The increase in the tax rate in the Netherlands is resulting in a decrease in revenue from gambling tax. This was confirmed by the Kansspelautoriteit.
In July 2025, Macau recorded a historic figure in the gaming industry. Gross gaming revenue (GGR) reached MOP 22.13 billion (approximately £1.8 billion), marking the best monthly performance since January 2020, just before the emergence of the pandemic. This growth represents a 19% increase compared to July 2024 and an increase of approximately 5% compared to June 2025, which had already recorded 21.06 billion MOP.
In early July, Flutter Entertainment reached a decisive agreement with Boyd Gaming to acquire the remaining 5% of FanDuel. The amount is approximately $1.755 billion, bringing FanDuel’s valuation to approximately $31 billion. This transaction marks the culmination of a long process that began in 2018 when Flutter acquired a majority stake in the platform.
Under the combined pressure of the media and financial regulators, payment methods are disappearing en masse from illegal online casinos operating in Poland.
In the first quarter of 2025, Unibet recorded a dramatic 41% drop in revenue in the Netherlands compared to the same period in 2024. Ironically, this plunge comes at a time when the number of active users is increasing. How is it that more players did not generate more revenue?
After a sudden break with its former licence holder, Hanzbet has made a spectacular comeback by joining forces with BigBet with the stated ambition of strengthening the presence of both brands in the Brazilian sector.
On January 1, 2025, the entry into force of the regulated betting regime in Brazil marked a historic milestone. In the first six months, the Federal Revenue Service (RFB) collected R$3.8 billion (approximately US$650 million) in taxes from licensed operators. This figure confirms the scale of the emerging regulated market, but quickly raises concerns about the tax burden on the companies involved.
Las Vegas, the global symbol of entertainment, luxury and excess, is going through a period of unprecedented uncertainty. Once besieged by millions of visitors every month, the gambling capital is now seeing a sharp drop in visitor numbers. As the figures decline month after month, local authorities admit that the worst may still be to come.
In 2024, the United Kingdom Gambling Commission (UKGC) revealed that 4.31% of active betting accounts (643,779 accounts out of nearly 15 million) had been subject to commercial restrictions. These actions ranged from betting limits to outright closure, with no direct link to anti-money laundering or financial vulnerability.
Yvon Jansma, a respected figure in the Dutch gambling industry and founder of the Centrum voor Verantwoord Gokken, is not in the habit of jumping to conclusions. In recent days, however, her concerns have reached a critical level.
Since the law on remote gambling came into force in 2021, the Kansspelautoriteit (Ksa), the Dutch gaming regulator, has so far imposed more than €56 million in fines on illegal operators. The Ksa was determined to hit back hard. However, a recent report shows that only 2.5% of these fines have been collected.
Since 2018, Flutter Entertainment had bet big on FanDuel when sports betting was liberalised in the United States. In July 2025, a new chapter opened: Flutter has just announced the acquisition of the remaining 5% of FanDuel, held by Boyd Gaming, for $1.755 billion. This major operation raises Flutter’s ownership to 100%, consolidating its grip on the American online betting behemoth.
PokerStars.com is working hard to re-enter the Dutch market. They want to allow players from the Netherlands back in through an alternative path. However, because they do not hold the necessary license, they are currently exploring the possibility of partnering with another legal entity.
The UK government is considering raising the tax on online gambling from 21% to a record 41%. The move, which would be one of the most aggressive in the UK gambling industry’s tax history, is part of a budgetary strategy to plug a public deficit estimated at more than £30 billion.
On 10 October 2025, the UK Gambling Commission (UKGC) will roll out a new system of financial penalties. The key element: the amount of fines will be directly linked to the percentage of GGY (gross gambling yield) generated by the operator during the period in question. A radical reform designed to strengthen justice, fraud prevention and player protection.
A discreet but far-reaching change has crept into the One Big Beautiful Bill, Donald Trump’s ambitious tax reform plan: from 2026, punters will no longer be able to deduct all their losses, but only 90%. In practical terms, many gamblers will find themselves taxed on ‘phantom income’. This measure, designed to replenish the State’s coffers, is provoking anger, concern and counter-attacks.
Since April 2025, the British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has been sounding the alarm: the British government is planning to merge taxes on online betting, raising the tax on horse racing betting from 15% to 21%, the same rate as for casino gambling. This change would represent a loss of at least £66 million a year (around €76 million) for the industry, with a risk of £160 million (€185 million) if the rates rise further.
