The $5.9 Tn Shadow Economy & Global Regulatory Crackdowns

Weekend conversation corner - 22 May

Welcome back to Season 2, Episode 18 of the Weekend Conversation Corner, proudly brought to you by Focus Gaming News! I'm your host, Oliver, and together with my co-host Charlotte, we are cutting through the noise to bring you the most crucial headlines shaking up the global gaming industry this week.

In this episode, we unpack a staggering new report which reveals that the unregulated online gambling market has ballooned to a massive $5.9tn, effectively making it the world's third-largest economy. We also dive into major legislative shifts worldwide, including Spain’s new public consultation on sweeping gambling reforms and AI problem-gambling detection, as well as the new Hungarian government's move to review its state-owned lottery and sports betting monopoly. Over in the US, we examine the GAME Act introduced by Senators to ban online platforms from targeting minors with sports betting ads, and discuss Minnesota's landmark decision to become the very first US state to outlaw prediction markets.

With unregulated operators now accounting for a whopping 78 per cent of global online gross gaming revenue, are consumers permanently trapped in a confusing "White Noise Marketplace," or can regulators finally find a way to defeat this $5.9tn beast?

Stay informed with Focus Gaming News. Join Charlotte and me for all this and more on this week's episode!