Month: ខែ​មេសា 2026

(AsiaGameHub) –   Lawmakers in Bangladesh have pledged to roll out a nationwide crackdown on gambling and online betting, stressing that coordinated targeted measures are imminent for the sector.

Actions will kick off after the country’s parliament adjourns on 30 April, as confirmed by Home Minister Salahuddin Ahmed, who promised a “zero tolerance” policy on gambling alongside drug use, in response to concerns raised by Zainul Abdin Farroque, the parliament member representing the Noakhali-2 constituency.

“To save the youth from destruction, the government has adopted a zero-tolerance policy,” stated Ahmed, who confirmed that law enforcement agencies will carry out joint operations to dismantle networks tied to drugs and gambling.

Most forms of gambling remain prohibited in Bangladesh under the 1867 Public Gaming Act, which leaves online gambling operating in an unregulated grey area with no domestic oversight.

Ahmed’s push to curb online gambling comes even thoug…

(AsiaGameHub) –   BGaming has entered into a content collaboration with Entain, expanding the studio’s presence across multiple regulated iGaming markets in Europe and Latin America.

Good to Know

BGaming’s games will launch on Entain’s brands in Brazil, Spain, Italy, Greece, and Portugal.
Entain operates over 25 brands, such as bwin, Party Casino, Sportingbet, and Sports Interaction.
The agreement includes BGaming’s titles from its #Casual, #Entertainment, and #Classic game lines.

BGaming’s Games Join Entain’s Brand Portfolio
Entain has integrated BGaming into its casino content roster across five markets, with additional regions planned for the future. This partnership allows players to access BGaming’s slots and casino games via various Entain brands, like bwin, Party Casino, Sportingbet, and Sports Interaction.
For BGaming, this deal exposes its portfolio to a significantly larger regulated audience. The studio has driven much of its recent growth through …

(AsiaGameHub) –   Meta delivered a robust first quarter performance, yet investors zeroed in on two high-cost items in the earnings report: another loss from Reality Labs and a significantly expanded AI investment plan.

Good to Know

Reality Labs incurred an additional $4 billion loss during the quarter.
Since 2021, the AR, VR, and metaverse division has accumulated $83.5 billion in losses over 21 quarterly filings.
Meta currently projects 2026 expenditures to range from $125 billion to $145 billion, exceeding both its prior forecasts and analysts’ expectations.

Meta’s Profit Remains Strong, But Spending Continues to Climb
Meta still possesses the financial resources to support major initiatives. During Q1, the firm posted net income of $26.8 billion—an increase of 61% compared to the same period last year. Revenue grew 33% year-over-year to reach $56.3 billion.
Despite this, the market response was negative. Meta’s stock dropped over 5% in after-hours trading following the com…

(AsiaGameHub) –   Alphabet commenced 2026 with a quarter that surpassed forecasts, posting $109.9 billion in revenue, with contributions from Google Cloud, Search, YouTube, Google One, and its paid AI offerings. The parent company of Google announced that its total paid subscriptions hit 350 million, marking an increase of 25 million since the close of 2025.

Good to Know

Alphabet’s first-quarter revenue increased 22% compared to the previous year, reaching $109.9B.
Google’s services now boast 350 million paid subscriptions, with YouTube and Google One leading the growth.
YouTube’s advertising revenue grew 11% year-over-year to $9.88B, though it fell short of the $9.99B target set by Wall Street.

Google One And YouTube Carry More Of The Subscription Story
While Alphabet clearly exceeded earnings expectations, the growth in subscriptions is equally noteworthy. Google’s addition of 25 million paid subscriptions in the quarter was primarily driven by YouTube and Google One, the latter being a cloud stora…

(AsiaGameHub) –   Meta has launched a 2026 pilot program allowing chosen creators to receive their earnings in USDC, with payments processed via Solana and Polygon. The trial begins with eligible creators in Colombia and the Philippines—two markets where many online workers are paid in U.S. dollars and often face losses from bank fees or currency conversion.

