Pierre Lindh stops by to talk to me about the summit he and the team at Next.io are putting on in New York in a couple of weeks. Sports betting! Prediction markets! And more. I am speaking on a hundred panels! (Not really, but it’s a lot.)
Also you’ll learn that bagels are expensive, so don’t waste them.
Want to join us there? Get your tickets here, and use code TCL0L10FU3V for a 10% discount.
Some additional links related to my thoughts before the interview (unrelated to Next.io):
Yesterday’s Closing Line.
Some polls addressing Americans’ concerns about integrity
The NFL’s video about the season being scripted:
Gambling news roundup
Clase, Ortiz Trial: Co-Defendants Adversarial As They Dispute Details (InGame): “The sports corruption trial of former Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz and recently arraigned co-defendant Robinson Vasquez Germosen remains scheduled for May 4, but legal maneuvers involving the receipt of discovery from the Department of Justice could delay it. If a magistrate grants either Ortiz or Vasquez their request for more time to prepare defenses, that could also push back the date. Whenever the trial commences, it figures to be an adversarial proceeding, with Ortiz’s attorneys, who have sought a separate trial, contending that they will call one of Clase’s attorneys as a witness. They will also deny that Ortiz knew anything about what the government alleges: that the pitchers conspired to alter the location or speed of numerous pitches to allow gamblers to win prop bets on them.”
My latest on prediction markets:
Bill Language Drops On Titus’ Fair Markets And Sports Integrity Act (InGame): “Rep. Dina Titus, a Nevada Democrat, introduced the Fair Markets and Sports Integrity Act two weeks ago with a pointed announcement, and this week, the language of the bill was revealed. The bill is short. It is not, however, subtle.”
“H.R. 7477, introduced Feb. 10 and referred to the House Committee on Agriculture, would amend the Commodity Exchange Act (CEA) to prohibit any registered entity from listing, facilitating, or clearing contracts that are based on, reference, or derive their value from sporting events or casino-style games.”
Sports betting comes to Minnesota via prediction markets (Axios): “The long-running debate at the Minnesota Capitol over sports gambling is moot for now: Prediction markets essentially allow gamblers to wager on anything they could with a sportsbook — and more.”
“Why it matters: Opponents say prediction markets operate like the wild west — and the state of Minnesota, Indian tribes and casinos don’t get a cut of their revenue, as they would from sportsbooks.”
A popular Substack got into it all:
And more on PMs from Straight to the Point:
Legislative updates:
Virginia legislators keen to ensure online casino bill must pass twice (SBC Americas): “Virginia moved another step closer to legalizing online casino gaming on Tuesday, but not before lawmakers altered a Senate-approved proposal to ensure that it must pass in the state’s General Assembly both this year and in the 2027 legislative session. This week, the state House General Laws Committee substituted Senate Bill 118 to align it with House Bill 161. Those two bills have each already passed their respective original chamber, but both of them required a re-vote on the chamber floor after being rejected the first time around.”
Addabbo Seemingly Not Optimistic That New York iGaming Will Happen This Year (Casino Reports): “And while there’s still plenty of time to get something done this year, Addabbo — the Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee chair — was not exactly brimming with confidence for 2026 in his appearance on Casino Reports’ podcast Low Rollers last week.”
“Well, you know, it’s a challenge,” Addabbo responded when asked, now that New York’s land-based casino licensing process is complete and the decks are theoretically cleared for iCasino, what his level of optimism is. “I enter every budget season, like we just have embarked on, with a sense of optimism. But it can’t just be me. It has to be the governor who has to buy into it, our leaders in the Assembly and Senate, and then the union. … Right now [the union is] opposed to it because they think it cannibalizes brick-and-mortar. I don’t think it does.”
Politicians want to block Colorado Lottery’s plan to allow online sales (SBC Americas): “A group of more than two dozen Colorado legislators are attempting to push through legislation to prevent the Colorado Lottery Commission from implementing its plan to start allowing online lottery ticket sales. The commission approved rule changes in November to set up online sales through a centralized lottery-run app and to start allowing credit cards as a purchase method.”
Maine Committee Pushes Sweepstakes, Credit Card Bans Through (Legal Sports Report): “Maine is one step closer to banning both sweepstakes and credit card deposits. A Maine legislative committee advanced a bill to ban online sweepstakes-style casino games while rejecting changes to fantasy sports licensing and approving new restrictions on credit card deposits for sports betting accounts during a wide ranging work session on February 18. Maine’s legislative session ends April 15.”
Ifrah Law has been at the center of advancing iGaming in the U.S., shaping groundbreaking legislation, leading precedent-setting cases, and guiding clients that span the iGaming ecosystem through every phase of their business journey. Learn more at IfrahLaw.com.
