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The Campaign For Fairer Gambling (CFG) has issued a statement after Governor Janet Mills of Maine has reversed her intent to veto a bill to legalize online slots and casino games.
While online sports betting is legal in Maine, online gambling has largely been illegal in the state. However, Gov Janet Mills has now allowed for the passage of the online casino bill LD1164.

iGaming is coming to Maine. That’s according to a statement released by Gov. Janet Mills earlier today.
Based on the statement’s wording, it appears she’s letting it become law without her signature. pic.twitter.com/0GKMFjUlTC
— Steve Bittenbender (@Stepbitt) January 8, 2026

In its statement, the CFG says: “The proponents of legalization make false representations that it will replace illegal gambling. It does not – it normalizes the activity, growing the total market, the total consumption, the total harm, and the illegal sector.
“Besides, the Mills Administration has done little to attempt to combat illegal online gambling.”
They continue to suggest that slot games on mobile devices are the most addictive form of gambling, as they say these target anybody, anywhere, anytime, in any condition. The statement from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling also says that each harmed gambler, on average, impacts several others in their personal circle.
NAAiG also issues statement, saying they are disappointed in Gov Mills iGaming reversal
They say this can cause significant familial and community destruction, with the socio-economic costs of gambling harm falling on state services and budgets.
Campaign for Fairer Gambling founder Derek Webb said: “I thought that we had reached the point where there was a consensus that the US expansion of online gambling has been a disaster. Janet Mills has proven that as Governor she has failed to protect the people of Maine with integrity.”

Governor Janet Mills’ decision to reverse her long-standing opposition to online casino gambling and allow the #iGambling bill on her desk to become law represents a clear break from the Governor’s previously stated position and disregards overwhelming public opposition, expert… pic.twitter.com/U64fuCLspp
— NAAIG_Official (@NAAIG_Official) January 8, 2026

The group isn’t the only to speak out on the reversal, as the National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) has also issued a statement as they say they are “deeply disappointed.”
The association says: “This decision represents a clear break from the Governor’s previously stated position and disregards overwhelming public opposition, expert warnings from her own regulators, and a proven gaming framework that has delivered meaningful benefits to Maine communities and tribal nations for more than a decade.”
Further into the statement, they say they will not accept the decision quietly and will ensure the people of Maine have the final say.
Featured Image: Credit to Quinti Soloviev on Wikimedia Commons, CC 4.0 license
The post Campaign for Fairer Gambling criticizes Maine governor over online casino approval appeared first on ReadWrite.

A group of regular Kalshi users, some of whom are self-professed addicts, have filed a class-action lawsuit against the prediction market over its claims that it is not a betting platform.
Alexander Hallman, Jeremy Kravetz, Daniel Greenberg, Nathaniel Bee, and Abhijn Gutta are the plaintiffs, who have all reportedly lost money to Kalshi through various means. Part of this is “related deceptive and misleading business practices,” which have been highlighted online in its advertisements.
One advert detailed in the suit positions Kalshi as a way to get out of debt. The advertisement features a woman unable to pay her rent, but then “got two years of rent through Kalshi’s predictions.” However, this has not been independently verified by ReadWrite.

This ad I had not seen before was in the new class action against Kalshi.
I think we should all be able to agree on this: Advertising that if you are short on money, prediction markets are a good idea to fix that problem is at best misguided and at worst evil. pic.twitter.com/9To9JXhJuU
— Dustin Gouker (@DustinGouker) January 14, 2026

Other claims of Kalshi not being a gambling platform have been poked by the suit, as it highlights other adverts that use gambling terms.
As for the self-professed addicts, they accuse Kalshi of operating a sportsbook without any regulatory safeguards in place. As such, it’s been accused of encouraging “impulsive engagement,” as well as being exploitative and diminishing “user perception of financial risk.”
In particular, Kravetz, from Tennessee, is self-excluded from “all licensed legal sportsbooks” in the state. Kravetz claims that the lack of preventative measures from Kalshi prevents him from accessing the site. He unfortunately fell victim to their vices and went on to lose thousands.
The other advertisements in the lawsuit proclaim legality across all 50 states, which is technically true. As it’s still legally a “prediction market” and not an official “sportsbook,” Kalshi, Polymarket, and their partners can operate wherever they please.
Kalshi continues to wade through legal turmoil
Kalshi has been in embittered legal battles with certain indigenous tribes across the US, who claim that they’re running remote gambling or sportsbooks in states where they should be in control of it.
Kalshi and other prediction markets, Polymarket, have been heavily scrutinized in the last few months over their methods. Individual states trying to tackle what they call a new form of gambling are in a constant push and pull with the platforms. Despite this, Kalshi now has partnerships with NFL on FOX, and Polymarket has now been allowed to operate from within the US.
ReadWrite has reached out to Kalshi for comment.
Featured image: Kalshi
The post Kalshi faces class-action lawsuit over ‘deceptive’ claims denying gambling platform status appeared first on ReadWrite.

Behind 89% of illegal stream views on sports in Great Britain during 2024 and the first half of 2025 were malware, spyware, keystroke loggers, and other ID and data theft mechanics aimed at producing content for crime from the audience, according to a new report.
The insight comes from the Campaign for Fairer Gambling (CFG) which has released its CFG GB National 2024 and 2025 First Half Illegal Streaming of Sports Events and Illegal Gambling research.
Within it, they say: “Where this connects to online gaming is clear: 89% of illegal streaming of sports events content in Great Britain across 2024 and 2025 first half carried advertising for illegal and unlicensed gambling. It is by far the largest and most prevalent “media partner” to the criminal business of illegal streaming of sports events.”
They suggest that for the criminals behind illegal streaming, media platforms are the prey and the audience are the product.
The people behind the campaign warn that the online gaming marketplace in Great Britain could face an explosive “fire-meets-gasoline potential” as changes to the legal online gaming sector will take effect in 2026.
CFG shares insight into black market gambling ads
The founder and funder of CFG, Derek Webb, said: “Great Britain is becoming a soft touch. We have allowed the global soft power of GB sports to be infected by organized criminality.
“Online gambling operators were irrationally permitted to stay offshore under the flawed 2005 Gambling Act. This acceptance of offshoring enabled the theoretical excuse to justify black market operations.”

“We have allowed the global soft power of sport to be infected by organised criminality,” says CFG’s Derek Webb.https://t.co/tqRpiN1FR8 pic.twitter.com/WlCmMtM2Mn
— Campaign for Fairer Gambling (@fairergambling) January 15, 2026

The founder continued to suggest the Gambling Commission and the Betting and Gaming Council have ignored advice concerning the black market from Yield Sec for several years.
Also commenting in the research, the president of CGI and founder and former CEO of Yield Sec, Ismail Vali, said: “Illegal online gambling in Great Britain is now knocking on the door of 10% market share and it has achieved this through the cynical exploitation of two vulnerable audiences: children and self–excluded gamblers on the GAMSTOP scheme. What does crime do with all of the money it takes by stealing from local commerce, community and consumers? It makes more crime.”
The quote continues to suggest that without monitoring, policing, enforcement, and optimization of online gaming and streaming marketplaces, the gateways are left open which could allow for chaos to reign without control.
Featured Image: Via CFG on X
The post Report finds 89% of UK illegal sports streams deliver black market gambling ads appeared first on ReadWrite.