Conceptual architectural rendering of the planned Bally's Chicago casino complex. Image credit/source: (Bally's Corporation / HKS Architects) CHICAGO Bally’s Corporation has confirmed that construction on its $1.7 billion permanent casino resort in downtown Chicago remains on schedule for an early 2027 opening, pushing back against recent reports suggesting development had halted. Speaking on an investor update call, company leadership stated that work at the site is continuing daily as the operator balances construction milestones with a strategic review of non-gaming amenities prompted by local regulatory changes. Addressing construction rumors and site progress Bally’s Chairman Soo Kim directly addressed media reports that questioned the pace of work at the former Chicago Tribune Freedom Center site at 560 W. Grand Ave. On an eight-minute update call with stakeholders alongside Wanda Wilson, head of the Bally's Chicago board, Kim clarified that active physical construction has not paused. “There have been inaccurate reports suggesting that construction has been stopped or paused,” Kim said. “Construction continues every day, and there are approximately 1,000 skilled tradespeople working on the construction of the permanent Bally's Chicago resort.” Development at the riverfront site achieved a major structural milestone earlier this year in April, when crews placed the final structural beam on the main casino and hotel frame. The operator is currently preparing to host tours of the construction site for shareholders and investors to showcase physical progress. VGT expansion sparks host agreement review The company's clarification follows a decision in August to re-examine the delivery schedule for certain non-gaming components. The review was triggered after the City of Chicago authorized the expansion of video gaming terminals (VGTs) across municipal venues. In July, Bally’s formally advised city officials that legalizing VGTs constituted a conflict with the economic premises of the original host community agreement signed between the operator and the city. Bally’s argues that decentralized electronic gaming terminals threaten to siphon potential revenue away from the centralized casino development. To protect its capital investment and safeguard investor value, Bally’s informed its primary contractor that it would reassess the timeline for introducing selected ancillary facilities. “Bally's took these actions because our responsibility is clear,” Kim explained. “We are acting to protect our investors, to preserve the value of Bally's Chicago, and to ensure the commitments that underpin this investment and our agreement with the City of Chicago are honored.” Timeline and deliverables for Bally's Chicago Casino opening The operational scope of the resort was previously detailed during a presentation to the Chicago City Council License Committee on September 9. Bally’s President and Interim Chief Financial Officer George Papanier confirmed that while the target opening date remains set for early 2027shifted from an initial 2026 estimate the initial rollout will focus on core gaming and hospitality infrastructure. Upon the planned Bally's Chicago casino opening in early 2027, the facility is scheduled to feature: Main casino floor with full gaming facilities 100 hotel rooms (with eventual expansion planned up to 500 rooms) On-site event center Primary food and beverage establishments mandated under the host agreement Approximately 12% of the project’s total planned amenities are currently undergoing evaluation. These under-review facilities comprise additional hotel capacity along with secondary entertainment and specialized dining concepts. Bally’s emphasized that this evaluation represents a re-sequencing of phase deliveries rather than a cancellation or suspension of building activities. Technical & editorial summary Project metric Details Total Capital Investment $1.7 Billion Location 560 W. Grand Ave. (Former Tribune Freedom Center) Current Target Opening Early 2027 (Revised from 2026) On-Site Workforce ~1,000 skilled tradespeople Initial Hotel Capacity 100 rooms (Targeting 500 in full buildout) Amenities Under Phasing Review ~12% (Non-gaming, hospitality, entertainment) Outlook and strategic context The commercial casino sector in Illinois continues to adjust to expanding gaming options, including sports betting and neighborhood electronic terminals. For Bally's, maintaining momentum on its flagship urban resort remains critical to securing a dominant market share in the Midwestern metropolitan area. While negotiations and amenity adjustments regarding local VGT policy continue with municipal representatives, physical construction on the core casino superstructure moves forward toward its early 2027 grand opening target. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources Yogonet

Official logo of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Image credit/source: National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). WASHINGTON, D.C. The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has publicly defended its decision to grant corporate membership to prediction market operator Kalshi, following high-profile exits from prominent U.S. state gaming authorities. The controversy surrounding the NCPG Kalshi membership has triggered a wave of departures from the national non-profit organization. Over recent months, major regulatory and harm-prevention bodies including the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), and the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling severed their ties with the NCPG. The departures stem from regulatory concerns over prediction markets, which offer event contracts tied to sports outcomes, economic indicators, and political elections. Multiple state jurisdictions classify these event contracts as unlicensed or illegal gambling, putting regulatory authorities at odds with platforms expanding consumer trading into sports and political domains. The NCPG Kalshi membership and "functionally gambling" products Despite the regulator pushback, the NCPG maintains that engaging directly with prediction market operators is necessary to fulfill its core mission of harm reduction. Kalshi joined the council under its newly created Financial Services and Trading subcategory, contributing $2 million to help build out the NCPG's Financial Trader Health and Safety Initiative. Addressing the growing controversy, NCPG President Derek Longmeier emphasized that consumer exposure to prediction markets and financial event trading has grown exponentially, particularly among younger demographics. "Prediction markets have moved rapidly to a mainstream product used by millions of Americans. Regardless of how prediction markets are currently legally defined, NCPG believes it is functionally gambling and can expose consumers to many of the same risks and harms associated with traditional gambling," said Derek Longmeier, President of the NCPG. "We've been clear about this well before we launched our Financial Trader Health and Safety Initiative earlier this year. And the exposure today in scale, in speed, and in reach to new and often young users is unprecedented. NCPG is neutral on whether prediction markets should be legal. We are not neutral on the need to prevent and reduce gambling-related harm wherever it occurs." Independence and minimum safeguards Longmeier also addressed questions regarding financial contributions, assuring stakeholders that corporate funding does not buy regulatory influence or editorial control over policy positions. "Membership, funding or collaboration does not give any person or organization control over NCPG's research, advocacy, policy positions, or public statements," Longmeier explained. "We welcome engagement from gambling companies, sports leagues, prediction market platforms, financial-services organizations, regulators, policymakers, consumer advocates, researchers, community organizations, and prevention, treatment, and recovery professionals to advocate for and build real consumer protections such as responsible-engagement tools, self-exclusion options, age verification, clear risk disclosures, and direct lines to help." "Our goal is to get ahead of harm, and we consider the aforementioned protections to be minimum standards for entities offering gambling and functionally gambling products." The evolving boundary between trading and iGaming The rift highlights an expanding friction between traditional state gambling regulations and federally oversighted financial trading platforms. While federal regulators like the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) and federal courts continue to navigate the legal boundary of event contracts, state gaming commissions have taken an aggressive stance against platforms offering sports-adjacent or political wagering without state-issued gaming licenses. For the NCPG, maintaining neutrality on legal status allows the council to advocate for player protection tools directly within emerging financial trading apps, even as state regulators argue that membership risks legitimizing unlicensed entities. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources Gamingintelligence "National Council on Problem Gambling defends Kalshi’s membership"

Interface screenshot of the card game Tongits Go. Image credit/source: PlayJoy / Tongits Go. If you want to know how to play Tongits Go, start with one important distinction: learning the rules is not the same thing as learning a guaranteed way to win. Tongits is a Filipino card game built around forming combinations, managing unmatched cards and making decisions based on the cards available during a round. JILI's Tongits Go is its own digital implementation. JILI describes it as an Indian Poker game and says it involves competing against three other players, three types of victory settlements and special-hand rewards. That means a useful Tongits Go guide needs to cover more than the basic instruction to “draw, meld and discard.” A player also needs to understand what makes a useful meld, why a discard matters, how Sapaw can change a hand, and what happens when a player chooses a Fight or another round-ending option. At the same time, not every detail found on an online casino's Tongits page should automatically be treated as a universal JILI rule. Player arrangements, automated actions, timers and some settlement details can depend on the particular implementation. The guide below focuses on the mechanics that matter while clearly separating documented game features from practical strategy. What is Tongits Go? Tongits Go is JILI's digital Tongits-style card game. JILI's official game page classifies it as Indian Poker, lists its publication time as November 2022, and describes three broad features: competition against three other players, three types of victory settlements and special-hand rewards. Traditional Tongits is generally played with a standard 52-card deck. The central objective is to organize cards into valid combinations called melds while reducing the value of cards that remain unmatched. The basic concepts are familiar: Melds are valid card combinations placed together. Sets contain cards of the same rank. Sequences or runs contain consecutive cards of the same suit. The draw