The U.S. sports betting world moves quickly and unpredictably in 2026. In order to properly take stock of it all, we offer InGame’s “EndGame,” an end-of-week compilation of the top storylines, some overlooked items, and all the other news bits from this past week that we found interesting.
Alberta won’t allow election betting
As the Canadian province of Alberta moves closer to launching legal sports betting and iGaming, the Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis Commission (AGLCC) announced Tuesday it will not allow political betting. Alberta iGaming Corporation (AiGC) chief Dan Reeve said earlier in March that it is aiming to launch operators in the second quarter. The AGLCC will be the regulator and AiGC will liaise between the regulator and operators.
The expectation is that every major operator will enter the Alberta market. Gray-market sports betting and iGaming platforms operating in the province will have to move into the regulated market. Customers in Alberta can currently wager on PlayAlberta, a lottery-run product, which will continue to exist when the competitive market opens.
Jill R. Dorson
Study: March Madness ripe for ‘bonus abuse’
A new study by LexisNexis Risk Solutions released Thursday concluded that “bonus abuse now ranks as the single most prevalent form of fraud in North America’s gaming sector.” LexisNexis’ first “Fraud and Identity Industry Pulse: Online Gaming in North America” report, issued in conjunction with the start of March Madness, was based on a survey of 993 online-gaming-industry decision makers, of whom 774 cited the bonus-abuse schemes — “repeatedly exploiting new-account bonuses using synthetic identities, stolen credentials, and multiple accounts” — are the top threat to their businesses.
In addition to the financial impact, the report also cites the “structural challenges” of bonus harvesting, such as “compliance costs, customer churn, and brand damage,” which can be mitigated by collaboration among operators, though currently only one in five shares fraud intelligence.
DraftKings, FanDuel launch in Arkansas
DraftKings and FanDuel launched platforms in Arkansas Friday, marking the first time any national platforms have been available in the state. The Arkansas Racing and Gaming Commission Feb. 27 approved applications from both operators.
DraftKings is partnered with Southland Casino Hotel, and FanDuel is partnered with Oaklawn Racing Casino Resort.
Jill R. Dorson
FanDuel Predicts gives away gas
Perhaps inspired by Polymarket’s free-food giveaway in February in New York City, the FanDuel Predicts prediction market platform held a free-fill-up promotion at a Tampa gas station for four hours midday Wednesday. The particular station was, according to a press release, picked out personally by exclusive brand partner Rob Gronkowski.
Reportedly, cars were lined up for several blocks to get into the station between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., where they “learned more about FanDuel Predicts.”
The operator is also giving $25 to anyone 18 or older who creates an account on FanDuel Predicts through the rest of March.
Rozier case back to court
Suspended Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier will have his next day in federal court on April 27, when oral arguments to dismiss the sports corruption case against him will be held in the Eastern District of New York. Rozier was indicted in October for conspiracy to commit wire fraud and money laundering.
Based on the motion to dismiss filed on Dec. 12, Rozier’s attorney is expected to argue that the prosecution’s evidence is weak, the indictment contains only a single instance of alleged illegal behavior, and the feds are attempting to “criminalize conduct traditionally regulated by the states.”
On the government side, prosecutors allege Rozier shared information with a friend, who sold it to sports bettors. They may disclose a broader conspiracy than was revealed in the indictment.
Rozier, on paid leave from the Heat, is widely expected to be waived no later than April 9 to free up a roster spot and cap space for the playoffs, according to numerous reports.
New book: How addiction impacts others
Coinciding with Problem Gambling Awareness Month, Anita Ondine Smith is promoting her new book Assist: How to Help a Loved One with a Gambling Problem Without Losing Yourself. Smith, author, lawyer, sports agent, and responsible-gaming ambassador for FanDuel, is also the wife of former NBA player Randy Livingston, who struggled with a gambling problem during his 11-year career in the league; he wrote the foreword to the book.
In Assist, Smith addresses the often overlooked impact that gambling addition has on the families, friends, and colleagues of problem gamblers. Her insights come both from extensive research and lived experience, as she supported her husband through his recovery from gambling addiction.
“Some battles are too big to face alone,” Livingston writes in the foreword. “You need help and this book fills a critical gap in the recovery process.”
Odds and ends
- Nevada startup sportsbook Boomer’s on Wednesday opened its eighth Nevada location since the company launched in late August of last year. The new sportsbook at the Grand Lodge Casino in the Hyatt Regency brings Boomer’s to Incline Village at North Lake Tahoe. It joins Boomer’s Sportsbooks in Las Vegas, North Las Vegas, Henderson, Tonopah, Carson City, Reno, and Elko; two more are slated to open in Nevada communities within a few months.
- At the Nevada Gaming Control Board meeting last week, regulator George Assad suggested that Resorts World Las Vegas at the north end of the Las Vegas Strip would make a “fantastic” site for an arena to host an NBA expansion team, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal. A new NBA team has long been mooted for Las Vegas, and Resorts World is the fifth location suggested or proposed for the home arena. NBA owners are expected to vote on two new teams at their next meeting, March 25.
ICYMI
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Kalshi May Be On Brink Of Nevada Ban After Ninth Circuit Rejects Stay Request
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New Federal Bill Would Ban All Prediction Markets On Government Actions
Minnesota Bill Would Ban Prediction Markets And Bar Operators From Gaming Licenses
Massachusetts Regulator Issues Eight Fines Totaling More Than $80,000
