How big is legal Super Bowl betting going to be in the US? And are prediction markets pulling handle away from state-regulated sportsbooks? I talked with Legal Sports Report’s Eric Ramsey about all the data.
Check out Eric’s projections on the Super Bowl here.
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Gambling news roundup
News: CFTC Chair Says ‘Time For Clear Rules’ On Prediction Markets (The Event Horizon): The chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission took the agency’s strongest stance yet on prediction markets on Thursday, making it clear the CFTC intends to help grow the industry. CFTC Chair Michael Selig delivered a public statement as part of the cryptocurrency harmonization event in conjunction with the Securities and Exchange Commission. In that statement, he talked about prediction markets at length. A key excerpt:
“It is time for clear rules and a clear understanding that the CFTC supports lawful innovation in these markets. Consistent with my commitment to fostering responsible innovation in crypto asset markets, I will continue to support the responsible development of event contract markets and the important role they play in the broader financial system.”
If you want some quick takes from me on this, listen to the start of the podcast!
The latest roundup on prediction markets from me:
NFL Won’t Allow Prediction-Market Super Bowl Commercials (Front Office Sports): “Prediction markets are among the list of ‘prohibited categories’ for the Super Bowl, a source familiar with the matter tells Front Office Sports. Prediction-market commercials have not been allowed on NFL broadcasts all season; they were added to the list of categories the NFL forbids before the kickoff of the 2025 season, the source says. Although the list of prohibited categories is not public, it’s known to include tobacco, pornography, firearms, and other controversial subjects.”
National Council on Problem Gambling Adopts 1-800-MY-RESET as New National Problem Gambling Helpline™ Number (press release): The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) today announced it has adopted 1-800-MY-RESET as the new National Problem Gambling Helpline™ number, designed to be memorable and easily accessible for the public. 1-800-MY-RESET is now live and operational to receive calls.
The adoption of the new number strengthens national visibility for the Helpline and supports NCPG’s ongoing network modernization efforts. 1-800-MY-RESET is neutral, non-stigmatizing, and user-defined, signaling that individuals can reach out for support at any point in their relationship with gambling. Calls to 1-800-MY-RESET will connect individuals to the National Problem Gambling Helpline Network, which serves as a single point of access to 24 contact centers across the United States, staffed by trained professionals who meet internationally recognized helpline quality standards.
The National Problem Gambling Helpline™ is available 24/7, is free and confidential, and provides support and referrals to local resources.
“Problem gambling support should never be limited to a single moment or a single definition of harm,” said Derek Longmeier, President of the NCPG Board of Directors. “1-800-MY-RESET reinforces that the National Problem Gambling Helpline is available at any stage—whether someone is worried about themselves, concerned about a family member, or simply looking for trusted guidance. Making the Helpline number easier to remember is a practical, meaningful step toward reducing barriers to care.”
Nearly 20 million U.S. adults report experiencing at least one indicator of gambling-related harm in the past year, according to NCPG research. As legal gambling continues to expand across the United States, NCPG is committed to ensuring help for a gambling problem is always available and accessible. Improving the memorability of the National Helpline number is part of a broader public awareness strategy to mitigate gambling-related harm by educating communities, reducing stigma, and bringing gambling addiction to the forefront of public health efforts nationwide.
“With gambling now more accessible than ever, the National Problem Gambling Helpline is a critical lifeline,” said NCPG Executive Director Heather L. Maurer, MA, CAE. “Making the number easier to remember helps ensure people across the country can quickly connect with high-quality, confidential support when they need it.”
New Colorado Partnership Creates a Clear Starting Point for Gambling Addiction Treatment and a Faster Path to Advanced Care (press release): Today, Kindbridge Behavioral Health, a Denver-based national provider specializing in gambling addiction treatment, and Axis Integrated Mental Health, an award-winning Colorado psychiatry clinic, announced a new partnership to expand access to care for Coloradans struggling with gambling addiction and related mental health conditions.
The partnership provides a clear care pathway for individuals and families: specialized gambling addiction therapy as the starting point, and advanced psychiatric treatment like Deep TMS and Spravato (esketamine) as the next step when therapy alone is not enough.
“Gambling disorder is one of the most misunderstood behavioral health conditions, but it is highly treatable with the right care,” said Daniel Umfleet, CEO of Kindbridge. “This partnership makes it easier for Colorado families to take action quickly and access specialized treatment that matches the true complexity of the problem.”