pile supplies cards during play. The discard pile records cards that players have thrown away. Sapaw refers to adding an appropriate card to an existing exposed meld. Tongits is a winning route associated with getting rid of the cards in your hand. Fight involves comparing remaining card values under the applicable rules. JILI's description adds digital settlement and special-hand mechanics to this familiar structure. It does not, however, publish every detailed rule on the public game-description page. That is why implementation-specific claims should be checked against the current game interface or applicable game rules before publication. How to play Tongits Go step by step The easiest way to understand how to play Tongits Go online is to think about every turn as a three-part decision: What can I draw? What can I combine? What should I discard? Your answer changes as cards are exposed and discarded. Start with your hand and the discard flow A Tongits round begins with cards being dealt to the participating players. Traditional Tongits sources commonly describe a three-player structure, although the exact starting-card arrangement should not be generalized to every Tongits Go implementation without verification. The important beginner principle is to organize your cards immediately. Look for: Three cards of the same rank Four cards of the same rank Three or more consecutive cards of the same suit Cards that are one step away from creating a useful sequence High-value cards that have no obvious combination After cards are organized, the game proceeds through drawing and discarding. The exact opening action can vary depending on the implementation, so players should follow the current JILI interface rather than assuming that every digital version follows one identical deal sequence. Build valid melds A meld is the foundation of Tongits. A basic set could be: 7♠ 7♥ 7♦ All three cards have the same rank. A sequence could be: 4♣ 5♣ 6♣ The cards are consecutive and share the same suit. Another sequence might be: 9♥ 10♥ J♥ Q♥ The important point is that a sequence requires consecutive cards of the same suit. Simply having consecutive ranks in different suits does not create the same type of run. Forming a meld removes those cards from your unmatched-card total. This matters because a round can ultimately be decided by the value of cards that remain outside your melds. A common beginner mistake is to treat every pair as something worth protecting indefinitely. A pair can become useful, but holding it too long can also leave a player with several unmatched high-value cards. Use Sapaw when the table allows it Sapaw is one of the most useful concepts to understand because it changes the value of cards already exposed on the table. The basic idea is that a player can add a suitable card to an existing meld. For example, suppose an exposed sequence is: 5♦ 6♦ 7♦ If the applicable rules permit it and you hold 8♦, adding that card to the sequence can turn a previously unmatched card into part of the meld. Likewise, an exposed three-of-a-kind can potentially accept the fourth card of that rank. Sapaw therefore does more than make the table look more complete. It can reduce the cards remaining in your hand and change your potential score if the round reaches a comparison. However, players should not assume that every interface permits every possible Sapaw action. The exact implementation should always take precedence. Draw and discard with the remaining cards in mind Drawing a card is not automatically good simply because the card could become useful later. After drawing, ask: Does the card immediately complete a meld? Does it create a strong sequence possibility? Does keeping it require holding several other cards? Does another player appear to be collecting the same rank or suit? If the round ended soon, how much value would remain unmatched? The discard decision is equally important. A card that does not contribute to a realistic combination may be a better discard than a high-value card that is already close to completing a meld. The goal is not to predict the exact next card. It is to make the current hand easier to finish while avoiding unnecessary exposure of useful cards to opponents. What are the main Tongits Go rules and winning conditions? The broad structure of Tongits revolves around getting rid of cards through melds or ending the round under an applicable comparison or settlement condition. JILI's official description confirms that Tongits Go has three types of victory settlements, but its public game page does not spell out every settlement rule. This is important because some online guides use traditional Tongits terminology while describing platform-specific implementations. Gameplay screen of a mobile Tongits card game featuring active card melds and player profiles. Image credit/source: funfusegames Tongits A Tongits win generally refers to a player successfully disposing of the cards in their hand through valid combinations and play. For a beginner, the practical lesson is simple: do not focus only on collecting combinations. Pay attention to whether your overall hand is moving toward a point where you can actually finish. A hand with several partial combinations can look promising while still leaving difficult unmatched cards. In-game interface of a digital Tongits card game featuring action choices such as Fight and Challenge. Image credit/source: funfusegames Fight or Draw A Fight is associated with comparing remaining unmatched card values when the applicable round-ending conditions are met. The basic strategic question is: How strong is my remaining hand compared with what I can reasonably infer about the other players? If your unmatched cards have already been reduced substantially, a comparison may be more attractive than continuing to expose yourself to additional draws. But this is not a guaranteed calculation. You do not know every opponent's hidden card. Some sources use “Draw” as a separate round-ending or settlement concept. Because the precise terminology and settlement can vary between implementations, the current JILI interface and game rules should be treated as authoritative for the specific version being played. In-game interface of a digital Tongits card game featuring action choices such as Fold and Challenge. Image credit/source: funfusegames Fold Some online implementations also provide a Fold option. Folding is fundamentally different from winning. It is a decision to exit or concede under the rules of the particular game rather than continue pursuing the round. Because the consequences of folding can be implementation-specific, do not assume that the same penalty or settlement applies across all Tongits Go platforms. In-game interface of a digital Tongits card game showcasing the "SUNOG" (burned) event during a match. Image credit/source: funfusegames Sunog or Burned status Sunog, sometimes translated as Burned, is another traditional Tongits concept that can affect a player's settlement. The basic idea is associated with having no exposed meld when a round ends under certain conditions. However, the exact JILI implementation and its settlement consequences should be verified against the current game version. This is an example of why copying traditional Tongits rules directly into an article about Tongits Go can be misleading. Shared terminology does not necessarily mean identical digital settlement. How does Tongits Go scoring work? Scoring is one of the areas where beginners can easily become confused because traditional Tongits rules and digital game settlements may overlap without being identical. Card values Traditional Tongits commonly assigns point values to cards so that unmatched cards can be compared at the end of a round. A commonly used structure is: Card Traditional point value Ace 1 2–10 Face value Jack 10 Queen 10 King 10 For example, an unmatched K♥, 8♣ and 3♦ would have a combined value of 21 under this traditional counting approach. That does not mean the same number automatically determines every JILI Tongits Go payout or multiplier. JILI confirms that the game has multiple victory settlements and special-hand rewards, but its public description does not provide a complete scoring table. Therefore, any JILI-specific multiplier, payout or settlement value should be verified against the current implementation before being stated as a fixed rule. Unmatched cards matter Even before the round ends, unmatched cards provide useful information about the state of your hand. Consider two hypothetical hands: Hand A: 2♠ 3♠ 4♠ + 7♥ 7♦ 7♣ + K♣ Hand B: K♠ Q♦ J♣ + 9♥ 8♣ 4♦ + 6♠ Hand A has two obvious melds and only one high-value unmatched card. Hand B contains several potentially useful cards but no completed melds. The first hand is therefore structurally stronger under the basic Tongits objective, even though the second hand might improve with future draws. This is the distinction between evaluating the current position and predicting the next result. What Tongits Go strategy actually helps? A useful Tongits Go strategy is less about discovering a secret system and more about making better decisions with the information visible on the table. Reduce high-value unmatched cards If a King, Queen or Jack is not contributing to a realistic combination, keeping it for too long can increase the value of your unmatched hand. That does not mean every high card should immediately be discarded. A King that completes a set or sits in a realistic sequence structure can be more valuable than a low card with no connection to anything. The better rule is: Evaluate the card's role in your entire hand, not its face value alone. Read the discard pile The discard pile provides information. Suppose you need one more 9 to complete a sequence. If several relevant 9s have already appeared in the discard pile, the probability of drawing the exact card you want is affected. Similarly, if an opponent repeatedly avoids taking a certain card, that may provide some information about what they do not currently need. But these observations are clues, not predictions. A discard does not reveal an opponent's complete hand, and a previous card sequence cannot guarantee what the next draw will be. Track exposed melds Visible melds reduce uncertainty about some cards. If three cards of one rank have already been exposed, fewer cards of that rank remain unseen. This can help a player evaluate whether holding a related card is still sensible. It can also affect Sapaw decisions. A card that can extend an exposed meld may have more immediate value than the same card would have in isolation. Avoid revealing useful information unnecessarily Every exposed meld tells the table something about your hand. This does not mean players should avoid melding. Melds are central to the game. Instead, the strategic question is whether the immediate benefit of reducing your hand outweighs the information other players gain from seeing your combination. The answer depends on the situation and the applicable rules. Evaluate Fight decisions instead of guessing A Fight decision should be based on the information you actually have. Consider: Your unmatched-card total How many melds you have exposed What cards have already appeared Whether opponents appear to have reduced their hands