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WIN.gg gathers news and guides from around the world covering every point of the modern gaming industry in all of its many forms.
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DraftKings joins in on legal sweeps debate in Maine, here’s why
Khizar Mundia
Sports betting operator DraftKings has publicly announced its support for a potential law that would change the legal status casino-style sweeps operators in Maine, pitting it directly against operators seeking to maintain a social and sweepstakes presence in the US state. Maine is the latest US state to consider legislative action against sweepstakes operators, with some lawmakers claiming that the activity featured on such platforms is too similar to real-money …
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Google allows online ads for prediction markets: What to know
Khizar Mundia
Prediction markets are a rapidly emerging method of betting on real-world events, and these hot new betting opportunities will now be allowed to run ads on Google, with some caveats. Google is regularly updating its policies on betting and gambling ads to ensure better protection for its customers and that it remains in line with shifting regulations worldwide. Prediction markets are a new and trending betting mechanism that many assumed …
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Online casinos now legal in US state of Maine, how they will work
Khizar Mundia
Maine Governor Janet Mills has announced she will allow LD 1164 to become law after meeting with tribal leaders who expressed support for legalizing online casinos, making online casinos legal in the US state of Maine starting in 2026. Physical and in-person gambling is already legal in Maine, but the state has no online casino platforms because they have remained illegal to date. Lawmakers had proposed multiple measures over the …
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Could online sports betting become legal in Nebraska in 2026?
Khizar Mundia
Nebraska lawmakers are pushing for the state to legalize online sports betting as two bills are carried over to 2026 and are currently being active considered, but what are the odds sportsbooks actually become legal for the state’s residents? Nebraska has several live casinos that offer slots, poker, and horse racing betting opportunities, but all of the state’s legal betting is done in person. Online betting is illegal in Nebraska, …
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Virginia sports betting revenue shows money US states can make
Khizar Mundia
Virginia has set a new record for the tax revenue generated from sports betting, as the US state is quickly establishing itself as a model for states in the country to follow. The legality of gambling and sports betting varies across the United States from one state to the next. Even among those states that have legalized betting, there’s great variance in how operators and bettors are taxed. Virginia is …
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GGBET exits UK betting markets ahead of gambling tax increase
Khizar Mundia
Established betting operator GGBET is the latest company to leave markets in the United Kingdom behind, with industry analysts speculating that the exit may be linked to the UK’s upcoming gambling tax increase. The UK’s gambling sector has seen a massive shift with multiple operators shutting down their services in the country. The reason behind these closures was regulatory in nature, and the betting marketplace in the UK is continuing …
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bet365 financials highlight the cost of expansion into US, beyond
Khizar Mundia
Like many other betting operators worldwide, bet365 has attempted to increase its revenue potential through the expansion of its betting activities into more US states as regulations there open up, but the platform’s revenues serve as a reminder that more players don’t always equate to immediate profits. Expanding into more US states is clearly a lucrative opportunity for betting operators, as these new markets have high revenue potential. The reasoning …
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Illinois sports betting tax hike leads to more revenue, fewer wagers
Olivia Richman
Sports betting revenue is growing in Illinois despite the state’s tax hike on sports betting and related wagers, bringing in over $56 million in tax revenue in October 2025 alone while the raw number of wagers decreses. The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) has 10 licensed sportsbooks operating in the state that managed to accumulate $1.6 billion in bets combined in the month of October alone. Here is how the state’s …
SBA celebrates pause on Chicago sports betting fees, tax increase
Olivia Richman
News
It’s new year, same battle for the city of Chicago as the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) continues to fight the city over a new tax increase and a sports betting licensing law that were meant to impose new fees starting on January 1st, 2026. The SBA consists of numerous top online betting platforms, notably including bet365. These online casinos and sportsbooks have come come together to file a lawsuit against …
Online sports betting booms in Tennessee as sweeps are restricted
Khizar Mundia
News