Good to Know

Meta is not introducing a new cryptocurrency. The pilot uses USDC, a dollar-pegged stablecoin issued by Circle.
Stripe powers the payment infrastructure after Meta solicited proposals from third-party providers in February 2026.
Creators are responsible for managing their own wallets, private keys, tax records, and any conversion of USDC to local cash.

Meta Opts for USDC Over Developing Another In-House Cryptocurrency
Meta previously attempted to build its own crypto project. Libra launched in 2019, later rebranded to Diem, and was discontinued in 2022 following strong pushback from U.S. and European lawmakers.
Now, Meta has ta…

(AsiaGameHub) –   On April 29, 2026, U.S. officials publicized a major cryptocurrency fraud case, revealing that investigators had connected overseas fraud centers to counterfeit investment platforms targeting Americans.

Good to Know

Law enforcement apprehended at least 276 individuals and dismantled at least nine alleged scam centers.
According to prosecutors, the criminal networks utilized fake cryptocurrency investment websites, online relationship-building, and rapid money laundering.
The indictments include conspiracy to commit wire fraud and conspiracy to commit money laundering, with each charge punishable by up to 20 years in prison.

Fake Crypto Platforms Sat At The Center Of The Case
Dubai recorded the highest number of arrests. Local authorities there detained 275 individuals, which includes three defendants named in San Diego cases. An additional defendant was arrested by the Thailand Royal Thai Police.
The San Diego indictments identify Thet Min Nyi, Wiliang Awang, Andreas Chandra, Lisa M…

(AsiaGameHub) –   The Lodge Card Club in Round Rock is gearing up to resume operations after Texas dismissed charges tied to allegations of illegal gambling and money laundering.

Good to Know

Co-owner Doug Polk stated that a Williamson County grand jury declined to prosecute the case.
The Texas Alcohol Beverage Commission conducted a raid on The Lodge in March.
The returned funds will allow players to cash in their chips and collect pending tournament payouts.

The Lodge Prepares To Reopen
Poker looks poised to make a return at one of Texas’s largest card rooms. Doug Polk, co-owner of The Lodge Card Club and a high-stakes poker player, shared on Tuesday that the state dropped the case after a Williamson County grand jury chose not to pursue prosecution.
Polk posted on X that he hopes The Lodge can reopen “within a few weeks.”

BREAKING: All charges against myself, my partners, and the Lodge have been officially rejected. The seized money and equipment will be returned and we will reo…

(AsiaGameHub) –   During its first-quarter earnings call, Sportradar responded to allegations from short sellers regarding its revenue from unlicensed operators, following two critical reports that caused a significant drop in its share price last week.

Good to Know

Sportradar stated that its revenue from the grey market falls within a range of 5% to 13%.
The company’s stock declined by 22.6% after reports were published by Callisto Research and Muddy Waters.
First-quarter revenue increased by 11% to €347 million, despite the company reporting a loss of €6 million.

Koerl Pushes Back On Short Seller Claims
CEO Carsten Koerl provided analysts with a more precise figure after Callisto Research and Muddy Waters raised questions about the portion of Sportradar’s income derived from unlicensed operators.
“We do not work with black market operators,” Koerl stated on the post-Q1 earnings call. “For the grey market, we have a solid compliance structure in place, and we only work wi…

(AsiaGameHub) –   The UK Gambling Commission has moved to ease concerns surrounding financial risk checks, stating that the proposed procedure will not require bettors to submit bank statements or other additional financial paperwork.

Good to Know

The UKGC confirms financial risk checks will not evaluate how much each customer is able to spend on gambling.
Trial data indicates 97% of checks can be completed with no interruptions for users.
Just 0.1% of active accounts required extra support during the pilot.