Virginia Lawmakers Advance iGaming Bill (Sports Betting Dime): “Several Virginia lawmakers are hoping the state becomes the ninth in the country to legalize iGaming, as members of a Senate committee narrowly moved a bill forward this week. The members of the Senate General Laws and Technology approved SB 118, which legalizes iGaming in the state, by a 9-6 vote after added responsible gaming measures made the legislation more palatable for voters. Sen. Mamie E. Locke’s (D-23) bill did not receive a vote of approval during a subcommittee meeting last week.”
New York considers bills to ban betting for people who harass athletes (SBC Americas): “New York lawmakers are continuing to legislative action to protect amateur and professional athletes from harassment and harm. The Empire State is considering a pair of anti-harassment bills that provide gambling-related penalties for individuals who harass athletes, officials, or coaches in the state. Sen. Toby Stavisky is having his anti-harassment measure, Senate Bill 7482, reconsidered in 2026 as a carryover from the first year of New York’s two-year legislative session.”
Maryland Lottery claims sweeps sites are just as illegal as offshore casinos (SBC Americas): “Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency (MLGCA) officials testified at a legislative committee hearing on Wednesday that the state needs to ban sweepstakes casinos and other illegal online gaming operators to close loopholes in the system.”
“MLGCA Director John Martin told the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee during a hearing for Senate Bill 0112 that while the regulator can issue cease-and-desist letters to operators it deems to be offering illegal online gaming, online gaming is growing exponentially in Maryland because of what he called ‘ambiguity and loopholes in existing statutes.’”
“This legislation is intended to eliminate that ambiguity and close any loopholes,” he said.
Judiciary Committee Amends, Approves Mississippi Sweeps Ban Bill (Sweepsy): “Another bill banning sweepstakes casinos has cleared a hurdle in the 2026 legislative session. In Mississippi, the Senate Judiciary, Division B Committee amended Senate Bill 2104 and recommended it move to the next step of the state’s legislative process on Wednesday. That next step is not known yet, but SB2104 has officially advanced past its first committee.”
Missouri Prohibits Sportsbooks From Offering Most Super Bowl Novelty Prop Bets (Covers): “State regulators denied a request to allow most popular non-football proposition bets last month. That decision mentioned coin toss result and color of the Gatorade dumped on the winning coach, but it extends to other ‘novelty’ markets.”
Track and field athletes punished for betting on teammates (ESPN/Associated Press): “Three track and field athletes have been found guilty of betting on their teammates in events at world and European championships, the Athletics Integrity Unit said Thursday. In the most serious breach of the sport’s rules prohibiting bets, French middle distance runner Aurore Fleury won 5,000 euros ($5,970) from a 2,000 euros ($2,400) wager at the 2024 European championships in Rome.”
Play with a Plan
FanDuel has launched its rebranded Responsible Gaming platform: “Play with a Plan.” This approach is guided by behavioral research and is designed to promote existing responsible gaming tools in a manner that encourages introspective decision-making and proactive gaming management rather than restrictive messaging.
The goal of “Play with a Plan” is to help empower customers to evaluate their gaming habits proactively, providing actionable guidance and reinforcing FanDuel’s focus on making Responsible Gaming more intuitive and inviting for customers. As part of this effort, FanDuel has released a new Responsible Gaming spot:
Ohio Governor Says Legalizing Sports Betting Is His Top Mistake (Legal Sports Report): “Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine has said before that he regrets legalizing sports betting, but he told Cleveland.com‘s editorial board just how much.”
“People have asked me, ‘What mistakes did you make?’ And I’ll lead with signing a bill for sports gaming,” DeWine said Wednesday. “It’s a huge problem among young males up to 45,” he added. “It’s a huge problem. And we have many of them addicted, many of them spending money that they do not have.”
I Agree, For The Most Part (Straight to the Point): “Where I agree and disagree with Eilers & Krejcik Gaming’s 2026 predictions on the real-money online gambling sector.”
Sluggish December Las Vegas tourism data closes out lackluster 2025 (iGB): “Nevada’s gaming and visitation data showed declines again in December, capping a difficult year for the industry in 2025 and raising further questions about the future outlook of Las Vegas tourism. The Las Vegas Strip fell 6% in December to $827.7 million, which caused its 2025 total to flatten YoY at $8.8 billion. Ancillary southern Nevada markets excelled in the midst of the Strip’s lull, which has become increasingly common in recent years. The Las Vegas locals market (+4%), downtown (+5%), Boulder (+9%) and Laughlin (+10%) all had strong performances in December. All four also posted YoY gains for the calendar year.”