How much uncertainty remains What the applicable JILI settlement rules say What you should not do is treat a particular sequence of cards as a guaranteed signal that a Fight will succeed. There is no reliable “magic number” that guarantees a winning Fight without knowing the opponents' hidden cards. Can timing, patterns or a betting system guarantee a win? No strategy should be presented as a guaranteed way to win Tongits Go. Understanding the game can improve the quality of your decisions, but it does not eliminate uncertainty. A few common misconceptions deserve particular attention. “The game is due to give me a good card.” Previous draws do not create an obligation for the next draw to be favorable. “A certain time of day produces better cards.” There is no evidence in the supplied research establishing a reliable timing advantage. “A betting progression guarantees recovery after a loss.” Changing bet sizes does not change the underlying cards you receive. “The last few cards reveal the next card.” Discard history can provide information, but it cannot reveal an unknown card with certainty. For the exact digital dealing or RNG implementation behind a particular JILI deployment, the supplied research does not establish enough technical information to make a specific claim about its internal randomization method. That aspect is Needs verification rather than something players should infer from gameplay patterns. The useful distinction is between decision-making and prediction. You can choose whether to keep, meld, Sapaw, discard or Fight. You cannot guarantee what unseen cards will appear. How is JILI Tongits Go different from traditional Tongits? JILI Tongits Go shares recognizable Tongits concepts with the traditional Filipino card game, but it should not simply be treated as a digital copy of every traditional rule. Feature Traditional Tongits concept JILI Tongits Go Card combinations Sets and same-suit sequences Uses Tongits-style combination mechanics Draw and discard Core part of play Core digital gameplay flow Sapaw Adding to exposed melds Relevant to researched Tongits Go guides; exact implementation should be checked Tongits Round-winning route JILI describes multiple victory settlements Fight/Draw End-round comparison concepts Present in researched Tongits Go explanations; exact settlement should be verified Special hands Traditional rules vary JILI explicitly confirms special-hand rewards Digital interface Not applicable Timers and automatic actions may be implementation-specific Regulatory classification Traditional card game PAGCOR lists Tongits Go, ID 199, as a TABLE game under JILI The last distinction is particularly important. JILI's first-party page establishes the game's identity and major features, while PAGCOR's regulatory material confirms that Tongits Go appears on its JILI approved-game list. Neither source should be interpreted as saying that every website displaying a JILI Tongits Go logo is automatically authorized. How to check an online casino before playing Tongits Go If you plan to play Tongits Go online casino games for real money in the Philippines, checking the website is a separate task from checking the game. PAGCOR's Electronic Gaming Licensing Department states that it regulates gaming operations within the Philippine territory and processes approval of electronic gaming platforms and games. Its regulatory page also provides a list of PAGCOR-accredited gaming system administrators and registered brands and domain names/URLs. PAGCOR launched PAGCOR Guarantee in June 2025 specifically to help the public verify whether online gaming providers are duly licensed. The regulator says the service contains a regularly updated list of licensed internet gaming platforms and encourages players to verify a platform before playing or making payments. A sensible verification process is therefore: Check the exact website domain. Do not assume that a similarly named website is the same operator. Use PAGCOR's current verification resources. Compare the domain against the regulator's registered information. Check the game's status separately. PAGCOR's approved-game materials can establish whether a particular game appears in the approved list. Do not treat a game-provider logo as proof of operator authorization. A website can display a recognizable game title without that fact alone establishing its regulatory status. Check the current version and rules. If the interface has different timers, player arrangements or automatic actions, use the rules displayed by that implementation rather than assuming every Tongits Go table works identically. This distinction is one of the most important gaps in generic “how to play” articles: game approval and website authorization are related but separate verification questions. Responsible gambling when playing Tongits Go online Learning Tongits Go strategy can make the game easier to understand, but it should not be confused with a reliable income method. Card-game decisions can influence how a player manages a hand, but they cannot guarantee a profitable session. If playing for money, treat the activity as entertainment rather than a way to recover expenses or generate dependable income. Useful boundaries include: Set a spending limit before playing. Do not increase stakes simply to recover losses. Do not borrow money to continue playing. Take breaks when the game stops feeling recreational. Do not chase a previous result because you believe a win is “due.” Use responsible-gaming tools offered by authorized operators where available. PAGCOR maintains a Responsible Gaming Code of Practice for regulated gaming establishments. Players should also use the responsible-gaming information made available by the operator they choose. Frequently asked questions about Tongits Go How many players play Tongits Go? JILI's official description says Tongits Go involves competing against three other players. That makes the game's documented JILI setup different from generic descriptions that simply refer to a three-player Tongits table. The exact opponent presentation and whether opponents are human-controlled or automated should be verified in the current implementation. What cards make a meld in Tongits Go? The commonly documented Tongits combinations include sets of the same rank and sequences of consecutive cards from the same suit. For example, 8♠ 8♥ 8♦ is a set, while 5♣ 6♣ 7♣ is a sequence. What is Sapaw in Tongits Go? Sapaw is the act of adding a suitable card to an existing exposed meld. It can help reduce the number of unmatched cards in your hand, subject to the rules of the particular implementation. What is the most important Tongits Go strategy for beginners? Start by managing your unmatched cards, recognizing valid melds, watching the discard pile and understanding the consequences of a Fight or other round-ending decision. There is no verified strategy that guarantees a win. Can I predict the next card from previous results? No reliable prediction system has been established in the supplied research. Previous cards can provide information about what has already appeared, but they do not guarantee the identity of the next unseen card. Is Tongits Go approved by PAGCOR? PAGCOR's JILI application kit dated May 19, 2026 lists TONGITS GO, Game ID 199, Version 1, as a TABLE game. This establishes its presence on that approved-game list at the stated date. That does not by itself establish that every website offering Tongits Go is authorized. The operator and exact domain should be verified separately using current PAGCOR resources. Is Tongits Go the same as traditional Tongits? They share important concepts such as melds, drawing, discarding and round-ending decisions, but JILI Tongits Go has its own digital implementation and explicitly advertises multiple victory settlements and special-hand rewards. Platform-specific rules should therefore be checked rather than assuming that every traditional Tongits rule applies unchanged. Are timers and automatic actions the same on every Tongits Go platform? Not necessarily. The supplied research identifies inconsistencies among current online descriptions, so exact timer lengths, automatic actions and interface behavior are Needs verification for the particular JILI deployment being used. Final thoughts Learning how to play Tongits Go is most useful when the rules and the decision-making process are understood together. The fundamentals are straightforward: identify valid melds, manage the cards that remain unmatched, pay attention to the discard pile, use Sapaw when the rules permit it, and understand the consequences of round-ending choices such as Tongits and Fight. The harder part is knowing what the available information actually tells you. A strong hand does not guarantee a win. A useful discard does not reveal an opponent's complete hand. A sequence of previous results does not guarantee the next card. And a betting system cannot turn an uncertain card game into a guaranteed outcome. For Philippine players, there is another layer of due diligence: verify the specific online gaming platform and domain, not merely whether the Tongits Go game itself appears in an approved-game list. That combination of understanding the actual mechanics, making decisions from observable information, and independently checking the platform is a more reliable way to approach Tongits Go than any supposed “sure-win” formula. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News is an independent digital publication covering the global iGaming industry, with a particular focus on Asia-Pacific. Our coverage includes ongoing analysis of casino games, gambling regulation, iGaming companies and developments affecting the global gambling industry. Sources JILI - Tongits Go official game page PAGCOR - JILI approved-game list, May 19, 2026

Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase in action on the mound during an MLB game. Image credit/source: Getty Images / Major League Baseball (MLB). Federal prosecutors have narrowed the evidence they intend to present against former Cleveland Guardians closer Emmanuel Clase in an alleged sports betting conspiracy, identifying 18 pitches across 17 games as the focus of the upcoming trial. The development gives the defense a clearer picture of the government's case ahead of jury selection, which is scheduled to begin on 2 November in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York. Clase and fellow Guardians pitcher Luis Ortiz face federal charges connected to an alleged scheme involving advance information about specific pitches and wagers placed on their outcomes. According to a 18 September government filing cited by iGaming Business, prosecutors will focus on 18 pitches thrown by Clase between May 2023 and May 2025. They also intend to present evidence concerning two pitches allegedly involving Ortiz. Emmanuel Clase betting case narrows to 18 pitches The government's latest filing represents a narrower evidentiary focus than earlier allegations. Attorneys for Ortiz had previously stated that prosecutors had identified suspicious activity involving Clase in at least 48 games. The prosecution's current list covers 17 games and 18 specific pitches. The pitches span multiple MLB seasons and include mostly regular-season appearances. One of the identified pitches came during the 2024 American League Division Series, when Clase faced Detroit Tigers outfielder Matt Vierling on 5 October 2024. According to the prosecution's account, Clase's first pitch to Vierling was a 93-mph slider that missed the strike zone. Cleveland went on to win the game 7-0. The pitch is among the specific instances prosecutors plan to use at trial. The list begins with a May 2023 game against the New York Mets and extends to May 2025. IowaGamingBusiness reported that 17 of the 18 pitches identified by prosecutors involved a first pitch that was recorded as a ball, with the remaining pitch involving a later delivery in an at-bat. Prosecutors allege advance information was shared with bettors The central allegation is not simply that individual pitches produced particular betting outcomes. Federal prosecutors allege that Clase provided advance, non-public information about pitches to bettors, allowing wagers to be placed with knowledge of the intended pitch characteristics or outcome. The original federal indictment alleged that Clase and bettors coordinated around proposition wagers involving factors such as pitch type and velocity. Prosecutors said the information was sometimes communicated before or during games. The Department of Justice previously alleged that bettors placed hundreds of wagers based on information supplied by the players and that the scheme generated at least $400,000 in fraudulent winnings from pitches allegedly rigged by Clase. A later superseding indictment cited by court records put the combined winnings attributed to bets involving Clase and Ortiz at at least $450,000. The defendants have pleaded not guilty. Luis Ortiz also faces allegations The case extends beyond Clase. Ortiz, a starting pitcher who joined the Guardians before the 2025 season, is accused of participating in the alleged scheme involving two pitches. Prosecutors have said they will seek to establish that advance information about those pitches was provided to bettors. The Justice Department's original case alleged that Ortiz agreed to throw particular pitches as balls in exchange for payments. Prosecutors alleged that one arrangement involved a $5,000 payment to Ortiz and another $5,000 payment to Clase, while a second arrangement involved $7,000 payments to each player. Both players were placed on non-disciplinary leave during MLB's investigation into sports betting. MLB announced in March 2026 that their leave would continue without pay while the legal proceedings moved forward. The league said the arrangement was not an admission of wrongdoing. Micro-betting puts pitch-level integrity under scrutiny The case highlights a specific integrity challenge associated with increasingly granular sports betting markets. Traditional wagers can focus on game or player outcomes, while micro-betting allows customers to wager on individual events occurring within a contest. In baseball, that can include individual pitches and characteristics such as pitch type, location or velocity. The allegations against Clase center on precisely this level of information. Prosecutors say the alleged participants exploited advance knowledge of individual pitches to create an advantage for bettors. The original indictment alleged that some wagers involved thousands of dollars and that bettors used information about future pitches to place bets through online sportsbooks. For sports betting operators, integrity monitoring of such markets can therefore involve activity occurring at a much more granular level than the final score or conventional player statistics. The allegations remain unproven, but the case illustrates why access to non-public information can be particularly significant when betting markets are built around individual in-game events. Prosecutors point to alleged coded communications The prosecution is also expected to present evidence concerning communications between alleged participants. According to the latest reporting on the government filing, prosecutors contend that code words were used when discussing alleged rigged pitches. One example involves the word “rooster,” which prosecutors say was used to identify a batter in communications connected to an alleged pitch-rigging arrangement. The defense has disputed the government's interpretation of the term and has indicated that Clase's background and interest in rooster fighting in the Dominican Republic may be relevant to understanding the communications. The dispute illustrates an issue that will ultimately be tested through evidence and arguments at trial rather than through the government's allegations alone. November trial to test the government's evidence The narrowing of the case to 18 Clase pitches gives the upcoming trial a more defined evidentiary framework. The government's case is being prosecuted in the Eastern District of New York. The original indictment charged Clase and Ortiz with conspiracy offenses involving wire fraud, honest services wire fraud, sports bribery and money laundering. A federal judge rejected motions seeking dismissal of the wire-fraud conspiracy count in September, allowing the case to proceed toward trial. Jury selection is scheduled for 2 November. The defendants remain presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in court. What the case means for sports betting integrity The Emmanuel Clase betting case is being closely watched because it combines professional sports, athlete access to non-public information and highly granular betting markets. The government's decision to identify 18 specific pitches provides a more concentrated picture of the evidence it intends to use. It also places individual pitch markets at the center of a major U.S. sports betting prosecution. For the wider betting industry, the case demonstrates the importance of monitoring unusual activity around micro-bets, particularly where a participant may have access to information unavailable to the broader betting market. The November proceedings will determine how prosecutors' allegations withstand scrutiny in court. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources iGaming Business - report on prosecutors narrowing the Clase case to 18 pitches, published 23 September 2026.

Genius Sports graphic announcing the launch of Prediction.com for real-time prediction market contract comparisons. Photo credit: Genius Sports. Genius Sports has launched Prediction.com, a consumer-facing platform designed to bring prediction markets from multiple venues into one comparison environment, extending the company's role in the rapidly developing prediction-market sector. The platform, launched through Genius Sports' consumer media and technology business Legend on September 17, allows users to discover prediction markets, compare equivalent event contracts across platforms and monitor changing market probabilities. The launch gives Genius Sports a more direct consumer-facing position in prediction markets. Rather than solely supplying data and integrity services to market operators, the company is now providing a destination where users can compare contracts and pricing before following markets as events develop. Genius Sports Prediction.com targets fragmented prediction markets Prediction.com is built around the comparison of equivalent contracts across multiple prediction-market platforms. According to Genius Sports, the service aggregates market and pricing information into a single destination. It also includes a proprietary cross-venue pricing engine designed to compare multi-leg contract combinations. The development addresses a structural issue in the prediction-market category: users may encounter similar event contracts on different platforms but previously had to navigate those venues separately to compare available information. For the industry, a dedicated comparison layer could create another channel through which prediction-market operators can reach potential users while making differences between contracts and prices more visible. AGB reported that the platform is intended to support discovery and cross-platform comparison while extending Genius Sports' presence into the consumer side of the prediction-market journey. Live sports data is central to the platform A significant component of Prediction.com is its integration of live sports information with prediction-market pricing. For sports-related markets, the platform combines Genius Sports' live game data with real-time prediction-market pricing. Users can follow play-by-play developments alongside changing probabilities, prices and other market signals. That positioning connects two areas in which Genius Sports already operates: real-time sports data and prediction-market infrastructure. The company says it already provides official sports data and integrity services to leading prediction-market platforms. Its August partnership with Polymarket, for example, includes official data, streaming rights and integrity services for selected sports markets on Polymarket's US platform. The Prediction.com launch therefore adds a consumer comparison function to an existing business relationship with the wider prediction-market ecosystem. Prediction.com extends Genius Sports' Legend strategy Prediction.com is being launched through Legend, the Genius Sports consumer media and technology business. Genius Sports said the platform builds on Legend's existing consumer and comparison technology and is intended to become a flagship brand for the prediction-market category. This gives the launch a broader significance for Genius Sports beyond the individual Prediction.com product. The company has historically been closely associated with the collection, distribution and commercialisation of sports data. A consumer platform focused on prediction-market discovery and comparison places that data closer to the end user. It also creates a connection between Genius Sports' data capabilities and Legend's consumer-facing media assets. Prediction markets continue to develop as a distinct category The launch comes as prediction markets attract growing attention across sports and other event-based markets. Recent activity has also increased the visibility of prediction-market platforms within the sports ecosystem. Reuters reported that prediction-market activity during the opening weekend of the 2026 NFL season reached billions of dollars in daily volume, illustrating the scale of trading around sports-related event contracts. At the same time, regulatory treatment, market structure and user eligibility can vary significantly between platforms and jurisdictions. Prediction.com is positioned as a comparison and discovery service rather than as a prediction-market operator itself. The platform's role is to bring market information together and direct users toward the venues offering the relevant contracts. Genius Sports plans further Prediction.com expansion Genius Sports said Prediction.com will continue expanding its coverage, functionality and partner integrations as the global prediction-market ecosystem develops. The company's initial offering therefore represents the starting point for a broader comparison platform rather than a finished market directory. For prediction-market operators, the development introduces another potential discovery channel. For Genius Sports, it extends the company's position from supplying data and integrity infrastructure toward participating directly in how consumers discover, compare and follow prediction markets. The longer-term significance will depend on the breadth of market coverage, the number of platform integrations and how users adopt comparison tools as prediction markets develop across sports and other event categories. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources Genius Sports : Prediction.com launch announcement

