Latest Gambling News: Colombia Regulator Seeks To Block Polymarket, and more

Catch up on some of the stories our gambling compliance analysts have covered lately, and stay up-to-date on the latest news.

Colombia Regulator Seeks To Block Polymarket

Colombia’s gaming regulator has moved to block Polymarket from offering prediction markets within the country, describing the offering as an illegal form of gambling.

Coljuegos issued a request that internet service providers block Polymarket, which offers prediction markets, money collection, and cryptocurrency bets without authorization.

“We want to inform Colombians that this website is illegal and does not have the necessary permit to operate online gaming in Colombia,” Marco Emilio Hincapie, president of Coljuegos, said in a statement. “Therefore, we have requested that the site be blocked and have opened an investigation into those responsible for this illegal activity.”

Messages left with Polymarket were not returned on Tuesday (September 30).

Hincapie noted that while the platform promotes itself as a “future event prediction” website, in practice, legal elements such as asset risk, expected reward, and the outcome dependent on an uncertain event are established, which defines games of chance.

In Colombia, gaming is a state-funded monopoly, and any betting requires authorization from Coljuegos, Hincapie said.

Currently, Coljuegos has requested the blocking of 28,100 websites that operate illegally and was expected to request an additional 3,000 websites be blocked within the coming months. There are only 14 legal online gaming operators in Colombia, according to Coljuegos.

Norsk Tipping Faces Another NOK25m Fine

Norsk Tipping has three weeks to respond to the Norwegian Lottery Authority (NLA) over an error in the super draw on April 19, 2025, which resulted in 52 incorrect winners of million-dollar prizes being drawn.

The NLA warned in a press release on September 29 that Norsk Tipping faces a NOK25m (€2.14m) fine for the error, in the latest of a string of actions taken against the state-owned operator for recent failings.

Tore Bell, NLA director, said: “Trust that the draw and the basis for the draw will be correct is absolutely fundamental for a lottery. Therefore, it is very serious when this has not been in place.”

The error saw bets placed through cooperative banks around Christmas and New Year deleted and excluded from the draw at Easter, affecting 16,698 who have already been refunded by Norsk Tipping.

The draw was also not carried out with the correct drawing basis, which resulted in the wrong winners being drawn, which is what is being addressed in the latest notice.

“We can stop a lottery that is not being carried out correctly. We considered that in this case, but we received repeated guarantees that the draw would proceed correctly. It is unacceptable that there was still an error in the draw,” Bell said.

Norsk Tipping has already been hit with a NOK2.5m fine for the incorrect payment of NOK25m, NOK36m for self-exclusion failures and NOK46m for drawing the wrong winners in the Eurojackpot and Superdraw in Lotto over several years.

Nevada Regulators Ease Private Gaming Salon Restrictions

The Nevada Gaming Commission has unanimously approved amendments to regulations overseeing private gaming salons at casinos in an effort to increase their popularity among gamblers, and in turn generate increased revenue throughout the property.

Following more than an hour of debate on Thursday (September 25), commissioners approved removing a $500 minimum wager for slot machines in gaming salons within a Nevada casino-resort, which will now be at the operator’s discretion subject to Nevada Gaming Control Board approval.

The board's proposed amendments to Regulation 5.200 also will allow gaming salons to offer poker, as well as craps, baccarat, or blackjack. Other changes approved included the financial criteria for admission into a gaming salon which would be reduced from $300,000 to $20,000. When salons were initially approved in 2001, the minimum for a patron to play was $500,000.

In 2008, regulators reduced that amount to $300,000. The Nevada Resort Association had urged regulators to allow the amounts to be determined by individual casinos.

Poker has also been added to the list of games offered in a salon. The commission approved a regulation requiring an individual player buy-in of $10,000, with a total $20,000 staked for a game to be conducted.

The five-member commission also approved a modest change that requires casinos operating gaming salons to keep a log that shows when each qualified salon patron and their guests enter and leave the salon. Originally, the regulation required properties to keep records only on patrons but not their guests.

Oregon Lottery Winners Remain Anonymous

Oregon Lottery winners will no longer need to make their identities publicly known after a new law went into effect, replacing rules that had been in place for four decades.

Since the Oregon Lottery was founded in 1985, a winner’s name, location, and prizes won was made available to any individual, including members of the press, by means of a public records request.

Under House Bill 3115, which was signed by Democratic Governor Tina Kotek on May 8, the Oregon Lottery may not publicly disclose a winner’s name and address without the winner’s written authorization.

The Oregon State Lottery Commission also approved rules that the lottery may release other public information about a prize win such as the city in which the winner resides, the retailer that sold the winning ticket, the game played, and the prize amount.

However, a winner may authorize lottery in writing to use their name and photos but otherwise, the lottery will not release a winner’s name and address.

HB 3115 also prohibits the purchase or sale of a winning lottery ticket in response to a cottage industry of so-called “discounters.” The discounters buy winning tickets for less than their value from players, then cash them in for the prize amount.

“While some players choose to sell their tickets to avoid driving to an Oregon Lottery payment center, others may do so to avoid having their prize garnished for outstanding child support or public assistance overpayments, as required by Oregon law,” the lottery said in a statement.

Under rules adopted by the commission, lottery officials will evaluate prize claims to determine if the tickets were bought, sold, or claimed in violation of the law. If a winning ticket is found to be in violation, lottery officials will deny the prize claim and confiscate the ticket.

Ernie Stevens Jr, Chair Of Indian Gaming Association, Dies At 66

Ernest L. “Ernie” Stevens Jr., who led the Indian Gaming Association (IGA) for more than 20 years, died suddenly on Friday (September 26). He was 66.

“Our IGA board and staff are stunned and saddened by chairman Stevens passing,” Jason Giles, IGA executive director, said in a statement. “Out of respect for his wife Cheryl, his lovely family, and the Oneida Nation, we will issue a full tribute at the appropriate time.”

“Ernie Stevens Jr. was more than a chairman; he was a warrior, a statesman, and a champion for all of Indian Country,” Giles added. “His vision and commitment built bridges across tribal nations, Congress, and federal agencies, ensuring that tribal gaming remain a cornerstone of tribal self-determination and economic growth.”

During his tenure, Indian gaming revenues grew from $11bn in 2000 to a record breaking $43.9bn in 2024. Giles attributed his “extraordinary achievement” to the chairman’s “strategic vision and steadfast advocacy, working in lockstep with tribal leaders nationwide to foster the Indian gaming industry.”

Bill Miller, president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), described Stevens as one of the industry’s “most transformative and respected leaders.” Stevens was inducted into the Gaming Hall of Fame in 2015.

“Ernie was a tireless and passionate advocate for Indian Country and a unifying force in advancing tribal sovereignty through gaming,” Miller said. “His work not only helped elevate tribal government gaming into a powerful force of economic opportunity but also shaped his broader trajectory of our industry with his unwavering commitment to collaboration, integrity, and inclusion.”

“Beyond his professional impact, I personally cherished Ernie’s friendship,” Miller said. “His warmth, generosity, and unwavering support meant a great deal to me, and I will miss him dearly.”

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