Las Vegas visitor numbers stable in H1 2026; Connecticut sues Kalshi and seeks injunction; NFL unveils sportsbook partners ahead of new season; Nebraska sports betting petitions confirmed for November ballot; plus the week’s other news from North America.

Las Vegas visitor numbers stable in first half of 2026

Visitor numbers to Las Vegas were stable in the first half of 2026 at 19.58 million, up by 0.2 per cent from H1 2025.

Average monthly occupancy at Las Vegas’ hotels in H1 2026 was also unchanged year-on-year at 82.0 per cent.

Despite showing no growth, the first half numbers represent a good performance for Las Vegas because media coverage throughout 2025 focused on how expensive it had become and visitors were staying away.

In the first half of 2026, only three months out of six showed improvement on the previous year, and the monthly visitor number total has not surpassed 3.5 million since October 2024.

Nebraska

Nebraska’s five land-based casinos saw revenue increase by 32 per cent to $28.1 million in July, including retail sports betting. Slot machines took revenue of $24.4 million, and the table games earned $3.1 million, while retail sports betting revenue rose 43 per cent to $574,488. WarHorse Casino Omaha led the way with record revenue of $10.7 million, ahead of WarHorse Gaming Lincoln’s $8.1 million and Grand Island Casino’s $5.5 million.

Michigan

Michigan has reported a 22 per cent increase in combined iGaming and online sports betting revenue for July to $346.1 million. iGaming revenue was above $300 million for the fifth consecutive month at $302.8 million, up by 21 per cent year-on-year, while online sports betting revenue rose by 27 per cent to $43.4 million, on a 26 per cent rise in wagers to $355.2 million.

Massachusetts

Massachusetts’ online sports wagers climbed by 21 per cent in July to $587.1 million. DraftKings was the leading brand on wagers of $281.2 million, a rise of 19 per cent year-on-year. FanDuel managed even better growth than its rival at 24 per cent, taking wagers to $150.6 million, while Fanatics was ahead of BetMGM by wagers on $59.7 million versus $52.8 million. Monthly gross revenue from sports betting increased by 37 per cent to $66.5 million.

In the state’s land-based gaming market, Massachusetts’ three casinos saw revenue fall by 1 per cent to $99.0 million in July, including results from retail sports betting. Revenue from slot machines rose by 2 per cent to $73.7 million, while table gaming win was down by 9 per cent to $24.8 million. Retail sports betting in the casinos was down by 19 per cent at $473,924.

Louisiana

Louisiana’s sports wagers grew by 23 per cent in July to $279.5 million, as mobile betting rose by 26 per cent to $269.3 million, making up for a 21 per cent decline in retail wagers to $10.2 million. Monthly net proceeds from sports betting increased by 11 per cent to $34.6 million, including $20.4 million from parlay bets. Sportsbooks took a record of $2.7 million in net proceeds from soccer during the month, as the FIFA World Cup concluded.

In the state’s land-based and riverboat sector, Louisiana’s sixteen casinos reported an 8 per cent increase in gaming revenue to $185.5 million in July. L’Auberge Lake Charles was the leading property on $28.6 million, ahead of Golden Nugget Lake Charles’ $27.0 million and Caesars New Orleans’ $25.9 million. Admissions to the state’s casinos were up by 2 per cent to 1.76 million during the month, including 275,040 to the Golden Nugget and 259,723 to Caesars.

Illinois

Wagering on Illinois’ gaming machines increased by 7 per cent to $3.09 billion in July. The number of machines in operation across the state rose by 495 units to 49,693, equivalent to a 1 per cent rise. Revenue from the machines was up by 9 per cent to $286.6 million, leading to monthly tax of $100.3 million.

Jumbo Interactive has reported a 33 per cent increase in revenue to A$193.6 million for the financial year ended 30 June 2026, including contributions from Dream Giveaways in the United Kingdom and United States.

Ainsworth Game Technology reported a 23 per cent fall in revenue to A$116.5 million for the first half of 2026, including a 38 per cent revenue decline in North America.

Allwyn reported a 27 per cent increase in net revenue to €1,246 million for the second quarter of 2026, driven by continued digital growth and strong contributions from PrizePicks.

GiG Software reported a 5 per cent drop in revenue to €8.8 million for the second quarter of 2026, with quarterly net loss widening to €7.2 million.

The Canadian securities and investment regulators have provided new guidance to clarify that certain types of event contracts should not be regulated within securities and derivatives legislation.

NorthStar Gaming has been hit with a CA$100,000 monetary penalty for alleged failures to comply with anti-money laundering (AML) requirements in Ontario.

The state of Connecticut is suing Kalshi and seeking a court injunction to block the prediction market platform from offering unlicensed sports wagering in the state.

The National Football League (NFL) has agreed new commercial agreements with DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics Betting and Gaming ahead of the new 2026 season.

Scientific Games has officially launched its latest multi-state SG Signature Linked Game in four US markets, with another nine state lotteries set to launch by December 1.

Kalshi has agreed a strategic partnership with The Weather Company to enhance its weather prediction markets.

bet365 has launched its online sportsbook and casino in West Virginia, marking its 18th state launch across the United States.

Sportradar Group has significantly expanded its US prediction market partnership with Polymarket to more than twenty global sports leagues and competitions.

BETER has expanded its footprint in the United States after securing approval to supply its esports and sports content to licensed operators in Virginia.

Games Valley has strengthened its executive team with the appointment of Jorge Morales as its first director of Americas.

Allwyn-owned Instant Win Gaming (IWG) has agreed a new six-year contract with the Michigan Lottery.

Soft2Bet’s online sports betting brand ToonieBet has been unveiled as the exclusive sportsbook partner of the Canadian Football League’s Ottawa Redblacks.

Caesars Sportsbook has been served with a civil monetary penalty of $251,250 by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) for multiple responsible gambling violations.

This week’s games and platform integrations round-up features Play’n GO, 1spin4win, Yggdrasil, Pragmatic Play and BGaming.

Kalshi has become the official prediction market partner for five Major League Baseball (MLB) teams, including the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox.

Maryland has enacted a new law targeting offshore gambling operators and other US-based companies that provide access, payments and advertising services to them.

Two sports betting petitions that would legalize and create a framework for online sports betting in Nebraska have qualified for the state’s November general election.

Bluberi is establishing three new game development studios in North America, including its first dedicated iGaming studio in the Montréal area.

Evolution has recommended that its shareholders do not accept the recent takeover offer from its largest shareholder, Candle Lake.

Polymarket has filed a petition in France to challenge the gambling regulator’s recent decision to block its prediction market platform.

Global sports entertainment platform DAZN is looking to further accelerate its expansion across the United States with an agreement to acquire EverPass Media.