Responding to COVID‐19 Through Cross‐Border E‐Commerce: Evidence From Millions of De Minimis Import Orders From China Summary This paper uses millions of small‑package (de minimis) online order records to examine how US commuting zones responded to COVID‑19 via cross‑border e‑commerce from China. The authors find that areas hit harder by the pandemic bought more via […]
The Trade Impact of the Creation/Disbandment of Diplomatic Relations: The Case Involving Mainland China and Chinese Taiwan Summary This paper studies how the establishment and the disbandment of formal diplomatic ties affect bilateral trade, using the case of countries that switched recognition from Chinese Taiwan to Mainland China between 1995 and 2019. Employing a staggered […]
From zero to 24/7: Always-on defence for iGaming and player safety Summary Authors: Evgeny Zaretskov (SOFTSWISS group CISO) and Amir Aliev (deputy CSO) outline why iGaming needs an always-on Security Operations Centre (SOC) and how SOFTSWISS built a practical, cost-conscious 24/7 SOC tailored to the industry. The article covers the unique pressures of real-money gaming […]
Hot Copy: Monopoly money Summary By Conor Mulheir — 12 Sep 2025 This Hot Copy round-up highlights three quick developments that matter to the iGaming and gambling policy world: GambleAware warning that flashy prize-draws (think Omaze, McDonald’s Monopoly) can normalise gambling and are linked to rising problem-gambling rates; fresh US crypto regulation drama as Brian […]
All in it together? Racing’s day of protest leaves much unsaid Summary Racing staged a high-profile protest in Parliament Square — complete with a giant white horse and an LED van — to oppose the Treasury’s gambling tax harmonisation plans, which the sport sees as a de facto tax rise. The British Horseracing Authority and […]
I Hate My AI Friend Summary WIRED tests Friend, a pendant-style wearable chatbot created by Avi Schiffmann that uses Google’s Gemini 2.5 in the cloud. The puck-like device connects via Bluetooth to an iPhone companion app, responds to taps and voice prompts, and — crucially — listens continuously through always-on microphones to offer running commentary […]
Is AI the New Frontier of Women’s Oppression? Summary Laura Bates, founder of the Everyday Sexism Project, argues in her new book, The New Age of Sexism, that AI and emerging technologies are amplifying and reinventing misogyny. Through interviews, survivor accounts and hands-on investigation, Bates details how tools such as deepfakes, AI sexbots, customised “girlfriends” […]
Inside the Man vs. Machine Hackathon Summary At a weekend hackathon in San Francisco called Model Behavior, more than 100 coders gathered in a coworking space to see whether human teams could beat AI-equipped teams for a $12,500 prize. The event was a microcosm of the current developer debate: AI tools can speed up some […]
Reno’s Grand Sierra Resort breaks ground on $1 billion arena project Summary The Grand Sierra Resort (GSR) in Reno will hold a groundbreaking ceremony on 30 September for its planned $1 billion arena. The 10,000-seat venue will feature a community ice rink, food and beverage areas and a 2,400-space parking garage. Construction will be phased, […]
The Download: AI’s energy future Summary MIT Technology Review highlights the growing electricity demands of AI and the potential impact on power grids. The newsletter points to a major investigation (and a short video) that traced AI’s carbon footprint down to single queries, showing data-centre energy use has risen sharply from 2020–2025. The piece balances […]