As some US states increase restrictions around sweeps gaming, Tennessee is the latest state to start shutting down sweeps, but the state’s online sports betting revenues show that online gambling with still lines is still going strong. Sweepstakes have long been a controversial gaming category, with operators claiming they’re social games while critics allege that sweeps aren’t much different than real-money gambling. Multiple US states, such as New Jersey and …
Stake.us Alternatives for California Players
Simon Day
News
Following Governor Gavin Newsom’s assent to Assembly Bill 831, sweepstakes casinos such as Stake.us and McLuck are closing their doors to all players in California, signalling an end to online sweepstakes casino gaming in the Golden State. Starting January 1, 2026, Stake.us, McLuck, and other sweepstakes sites will block access to players in California to comply with the newly passed legislation. On September 8, 2025, the California State Senate passed …
Sweepstakes Casinos no longer available to CA Players
Simon Day
News
For years, California players were allowed to play casino-style games at sweepstakes sites in place of traditional casinos. These sweepstakes casinos worked around the state’s strict online casino laws by using virtual currencies instead of real money. Unfortunately, California finally enacted a ban on all forms of sweepstakes gaming with the passage of AB 831. The bill made it clear, if a site looks, feels, and plays like gambling, it’s …
Crown Coins Casino adds new slots despite US sweeps questions
Khizar Mundia
News
While sweeps are continuing to face new regulatory questions across many US states, their continued success has emboldened notable provider Crown Coins Casino to double down and further expand its slots offering. Sweepstakes casinos can operate across many jurisdictions where gambling is either legally prohibited or tightly regulated by offering a currency system that is both entertainment-based and has the potential to give real money. This mix of uses is …
Sweepstakes Casinos to close in California
Syed Mujtaba Naqvi
News
From January 1st 2026, sweepstakes casinos will no longer be available to players in California. This follows the passing of Bill AB 831, which outlaws all sweepstakes casino sites using a dual currency system allowing real money prize redemptions. In this article, we’ve got a total breakdown of what this change means for you and your gaming. While sweepstakes casinos might be off the cards, there are social casino sites …
What to know about IRS changes to slot jackpot reporting for 2026
Olivia Richman
News
The IRS recently raised the minimum threshold amount for reporting slot jackpot as part of the One Big Beautiful Bill Act (OBBBA), and it will directly impact many betting winners across the US when they file their 2026 taxes. Starting on January 1, 2026, players in the United States won’t need to report slot jackpot winnings that are under $2,000. According to the IRS, the amount has been adjusted to …
Brazil advances bill bringing betting and gambling tax increase
Khizar Mundia
News
Brazil’s Congress has approved a fiscal package that will reduce federal tax cuts, and betting and gambling operators will soon be affected by the new changes with increases in how they are taxed. Lawmakers in Brazil want to reduce the tax breaks that many financial sectors are enjoying in order to better increase the country’s revenues. The large fiscal package aimed towards this end comprises many industries, with betting and …
Are loot boxes really online gambling? Debate rages on
Olivia Richman
News
The debate over whether loot boxes are considered online gambling or not has been a long one in the gaming industry, and it’s continuing today as more countries consider how to handle the practice. Free live service games, ranging from competitive titles like Counter-Strike to open-world role-playing games like Genshin Impact, often make loot boxes available for players to purchase or earn. These loot boxes contain cosmetics may not have …
Supreme Court in India sets hearing on online gambling ban
Khizar Mundia
News
Regulators and operators in India have been battling back-and-forth over a nationwide ban on real-money online gambling, and a Supreme Court hearing slated to decide the fate of the related law is now set for the very near future. Physical gambling operators and Indian regulators want online casinos and betting to be prohibited in India, citing industry concerns for potential lost jobs because of digital competition as well as safety …
As sweepstakes gaming growth continues, 3 US states pull back
Khizar Mundia
News
The United States is seeing a significant growth in sweepstakes casinos, but despite or in part informed by that, multiple US states are trying to ban or restrict sweeps. The legalization of online casinos is helping many states to increase spending potential through local tax revenues, bettering state economies and creating new opportunities for community development. Despite the financial benefits of online casinos spaces including sweeps, several US states are …
What new Valve policy means for gambling, skins betting in CS2
Fariha Bhatti
Esports Betting
Valve has formally barred Counter-Strike 2 teams from promoting or otherwise displaying materials relating to gambling and betting with in-game CS2 skins and cases during official tournament broadcasts. But what does that mean for the game’s esports scene, and will it affect other forms of betting? While CS2 has become closely tied to betting in 2025 and in prior years, largely owed to its case-opening system that essentially serves as …
WIN.gg gathers news and guides from around the world covering every point of the modern gaming industry in all of its many forms.