The growing link between gambling and racist abuse of Premier League players (The Athletic): “In the flurry of abhorrent messages sent to four Premier League footballers at the weekend, a notable one was shared by Wolverhampton Wanderers forward Tolu Arokodare on his Instagram stories. A screenshot of a direct message, sent within an hour of Wolves’ 1-0 away defeat by Crystal Palace, included vile, racist language. But there was also the inference that Arokodare, who missed a penalty at Selhurst Park, had spoiled a bet. “F***ing n***** sold my parlay again,” it began. A parlay is the U.S. term for a bet made up of a series of selections, best known in the UK as an accumulator.”
IC360 joins 2026 FIFA World Cup Task Force as integrity partner (SBC Americas): “Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360) is assisting FIFA in its preparations for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America this summer. IC360 has joined as a member of the FIFA World Cup Integrity Task Force, which was established by FIFA to safeguard the integrity of all competitions. The task force’s members work with FIFA, tournament organizers, teams and sports betting platforms and stakeholders to help to prevent match-fixing, corruption and other unethical practices.”
“We are honored to be joining the FIFA World Cup Task Force,” said IC360 Co-CEO Scott Sadin. “Our team is looking forward to bringing unique insight and value to this group. Most importantly, we’re thrilled to be partnering with stakeholders who are passionate about protecting the integrity of the beautiful game on the world stage.”
Social media influencers steer millions of Europeans to unlicensed gambling websites (Investigate Europe): “Viral content creators are promoting unlicensed gambling websites to their legions of online followers across Europe and could be profiting significant sums in the process, it can be revealed. An Investigate Europe investigation has found evidence that high-profile social media accounts are advertising unlicensed online casinos and virtual slot games on YouTube and Twitch, the wildly popular streaming platform owned by Amazon.”
Sports Betting Platform Fanatics Inks Deal for Entire 210K SF at 95 Morton Street (Commercial Observer): “This sports firm is doubling down on its West Village office headquarters. Fanatics, a global sports platform that offers merchandise and betting services, has signed a lease expansion to take over all 210,000 square feet of the eight-story 95 Morton Street, becoming the office building’s sole tenant, building owner Meadow Partners told Commercial Observer.”
How Federal Reserve changes will affect US gaming industry after chair change (iGB): “There is much intrigue in Washington over who will replace Jerome Powell as chair of the US Federal Reserve when his term ends in mid-May, and the gaming industry will be watching the central bank’s transition closely. The seeming consensus in economic and political spheres is that the new chair, whether it be nominee Kevin Warsh or whomever else, will usher in interest rate cuts to facilitate President Donald Trump’s economic agenda. Trump appointed Powell during his first term in 2017, but the two clashed over the Fed’s reluctance to lower rates in the years following the Covid pandemic.”
Everything You Need to Know About Alberta’s Big Sports Betting Shakeup (Covers): “Alberta is preparing a major overhaul of how online sports betting and internet-based casino gambling are offered and regulated in the Western Canadian province. Yes, after years of discussion, debate, and lobbying, Alberta’s government is on the cusp of launching a new and competitive market for iGaming. For Canada, the term “iGaming” means mobile sports wagering, as well as online slots and table games. In short, the province wants to authorize some private-sector competition, allowing the likes of bet365, DraftKings, or FanDuel to offer mobile sportsbooks and Alberta online casinos to residents under local regulations.”
ETA for Alberta’s New Sports Betting, iGaming Market Moving Up (Covers): “Super Group is the latest company to offer a sooner-than-previously-expected timeline for the Western Canadian province to launch its new regulatory framework, which will authorize and tax private-sector operators of online sportsbooks and casinos. The online gambling company, which owns the Betway and Spin brands, now anticipates that Alberta’s competitive iGaming market will roll out in the second quarter of 2026.”
And even more on Alberta!
NorthStar Gaming restructuring includes personnel reductions (Next.io): “NorthStar Gaming has confirmed job cuts as it begins a restructuring process designed to reset the business over the coming year. The focus now is to achieve profitability in 2026. This marks a deliberate move away from the company’s previous push for rapid expansion. In a statement released 24 February, NorthStar outlined a plan built on tighter capital allocation, firmer cost controls and a rethink of how returns are evaluated.”
NFL Great Richard Seymour Wins WSOP Tournament For Circuit Ring, $106K Payday (Casino Reports): “Richard Seymour retired from the NFL 13 years ago. But his competitive juices never stopped flowing — and poker quickly became his outlet for them. On Monday at Harrah’s Cherokee in North Carolina, Seymour, 46, scored the first major tournament win of his poker career, taking down a $2,200 buy-in World Series of Poker Circuit (WSOP-C) no-limit hold’em tourney, topping a field of 234 players to earn a $106,577 payout.”
