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Stake.com becomes official UFC betting partner in Latin America & Asia

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Stake.com Becomes UFC’s First Betting Partner in Brazil

UFC®, the world’s premier mixed martial arts organization, today announced an expansion of its partnership with Stake.com, the world’s largest cryptocurrency casino and sportsbook.

The new agreement builds upon the partnership UFC and Stake.com announced in 2021, in which Stake.com became UFC’s first-ever Official Betting Partner in Latin America (excluding Brazil) and Asia.  Stake.com will continue as UFC’s Official Betting Partner in those territories and now the partnership will be expanded to include Brazil, the first time UFC has had a betting partner in the country.

UFC has become one of the most recognized brands throughout Latin America, and in particular, Brazil.  The roots of mixed martial arts can be traced back to Brazil, and UFC enjoys enormous popularity in the country, with an estimated 34 million fans.

SPONSORSHIP PARTNERSHIP & BRANDED INTEGRATIONS

As an Official Betting Partner of UFC, Stake.com will receive a wide-range of integrations into key UFC assets.  Stake.com will have a branded presence inside UFC’s world-famous Octagon® during select Pay-Per-View and Fight Night events each year, and Stake.com will be the presenting sponsor of UFC’s regularly scheduled Pay-Per-View event hosted in Brazil.  UFC and Stake.com will also collaborate on a variety of custom and original content that will be distributed across UFC-owned social media channels and digital platforms, and the two brands will work together to create exclusive promotions and VIP experiences for fans.

UFC ATHLETE BRAND AMBASSADOR PROGRAM

The agreement also provides for an annual Brand Ambassador fund that will offer significant paid marketing opportunities to participating UFC athletes.

“Stake.com has been a great partner this past year, and we’re thrilled to continue the relationship,” said UFC Vice President of Global Partnerships Nick Smith.  “With sports betting becoming more widely accessible, we have added Brazil, a very important emerging gaming market, to a far-reaching collaboration that already included key regions within Latin America and Asia.  We look forward to working with Stake.com to continue to offer a unique way for fans to experience the action and excitement of UFC through Stake.com’s innovative and emerging gaming platform.”

“We’re more than pleased to renew our partnership with UFC for 2022, after a huge 2021,” said Mladen Vuckovic, CEO, Stake.com.  “Our relationship with UFC is only getting stronger, and we cannot wait to welcome UFC fans from all around the world onto our platform.  Our current player base relished the partnership, making the most of VIP experiences and exclusive content to bring them an experience with one of the biggest sporting organisations in the world. This is something they cannot find anywhere else.”

UFC and Stake.com will present new and exclusive digital and social content this week leading to the highly anticipated UFC® 271: ADESANYA vs. WHITTAKER 2 on Saturday, Feb. 12 at Toyota Center in Houston, Texas.  UFC middleweight champion Israel Adesanya, Stake.com’s primary UFC athlete ambassador, will defend his title against the man he beat in 2019 to capture the championship, No. 1 contender Robert Whittaker.

Established in 2017, Stake.com is one of the fastest growing betting brands in global history, offering an unrivaled online crypto gaming experience for its users.

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ED Arrests Karnataka MLA Veerendra “Puppy” in Illegal Betting Case

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The Indian Enforcement Directorate (ED) has intensified its investigation into Karnataka Congress MLA K.C. Veerendra, also known as “Puppy,” over alleged involvement in a large-scale money laundering and illegal betting operation. The legislator, arrested in Sikkim on Saturday, August 23, was brought to Bengaluru on Sunday for further questioning in connection with financial transactions tied to casinos in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Georgia.

Veerendra was apprehended in Gangtok, where he had reportedly been pursuing a deal to lease land for a casino venture. After his arrest, he was produced before a special court in Bengaluru, which granted ED custody until August 28. To prevent any incidents during his transfer, strict security was enforced at Kempegowda International Airport, and he was quickly escorted to an undisclosed location for interrogation.

