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Kalshi, the leading North American prediction market, argues that the location of placed bets does not contradict the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).
The outcome betting provider has been involved in courtroom battles with the Blue Lake Rancheria, Picayune Rancheria of the Chukchansi Indians, and Chicken Ranch Rancheria of the Me-Wuk Indians (the California Tribes) since July 2025.
Kalshi is in a heated debate with California Tribes
We reported that the tribes had been in a protracted legal debate with Kalshi, and the Ho Chunk Nation has been vocal in its derision of the betting operator.
Saying, "While masquerading as novel commodities and futures products, these event contracts are, substantively, nothing more than illegal, unregulated wagers on the outcomes of sporting events."
BREAKING: Three federally recognized California Indian tribes have sued Kalshi and Robinhood in CA federal court, alleging that the two companies are unlawfully engaging in sports betting by offering sports-outcome event contracts on the tribes' Indian lands in violation of IGRA. pic.twitter.com/renw1XBtjz
— Daniel Wallach (@WALLACHLEGAL) July 23, 2025
Kalshi claims that the company's partnership with co-defendants Robinhood Markets, Inc., and Robinhood Derivatives LLC (Robinhood) does not constitute a breach of the IGRA and has invoked a portion of the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act (UIGEA) to support its position that geography is not a concern for bets placed on its app.
Critics have seen the portion of the UIEGA being used as a flimsy defence, but Kalshi does fall under a specific branch of the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA).
This means the betting providers’ argument may exempt them, as wagering, specifically referred to as "bet or wager" through Kalshi, relates to "any transaction conducted on or subject to the rules of a registered entity or exempt board of trade under the CEA."
Legal loophole gives Kalshi a sliver of hope
"Kalshi does not house servers on Indian lands. Kalshi does not employ personnel on Indian lands. Kalshi conducts no business whatsoever on Indian lands," said the New York-based company.
This could mean that Kalshi is exempt as an exchange that falls under the CEA; however, critics point out that these possible technical and legal loopholes concerning the company are outdated, and that wagers can be placed on Tribal Lands via the Robinhood app, which would constitute a breach of the IGRA.
Kalshi also argued that it would suffer irreparable financial harm as a result of the injunction presented by the California Tribes in the U.S. District Court for the District of California.
The predictions provider stated that it would have to cease trading to regulate the location of bets placed to align the locations of Tribal Lands.
Whatever the outcome, the hearing on the possible injunction on 23 October 2025 is set to be a marquee affair and could lead to serious legal disputes over tribal relationships and the future of the IGRA.
Featured image: Canva
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A 37-year-old man who lives in a town in Scotland has been jailed for two and a half years after he 'hijacked' 68 people's identities to claim almost £170,000 (roughly $228,000 in USD) while going through gambling addiction.
The man, James Stephen Barley, was arrested on February 8 of last year, with 157 fraudulent claims having been submitted over a period of two and a half years. The personal information he had used was said to have been 'harvested' from social media sites like Facebook.
The fraud was carried out between December 2018 and March 2021, with one of the victims, whose identity had been used, having complained to the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) about a change to their benefits status.
It was during an earlier court appearance that Barley admitted to three charges, including fraud by false representation, making articles for fraud, and possessing criminal property.
A reporter from the News & Star, The Cumberland News, says the man told the judge from the dock that there were 'two sides' to his character as he was both a man who worked and earned an honest living, and a gambling addict.
The identities used were confirmed to have come from people from his area, former school friends, and whose Facebook pages he had examined. A family member's details were also used, with the man utilizing the local library to print off faux documentation.
Barley is reported to have told the judge: "I have a severe gambling addiction. It's ruined my life. I need closure from this. I can't sleep, I can't think straight.
"My head is an absolute car crash.
"This has to come off my back today so that I can start my life again. I have a good job, two dogs I adore, and I want to start my life again." Ahead of giving the sentencing, the Judge was said to have noted Barley's previous good character.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
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Betting regulators in the state of Illinois are facing critics who are vocalizing their opposition to the 50-cent betting tax proposal.
The opposition stems from criticism of the Chicago Financial Future Task Force's (CFFTF) most recent publication on the financial future of Chicago, the state's largest city.
Illinois betting tax not supported by all parties
The Options for Chicago's Financial Future report was published in the 3rd quarter of 2025, and on the doorstep of one of the most significant sporting milestones, the NFL season's starting whistle.
The proposals in the document include a 50-cent tax on any wager within the city limits of Chicago, with a projected revenue of $9 million to $17 million from the betting tax.
The Chicago City Council had prompted the move from the CFTTF and supported the decision to add a tax to the fees paid to the largest licensed operators in the state.
The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA) posted its opposition to the plan to add "on top of the state's per-wager tax, which was enacted July 1 and implemented by most sports betting companies on Sept. 1. If adopted, a $1 bet placed in Chicago would come with a 100% tax rate of $1."
