguising wagers as federally regulated commodity futures.
He told lawmakers that tribes plan to push for legislation in the 2025 session to block Kalshi-style operators, and that he would seek help from Attorney General Raúl Torrez.
The AG’s office confirmed to Source New Mexico that it is monitoring the issue and has already received formal communication from gaming tribes, including Sandia Pueblo.
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Anti-social
Unfriend: Meta has rolled out an update to its gambling advertising policies across Facebook and Instagram, introducing stricter approval requirements and enhanced documentation standards that will have direct implications for operators, affiliates, and compliance teams.
Under the updated framework, all gambling-related advertisers must obtain explicit prior authorisation from Meta.
This includes real-money gaming operators, lottery companies, daily fantasy sports platforms, social casino games, and affiliates or aggregators promoting such services.
Bringing influencers into the net: To gain approval, advertisers must provide clear evidence of licensing in every jurisdiction they target, along with comprehensive documentation in English, covering business details, website screenshots, and a full list of associated ad accounts.
Significantly, influencers and affiliate marketers are no longer able to promote gambling products without Meta approval.
If an influencer posts ads independently, they must be pre-approved by Meta and backed by a signed agreement with a licensed operator.
This change closes loopholes that previously allowed influencer-led promotions to operate with minimal oversight.
Don’t you dare: Meta has also reaffirmed its zero-tolerance policy on targeting minors, banning gambling ads from being shown to users under-18 under any circumstance, even for free-to-play or social casino products.
The company has published a list of prohibited jurisdictions, including countries where gambling is illegal or unregulated, such as Indonesia, Pakistan, and Thailand.
The changes reflect Meta’s broader effort to bring its ad ecosystem in line with global gambling regulations and mounting scrutiny over data privacy and youth exposure.
Calendar
July 9-12: National Council of Legislators from Gaming States Summer Meeting, Kentucky
Jul 14-16: OIGA, Oklahoma City
Sep 3-4: Knownow conference, London
Sep 16-17: Player Protection Symposium, Lisbon
Oct 20-23: IAGR, Toronto
Nov 18: Sustainable Gambling Conference, Brussels
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