Lawrence Ho speaking at a conference above news headline graphics regarding his transfer of 26.4 million Melco shares to a private trust. Photo credit: thestandard Macau — September 21, 2026 — Melco Resorts & Entertainment Chairman and CEO Lawrence Ho has transferred 26,440,086 ordinary shares in the casino operator to an irrevocable, professionally managed private trust as part of what regulatory filings describe as a generational wealth planning exercise. The transaction, disclosed through filings with the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), involved shares held directly by Ho as well as shares held indirectly through Black Spade Capital Limited. It was recorded as a gift with no consideration, rather than a sale of the securities. The move changes Ho's reported beneficial ownership in Melco Resorts but does not remove the Ho-controlled interests' majority position in the company. Lawrence Ho Melco shares transfer reshapes reported ownership The transfer was completed on September 16 and covered 16,505,664 shares held directly by Ho and 9,934,422 shares held through Black Spade Capital, according to the reported filings. The 26.44 million shares represent approximately 2.2% of Melco Resorts' outstanding ordinary shares. The securities are ordinary shares of Melco Resorts, whose American depositary shares (ADSs) trade on Nasdaq. Each ADS represents three ordinary shares. Following the transfer, Ho's reported beneficial ownership fell from approximately 58.5% to 56.3%, according to the latest ownership disclosures. The 687.36 million ordinary shares held through Melco Leisure and Entertainment Group remained in place. The ownership structure therefore continues to give the Ho-controlled group majority control of Melco Resorts. Private trust forms part of generational wealth planning The SEC disclosure describes the transaction as a transfer of ordinary shares by gift to an “irrevocable, professionally-managed trust” for generational wealth planning. The filing does not identify the trust's trustee, beneficiaries or jurisdiction. It also does not indicate that the shares were sold or exchanged for cash. The structure is notable because part of the transferred stake was already connected to a trust-associated ownership structure. Black Spade Capital's Melco Resorts shares were held through companies owned by a trust associated with Ho, according to the SEC disclosures. The transaction therefore represents an adjustment to the reported beneficial ownership structure rather than an exit from Melco Resorts. Ho-controlled stake remains above 50% Despite the transfer, Melco Resorts continues to have a majority shareholder structure linked to Ho and Melco International Development. The latest Schedule 13D disclosure identifies 687.36 million ordinary shares, equivalent to 56.3% of Melco Resorts, as being held by Melco Leisure and Entertainment Group. Melco Leisure is a wholly owned subsidiary of Hong Kong-listed Melco International Development. The filing also states that Ho is deemed to have interests in Melco International shares held through various companies and trusts associated with him and his family. Melco Resorts' ownership structure consequently remains concentrated, with the latest transfer changing the allocation of Ho's beneficial interests without altering the group's majority position. Melco Resorts share structure remains under Ho's control Ho also continues to have interests connected to restricted Melco Resorts shares awarded under the company's share incentive plans. The company's SEC filings identify unvested restricted shares that are scheduled to be delivered when the applicable vesting conditions are satisfied. The latest transaction should therefore be distinguished from a conventional disposal of shares. No cash consideration was reported, and the stated purpose was wealth planning across generations. For investors and the Macau gaming sector, the disclosure provides a clearer picture of how a major shareholder's interests in one of Macau's casino operators are being structured while majority control remains intact. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources ASGAM: Lawrence Ho gifts 26.4 million Melco shares to private trust for “generational wealth planning”.

Exterior view of a PAGCOR casino facility illuminated at night. Image credit/source: Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR). The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is considering a requirement for casinos and integrated resorts to adopt smart gaming table technology, as the regulator looks to increase visibility over transactions taking place across casino floors. According to reporting by Inside Asian Gaming on September 23, the proposed policy could eventually cover casinos nationwide. However, implementation is now understood to be unlikely before the second half of 2027, with large integrated resorts potentially forming the first phase of the rollout. The proposal would represent a further technology-driven development in the Philippines’ casino regulatory framework, while giving operators additional time to prepare for the investment required to deploy smart-table systems. PAGCOR smart tables plan could begin with large IRs The reported timeline marks a shift from an earlier expectation that the smart-table requirement could be introduced during 2026. Inside Asian Gaming reported that the policy may initially apply to larger integrated resorts, while smaller casinos could be brought into the framework at a later stage. The report cited industry sources who said PAGCOR is reluctant to impose significant technology costs on smaller operators while casino revenues remain under pressure from tourism-related headwinds and broader economic conditions. At present, smart-table technology has been adopted by only a limited number of Philippine casino operators. The properties identified in the report include Solaire’s two Philippine properties and Newport World Resorts. For operators that have yet to deploy the technology, a mandatory framework could therefore involve substantial investment in new table equipment, systems integration and related infrastructure. Smart gaming tables could increase transaction visibility Smart gaming tables use technology to capture and process information about activity occurring at gaming tables. For regulators, the potential value of the technology lies partly in providing greater visibility into transactions as they occur. That potential regulatory benefit is consistent with PAGCOR’s broader emphasis on continuing to develop its regulatory framework. PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco said at the September 17 Regulators Forum that the agency’s regulatory framework must continue to evolve alongside changes in the gaming industry. He also said PAGCOR must assess its regulatory approach as conditions and experience change. PAGCOR’s existing regulatory framework already establishes standards covering licensed land-based casinos, including requirements relating to game operations, licensing and enforcement. The regulator states that its objectives include maintaining an orderly regulatory environment, promoting fairness and integrity in gaming and preventing licensed gaming venues from being used for illegal activities. The potential smart-table policy would add another layer of technology-supported oversight to that framework. Philippine casino operators could face phased compliance A phased implementation would give major integrated resorts an earlier compliance deadline while allowing smaller casinos additional time to prepare. The distinction could be significant because smart-table deployment requires more than replacing conventional tables. Operators would need to assess the technology infrastructure, system integration, operational procedures and regulatory reporting requirements associated with the new systems. The reported approach also indicates that PAGCOR is taking the cost implications for operators into account before imposing a broad requirement. According to Inside Asian Gaming, smaller casinos could be incorporated into the program at a later date. For the industry, the eventual rules will therefore be important in determining the scope of the investment, implementation timetable and technical requirements. Macau provides a regional comparison The Philippines would not be the first Asian gaming jurisdiction to encourage widespread adoption of smart gaming tables. Inside Asian Gaming reported that Macau authorities issued a similar recommendation to the city’s six casino concessionaires in 2024. The technology was initially linked to the government’s interest in accurately calculating bets made by foreign players and supporting measures aimed at increasing international business. All six Macau concessionaires now have comprehensive smart-table systems, according to the report. The technology has also increasingly been used for purposes including player loyalty programs and greater flexibility around side bets. The Philippine proposal would have a different regulatory context, but Macau’s experience provides a regional example of how smart-table systems can move from a regulatory technology initiative toward broader operational applications. PAGCOR regulatory framework continues to evolve The potential smart-table requirement comes as PAGCOR continues to review and modify its regulatory framework. In his September 17 remarks, Tengco highlighted the need for the regulator to respond to changing industry conditions while maintaining public confidence in the integrity of licensed gaming. PAGCOR is also pursuing the planned separation of its regulatory and operating functions, a proposal that remains under government review. The smart-table proposal would add another technology-focused component to this broader regulatory transition. For now, however, the timing and final scope remain subject to PAGCOR's decision. The current reporting points to a possible rollout beginning with large integrated resorts from the second half of 2027, followed by smaller casinos at a later stage. No nationwide mandatory smart-table requirement has been announced by PAGCOR at this stage. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources Inside Asian Gaming: “PAGCOR eyes mandatory smart tables for all Philippine casinos and IRs,”

