Latest Gambling News: Lagos State Regulator Launching Self-Exclusion Tool, 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.

Lagos State Regulator Launching Self-Exclusion Tool

Nigeria’s Lagos State Lotteries and Gaming Authority (LSLGA) is launching a new self-exclusion tool that will be available to be integrated across all licensed platforms.

The state gambling regulator’s SafePlay tool will be unveiled at an event held in Lagos on August 6, where the LSLGA will provide details on the operational framework, compliance expectations and long-term goals of its initiative.

In an update published on July 30, the LSLGA said: “SafePlay is a landmark initiative that underscores the LSLGA’s strategic focus on player protection and social responsibility."

AGA Survey Finds Players Perceive Sweeps As Real-Money Gambling

A majority of online sweepstakes casino players perceive the sites as a substitute for internet gaming and have started to play the games to win money or rewards, according to an American Gaming Association (AGA) survey.

The AGA released the results of the online survey on Thursday (July 31), which showed that 62 percent of sweeps players believe winning real money is the most important thing. Fifty-nine percent of the 2,250 gamblers surveyed also believed that playing casino-style games at sweepstakes casinos is definitely gambling. With another 31 percent believing online sweepstakes sites are probably gambling.

“These operators present themselves like legal, regulated platforms – but they operate outside the law and regulation,” Tres York, AGA vice-president of government relations, said in a statement.

“There are few, if any, responsible gaming tools, no regulatory oversight and no consumer protections. It’s a dangerous subterfuge that puts players at real risk.”

The survey also found that 80 percent of sweepstakes players spend monthly, and nearly half spend weekly, without the safety net offered by regulated operators. The AGA reported the number of sweeps players has declined by 53 percent in states that have taken action to limit access to the sites.

Tribal Gaming Revenue Surpasses $43bn In 2024

Gross gaming revenue for tribes set a new record of $43.9bn in 2024, a 4.6 percent increase over 2023, according to the National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC).

“The continued success of Indian gaming is a testament to the strong tribal governance and the sound regulation that protects the integrity of the industry,” NIGC acting chairwoman Sharon Avery said in a statement.

Except for a decline in gaming revenue to $27.8bn in 2020, due to the closure of gaming operations as a result of the coronavirus pandemic, tribal gaming operators have increased revenue by about $10bn since reporting $34.6bn in 2019.

The Sacramento region, which includes 87 operations in California and northern Nevada, remains the largest tribal gaming market in the U.S. generating $12.1bn. That's just over $3bn less than the $15.6bn reported by commercial casinos last year in Nevada.

The largest revenue increase was reported in the District of Columbia region, which includes New York, North Carolina, Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida. The NIGC reported revenue of $10.2bn and 45 operations last year, compared with $9.2bn and 44 operations in 2023.

Currently, there are 532 gaming operations owned by 243 federally recognized tribes across 29 states.

Betfred Abandons Pennsylvania, U.S. Market

UK sportsbook Betfred will shut down its last remaining online sports betting operation in Pennsylvania on Thursday (July 31), which will end the company’s efforts to build a digital business in the United States.

The operator had a partnership with Wind Creek Bethlehem casino. It’s unclear whether Betfred will continue managing the casino’s retail sportsbook.

Betfred entered the U.S. in 2020 and had grown its footprint to more than half a dozen states. But the company began winding down its operations last year with exits from Arizona, Virginia and Washington.

Later in the year, it closed online sportsbooks in Iowa, Colorado, Ohio and Maryland, leaving Betfred in just two states. Entering 2025, only Nevada and Pennsylvania remained as Betfred’s active jurisdictions, but the company ended its Nevada retail operation in January.

Betfred’s exit wasn’t a unique case, as the company joined Super Group’s Betway sportsbook, Kindred and 888 Holdings in exiting the U.S. market. Tipico exited the U.S. market following an agreement last year to sell its technology and operations to MGM Resorts International.

Massachusetts Regulator Fines DraftKings $450,000

After looking into how credit card funds were used to place hundreds of bets on DraftKings in Massachusetts in violation of state law, gaming regulators on Monday (July 28) issued a fine of $450,000 against the sports betting operator.

In a decision, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) cited three periods of non-compliance discovered by DraftKings and self-reported to the commission. The first incident occurred between March 10 and May 31, 2023, the second between May 31, 2023, and July 13, 2023, and the third from August 18, 2023, to January 13, 2024.

According to the MGC, DraftKings’ failure to block the use of credit cards in Massachusetts resulted in 1,160 impermissible wagers, funded 242 credit card deposits, placed by 218 customers, with a total handle of $83,667.92.

“Furthermore, we are dedicated to upholding the regulatory standards set by each state and jurisdiction in which we operate, and we value the productive and collaborative relationships we’ve built with regulators,” a DraftKings spokesman said in an email to Vixio GamblingCompliance.

In addition to the fine, DraftKings has to provide proof to the commission that the $83,667.92 was returned to the 218 customers at issue, as well as develop a corrective action plan to ensure that no credit card deposit will be accepted or used for wagers.

Republican Bill To Remove Gaming Deduction Limit Introduced In Congress

A third bill seeking to roll-back a limit to the gambling loss tax cap deduction has been introduced in Congress, but as of Monday (July 28) the text of the legislation had not been published.

Republican Representative Andy Barr, of Kentucky, filed H.R. 4630, which like Nevada Democratic Representative Dina Titus’s H.R. 4304 was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee.

Senator Catherine Cortez Masto, a Democrat from Nevada, introduced S-2230 earlier this month.

Barr is the first Republican to introduce legislation to restore the gambling loss provision to 100 percent from the 90 percent rate that was included in President Donald Trump’s new tax and spending law.

Known as the Winnings and Gains Expense Restoration (WAGER) Act of 2025, Barr noted that his bill would boost the horseracing industry and maximize economic value for the equine business, including in his home state of Kentucky.

Barr filed his measure two days before the Ways and Means Committee held a field hearing in Las Vegas on Friday (July 25), and chairman Jason Smith, a Republican from Missouri, committed to “working to address it before it goes into effect on January 1.”

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