Winning the lottery, often seen as a dream, can turn into a curse.
An investigation in Italy has revealed an illegal betting ring involving several football players, including Ángel Di María and Weston McKennie. The players allegedly used unauthorised betting platforms to participate in illegal gambling, although their bets were not directly related to football matches.
Gambling addiction among teenagers in Australia is reaching worrying levels, with almost 20% of young people taking part in gambling, often online. This phenomenon is exacerbated by easy access to gambling platforms and a lack of awareness of the risks. Consequences include mental disorders and financial problems.
Armando Izzo, a defender with Italian club Monza, was acquitted on appeal on 10 April 2025, after more than ten years of legal proceedings linked to a match-fixing case dating back to 2014. Accused of participating in the manipulation of two Serie B matches under the influence of a Neapolitan mafia clan, he was sentenced to five years in prison in 2023. The Naples Court of Appeal finally ruled that there was insufficient evidence to confirm his guilt, thereby rehabilitating a player who had always denied the facts.
Gamestate, known for its arcade halls in the Netherlands, is now coming up with something new. From now on, you can play the well-known crane machines, which you normally see at the fairground, at home. Via the website Gamestate Now, you control a real machine remotely.
The Hellenic Gaming Commission is teaming up with Danish company Mindway AI to enhance player protection in Greece using artificial intelligence. The partnership aims to develop innovative tools for the early identification of problem gambling behaviour using techniques combining neuroscience, AI and psychology.
Professional tennis has been rocked once again by a major match-fixing scandal involving five Belgian players sanctioned by the ITIA. The athletes – Yannick Thivant, Thomas Setodji, Thomas Brechemier, Gabriel Petit and Hugo Daubias – were found guilty of manipulating matches between 2017 and 2018, in connection with a vast illegal betting network orchestrated by Grigor Sargsyan, who has already been sentenced to five years in prison.
Kick has changed its remuneration policy by doing away with hourly payments for gambling streamers, particularly those working on slot machines and casinos. The change is aimed at promoting more responsible content and limiting the risk of gambling addiction.
A former UK school is the victim of a new phenomenon: Parasite SEO with the aim of directing users to offshore gambling platforms that are not included in the country’s self-exclusion system.
Five men have been arrested for cheating as part of an organised gang at the Pasino in La Grande-Motte, causing a loss of €76,000. Thanks to CCTV footage, the management discovered that they were using an iron rod inserted into the roulette wheel to manipulate the trajectory of the ball and distort the results.
The JOA Casino in Le Tréport, located in Seine-Maritime, has become one of the first gaming establishments in France to accept payments in cryptocurrencies. The move, made possible through a partnership with fintech LYZI, allows players to convert their cryptos into euros securely and seamlessly.
Cybersecurity expert Lilith Wittmann has discovered a critical flaw in Merkur’s GraphQL interface, exposing the data of 800,000 players. This vulnerability allowed illegal casinos in Germany to exploit insecure software supplied by The Mill Adventure. After alerting the company, Wittmann found that it had cut off access to unregulated platforms, leading to the sudden closure of at least 12 gaming sites.
Apple and Google are the target of a class action lawsuit in the US, accusing them of facilitating illegal gambling by hosting ‘sweepstakes’ casino applications on their platforms. The plaintiffs claim that the two technology giants profit from these activities by taking commissions on integrated purchases, processing financial transactions and using targeted advertising algorithms to attract vulnerable users. This RICO-based lawsuit could redefine the responsibility of digital platforms for the content they distribute.
Recent research shows that neurodivergent individuals, such as those with ADHD or autism, are at increased risk of suffering gambling-related damage. Although they do not gamble more often than others, they are more vulnerable to negative effects because of escape mechanisms or stimulation-seeking behaviour. Tailored interventions, such as personalised support and accessible treatment environments, are essential to prevent these problem behaviours and provide effective help.
In recent months, European regulators, particularly in Denmark, have highlighted a worrying phenomenon that is developing on the Roblox video games platform: the growth of online betting via the game’s virtual currency, Robux.
