Written by :

C Costigan

Published on :

17 April, 2026

Ninth Circuit Signals Skepticism on Prediction Markets’ Bid to Bypass State Gambling Laws
Latest Iran Conflict Betting Markets as Strait of Hormuz Reopens
Suit Against Dave & Busters in South Carolina Court Claims Arcade Games Are Unlawful Gambling
Ex-NBA Player Damon Jones Expected to Plead Guilty in Gambling Scheme

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Prediction Markets

Rep. Gabe Vasquez Urges CFTC to Address Gambling Loophole During House Hearing

Rep. Gabe Vasquez raises concerns at CFTC hearing: During a House Agriculture Committee hearing on April 16, 2026, U.S. Representative Gabe Vasquez criticized prediction markets, suggesting they resemble sports betting. He urged the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to return focus to its intended purpose of regulating economic risk rather than overseeing what he termed unregulated gambling.

Call for regulatory clarity: Vasquez emphasized that the CFTC was established to manage derivatives markets and questioned how these markets could be distinguished from sports betting. He cited the lack of consumer protections, such as licensing and age verification, asserting the need for stronger regulations in this area to safeguard public interests.

Vasquez’s ongoing advocacy: The Representative has previously highlighted the issue during a December 2025 hearing and has supported various legislative efforts aimed at ensuring accountability and integrity in prediction markets, including measures to protect against insider trading and to address potential corruption.

Casino News (Arizona)

Arizona Charlie’s Vegas Venues Pay Out $2.3M in Prizes Last Month

Friday April 17,, 2026 (12:49 pm EDT)

Gamblers at Arizona Charlie's two Clark County casinos won almost $2.3 million in March.

Official data shows that Arizona Charlie’s Boulder, a hotel and locals casino in Paradise, Nevada, and Arizona Charlie’s Decatur, an off-Strip hotel and locals casino in Las Vegas, awarded almost $2.3 million to players in March alone.

Slot players at the two casinos won $1,846,129 over the month. At the same time, bingo enthusiasts scooped up $452,289 in prizes.

A $96,463 prize was won March 4 on the Double Progressive bingo jackpot.

A Dancing Drums slot paid $21,006 during that month.

(source: GamblingNews)

Casino News (Las Vegas)

Plaza Hotel & Casino in Vegas to Open New High Limit Gaming Room

Friday April 17,, 2026 (12:08 pm EDT)

The Plaza Hotel and Casino in downtown Las Vegas will open a High Limit Gaming Room later this summer, offering an exclusive slot play area with the newest, most popular games.

Located on the main casino floor, the Plaza’s new High Limit Gaming Room will be an intimate gaming space with approximately 60 state-of-the-art games, including several electronic table games, for an enhanced gaming experience.

“The Plaza continues to diversify its offerings to meet the changing needs of our guests,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “Adding a High Limit Gaming Room is just another amenity we want to provide so our guests know they have a variety of gaming options at the Plaza, including an exclusive, comfortable, and personalized area for slot play.”

Jossel added that the High Limit Gaming Room is being added due to the Plaza’s growing slot business, new higher-end players making the Plaza home, and requests from longstanding customers.

Prediction Markets

Ninth Circuit Signals Skepticism on Prediction Markets’ Bid to Bypass State Gambling Laws

Friday April 17,, 2026 (11:15 am EDT)

The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit judges expressed skepticism that sports-based event contracts differ meaningfully from traditional betting during April 16 oral arguments in a consolidated case involving North American Derivatives Exchange Inc. (Crypto.com), Robinhood, and Kalshi against Nevada.

U.S. Circuit Judge Ryan Nelson bluntly rejected Crypto.com attorney Shay Dvoretzky’s argument that exchange-traded contracts differ in substance from sportsbook wagers:

"This is sophistry to the nth degree… It’s still the house.”

When counsel argued that event contracts operate through market mechanisms rather than bookmaker odds, Nelson pushed back:

"You’re still setting odds and betting on outcomes… I don’t understand how you can say those are different.”

(source: GamblingInsider)

Iran Conflict

Latest Iran Conflict Betting Markets as Strait of Hormuz Reopens

Friday April 17,, 2026 (10:32 am EDT)

President Trump and Iran's foreign minister say the Strait of Hormuz is now fully open.