BetConstruct promotional artwork featuring a stylized red horse figure, highlighting its AI iGaming ecosystem. Image credit/source: BetConstruct. BetConstruct AI used its presence at SiGMA North America 2026 in Mexico City to showcase a broad portfolio spanning sportsbook, casino, prediction markets and virtual sports, positioning the products as components of a single technology ecosystem for operators. The company was scheduled to exhibit at the event on September 2–3 at Stand 74P, according to its own event communications and the September edition of Gaming International Online. Rather than focusing on one vertical, the showcase brought together several products, including BetConstruct AI's Casino Platform, Eventbook prediction markets, sportsbook tools, Betual Virtual Sports and its partnership with ADI Predictstreet. BetConstruct AI highlights casino and sportsbook platforms BetConstruct AI said its Casino Platform includes more than 58,000 games from over 360 providers, with content supplied through a single API and certified RNG technology. These figures are company-provided and describe the scale of the platform's stated content offering. The sportsbook portfolio formed another major part of the Mexico showcase. Among the features highlighted were Sport Reel, which turns losing bets into a gamified spin opportunity; Lucky Boost, which applies animated multiplier reveals to qualifying live-bet confirmations; and Power Bank, which allows the potential payout from an open wager to be used toward another wager before the original bet is settled. BetConstruct AI also presented Popular Players (Stake), an AI-supported feature designed to generate multi-market combinations around individual players and fixtures. The company said these combinations can be added to a bet slip in a single click. Eventbook adds prediction markets to the offering Prediction markets were another component of the portfolio through Eventbook, BetConstruct AI's prediction-market product. The company describes Eventbook as a “Yes or No” market designed to extend wagering-style engagement beyond conventional sports betting by allowing users to trade on outcomes linked to real-world events. The product forms part of a broader expansion of prediction-market technology across the sports and entertainment sector. BetConstruct AI announced a strategic partnership with ADI Predictstreet earlier in 2026. The agreement involves integrating ADI Predictstreet's prediction-market technology into BetConstruct AI's platform while providing access to official match streaming rights in selected European and international markets. ADI Predictstreet describes itself as the Official Prediction Market Partner of the FIFA World Cup 2026 and says its platform initially focuses on football prediction markets. BetConstruct AI Co-Founder Vigen Badalyan said the partnership expands the capabilities available through the company's ecosystem and combines official streaming content with prediction-market experiences. Betual targets continuous virtual sports activity The company's Mexico showcase also included Betual, its virtual sports product. BetConstruct AI said Betual is designed to provide continuous betting opportunities independent of the scheduling of real-world sporting events. The product uses dynamically unfolding virtual matches rather than predetermined outcomes, according to the company. More recent BetConstruct communications describe Betual as covering six sports, 24 competitions and 250 market types, with availability designed to address gaps caused by international breaks and other periods of limited live sporting activity. For operators, the product sits alongside traditional sportsbook and casino content as another way of maintaining activity when live sporting schedules are limited. A broader push toward integrated iGaming platforms The Mexico presentation reflects a wider industry trend toward consolidating multiple gaming products within fewer technology integrations. BetConstruct AI's stated proposition combines sportsbook functionality, casino content, prediction markets, virtual sports and AI-supported betting tools under one ecosystem. The company says this approach is intended to reduce integration complexity while giving operators access to multiple forms of player engagement through a common technology stack. The ADI Predictstreet partnership adds another dimension by connecting prediction-market technology and official sports content with the broader platform. ADI Predictstreet has separately identified BetConstruct among its growing ecosystem of partners following its FIFA World Cup 2026 launch. For the wider iGaming sector, the development illustrates how suppliers are expanding beyond traditional sportsbook and casino products into prediction markets, AI-assisted betting tools and virtual sports. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources Gaming International Online

DigiPlus logo displayed on the glass facade of its corporate building. Image credit/source: DigiPlus Interactive Corp. Manila, Philippines DigiPlus Interactive Corp. is expected to retain its position as the Philippines’ largest online gaming operator over the next two years despite increasing competition and a more demanding regulatory environment, according to S&P Global Ratings. The ratings agency assigned DigiPlus a B’ long-term issuer credit rating and a stable outlook, reflecting expectations that the company can recover gradually from regulatory changes affecting digital payment access while continuing to pursue new investment opportunities. The assessment places DigiPlus’ market position at the center of the Philippine online gaming sector, while also highlighting the challenges facing the operator as new competitors enter the market and regulations affecting online gaming payments continue to evolve. DigiPlus Philippines online gaming share remains above competitors According to S&P, DigiPlus’ share of the Philippine online gaming market declined to 41% in 2025 from 47% in 2024, reflecting increased competition from new market entrants. Despite the decline, S&P expects the company to maintain a market share of approximately 40% to 50% over the next two years. The agency said DigiPlus retains a significant lead over the second-largest operator, whose market share is estimated at 15% to 20%. S&P attributed the company's position partly to its established branding, product portfolio and large user base. The assessment comes as the Philippines' regulated online gaming market continues to expand while operators face greater scrutiny over payments, advertising, player protection and responsible gaming. PAGCOR's latest industry data shows that electronic and online gaming remains a major component of the country's regulated gaming economy. Regulatory changes remain a key factor S&P's stable outlook also reflects its expectation that DigiPlus will gradually adjust to regulatory changes, including measures affecting the connection between electronic wallets and online gaming platforms. The changes followed the Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas' 2025 directive requiring mobile wallet and payment providers to remove in-app links to online gambling platforms. The measure affected payment access across the industry and contributed to weaker online gaming activity. S&P nevertheless expects DigiPlus to navigate the changing regulatory environment through product development, user engagement and adjustments to its operating strategy. DigiPlus has also publicly highlighted responsible gaming, player protection and corporate governance as elements of its strategy as the regulatory framework develops. For the wider Philippine online gaming industry, the issue is increasingly one of balancing continued digital growth with tighter controls around payments, consumer protection and compliance. DigiPlus expands beyond online gaming While its domestic online gaming business remains its core market, DigiPlus is pursuing diversification through land-based casino investments and international online gaming operations. S&P identified expansion into Brazil and South Africa, alongside the company's land-based casino initiatives, as potential sources of longer-term diversification. The agency also noted that these initiatives introduce execution risks as DigiPlus expands beyond its established domestic online gaming operations. S&P expects the new initiatives to contribute approximately 10% to 20% of revenue and EBITDA by 2027 once they reach scale. The company's broader strategy is already reflected in its investment activity. DigiPlus has invested in International Entertainment Corp. (IEC), while its latest investor materials identify strategic expansion and diversification as part of its growth plans. Financial pressure expected before recovery Despite its market position, S&P does not expect DigiPlus' revenue trajectory to remain uninterrupted. Under its base-case scenario, the ratings agency expects revenue to decline by 17% in 2026, followed by 5% organic growth in 2027. Including the consolidation of IEC, S&P projects total revenue growth of 17% in 2027. DigiPlus' own second-quarter figures provide additional context. The company reported ₱15.6 billion in Q2 2026 revenue, while EBITDA reached ₱2.84 billion. Monthly average bettors and depositors increased 26% quarter-on-quarter to 4.68 million, while average monthly active users reached 5.75 million. However, gross gaming revenue fell 9% quarter-on-quarter to ₱15.61 billion during the period, illustrating the pressure facing the company even as user engagement indicators improved. Product portfolio supports market position DigiPlus operates three principal digital platforms: BingoPlus, ArenaPlus and GameZone. BingoPlus focuses on digital bingo and related games, ArenaPlus provides sports betting, while GameZone offers card games and casino-style online games. The company also operates a physical network of approximately 130 sites in the Philippines. The company's recent product expansion has included new digital entertainment offerings, while its broader strategy has increasingly positioned DigiPlus as a digital entertainment ecosystem rather than solely an online gaming operator. This diversification could become increasingly important as competition in the Philippine online gaming market intensifies and regulatory requirements become more stringent. Outlook for the Philippine online gaming market S&P's assessment points to a Philippine online gaming sector entering a more mature and competitive phase. DigiPlus continues to hold a substantial market lead, but the reduction in its estimated market share from 47% in 2024 to 41% in 2025 demonstrates the effect of new competition. At the same time, regulatory changes have altered the payment environment, while the company's planned expansion into land-based and overseas markets introduces a different set of execution considerations. For DigiPlus, the next stage of growth therefore depends not only on maintaining its domestic online gaming customer base but also on adapting to regulation and determining how effectively its diversification strategy can contribute to future earnings. S&P's current assessment indicates that the company expects to remain the largest participant in the Philippine online gaming market through the next two years, although its financial and strategic performance will continue to be influenced by competition, regulation and expansion execution. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources The Philippine Star “DigiPlus to sustain win streak in Philippines online gaming industry,” September 22, 2026. DigiPlus Interactive Corp. Q2 2026 financial results and operating update.