In addition to concerns about the wager tax increase, the SBA has fears that this move will prompt more consumers to seek out illegal betting options.
Illegal betting is rampant in Illinois say key figures
Attorney General Kwame Raoul published a statement and penned a letter to U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi about the issue of illegal betting that is seemingly "rampant" within the state.
"These operations (illegal gambling) also increase the tax burden for all taxpayers, as states are forced to make up for billions in lost gaming revenue. I urge the DOJ to prioritize enforcement against illegal offshore gaming operations, upholding the rule of law and protecting states and our residents in the process," said Raoul.
In a report published by the Better Business Bureau (BBB), highlighted by the SGA, the organization has warned consumers that illegal gambling is a growing threat in 2025.
"It can be hard for consumers to tell the difference between a legitimate bookkeeper, casino or betting company and those seeking to deceive or steal from the public," said the BBB.
Featured image: Canva.
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The Portuguese Parliament has reopened arguments on an overhaul of gambling advertising and promotion-related controls, with proposals to be heard going forward.
The left-wing party Livre has proposed a number of measures which aim to prevent gambling addiction, with advertising being a large component. On Friday (September 26), the party took to X (formerly Twitter) to share a speech on the matter.
The post, once translated into English, states their reasons for the proposals: "Being in recovery from a gaming addiction and seeing advertising everywhere, on the street, in the metro, on TV, on the internet, is to be forced to flee from the world to resist temptation. This is not freedom.
"The purpose of regulating online gambling advertising is to protect people and families. It is not to prohibit, but to set rules so that the profit of some does not destroy people’s lives. Advertising for gambling is everywhere — and it is destroying lives."
Estar em recuperação de uma adição ao jogo e ver publicidade em todo o lado, na rua, no metro, na TV, na internet, é ser obrigado a fugir do mundo para resistir à tentação. Isto não é liberdade. pic.twitter.com/hiUn3WL42t
— LIVRE (@LIVREpt) September 26, 2025
Portugal’s left-wing party Livre is calling for changes in gambling laws
They also stated on social media that the regulation of online gaming 'is not censorship,' but the idea is to protect those who are targets of advertising and the dependencies it creates.
”Online gambling has the big problem of being very invisible, it’s a very invisible addiction because it happens, there it is, on the mobile phone, on the computer, when nobody else realises that this addiction is taking place,” warned Livre’s parliamentary leader and spokesperson, Isabel Mendes Lopes, at a press conference in the Parliament.
One of the proposals by the Livre party has already been rejected which includes the prohibition of sales or limiting the availability of scratch cards in health establishments. Now though, the members of parliament in Portugal will be reviewing gambling advertising and promotions.
Some of the other left-wing or left-leaning political parties in the country agree on the need for tighter restrictions and gambling reforms, while others disagree with the proposals.
The Portuguese Online Betting and Gambling Association (APAJO) has also spoken out, instead saying that these limitations are not the solution. They say that limiting advertising could give illegal operators an advantage "by making it seriously difficult for consumers to distinguish between what is licensed and what is not."
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
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The Ontario-based AGCO is cracking down on unregulated gambling machines, with enforcement actions leading to the removal of 50 machines.
The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) is responsible for regulating the alcohol, gaming, horse racing and cannabis sectors in the province. On Friday, September 26, it announced it was taking 'strong action to protect the public from unregulated gambling machines.'
The regulatory agency has done a province-wide sweep of bars, restaurants, and lottery retailers this summer as it focuses on enforcement. In July and August, inspectors from AGCO conducted more than 200 inspections at liquor-licensed and lottery retail establishments.
The targeted enforcement has led to the 'rapid' removal of more than 50 'Prime Slots' machines, which had been operating unlawfully and without regulatory oversight in restaurants, convenience stores, and other locations, which they describe as being accessible to minors and other vulnerable groups.
AGCO has spent the summer months doing a province-wide sweep
These Prime Slot machines are marketed as being games that only require skill, but the Ontario-focused regulators suggest that testing determined that the machines ordinarily rely on chance.
It's due to this that they are not permitted under Canadian law, unless they are from a licensed supplier, have been approved, and are used in a regulated space which would include a casino or a charitable gaming center.
“While other jurisdictions grapple with the entrenchment of these unlawful gaming machines, the AGCO has taken a proactive stance to ensure they do not take root here in Ontario. Our recent regulatory actions are a clear demonstration of our comprehensive approach and our long-term commitment," said Dr. Karin Schnarr, Chief Executive Officer and Registrar, AGCO.
AGCO also says that its enforcement actions come at a time when the growth of unregulated gaming machines "has escalated across North America."
According to the American Gaming Association, there are now an estimated 625,000 unregulated gaming machines in the United States, generating USD $30 billion ($41.3 billion CDN) in annual revenue.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
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