Authorities confirmed that multi-state raids preceded the arrest, covering 31 locations across India, including Bengaluru, Hubballi, Chitradurga, Goa, Jodhpur, Mumbai and Sikkim. Five casinos in Goa—Puppy’s Casino Gold, Ocean Rivers Casino, Puppy’s Casino Pride, Ocean 7 Casino, and Big Daddy Casino—were also raided as part of the ongoing probe.

According to ED sources, preliminary findings suggest that Veerendra maintained financial links with casinos and shell companies operating in Sri Lanka, Nepal and Georgia. Evidence gathered during the raids points to overseas transactions and the use of foreign entities to launder large sums of money, some of which may have originated from cyber fraud. Officials suspect that these funds were “converted into white money” by being disguised as credit card transactions.

Documents recovered from multiple properties also revealed that Veerendra was in the process of finalising a deal to acquire a casino from Santiago Martin, a businessman widely recognised as the “lottery king” of Tamil Nadu. Martin is already under investigation by the ED in a separate money laundering case and is known for his financial ties to political figures.

Incriminating evidence seized from Veerendra’s residences, including Rs 12 crore in cash and a significant quantity of jewelry, is now being analysed. The ED has also uncovered records suggesting that his brother, K.C. Thippeswamy, managed three Dubai-based entities—Diamond Softech, TRS Technologies and Prime9Technologies—believed to be connected to their gaming and call centre businesses.

The post ED Arrests Karnataka MLA Veerendra “Puppy” in Illegal Betting Case appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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India Bans Real-Money Gaming

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India’s lower house of parliament has passed a sweeping online gaming bill that, while promoting esports and casual gaming without monetary stakes, imposes a blanket ban on real-money games — threatening to disrupt billions of dollars in investment and significantly impact the real-money gaming industry, which could see widespread shutdowns.

Titled the Promotion and Regulation of Online Gaming Bill, 2025, the legislation aims to prohibit real-money games nationwide — whether based on skill or chance — and ban both their advertisement and associated financial transactions.

“In this bill, priority has been given to the welfare of society and to avoid a big evil that is creeping into society,” India’s IT minister Ashwini Vaishnaw said in Parliament while introducing the bill.

The proposed legislation restricts banks and other financial institutions from allowing transactions for real-money games in the country. Anyone offering these games could face imprisonment for up to three years, a fine of up to ₹10 million (approximately $115,000), or both. Additionally, celebrities promoting such games on any media platform could be liable for up to two years of imprisonment or a fine of ₹5 million (roughly $57000), the bill states.

Vaishnaw said the decision to bring the legislation was to address several incidents of harm, including cases where individuals reportedly died by suicide after losing money in games. However, industry stakeholders largely attribute these incidents to offshore betting and gambling apps, which many believe will not be addressed by this legislation.

“This law is bound to face litigation as it fails the test of proportionality under Article 19(1)(g). Instead of safeguarding consumers, it dismantles compliant onshore companies while opening the door wider for illegal offshore betting platforms that are the real source of financial harm,” said Meghna Bal, director of the New Delhi-based think tank Esya Centre.

Article 19(1)(g) of India’s Constitution guarantees citizens the right to practice any profession or carry on any occupation, trade or business.

Ahead of the bill’s introduction in the Indian Parliament, industry bodies wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to intervene. The letter — sent by the Federation of Indian Fantasy Sports, All India Gaming Federation and E-Gaming Federation warned that the proposed legislation could benefit “illegal offshore gambling operations” while forcing Indian businesses to shut down. These industry bodies represent Dream Sports, MPL, WinZO, Gameskraft, Nazara Technologies and Zupee, among other real-money gaming companies.

“By shutting down regulated and responsible Indian platforms, it will drive [millions] of players into the hands of illegal matka networks, offshore gambling websites, and fly-by-night operators who operate without any safeguards, consumer protections, or taxation,” the letter stated. (Matka is a form of illegal gambling that originated in India, involving betting on random numbers.)

