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PlayNJ.com: Sportsbooks cool to $950 million in January while online casinos reach $100 million in revenue

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New Jersey sportsbooks took in more than $950 million in wagers and a record $82.6 million in revenue in January while the state’s online casinos crossed $100 million in revenue, becoming the first legal gaming jurisdiction in U.S. history to cross that threshold in a single month. The Garden State’s opening salvo to 2021 sets the stage for a year in which the state could reach $10 billion in sports wagers and more than $1 billion in online casino revenue, according to analysts from PlayNJ.

“New Jersey’s online casinos and sportsbooks have defied conventional wisdom from the beginning, and are hitting milestones that many thought would take years longer to reach,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayNJ.com. “The rapid maturation of the online products in New Jersey has made the state the new standard bearer for the modern U.S. gaming industry.”

New Jersey’s sportsbooks fell short of breaking the all-jurisdiction handle record for the sixth consecutive month by collecting $958.7 million in wagers in January, according to official data released Wednesday. That is up 77.5% from $540.1 million in January 2020.

Operator revenue rose to $82.6 million in January, up 29% from $53.6 million in January 2020 and topping December’s record-breaking $66.4 million. And with $10.4 million in state taxes in January, sportsbooks have now generated $107.3 million for the state since launching in June 2018.

The brisk opening month builds momentum for what should be another leap forward this year. If the growth continues through the year, the state could reach nearly $10 billion in sports bets, more than $600 million in revenue, and $75 million in state and local taxes, according to PlayNJ projections.

“2020 was an unusual year, obviously, so year-over-year growth is a good bet so long as the sports schedule remains intact,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for PlayNJ.com. “Considering the current momentum of New Jersey’s market, the year could really bring some eye-popping results, especially if the retail market can return to health.”

Online betting generated 92.5%, or $886.7 million, of the state’s total handle in January. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet was again the market leader with $41.8 million in gross revenue, up from $29 million in December.

FanDuel was followed in revenue by:

  • Resorts Digital/DraftKings/Fox Bet ($15.7 million, up from $15.4 million in December)
  • BetMGM/Borgata ($7.9 million, up from $6.3 million)
  • Ocean Casino/William Hill ($4.2 million, up from $3.2 million)
  • Monmouth/William Hill/Sugarhouse/TheScore ($2.3 million, down from $3.3 million)
  • Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($1.5 million, up from $562,188)
  • Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($375,129, down from $489,141)
  • Golden Nugget/BetAmerica ($176,199, down from $343,849)
  • Tropicana/William Hill ($76,933, down from $108,427)

Retail sportsbooks began to rebound with $72.1 million in bets, up from $67 million in December. Meadowlands/FanDuel topped retail books in January with $5 million in revenue.

Predictably, the NFL playoffs — which featured an expanded format this year — attracted heavy action, fueling $201.8 million in football wagering in January. But college basketball and the NBA, which enjoyed its first full month of its season, placed basketball first with $320.3 million. And sports categorized as “other,” which includes NHL betting, topped football with $214.4 million.

“With the NHL back in action and the NBA with a full schedule, January’s sports schedule was more or less normal for the first time since February 2020,” Gouker said. “That gives us a reliable barometer for where New Jersey is as a sports betting market.”

Online casinos and poker

New Jersey’s online casinos have been on a roll themselves, hitting $100 million in combined casino games and poker revenue for the first time. In all, online gaming and poker generated $103.8 million in January, up 88.4% from $55.1 million in January 2020 and topping the previous record of $99.5 million set in December. January’s win yielded $15.5 million in state taxes.

Online gaming continues to be one of New Jersey’s great success stories. Its year-over-year revenue is a continuation of a long pattern of growth that has now generated $2.6 billion  in operator revenue since launching in November 2013.

“Online casino games continue to show no signs of letting up,” Ramsey said. “Obviously with pandemic-related restrictions in place on Atlantic City casinos, online casinos were in position to pick up some slack. But the online gains made over the last year should withstand the reopening of retail casinos, continuing to buoy the entire gaming industry.”

Some other highlights from January’s report:

  • Borgata inched closer to the Golden Nugget, which has led the online casino market for years. Borgata generated $28.7 million in January revenue, which was just behind the Golden Nugget’s $31.2 million in January revenue. Resorts Digital, which has also made significant gains over the last year, was third with $22.8 million.
  • Online casinos and poker generated $3.3 million a day over 31 days in January, up from $3.2 million a day over 31 days in December.
  • Revenue from online casinos was $101 million, up from $96.4 million in December. Online poker produced $2.7 million, down from $3 million in December.

For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting and online gaming in New Jersey, visit PlayNJ.com/news.

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AGLC

Casino ATM Scam in Edmonton Reveals Money Laundering and Drug Links

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Law enforcement in Alberta continues to search for the last suspect in a sophisticated fraud operation that targeted ATMs in Edmonton-area casinos and resulted in over CAD 1 million ($720,487) in losses throughout Western Canada.

The Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) has confirmed that Hisham Ismaeel, 28, remains at large with a province-wide warrant for his arrest. He faces charges of fraud exceeding $5000 and possessing proceeds of crime. Police have already arrested four other men linked to the scheme. Investigators describe the operation as a well-planned effort to exploit financial systems and clean dirty money.

The accused, Elliot Miao, 42, Van Bau Ta, 39, Hassan Jaafar Haydar Ahmad, 37, and Dennis Jones, 42, showed up in the Alberta Court of Justice last week. They face charges from fraud and money laundering to owning criminal property. Miao also has a narcotics trafficking charge after police found cocaine when they searched with warrants.