Cathryn Lai's appointment as Chief Product Officer at Interblock above a photo of her at SBC Summit North America. Photo credit: SBC Interblock Gaming has appointed Cathryn Lai as Chief Product Officer, giving the experienced gaming executive responsibility for the supplier’s global product strategy and online business as the company expands its digital and omnichannel offering. Electronic table games supplier Interblock Gaming has appointed Cathryn Lai as its new Chief Product Officer, adding an executive with more than 15 years of gaming-industry experience to its senior leadership team. Lai will oversee Interblock’s global product strategy while also taking responsibility for its online business. According to the company, her role will focus on using player and operator insights to support product development, innovation and growth across its portfolio. The appointment comes as Interblock develops its digital offering and prepares to introduce its new Omnichannel platform, which is intended to extend the supplier’s casino gaming products beyond traditional land-based gaming environments. Cathryn Lai to oversee Interblock’s global product strategy In her new position, Lai will lead the development of Interblock’s global product strategy and oversee the company’s online operations. Interblock said Lai’s responsibilities include bringing its land-based gaming experiences into the digital space while working toward a more integrated omnichannel experience for players. The appointment therefore places product development and digital gaming under a single senior executive as Interblock broadens the scope of its product portfolio. The company described Lai’s background in both land-based and digital gaming as an important addition to its leadership team, highlighting her experience across product management, commercial operations and marketing. Cathryn Lai brings experience across gaming technology and digital operations Lai has held senior positions with several major gaming technology and online betting businesses. Her previous roles include seven years as Senior Director of Product Management at WMS Gaming and more than five years in various positions at Scientific Games. She most recently served as Senior Vice President of Products, Marketing and Gaming Operations at Scientific Games before becoming Senior Vice President and General Manager US Digital at SG Digital. Her career also includes approximately three years as Chief Commercial Officer at OpenBet and almost two years as Chief Operating Officer of Sands Digital at Las Vegas Sands. That combination of product, commercial and digital experience provides a background spanning both casino-floor technology and online gaming operations. Interblock said Lai’s experience will support its continued product development and expansion. Interblock expands its Omnichannel focus Lai’s appointment comes as Interblock increases its focus on connecting its established electronic table games business with digital gaming. The company has said it plans to introduce its new Omnichannel platform, designed to extend its casino games beyond the traditional gaming floor and support a more connected player experience. Interblock’s own recent communications have also highlighted the upcoming Omnichannel solution alongside new products and its broader product portfolio. For Interblock, Lai’s remit therefore covers both the development of its core product portfolio and the company’s efforts to expand those experiences into digital channels. The supplier’s approach reflects a wider industry focus on combining land-based gaming technology with online and digital products, although the company has not disclosed detailed commercial targets for the online business in the announcement. New appointment follows broader Interblock leadership changes The appointment of Lai is part of a broader period of leadership changes at Interblock. The company appointed Kay Oswald as Chief Executive Officer in July, succeeding John Connelly. Interblock also recently appointed Marco Balliano as Chief Operating Officer and President for Europe, the Middle East and Africa. Lai’s appointment adds another senior executive with a strong digital and product background to the leadership structure. Interblock has not indicated that the appointment represents a change to its existing land-based strategy. Instead, Lai’s remit covers both the global product portfolio and online business, positioning the new CPO at the intersection of the supplier’s traditional electronic table game operations and its digital expansion. Interblock positions product development at the center of digital expansion The appointment gives Interblock a dedicated senior executive responsible for product strategy across its land-based and online businesses. Lai’s previous experience at WMS Gaming, Scientific Games, SG Digital, OpenBet and Sands Digital spans several areas of the gaming technology ecosystem. Her role at Interblock will now include developing the product roadmap and overseeing the company’s online business as the supplier works toward a more integrated omnichannel proposition. The timing places product development at the center of Interblock’s next phase of expansion, with the company continuing to develop its electronic table game portfolio while preparing to extend selected gaming experiences into digital channels. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources ASGAM / Inside Asian Gaming - "Interblock names digital gaming guru Cathryn Lai as Chief Product Officer" Interblock Gaming

Financial district skyline representing Philippine banking and casino regulations. Source: istockphoto The Bangko Sentral ng Pilipinas (BSP) is preparing tighter controls over how payment service providers assess merchants and payment channels after identifying widespread use of seemingly ordinary businesses to process transactions linked to online casino activity. The proposed changes would increase scrutiny of merchants, beneficiaries, underlying owners, payment arrangements and settlement accounts, while restricting structures that make it difficult for payment providers to establish where funds are ultimately going. The development places Philippine casino payment controls at the centre of a broader regulatory effort to strengthen the integrity of the country’s digital payments ecosystem. According to reporting by Bloomberg, cited by Asia Gaming Brief, the BSP has issued a draft memorandum proposing amendments to the Manual of Regulations for Payment Systems. The proposed framework would require greater visibility into the relationships between payment providers, merchants and the entities or individuals ultimately receiving funds. Philippine casino payment controls target merchant transparency Under the proposed amendments, payment arrangements that obscure the relationship between a merchant, its beneficiaries and the underlying owners could be prohibited. The draft would also place greater responsibility on payment service providers to understand the businesses using their platforms and the channels through which transactions are processed. Casinos and wagering operators, including both land-based and online businesses, are specifically identified for enhanced scrutiny. According to Asia Gaming Brief's account of the proposed rules, these operators would generally need to be accepted through direct merchant arrangements rather than layered structures involving intermediaries between the payment acquirer and the actual merchant. Enhanced due diligence and monitoring would also apply. The proposed approach reflects a wider concern within Philippine financial regulation: payment infrastructure can be used to disguise the actual nature of commercial activity when the payment provider has insufficient visibility into the merchant behind an account. The BSP describes payment-system oversight as part of its mandate to maintain safe, efficient and reliable movement of money. The National Payment Systems Act provides the central bank with authority to supervise and regulate payment systems in support of stability and efficiency. Small casino payments trigger BSP scrutiny The immediate issue appears to have been the discovery of large numbers of low-value transactions that did not initially resemble gambling payments. Asia Gaming Brief reported that the BSP detected merchants receiving thousands of small payments late at night, with the transactions subsequently identified as bets associated with online casinos. The report said more than 8,000 merchants were using businesses that appeared to be legitimate small retailers to receive such payments, and that those merchant accounts had subsequently been closed. Other reports described examples involving businesses presented as ordinary commercial establishments, including beauty salons and bakeries, while payment activity was allegedly connected to online casino operations. For payment providers, the issue extends beyond individual transactions. A merchant account may appear conventional when assessed in isolation, while transaction timing, frequency, value and recipient relationships can reveal a substantially different pattern when examined collectively. That makes transaction monitoring and merchant due diligence increasingly important as digital payments become a larger part of everyday commerce in the Philippines. BSP links payment oversight to consumer protection BSP Deputy Governor Mamerto Tangonan said stronger due diligence is needed to protect consumers from fraud, illegal activity and money laundering. “We want to protect consumers from online fraud, illegal activities and also from money launderers,” Tangonan said, according to Bloomberg reporting cited by Asia Gaming Brief. The proposed measures therefore extend beyond gambling regulation itself. The BSP's stated objective is to ensure that payment providers understand the businesses operating through their systems and can reconstruct the flow of funds when necessary. This distinction is important for the Philippine gaming industry. The proposed payment rules do not, by themselves, represent a new gambling licensing framework. Instead, they would impose additional requirements on the financial infrastructure through which merchants and gambling operators receive or move money. For licensed operators, payment compliance could consequently become an increasingly significant component of broader regulatory obligations. Direct merchant arrangements could reshape casino payments One of the most consequential elements of the proposed framework is the focus on direct merchant relationships. Layered arrangements can make it harder for a payment provider to identify the ultimate beneficiary of a transaction. Requiring gambling operators to maintain direct merchant relationships would give payment providers a clearer line of sight between the operator, its payment account and the settlement destination. For online gambling businesses, that could affect how payment channels are structured, monitored and maintained. Payment providers would also need to determine whether merchants are accurately representing the nature of their businesses. The discovery of gambling-related transactions through accounts apparently associated with unrelated retail activities demonstrates why transaction-level checks alone may not always be sufficient. The BSP's broader payment framework already places emphasis on safety, reliability and efficiency within the country's retail payment system. The proposed amendments would add a more detailed layer of merchant and ownership visibility to that framework. PAGCOR working with BSP on payment issue The Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) is also involved in discussions surrounding the issue. Asia Gaming Brief reported that PAGCOR Chairman and CEO Alejandro Tengco confirmed the gaming regulator is working with the BSP, while noting that PAGCOR does not control the payment arrangements involved in the issue. The cooperation illustrates the intersection