The three industry bodies estimated that real-money gaming startups in India have a combined enterprise valuation of ₹2 trillion (approximately $23 billion), generate cumulative revenues of ₹310 billion (around $3.6 billion), and contribute ₹200 billion (roughly $2.29 billion) annually in direct and indirect taxes. They also project a 28% compound annual growth rate that would double the industry’s size by 2028. The industry groups warned that the blanket ban could result in the loss of more than 200,000 jobs and the closure of over 400 companies.

A similar letter was also written to Indian Home Minister Amit Shah by these three industry associations.

The bill was passed by voice vote in a noisy lower house less than seven minutes after it was introduced for debate. It now requires approval from the upper house and the president to become law.

Meanwhile, some companies in casual gaming and esports have welcomed the move.

“We applaud this decision as it allows us to focus on the ongoing concerns as a business — monetization, retention, and most importantly, building great IP for India and the world, rather than having to explain to our audiences what we are to begin with,” said Sumit Batheja, CEO and co-founder of Ginger Games, which is part of Krafton’s Indian gaming incubator and makes hyper casual games.

Krafton is the South Korean gaming company behind the popular battle royale game PUBG.

In 2023, the Indian government amended the Information Technology (Intermediary Guidelines and Digital Media Ethics Code) Rules, 2021, to curb “user harm” from real-money games and proposed self-regulatory bodies to limit illegal betting and gambling while allowing legitimate games. However, the self-regulation approach faltered due to conflicts among industry stakeholders over enforcement and standards.

New Delhi imposed a 28% tax on online gaming in 2023 to curb real-money play, prompting an outcry from industry stakeholders. Top investors — including Tiger Global, Peak XV Partners and Kotak — urged Modi to reconsider, warning of $2.5 billion in write-offs and the potential loss of one million jobs. The tax, however, remained in place, even as companies challenged its retrospective application in the Supreme Court. Recent reports suggest it may be revised upward to 40% under new rules.

The post India Bans Real-Money Gaming appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Indonesia Prepares VPN Laws to Crack Down on Illegal Online Gambling

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Indonesia is preparing to introduce new rules targeting the use of Virtual Private Networks (VPNs), to crack down on the broader access to illegal online gambling. The move signifies a stronger push by authorities to tighten internet oversight amid growing concerns over unregulated digital activity.

While officials have not really explicitly mentioned gambling platforms, the intention seems to be clear. The aim of the move is to restrict tools that allow Indonesians to bypass government firewalls and access banned content. As the country battles a surge in illegal online gambling, VPNs have become a major target in the regulatory issue.

Indonesia currently ranks as the third-highest user of VPN services worldwide, behind only the UAE and India. A 2024 report by Windscribe, a global VPN provider, found that roughly 41% of Indonesian internet users use VPNs. This tool is largely used to bypass state-enacted censorship and access geo-blocked websites.

Online gambling, is strictly banned under Indonesian law, but is still thriving via VPN-enabled access to international platforms. These tools allow users to hide their digital footprints, and makes it challenging for authorities to enforce law.

“VPNs are being misused to reach sites and apps that are clearly illegal. We are developing a framework to ensure their usage aligns with the law,” said Semuel Abrijani Pangerapan, Director General of Informatics Applications at the Ministry of Communication and Informatics, in a recent statement.

The upcoming regulations, which are currently under ministerial review, aim to restrict VPN use by requiring providers to register with the government. Unregistered VPN services could be blocked outright. Officials are also considering legal consequences for users found accessing restricted services via unlicensed VPNs.

As for now, no timeline has been officially announced. But local media has reported that draft rules may be finalized by the end of the year.

The current online gambling environment in Indonesia is vast, and mostly hidden. Users often access offshore platforms hosted in regions with lenient enforcement. These platforms promise anonymity, instant payouts, and enticing rewards, thus driving a cycle of addiction and financial ruin for many.

The post Indonesia Prepares VPN Laws to Crack Down on Illegal Online Gambling appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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