Our Writers:
Michael Savio

The battle unfolding in Illinois between sportsbooks and lawmakers is driving up fees for bettors. It led many casual bettors to stop wagers, but those who stayed are spending more. That’s led to questions around how those struggling with addiction have reacted.

BetRivers Sportsbooks will be raising its minimum bet requirement to $5 in Illinois. It recently raised it to $1 after the state increased taxes. The new change comes just days after Chicago enacted a new city-specific license and tax system.

Lawmakers in Mississippi and Wisconsin are back in session and already discussing expanding their sports betting markets to include mobile sportsbooks. While changing conditions are giving proponents hope that the efforts will succeed, larger hurdles still remain for both states.

Lawsuits over sports betting and prediction markets are putting pressure on US courts to finally determine where mobile betting occurs. The Supreme Court rejected a case involving the issues years ago, but new lawsuits could soon force a ruling.

FIFA is reported to be considering two significant rule changes with just six months until the 2026 World Cup. In contrast, they aim to improve the quality of play; some fear the lack of preparation and testing could have the opposite effect.

The Sports Betting Alliance announced that it will drop its motion for a restraining order, which it hoped would delay new licensing requirements in Chicago. The group thanked the city for addressing the license issues, but promised to continue fighting the changes.

Super Bowl LX is right around the corner, but bettors will find a far different experience when wagering on the NFL’s biggest game than in years past. We are covering three of the most significant changes ahead of February.

Michael Selig’s nomination to take over as the CFTC Chairman has been confirmed. He will assume leadership of the regulator, but has been clear that he doesn’t intend to take action on the battle over prediction markets.

The city of Chicago has approved a controversial 2026 budget that will impose a 10.25% tax and city-specific licensing requirements on online sportsbooks. The SBA has filed a motion for a restraining order to stop the changes from taking effect.

A new poll found that public opinion has begun to shift against the sports betting industry, with people concerned over gambling addiction and betting scandals. The poll found that more people favor expanding sports betting in the US.