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The Social Gaming Leadership Alliance (SGLA) has this week (November 13) testified before a Massachusetts committee on a bill that contains provisions that could see Social Plus games banned in the Commonwealth.
Just the day before, the alliance announced the introduction of ‘Social Plus’ which they say is a new term that defines the category of freemium social games provided by SGLA partners. They describe these as being online social games with sweepstake promotions that “deliver interactive board, card and casino-style games to millions of Americans.”
The online casino-related bill, H.4431, was referred to the committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies. At present, nothing has yet been actioned as the committee will accept written testimony until November 20.

In testimony to the committee, Sean Ostrow, the managing director of SGLA, urged them to consider an alternative approach that would “pay dividends to the Commonwealth for years to come by regulating and taxing Social Plus games.”
Committee to create report on Massachusetts bill H.4431 next month
The organization believes that allowing the ‘thriving’ industry to continue will generate new revenue for the Bay State. The SGLA also suggests that voters are opposed to the potential ban.
“A recent nationwide survey by Seven Letter Insight found that 84% of U.S. voters support modernizing laws to regulate and tax online Social Plus games. Only 8% believe the games should be banned, and just 4% say this issue should be a priority compared to concerns like inflation, health care, and housing,” a SGLA article reads.
The committee, which has been hearing both sides of the argument, has until December 17 to formulate a report.
“The SGLA stands behind strong regulation and consumer protection, responsible social gameplay for adults only, fair taxation, and enabling economic development here in the Commonwealth,” said Ostrow. “We look forward to working with members of this committee to achieve these mutually beneficial outcomes.”
Featured Image: Canva
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The MGM Grand Hotel and Casino, which opened in Vegas in 1993, has undergone a massive $300 million room and suite model within the main tower.
A new collection of 3,969 rooms and suites have been unveiled, with the interiors being inspired “by the glamour and energy of the disco era, embracing the hotel’s vibrant legacy as an icon of entertainment.”
“MGM Grand has long stood out as one of the most iconic resorts on The Strip, and this remodel marks an ambitious step forward in the resort’s evolution,” said Mike Neubecker, President & COO of MGM Grand in a press release. “Inspired by our guests’ feedback, we’ve designed rooms that deliver what both business and leisure travelers value most, providing a thoughtful balance of style, comfort and functionality.”
The resort is arguably one of the most famous on the Las Vegas Strip and it has stood in the same spot for over 30 years now. When it first opened, the company ran with a Wizard of Oz theme but renovations in 1996 – just three years after opening – saw a more classic design replace the original theme.
The renovation comes as MGM Resorts released its third-quarter report at the end of last month. Jonathan Halkyard, Chief Financial Officer and Treasurer of MGM Resorts International, said, “We are seeing encouraging signs of stability in Las Vegas with the return of the group and convention season and the completion of the MGM Grand room remodel.” The company stated that the 7% decrease in the current quarter compared with the prior-year quarter was due to the changes made at MGM Grand.
What is new at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas?
The remodeled rooms and suites have been designed with the ‘modern traveler’ in mind, with the bathrooms now featuring ‘spa-like walk-in showers’ and enhanced blackout drapery.
An additional 111 suites have been added to the hotel’s collection which brings the total up to 753, and these suites range from 675 to 1,784 square feet.
The hotel has been busy focusing on introducing more experience-led opportunities too, as they’ve recently debuted Netflix Bites. This is a dining venue inspired by hit Netflix shows. Other new additions include the Palm Tree Beach Club which is a tropical-inspired day club by DJ Kygo’s Palm Tree Crew. The FRIENDS Experience is another addition too, with this being focused solely on the iconic TV show which dominated the 90s and noughties.
Featured Image: Credit to MGM Resorts press release
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The NFL has come out with a memo for team officials to try to curb the rise of prop bets. With multiple sports franchises now dealing with rigged bets fiascos, the NFL appears to be trying to come out ahead before it gets worse.
In the memo, NFL officials Renie Anderson (Executive Vice President/Chief Revenue Officer), Jeff Miller (Executive Vice President Communications, Public Affairs & Policy; Health & Safety Initiatives), and Ted Ullyot (Executive Vice President and General Counsel) said:
“Accordingly, we have actively engaged with both state lawmakers and regulators, as well as with our sports betting partners, to limit – and where possible prohibited altogether – prop bets in the NFL.
“Our commercial agreements are regularly reviewed and updated to prohibit wagers that are tied to the kind of conduct that was identified in recent federal law enforcement activity, and we maintain regular contact with state officials to ensure that these wagers are appropriately addressed.”