between gambling regulation and financial-sector supervision. PAGCOR is responsible for regulating and supervising the gaming sector, while the BSP oversees payment systems and BSP-supervised financial institutions. Payment channels connecting gambling businesses with consumers therefore sit at the intersection of both regulatory areas. That division of responsibility is particularly relevant as regulators seek to distinguish licensed gambling activity from transactions connected to unlicensed or disguised operators. Payment de-linking adds complexity to channelization The latest BSP proposal also arrives against the backdrop of earlier efforts to separate licensed online gaming operators from mainstream e-wallet payment channels. According to Asia Gaming Brief, the BSP previously ordered the removal of direct links to licensed online gaming operators by e-wallet providers. PAGCOR subsequently reported at the IAG EXPO in Manila that channelization the share of online gambling activity occurring on licensed sites rather than black-market platforms was around 50%. Asia Gaming Brief also reported that channelization had previously been estimated at as much as 75% before the de-linking measures. Those figures are attributed to the respective reporting and should not be interpreted as an independent BSP measurement of current gambling-market share. The regulatory challenge is therefore broader than simply preventing payment providers from processing gambling transactions. Authorities must also contend with how consumers reach licensed and unlicensed operators, how funds are transferred, and whether restrictions on one payment route encourage activity to migrate to alternative channels. What the proposed rules could mean for payment providers If adopted, the proposed BSP amendments could increase compliance obligations for payment service providers operating in the Philippines. Among the areas likely to receive greater attention are: Merchant identification: Providers would need clearer information about the businesses using their payment services. Beneficial ownership: Payment providers would have greater responsibility to identify underlying owners and beneficiaries. Payment-channel transparency: Arrangements that obscure the connection between a merchant and recipient could face restrictions. Enhanced monitoring: Casino and wagering-related merchants would face additional scrutiny. Transaction analysis: Unusual patterns, including large volumes of low-value payments, could attract closer examination. Settlement-account visibility: Providers would need better visibility over where funds are ultimately settled. The exact obligations will depend on the final wording of the BSP amendments and any implementation requirements that follow. At this stage, the measures described in the reporting are proposed changes rather than confirmed final rules. A new compliance pressure point for Philippine gaming The BSP's proposed measures demonstrate how gambling-sector compliance is increasingly extending into the payment infrastructure supporting digital wagering. For licensed operators, maintaining transparent and properly documented payment relationships could become more important as financial institutions strengthen their merchant screening and transaction-monitoring processes. For payment providers, the challenge will be to distinguish legitimate merchants from businesses being used as payment intermediaries for activities that do not match their declared business profiles. The issue also illustrates the limitations of relying solely on direct links between consumers and operators when gambling transactions can be routed through apparently unrelated merchants. As the Philippines continues expanding its digital payments infrastructure, regulators are simultaneously seeking stronger safeguards around how that infrastructure is used. The next stage will depend on the final BSP amendments and how payment providers, gambling operators and other industry participants adapt to the resulting compliance requirements. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Source ASGAM "Philippine Central Bank to tighten controls on how payment providers assess payment channels due to proliferation of casino micro-payments"

A graphic displaying the flag of Brazil above news text discussing potential online casino bans and changes in the regulated betting market. Photo credit: quatenusonline Brazil’s government is preparing an executive order that could prohibit online casino operations, potentially creating a major new regulatory divide between casino gaming and sports betting in one of Latin America’s largest regulated gambling markets. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva is expected to decide on the final measure in the coming days, according to people familiar with discussions inside the presidential office cited by Reuters. The proposed restriction is reportedly being considered ahead of Brazil’s first-round general election on October 4. The reported measure would target online casino operations while leaving sports betting and sponsorship agreements involving sports clubs and competitions outside the ban, according to sources cited by Reuters. That distinction could have significant consequences for operators whose licences currently cover both casino games and sports betting. Brazil online casino ban would split a recently regulated market Brazil only recently completed the licensing and regulatory framework for fixed-odds betting, following legislation that established the foundations for a regulated online betting market. The government has issued licences covering both online casino products and sports betting. Reuters reported that 188 operators are currently authorised to operate in Brazil. A ban on casino products would therefore affect businesses that entered the regulated market under a framework that permitted multiple forms of online gambling. The potential change also comes as Brazilian authorities continue strengthening enforcement against unauthorised betting activity. On September 15, Brazil’s Ministry of Finance announced a new measure designed to identify and disrupt payment transactions connected to illegal fixed-odds betting operations. The measure includes procedures for identifying irregular operators, blocking accounts and interrupting financial flows associated with unauthorised betting activity. The development illustrates the more complex regulatory environment facing Brazil’s betting sector, where the government is simultaneously tightening controls on illegal operators while considering restrictions on part of the licensed market. Government weighs gambling revenue against social concerns Lula has repeatedly expressed concern about the social consequences of online gambling, including gambling-related indebtedness. Reuters reported that Brazilian consumers spend an estimated 60 billion reais annually on betting, while the government collected almost 10 billion reais through licensing fees and taxes from the sector in 2025. A prohibition on online casino games could therefore affect both operators and public finances. The potential impact would depend on the final scope of the measure, particularly whether existing licences are partially restricted and how the government treats operators that have already paid fees to participate in the regulated market. Industry representatives have argued that casino products account for a substantial share of operator revenues. The National Association of Gaming and Lotteries has said that restrictions should be preceded by economic and legal assessments of their consequences. Operators could face compensation claims The proposed ban could also trigger legal disputes between the government and licensed gambling companies. Bernardo Cavalcanti Freire, legal adviser to the National Association of Gaming and Lotteries, told Reuters that restrictions on activities covered by existing licences could result in reimbursement or compensation claims. The association has estimated that potential liabilities could reach as much as 120 billion reais, although that figure is an industry estimate rather than a government assessment or established legal liability. The eventual legal exposure would depend on the wording and legal basis of any executive order, the rights granted under existing authorisations and how Brazilian courts interpret those arrangements. For operators, the distinction between cancelling an entire licence and restricting individual product categories could become particularly important. Sports betting could remain outside the proposed ban One of the most significant elements of the reported proposal is its potential treatment of sports betting. According to Reuters, two sources said the proposed prohibition would not extend to sports betting or sponsorship arrangements involving sports clubs and competitions. That would leave operators with an opportunity to continue offering sports wagering while losing casino products that may represent a major portion of their business. The arrangement could also have implications for Brazil’s sports ecosystem. Betting companies have become important commercial partners for clubs and competitions, while operators have built businesses around both sportsbook and casino products. If casino gaming were removed from the licensed market but sports betting remained legal, companies could be forced to reassess their product portfolios, marketing strategies and commercial relationships. Brazil's regulatory direction remains uncertain The reported executive order has not yet been finalised, and the precise legal mechanism and scope of any restriction remain subject to government discussions. That uncertainty is particularly relevant because Brazil’s gambling framework has undergone substantial regulatory development in recent years. The Finance Ministry’s current regulatory agenda includes work on operator authorisation procedures, payment restrictions involving unauthorised operators and rules governing online advertising through affiliates. The ministry has also recently expanded measures aimed at disrupting financial transactions associated with illegal betting. Taken together, these developments point to an increasingly interventionist regulatory environment, although the government's final approach to licensed online casino products remains unresolved. For the regulated market, the central issue will be whether Brazil moves toward a narrower betting framework centred on sports wagering or modifies the existing system while retaining selected casino products. What happens next? The government is expected to continue discussions before any final measure is issued. Until the text of an executive order or other legal instrument is published, the precise products affected, implementation timetable and treatment of existing licences cannot be established with certainty. For operators, investors and other gambling-sector stakeholders, the immediate focus will be on the final scope of the measure and whether sports betting remains legally distinct from online casino gaming. Any formal restriction would also need to be assessed against Brazil’s existing gambling legislation, licensing arrangements and constitutional and administrative law framework. The potential policy shift therefore extends beyond a product ban. It could become a significant test of how Brazil balances consumer protection, gambling regulation, tax revenues, sports financing and the legal expectations created by its newly established regulated market. About Asia Casino News Asia Casino News covers developments across the casino, iGaming, betting, regulation and gaming industries in Asia and international markets. Our coverage follows the legal, regulatory and commercial changes shaping the global gambling industry. Visit Asia Casino News for more industry news, analysis and gambling guides. Sources Reuters, “Brazil plans executive order to ban online casinos, sources say,” September 17, 2026.