In a social media post, U.S. President Donald Trump said Iran announced that the strait “is fully open and ready for full passage.”

Minutes earlier, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi posted on X that the passage for all commercial vessels through the strait “is declared completely open” in line with the ceasefire in Lebanon. He said it would stay open for the remaining period of the ceasefire.

Traders were giving the end of the Iran/USA/Israel conflict a greater than 90% chance of ending this month.

Regional Gambling News (Maine)

Maine Casino’s Lawsuit Threatens Foundation of Indian Law in US

Thursday April 16,, 2026 (9:35 pm EDT)

Oxford Casino's lawsuit drafts off the momentum of recent conservative victories before the Supreme Court and argues that Maine's law is discriminatory because it employs race to gatekeep access to internet gaming operations.

On April 1, 2026, the four Wabanaki Nations — the Houlton Band of Maliseet Indians, the Mi’kmaq Nation, the Passamaquoddy Tribe, and the Penobscot Nation — represented by the Native American Rights Fund and co-counsel filed an unopposed motion to intervene in Oxford Casino Hotel, et al. v. Champion in the U.S. District Court for the District of Maine. On April 2, the district court granted the Nations’ motion. The Nations’ intervention ensures their voices are represented in a lawsuit challenging Maine’s new internet gaming law, An Act to Create Economic Opportunity for the Wabanaki Nations Through Internet Gaming, a statute that is important to unique Tribal economic and sovereign interests.

The law, enacted earlier this year, establishes a regulatory framework allowing the Wabanaki Nations to seek licenses to operate internet gaming in Maine. The statute is designed to support Tribal self-determination and create economic opportunities that strengthen the Wabanaki governments and their ability to provide for their communities. The Nations are the direct beneficiaries of the law and have significant sovereign, economic, and constitutional interests at stake in the litigation.

The lawsuit, brought by Oxford Casino Hotel and others, seeks to invalidate the law on constitutional grounds. By granting the Wabanaki Nations’ motion to intervene, the court has allowed the Nations to participate as party defendants to defend the law and protect their unique sovereign right as governments to pursue economic development in order to fund essential government programs, services and infrastructure.

Hard Rock Bows Out of Meadowlands North Jersey Casino Proposal

Thursday April 16,, 2026 (9:35 pm EDT)

Hard Rock International has sold its 50% stake in a potential casino at the Meadowlands Racetrack to the track’s owner, Jeff Gural, who says he’s confident voters will allow it to be built if he can devise a way to help Atlantic City using some of the casino’s revenue.

Gural’s company, New Meadowlands Racing, bought out Hard Rock’s interest about two weeks ago in a proposed casino at the track, which the two parties first proposed in 2015.

Gural would not divulge the price. (source: CDC Gaming)

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Thursday April 16,, 2026 (9:05 pm EDT)

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Regional Gambling News (South Carolina)

Suit Against Dave & Busters in South Carolina Court Claims Arcade Games Are Unlawful Gambling

Thursday April 16,, 2026 (7:15 pm EDT)

A state advocacy group filed a suit in the District Court of South Carolina Florence Division late Wednesday April 15 against the restaurant and entertainment chain Dave & Buster's arguing its games function as unlawful gambling rather than entertainment.

The group claims that the structure invites patrons to risk money for a chance at a larger reward, which it says fits South Carolina’s gambling definition.

The filing also claims a customer who loads $55 onto a card typically loses most of that amount on a single visit.

The lawsuit does not single out a specific game, but rather challenges Dave & Buster’s overall prize-based arcade model, which would likely encompass games including Wicked Tuna.

The case targets specific stores in Myrtle Beach, Columbia and Greenville and seeks triple damages, fees and a declaration that the model is illegal.

Gambling Crime / NBA

Ex-NBA Player Damon Jones Expected to Plead Guilty in Gambling Scheme

Thursday April 16,, 2026 (12:30 pm EDT)

Former Cleveland Cavalier Damon Jones is expected to plead guilty in a federal court after being charged with giving inside information about National Basketball Association player injuries.

Jones’ plans were disclosed Thursday in court documents.

By entering a guilty plea, Jones would be agreeing that he knowingly shared non-public information that could influence betting markets. The move likely reduces his potential sentence and could signal cooperation with investigators as the larger case continues to unfold.

He has requested a change of plea hearing scheduled on April 28.

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