The NFL sent a memo to team officials today, saying that in light of recent gambling scandals in other sports, the league has worked with lawmakers, regulators and sports betting partners in recent weeks to limit and, where possible, prohibit prop bets in the NFL. pic.twitter.com/qDF6KMHwln
— Tom Pelissero (@TomPelissero) November 13, 2025

NFL details prohibited prop bets in memo
The memo outlines “prohibited” categories that members of the NFL cannot wager on. These include “Inherently Objectionable”, “Officiating-Related”, “Determinable by One Person in One Play”, and “Pre-Determined” wagers.
The NFL describes these bets as off limits, as they could encompass topics that the brand doesn’t want associated with its players. Inherently Objectionable bets would mean things like player injury, while “Determinable by One Person in One Play” covers things like a quarterback not making their first pass. Predetermined wagers simply relate to things along the lines of “Will X player start?” bets.
However, the memo doesn’t outright ban players or other members of the NFL from placing prop bets. In fact, NFL officials reason that they’re doing enough work year-round to curb this type of gambling:
“Apart from these prohibited categories of bets, we engage in comprehensive, year-round educational, monitoring, and – where necessary – disciplinary activity to protect game integrity.
“We also maintain regular communications with clubs and personnel, including players (for example, this week all players received a reminder on the subject of prop bets), and policy updates to respond to developments relating to sports gambling, such as the recent guidance confirming that so-called “prediction markets” constitute prohibited gambling activity. Our education efforts are strongly supported by the NFLPA.”
In recent months, Major League Baseball and the National Basketball Association have had to deal with different cases related to prop bets. Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz are both on bail for alleged rigging of prop bets, while the NBA has had multiple instances of players attempting to game the system.
Featured image: Your Golf Travel, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 4.0
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Polymarket is attempting to re-enter the United States market, as it reportedly begins beta testing its operation. It has started this plan by allowing some users access, as well as matching trades.
The prediction market had originally left the US after it was fined by the Biden administration’s Commodities Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) for $1.4 million after being found to be operating without the necessary licensing. Like Kalshi, Polymarket also has Donald Trump Jr. on its advisory board. In July, under the Trump administration, the CFTC and Department of Justice closed their probes into the company.
Reported in Bloomberg, founder Shayne Coplan said:
“The US Exchange is actually live and operational and people are being onboarded. It’s effectively in a beta test.
“It’s the fastest anyone has ever gotten to market. Definitely a difficult task, but our team has been incredible and made that happen.”
Polymarket now owns QCX, which handles the derivatives exchange and clearinghouse side of the business, as it has CFTC approval.
Polymarket aims for the sportsbook market amid ‘beta test’
Polymarket will be keeping a keen eye on the sportsbook market. As we reported, Kalshi’s partnership with the NFL on FOX drove gamblers to spend as much as the entirety of Kalshi’s presidential election bets in just a week. The push by prediction markets into the sportsbook arena has raised concerns among Tribes and other operators. Because it is not classified as gambling, it falls outside many existing regulatory frameworks
Coplan said about going after sportsbooks:
“I don’t think anyone would argue that the sports book model is the optimal model.
“There’s a monopoly on pricing. You trade against the house every time and they can set whatever prices they want and to make matters worse, if you make any money, they can ban you.”
FanDuel has announced that it will be launching its own prediction markets. This would allow them into states where sports betting is outlawed.
ReadWrite has reached out to Polymarket for comment.
Featured image: Polymarket, Piotr Siedlecki
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PrizePicks has announced a multi-year partnership with Kalshi, which it calls the largest prediction market in the world. It also introduced a new prediction markets feature through its subsidiary, Performance Predictions II, a federally approved Futures Commission Merchant.
This comes just days after PrizePicks revealed another multi-year deal with Polymarket that will let the company offer event contracts through Polymarket’s upcoming prediction platform. Both companies say this integration will let PrizePicks users tap into sports, entertainment and cultural markets right inside the PrizePicks app.

Trade prediction markets on @PrizePicks
Sports. Movies. Music. Politics. Economics. And so much more are now live.
All event contracts listed on PrizePicks are Kalshi markets. pic.twitter.com/azleTUIFit
— Kalshi (@Kalshi) November 14, 2025

In the newest update, PrizePicks says customers can now make predictions on outcomes across sports, entertainment and pop culture using Kalshi’s library of event contracts. Every event contract available on PrizePicks comes from Kalshi markets.
PrizePicks and Kalshi partnership ‘a game-changing moment’
“Expanding into prediction markets delivers on what our customers want, innovative products with more ways to play,” said Mike Ybarra, CEO of PrizePicks in a press release. “Together with Kalshi, we will welcome new customers across many states to the PrizePicks experience, and we couldn’t be more excited about the opportunity ahead in this fast-growing space.”
Kalshi co-founder and CEO Tarek Mansour said the integration represents an important milestone for the prediction market company. “As of today, people will be able to access Kalshi’s prediction markets within the PrizePicks app,” Mansour said. “This is a game-changing moment, and we’re excited to be the first to fuel and supercharge the PrizePicks fan experience.”
PrizePicks says the new feature lets customers make predictions by buying contracts on a wide range of sports and cultural events through affiliated Designated Contract Markets. At launch, Team Picks and Culture Picks will be available in 38 states and Washington, D.C.

FYI: Team Picks now rolling out to users in AK, AL, AR, GA, HI, ID, MS, MT, NE, OK, OR, SC, SD, TX, WA pic.twitter.com/yeduy4EBRV
— PrizePicks (@PrizePicks) November 14, 2025

Team Picks will let users predict the winners of games, fights, matches and other sports outcomes. They will also be able to make season-long calls like win totals, playoff chances and championship winners.
Culture Picks will take things outside the sports world, covering music, movies, politics and other cultural moments. The company says fans will be able to predict outcomes like Best Picture, Album of the Year and even upcoming elections.
Featured image: PrizePicks
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