James Whitmore writes news for JokerClub, covering regulators, fines and court cases across the gambling industry, as well as the big racing and betting events.
Latest articles by James Whitmore
Star Chairman Soo Kim Says A$260 Million Fine Won't Sink the Casino Operator
Star Entertainment warned the court a fine above A$100 million could push it into liquidation. Now chairman Soo Kim says the A$260 million penalty can be paid without new debt or a share sale.
Robinhood's Prediction Market Revenue Could Hit $1.7B by 2028, Overtaking Crypto
Bernstein forecasts $1.7 billion in Robinhood prediction market revenue by 2028, ahead of its crypto trading income, while Coinbase's event contracts and derivatives could reach $2 billion.
10 New Xbox Games Out Today (October 22): Final Fantasy Resonance Leads the Way
Ten new games hit Xbox on 22 October, led by the HD-2D JRPG Final Fantasy Resonance, plus Dodo Duckie on Game Pass and Cyberpunk 2077 Update 2.5.
Godolphin Spends €750,000 as Monceaux Tops the Arqana October Sale Opener
Godolphin paid a session-topping €360,000 for a Blue Point colt as Ecurie des Monceaux led the vendors on day one of the Arqana October Yearling Sale, where clearance jumped to 81%.
Zurich Showdown: England's FA Set to Front the Revolt Against Infantino at Tense FIFA Council
FIFA's ruling council meets in Zurich on Thursday for the first time since the collapsed plan to sell stakes in the World Cup. FA chair Debbie Hewitt is expected to lead the questioning, with a newly surfaced $1.76m pay package adding to the pressure on Gianni Infantino.
Who Scores, How Many Shots, Which Defender Gets Booked: World Cup Data Shows Bettors Moved Beyond the Result
New figures from football odds supplier WSF Odds show how the 48-team World Cup changed betting behaviour: monthly turnover up around 68%, player props rising to 14.2% of turnover and 20.9% of GGR, and a brand-new Combo product taking 19% of GGR in its first tournament. The question now is whether the habit survives into club football.
Caesars, VICI, Rush Street and Sphere: What Trump's July Disclosure Actually Shows About His Gaming Stocks
President Donald Trump's latest periodic transaction report shows his portfolio managers sold small positions in Caesars Entertainment, Rush Street Interactive, VICI Properties and Sphere Entertainment in July. The gaming trades were a sliver of 1,156 transactions worth $79–270 million — and the filing, as always, gives no reasons for any of them.
109 Is the Number That Decides Everything: Nicky Henderson's Three Routes for Constitution Hill on the Flat
Nicky Henderson has mapped out where Constitution Hill goes next on the Flat: the Cumberland Lodge at Ascot on 3 October, the St Simon at Newbury on 24 October, or a new $400,000 race in Bahrain on 13 November. His best Flat figure is an RPR of 109, earned in defeat at Kempton — and each of those three options asks a different question of it. One of them is worth the most money and suits him the least.
"Non-GamStop" Is a Marketing Category: Inside the Report Putting the Illegal Gambling Market at $50 Billion
A new Fincord Intelligence report estimates the global illegal online gambling market generated around $50 billion in gross revenue in 2025, run through roughly 5,000 operator structures and more than 15,000 sites and apps. The detail that should stop British readers cold is narrower: people who have self-excluded through GAMSTOP are being actively marketed to as a customer segment — and the deposit bonuses used to reach them run to 300–500%.
Snap Guns, Key Cloners and "Heat": Rockstar Explains Seven Systems That Change How GTA 6 Plays
Rockstar co-studio head Rob Nelson has given Famitsu the most detailed GTA 6 interview yet, and most of it covers ground the Extended Look never touched — warning shots and suppressive fire, hideouts that show their contents on the map, lock-picking tools, digital key cloners for luxury cars, and a new "Heat" state where police investigate your description rather than simply chase you. The game lands on PS5 and Xbox Series X/S on 19 November 2026.
€5.86 Billion in Stakes, 11 Properties Searched: Germany Moves Against a Suspected Illegal Gambling Ring
More than 100 officers searched eleven properties in Frankfurt, the Rhine-Main region and Cologne on 8 September, closing a three-year investigation into five people accused of running unlicensed online gambling in Germany. Prosecutors put the stakes handled at roughly €5.86 billion, froze around €82 million in assets and executed one arrest warrant — and the industry immediately turned the case into an argument about how big the black market really is.
"You Can't Control Chance" — Hard Rock and Seminole Gaming Expand PlayersEdge With a New Campaign, a Health App and Year-Round Funding
Hard Rock International and Seminole Gaming have expanded PlayersEdge for Responsible Gambling Education Month: a new "Chance" awareness campaign built around how randomness really works, a pilot of the Almond digital health app at Hard Rock Casino Cincinnati, and research partnerships including the Better Gambling Forum and Dr. Michael Wohl at Carleton University — with the whole programme now running year-round rather than for one month.
Every Supplier Has the Same Blackjack Table — ICONIC21's CCO Says the Real Race Is How Fast You Can Launch It
Live casino has stopped being a niche vertical and become a core product — which means the tables themselves no longer differentiate anyone. In a piece for iGaming Business, ICONIC21 chief commercial officer Alina Popa argues the competitive battleground has moved to the gap between signing a contract and going live, where a six-month studio build is now a liability rather than a standard.
"Unholy Alliance": Minnesota Senator Tells Problem Gambling Council to Cut Kalshi Loose
Kalshi pledged $2 million to the National Council on Problem Gambling and got a membership. Minnesota state Senator John Marty wants it revoked — and Michigan's regulator has already walked away from the NCPG over the same decision.
Kalshi Fires Legal Warning at Netflix Over Its New Prediction Markets Documentary
Two days before Netflix dropped its prediction markets documentary, Kalshi sent the streamer a cease-and-desist letter calling the film \"false and misleading\" — and the row says a lot about how badly the industry wants to avoid the word \"gambling\".
Alabama Judge: Husband Blew Injured Officer Wife's Care Money at Mississippi Casinos
A probate judge has stripped a Prichard police sergeant of control over his incapacitated wife's finances after finding he funneled more than $554,000 of her care money into Mississippi casinos — with an insurer now ordered to repay the victim $300,000.
Australian Tourist Vanishes Without a Trace on Solo Las Vegas Trip
Sally Grace Contarino, a 26-year-old Australian tourist, has vanished during a solo Las Vegas trip. She was last seen heading to Mount Charleston on June 20 and missed her flight home — sparking a police search and a social-media storm.
England vs Congo DR Prediction & Picks: 2026 FIFA World Cup Round of 32
England roll into the Round of 32 as overwhelming favourites against a Congo DR side that has quietly become one of the tournament's danger teams. We break down the form, the key men, the odds — and where the real value sits before Wednesday's kick-off in Atlanta.
How to Bet on the 2026 World Cup: A Complete Guide to Odds & Markets
The 2026 World Cup could be the biggest betting event in sporting history — 48 nations, 104 matches, 39 days. This guide breaks down everything you need to bet smart: reading odds, the markets that matter, building bets, in-play strategy, and the mistakes that quietly drain a bankroll.
Royal Ascot 2026 Preview: 8 Horses to Keep on Your Radar
Five days, a parade of Group 1s and the best stables in the world all chasing silverware — Royal Ascot 2026 is almost here. From proven champions to unbeaten up-and-comers, here are the eight horses we think are worth watching closely this week.