Chips.gg Weekly iGaming Roundup (May 26 - June 1)
Hold on to your headsets and hot streaks, here’s what went down in the iGaming world this week! From big moves in global betting markets to spicy headlines shaking up the online casino scene, we’ve rounded up the juiciest updates so you don’t have to go digging.
The Super-User Code Scandal: Skywind vs. In Touch Games
Imagine paying £51 million for a company only to find a legal hornet’s nest inside. That’s what Skywind Holdings is dealing with after acquiring UK-based In Touch Games. Instead of a tidy integration, the deal has unraveled into a courtroom drama packed with fraud allegations, mysterious "super-user codes," and the kind of digital cover-ups that make tech thrillers look tame.
Skywind claims a covert system tweak back in 2021 allowed staff to delete customer document images, and worse, automatically erase any trace of those deletions. They’re calling it the "Super-User Code" and alleging it was built to mask the so-called "RSM Audit Fraud." This all reportedly went down well before the acquisition, raising questions about transparency in due diligence and trust in M&A deals across the iGaming industry.
Brazil’s Betting Ad Ban Sparks National Uproar
Just months after launching a regulated sports betting market, Brazil’s Senate is moving forward with Bill 2,985/2023. This bill threatens to block ads during live sports, ban celebrity endorsements, and compress all betting promotions into tiny windows before and after events. Brazilian football clubs are freaking out. Over 50 teams predict a $285 million annual loss if this passes.
Operators, already coughing up a 12% GGR tax and R$30 million license fees, are warning that this could push illegal gambling activity from 50% to 70% of the total market.
Latin America Expands Again: Playson x Cactus Gaming
As Brazil remains a regulatory battleground, Playson is seizing opportunity through a partnership with Cactus Gaming. This deal supercharges Playson’s expansion in Brazil and across Latin America, plugging their top-tier slots into Cactus’s wide operator network.
Cactus Gaming, founded in 2018, already commands attention in sports betting. Now, with Playson’s mobile-first games, their platform just became a lot more attractive to operators looking for fresh content in regulated digital markets.
Big Moves in Manila: PAGCOR Bosses Step Down
In a surprise reshuffle, PAGCOR’s entire leadership team submitted courtesy resignations this week, including Chairman Alejandro Tengco. While the resignations follow a national directive from Malacañang targeting all GOCC leaders, industry insiders are split: is this political housecleaning, or a cooperative gesture?
PAGCOR’s Q1 2025 earnings beat government expectations, and the agency turned over 75% of net income to the national treasury so the resignations weren’t triggered by underperformance.
Million-Dollar Hits and 20-Cent Miracles
It’s not all courtroom drama, there were some headline-grabbing wins this week too.
Illinois Lottery’s FastPlay Ultimate Diamond Jackpot paid out $1.67 million to a single lucky player on May 27. Over 6,300 winning tickets were sold the same day, pushing total player rewards past $2 million in just 24 hours.
Meanwhile in New Jersey, a woman turned a 20-cent spin into $60,000 playing Hard Rock Bet’s Cash Eruption Red Hot Joker slot. Her win was part of the Big Sunday Jackpot promotion, a proof that sometimes, small bets lead to life-changing weekends.
One Spin, One Shocked Cat, and $242K
Let’s end with Amy from Ohio, who took a chance on Slotland.eu’s Chinatown slot and landed a $242,593 jackpot on May 16. Her reaction? “Total shock then I screamed so loud I startled the cat!”
It’s a great reminder of what keeps people playing: the stories, the moments, and the very real possibility that today’s lunch-break spin could rewrite tomorrow.
Could Casino Gaming Leave Atlantic City?
New Jersey lawmakers are revisiting a long-standing debate: should Meadowlands and Monmouth Park racetracks be allowed to offer casino games? A new proposal—Bill SCR130—would allow slots and table games at both venues, potentially ending Atlantic City’s monopoly.
Backed by Senator Vin Gopal, the proposal outlines how tax revenue would support education and pensions. If passed, it could spark a Northern NJ casino boom, opening up new customer bases and tourism potential.
The iGaming space is moving fast, and Chips.gg is riding shotgun. From regulatory rumbles in Brazil and the Philippines to jackpot joy across the US, this week shows how deeply interconnected and emotionally charged the global iGaming industry has become.
#WeeklyiGamingRoundup #iGamingNews #iGamingChipsGG
Sources
https://insidebitcoins.com/news/category/igaming-news
https://igaming.org/casino-news/
https://sigma.world/latest-news/casino/