Ontario’s online gambling industry surpasses $10 billion revenue milestone (Gaming News Canada): “Ontario’s online gambling industry surpassed a major milestone in December when total revenue in the 45 months since the market opened in April, 2022 topped $10 billion to exactly $10.2 billion. Since launch, Ontario’s online gambling sector has produced total tax revenue of $2.04 billion.”
“Figures released this week by iGaming Ontario (iGO) show December was also a record month as total gambling revenue was $425.4 million, surpassing the previous best month ($406.2 million in November, 2025) by 4.7%. Those are the only two months Ontario’s online gambling sector has surpassed $400 million in revenue.”
Kambi Group completes novation agreement to become the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation’s sportsbook partner (press release): Kambi Group has formally assumed contractual responsibilities for OLG’s multi-channel sportsbook following the successful completion of the novation agreement with FDJ Gaming Solutions France (“FDJ”) and Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (“OLG”), with OLG launching its Kambi-powered sportsbook on 27 January. …
The completion follows the announcement in 2025 that Kambi had been selected by FDJ to take over FDJ’s role as OLG’s long-term sports betting partner with OLG’s consent and pending the satisfaction and completion of specific conditions. With these conditions now met, Kambi has officially assumed responsibility for the provision of sports betting services to OLG across both its retail and digital channels, with OLG recently going live with its Kambi-powered sportsbook on 27 January.
OLG offers sports betting through PROLINE (retail) and PROLINE+ (online) with 100 per cent of its profits reinvested into Ontario. Powered by Kambi’s Turnkey Sportsbook, OLG’s sports betting operations will benefit from Kambi’s market-leading technology and services, designed to deliver a scalable, compliant and engaging betting experience for players.
Werner Becher, Kambi Group Chief Executive Officer, said: “We are delighted to have officially completed this transition and to begin this next chapter of our partnership with OLG. Having met the necessary conditions of the novation agreement, Kambi is excited to become the official sportsbook provider and to have launched with one of the world’s most respected lottery operators. We value our partnership with OLG and look forward to leveraging our proven technology to help them drive sustainable growth and provide a safe and entertaining betting product for their customers in Ontario.”
Duncan Hannay, OLG President and CEO, added: “OLG strives to provide a market leading PROLINE sports betting experience for our players. We look forward to working alongside our new partner, Kambi, who offers a proven track record of product excellence and reliability, as we deliver on our commitment to give back to the people and communities of Ontario. This is an exciting step forward for both organizations.”
Industry veteran Martin Lycka joins Oddin.gg as regulatory vice president (SBC Americas): “Gaming industry regulatory veteran Martin Lycka has joined Czech-based esports betting company Oddin.gg in the newly created position vice president of institutional affairs. Lycka was most recently senior vice president for American regulatory affairs and responsible gambling at Entain since November 2020, where he led the company’s regulatory strategy and responsible gambling initiatives across the U.S., Canada, Latin America and global esports, guiding compliant market entry and helping to support the growth of brands such as BetMGM.”
Financial Mess At Hawthorne Could Scuttle Potential Illinois Racino (Casino Reports): Hawthorne Race Course, the horse racing track that has struggled to secure financing for a $400 million racino to be built on its grounds in the south suburbs of Chicago, is in arrears for payments to horsemen for both harness racing and thoroughbred racing.”
Fanatics Switches Land-Based Tether In Illinois (InGame): “Fanatics Sportsbook shifted the management services provider license that allows it to conduct mobile sports betting in Illinois from Hawthorne Race Course to the Argosy Casino in Alton Wednesday.”
Appeals court re-lights New Jersey casino smoking lawsuit (SBC Americas): “A New Jersey appeals court has ordered that a legal challenge to smoking in Atlantic City casinos be returned to a lower court and re-heard, citing errors on the part of the judge in the previous 2024 decision.”
Casino gambling bill recommitted at State house (ABC Columbia): “A proposal which would’ve paved the way for legalizing casinos in South Carolina has been stopped in its tracks. Wednesday, Jan. 29, 2026, House Majority Leader Davey Hiott recommitted the bill to the House Ways and Means Committee. Effectively forcing it to go back to the beginning of the legislative process.”
Opinion | Even Mississippi is handling gambling better (AL Reporter): “There was more than $1.5 billion spent at south Mississippi casinos in 2025. I’m going to pause here and allow you to truly think about that. I hope, if you’re an Alabama lawmaker reading this, that you’re spending that moment thinking about the number of cars with Alabama license plates that are routinely parked in those south Mississippi casino parking lots. How many of those visitors to those south Mississippi casinos would probably much prefer the far more popular destinations in Alabama, where a major interstate helps tourists from all over America vacation. You might also spend some time considering all of the money that’s being lost – to freakin’ Mississippi.”