Investigators claim the group made coordinated withdrawals at several casino ATMs, timing their transactions to avoid getting caught. This action messed up ATM networks in the area and showed flaws in the systems that banks and casinos use to stop misuse.

The RCMP Federal Policing Northwest Region led an investigation that involved six search warrants in Edmonton. The Edmonton Police Service, the Financial Transactions and Reports Analysis Centre of Canada (FINTRAC), Alberta Gaming, Liquor and Cannabis (AGLC), and several banks supported this effort. Officials said the case shows how teamwork between public agencies and the private sector plays a key role in combating modern financial crime.

AGLC representatives pointed out that casino operators in the province must follow strict reporting and surveillance rules under Canada’s anti-money laundering laws. The specific casinos affected remain unnamed, but the Edmonton region has seven licensed facilities. AGLC said its policies helped spot problems and backed the RCMP’s investigation.

Compliance experts say this fraud shows how criminals change their methods to take advantage of weak spots in reporting limits and transaction checks. They claim that casinos, which deal with lots of cash, are still easy targets unless they keep improving their detection systems and teach their front-line workers to notice coordinated actions like several big withdrawals happening one after another.

For now, the case highlights both the money and crime aspects of casino-related fraud. Besides the million-dollar losses, finding drugs during the raids points to a bigger criminal operation where financial crimes and drug dealing overlap.

The post Casino ATM Scam in Edmonton Reveals Money Laundering and Drug Links appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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Bragg Gaming

Bragg Confirms Cyber Attack – Hackers Access Internal IT Systems

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Bragg Gaming Group, a leading online gaming technology provider, has confirmed a major cybersecurity incident that compromised its internal IT infrastructure in the early hours of Saturday, August 16, 2025.

The company detected unauthorized intrusion attempts that successfully breached its internal network, triggering an immediate and comprehensive incident response.

Key Takeaways

  • Bragg Gaming Group experienced a cybersecurity breach involving access to internal IT systems.

  • No customer personal data or payment information appears to have been compromised.

  • The company has enacted full containment and investigation protocols.

Details of the Breach

According to a preliminary forensic analysis by Bragg’s internal security team, the attack was a targeted breach aimed at the company’s internal computer environment. While the exact method of intrusion is still under investigation, early indicators suggest a sophisticated exploit of internal network vulnerabilities.

Fortunately, the company’s customer-facing systems, including sensitive user data and financial information, appear to have been unaffected. Bragg’s existing encryption protocols and access control systems successfully prevented the attackers from accessing customer information.

Immediate Response Measures

In response to the breach, Bragg launched a multi-tiered containment strategy, including:

  • Network Segmentation to isolate affected systems

  • Enhanced Monitoring of data flows across its Remote Games Server (RGS) platform

  • Security Audits of critical infrastructure, including the Bragg Hub and PAM systems

  • Engagement of Independent Cybersecurity Experts to assist in incident analysis and system hardening

Bragg’s Security Operations Center has also elevated its alert level, initiating 24/7 monitoring across all server clusters and network endpoints. In addition, company-wide penetration testing is now underway to proactively identify any residual vulnerabilities.

Business Continuity Maintained

Despite the severity of the breach, Bragg reports that its operations remain unaffected. All gaming services, including iCasino and sportsbook offerings across regulated markets, continue to function without disruption.

“While this incident is deeply concerning, we are confident in the rapid and thorough response initiated by our team,” a company spokesperson stated. “We remain committed to protecting our infrastructure, our partners, and most importantly, our players.”

Looking Ahead

As part of its response, Bragg has also launched mandatory security awareness training for all employees to reinforce best practices and prevent future incidents.

Cybersecurity analysts will continue working with Bragg to determine the full scope of the attack, improve system resilience, and maintain the trust of its users and stakeholders.

Bragg’s handling of the incident highlights both the evolving nature of cybersecurity threats and the importance of robust, responsive defense systems in the digital gaming sector.

Source: cybersecuritynews.com

The post Bragg Confirms Cyber Attack – Hackers Access Internal IT Systems appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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AGCO

AGCO Removes Cap on Seller Commission for Charitable Lottery Products

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The Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO) has updated several lottery policies to remove the cap on seller commission for Paper Raffles and Media Bingo, along with removing the prohibition on Catch the Ace paper lotteries, to align with other charitable lottery products.

Licensed charities may now negotiate commissions directly with sellers and determine commissions, provided they are reasonable and tied to the cost of service provided by the seller.

These updates further the AGCO’s commitment to adopt an outcomes-based regulatory approach and reduce burden for the charitable gaming sector. Local charitable organizations will have greater flexibility to make decisions that best serve their fundraising objectives.

Important Reminders

• Charities must still receive approval for other expenses incurred under their licence and retain receipts for seller commission paid.

• Licensing authorities will not require documentation to be submitted as part of the application process, however, charities are still subject to audit to determine compliance.

• Charities are reminded of their legal requirement to meet their obligations under the Criminal Code and with respect to conducting and managing a charitable gaming scheme.

• As with all licensed charitable lottery events, charities must take the necessary steps to ensure that they are conducting and managing the lottery event within Ontario.

For charitable gaming-related inquiries, email an AGCO Eligibility Officer at [email protected] or call AGCO Customer Service at 1-800-522-2876, Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m.

The post AGCO Removes Cap on Seller Commission for Charitable Lottery Products appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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