Brazil president approves gradual tax rise on gambling operators Summary Brazil’s president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, has signed Complementary Law No 224, triggering a phased increase in taxes on gambling operators. The tax on gross gaming revenue (GGR) will rise from the current 12% to 13% in 2026, 14% in 2027 and reach 15% […]
The $1 Trillion Pressure Valve: How Beijing’s 2026 Export Pivot Is Liquidating Global Competition Summary China recorded a goods trade surplus of $1.076 trillion as of 2 January 2026. The 15th Five-Year Plan (2026–2030) signals a renewed export-led strategy: Beijing is using that liquidity to subsidise and prioritise a new generation of state-aligned, high-tech exporters […]
Stake and Drake targeted in new Virginia class action Summary A federal class-action complaint filed in the Eastern District of Virginia on 31 December names Stake.us, rapper Drake, content creator Adin Ross and an associate, alleging a coordinated scheme of unlawful online gambling, deceptive marketing and financial obfuscation. The plaintiffs — two Virginia residents suing […]
The Star Entertainment Group Parts Ways with Two C-Suite Members Summary The Star Entertainment Group has announced further senior departures: group chief financial officer Frank Krile has left with immediate effect, and group chief operating officer Jeannie Mok will exit at the end of the month. The changes were disclosed in an ASX announcement on […]
AI Can Develop “Human-Like” Gambling Addiction, Study Suggests Summary Researchers at the Gwangju Institute of Science and Technology (South Korea) found that large language models can exhibit gambling-like behaviour in slot-style experiments. The paper, titled ‘Can Large Language Models Develop Gambling Addiction?’, tested major models including OpenAI’s GPT-4o-mini, Google’s Gemini-2.5-Flash and Anthropic’s Claude-3.5-Haiku. When allowed […]
Drake and Adin Ross Face Legal Action over Alleged Illegal Gambling Promotion Summary A class-action lawsuit filed in federal court in Virginia names musician Drake and streamer Adin Ross, alleging they promoted the sweepstakes-style casino platform Stake.us in ways that encouraged real-money gambling. Plaintiffs say the platform uses a dual-currency model — “Gold Coins” for […]
Key lessons to learn ahead of the World Cup Summary The 2026 FIFA World Cup, staged across the US, Mexico and Canada, presents a huge opportunity for betting operators: FIFA expects audiences of more than 6 billion and Spotlight Sports Group suggests 70% of fans in the UK, US and LatAm plan to place a […]
Turkey ups enforcement on illegal gambling with new weapon Summary Turkish authorities have tightened the net on illegal online gambling by bringing banks and payment providers directly into enforcement activity. The Justice Minister authorised warnings to customers and the 11th Judicial Package gives prosecutors expanded powers to seize assets, suspend accounts and prosecute those linked […]
Macau 2025 GGR tops $30.9B, rises 9.1% YoY | AGB Summary Macau’s gross gaming revenue (GGR) for 2025 reached MOP247.40 billion (US$30.9 billion), a 9.1% year-on-year increase that exceeded the government’s full‑year target of MOP228 billion (US$28.5 billion). December 2025 delivered MOP20.89 billion (US$2.61 billion), up 14.8% year‑on‑year — the strongest December since the COVID‑19 […]
The Parkwood Playbook: How Firing the Middlemen Made Beyoncé a Billionaire Summary Beyoncé reached billionaire status after a deliberate business overhaul that moved critical functions in-house under Parkwood Entertainment. By self-funding productions, promoting her own tours, owning masters and launching majority-owned consumer ventures, she retained revenue that traditionally flows to managers, promoters and labels. The […]