Miller Seeks to Establish a Clear Distinction
Tim Miller, Executive Director at the UKGC, used the Ethical Gambling Forum held in London to draw a line between financial risk assessments and the long-running debate over affordability checks. He stated:
“The checks we have been trialing will not even attempt to evaluate how much each individual customer can afford to spend on gambling”.
Miller also noted the Commission wants to introduce guidance that prevents operators from requesting…

(AsiaGameHub) –   Caesars Entertainment kicked off 2026 with increased revenue, a reduced net loss, and record-breaking first-quarter results from Caesars Digital—even as casino margins remained under pressure.

Good to Know

Caesars posted Q1 revenue of $2.9 billion, up from $2.8 billion in the prior year.
Caesars Digital’s revenue rose to $374 million, with adjusted EBITDA climbing to $69 million.
The company closed the quarter with $867 million in cash and approximately $11.9 billion in debt.

Digital Segment Plays a Larger Role in Q1 Results
Caesars Digital provided the company with its most distinct growth trajectory in the first quarter. Revenue in the segment grew from $335 million to $374 million, while adjusted EBITDA increased from $43 million to $69 million.
CEO Tom Reeg said:
“In the first quarter of 2026, we delivered growth in total net revenue and adjusted EBITDA versus last year.“Caesars Digital revenue of $374 million (up from $335 million a year ago) and adjuste…

(AsiaGameHub) –   Kambi Group announced increased revenue and enhanced profitability for the first quarter of 2026, subsequently securing a significant sports betting agreement in Canada that covers a large portion of the nation.

Good to Know

Kambi revenue increased by 4.9% year-over-year to €43.5 million in Q1 2026.
Adjusted EBITDA surged 63.5% to €5.7 million, achieving a 13% margin.
ALC and BCLC have chosen Kambi to provide sports betting support across seven Canadian provinces.

Profit Growth Comes First For Kambi
Kambi began 2026 with a more efficient cost structure and improved margins. First-quarter revenue hit €43.5 million, a 4.9% increase compared to the prior-year period, while adjusted EBITDA grew 63.5% to €5.7 million.
The operating profit margin also saw significant improvement, rising from 2% to 9.7%. Concurrently, operating expenses decreased by 2.1% year-over-year, providing the sports betting supplier with a more robust foundation for future business agreements.
T…

(AsiaGameHub) –   Resorts World New York City has launched a live table games area in Queens, marking New York City’s first full-scale casino of this kind following years of state gambling expansion initiatives.

Good to Know

Resorts World NYC has introduced over 240 live table games at its South Ozone Park location.
The Queens-based casino now features blackjack, craps, baccarat, and roulette.
Bally’s and Hard Rock aren’t projected to open their downstate casinos until 2030.

Queens Now Has First Access to Live Casino Tables
Resorts World acted quickly because it already operated slot machines and electronic gaming at the Aqueduct Racetrack site for more than a decade. The new floor opened on Tuesday, just months after Genting obtained one of three downstate casino licenses.
Robert DeSalvio, president of Genting Americas East, said:
“We got the license Dec. 15, and here we are, April 28, welcoming our guests to the new casino floor,”The South Ozone Park property now holds…

(AsiaGameHub) –   Hard Rock Bet has secured a long-term licensing agreement with MLB Players, Inc., granting the sportsbook access to the official name, image, and likeness rights of Major League Baseball players.

Key Takeaways

Hard Rock Bet now possesses official access to MLB player NIL rights.
Player headshots have been integrated into the Hard Rock Bet app.
The agreement also encompasses marketing efforts for both mobile and retail sportsbook offerings.

MLB Player Imagery Now Available on Hard Rock Bet App
Hard Rock Bet users can now view MLB player headshots within the app, featured on player profiles and in prop betting markets. The objective is to enhance the readability of baseball betting and foster a closer connection with the players fans follow.
MLB Players, Inc. and OneTeam Partners announced the rollout on Wednesday. This partnership also designates Hard Rock Bet as an official licensed sportsbook of MLB Players, Inc.
Mike Primeaux, Executive Managing Director and Chief Operating Office…