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The Senate has moved forward with plans to address the issue of problem gambling in both active servicemembers and Veterans of the United States military.
A key provision of the Senate Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2026 was approved by the Senate Appropriations Committee.

“Servicemembers and Veterans facing gambling addiction deserve the same level of support and understanding we’ve worked to build around PTSD, depression, and other behavioral health challenges.” – Ben Ray Luján, Senator (D-NM)

Senator Ben Ray Luján (D-NM) led on the bill with support from industry leaders such as FanDuel, BetMGM, and MGM Resorts International. Two dozen state affiliates also represented the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG).
Senate takes steps to address military problem gambling
The decision to support this topic marks the first time that gambling has become a legitimate topic of the Department of Defense’s Peer-Reviewed Medical Research Program (PRMRP).
A recent study conducted by the NCPG stated that across the past year, 20 million American adults had experienced problematic gambling behavior. The individuals who were most identified were male and/or under the age of 35, who were gambling weekly, seeing gambling as a “good way” to make money, and had both participated in fantasy and online sports betting.
Senator Ben Ray Luján said on the bill that “Servicemembers and Veterans facing gambling addiction deserve the same level of support and understanding we’ve worked to build around PTSD, depression, and other behavioral health challenges.”
In fiscal year 2019, the National Defense Authorization Act placed a mandate for gambling disorder screenings for military personnel, but struggled according to the NPCG, stating that this initial approach required further “federal research funding, military and local VA clinicians lack the data and tools necessary to facilitate early intervention or provide evidence-based care.”
Veterans and active personnel at risk of gambling pitfalls
A sorrowful statistic discovered by the NCPG and the work of Senator Luján discovered that 40% of Veterans who have had or may have experienced a form of gambling addiction have also attempted to commit suicide. Military personnel were also highlighted to be two times more at risk than civilians when it comes to problem gambling.
The Senate will now consider the Senate Defense Appropriations Bill for fiscal year 2026 and will decide on the inclusion of the measures that Senator Luján, the NPCG, and leading lights in the gambling industry have supported.
“This provision is a critical step toward recognizing the realities our military community faces and ensuring the federal government invests in the basic, foundational research needed to support recovery,” concluded Senator Luján.
Featured image: Pexels
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Penn Entertainment, which operates ESPN Bet, has announced the launch of a major product feature known as ‘FanCenter.’
The FanCenter will be a personalized hub within ESPN Bet that will allow customers to easily find wagering markets based on their favorite teams, players, and ESPN fantasy football rosters.
The tool will be available this summer, with the dedicated hub being powered by ESPN and ESPN Bet’s account linking technology.

Introducing FanCenter inside @ESPNBET! The ONLY sportsbook that can sync your @ESPNFantasy team! A new personalized hub that actually gets you.
Coming Soon: Bet your fantasy roster  Follow your favorite teams + players  Tap into tailored props + parlays
Fantasy.… pic.twitter.com/obhjBJNEky
— ESPN BET (@ESPNBET) August 4, 2025

As well as the fantasy-related markets within the hub, there will be a new ‘Find a Bet’ icon on the ESPN Fantasy app that will allow players to view markets related to their roster.
“FanCenter introduces a completely new level of personalization for ESPN BET players and represents our biggest product leap yet,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Interactive at Penn Entertainment.
“It taps into our players’ fandom in smart, creative ways while connecting seamlessly with ESPN’s industry-leading fantasy football platform. This is what sets ESPN BET apart and football season is the perfect time to roll it out.”
What are the features of ESPN Bet’s new FanCenter feature?
Some of those key components include a personalized ‘For You’ page, which will include the game markets, along with custom parlay offerings related to users’ favorite teams. A user’s fantasy roster and wagering history will be taken into account within the personalization too.
The hub will provide quick access to view current Mint Club promos and rewards, and it’ll have integrated functionality with ESPN Bet’s player insights feature. This means people can quickly browse through player statistics and trends ahead of making any decisions.
“FanCenter is the perfect combination of fandom, fantasy and personalized betting all wrapped into the ESPN BET betting experience,” said Mike Morrison, Vice President ESPN BET and ESPN Fantasy.
“FanCenter showcases how we can serve fans across our platforms in a way that nobody else in the market can because of our industry-leading ESPN Fantasy platform and account-linking capabilities.”
Featured Image: Credit to Penn Entertainment news release
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The prediction market company Kalshi is having a change-up, as it announces it’ll be moving to 24/7 trading starting on Thursday (August 7).
The announcement was shared through the company’s Discord server at the beginning of the week, with Event Horizon reporting on the message that was displayed to users:
“The night owls have been asking… when can we trade overnight? We are super excited to announce our brand new trading hours!
“Starting this Thursday (August 7th, 2025) at 5am ET, Kalshi will be open 24/7 for trading with the exception of routine maintenance. Maintenance will occur weekly from 3am – 5am ET on Thursday mornings.
“New hours:

Sun: 24/7
Mon: 24/7
Tue: 24/7
Wed: 24/7
Thu: Closed 3am – 5am ET
Fri: 24/7
Sat: 24/7”

Kalshi moving to ~24/7 markets pic.twitter.com/KeySG177zT
— 0xperp (@0xperp) August 4, 2025

Kalshi maintenance hours will now take place just on a Thursday
This is a major move for the brand, as it has previously closed between the hours of 3-8AM Eastern time every day.
At the end of July, the company had informed the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that the change will be taking place. “This filing is to provide notice that the schedule of maintenance windows announced on the website will be changed, such that maintenance windows will occur, and trading will not be available on Kalshi, during the following times:
“On a regular basis, from the hours of 3:00 AM ET to 5:00 AM ET on Thursdays,” Kalshi says in the self-certification.
This comes after another big announcement which took place at the end of last month, with Kalshi and xAI sharing news of a partnership that is ‘effective immediately.’
“Effective immediately, Kalshi and xAI are partnering to bring Grok to prediction markets. Two of the fastest growing companies in America are now on the same team,” an X post from xAI read.
In a video shared alongside the news, the Kalshi platform is visible with Grok powering a ‘market summary’ feature that expands on the context of the market.
Featured Image: Credit to Apple App Store
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A livestream hosted by internet personality Rangesh “N3on” Mutama, better known as Neon, was suddenly cut short on Monday (August 4), after police stormed the set in what appears to have been a swatting incident. The stream, which was being broadcast on Kick, featured Australian rapper Iggy Azalea and captured the moment when officers entered mid-broadcast, causing confusion among those present.
It’s worth mentioning that Neon has a history of staging incidents for attention, which has led some viewers to question the authenticity of what happened. So far, police haven’t made any public statements about the situation, leaving a lot of unanswered questions.

Multiple people were arrested on Neon’s stream with Iggy Azalea after they were swatted over suspected illegal gambling pic.twitter.com/GNz7GxXZhG
— The Random Guy (@RandomTheGuy_) August 5, 2025

However, clips that quickly spread online show several people being detained or possibly arrested for alleged illegal gambling taking place during the stream.
What is swatting?
Swatting involves someone falsely reporting a serious emergency, like a violent crime or hostage situation, to get law enforcement to respond aggressively.
It’s a growing issue for popular streamers, and in this case, the tip reportedly mentioned unlicensed gambling being shown live.
Who is Neon and why was Iggy Azalea there?
Neon, a 20-year-old streamer from the US, was running what fans describe as a “reality TV-style” livestream when the raid happened. He’s known for pushing boundaries and has a history of run-ins with the law, including an arrest in Dubai for filming without permission and a previous swatting incident back in October 2024 that led him to move out of his home after police were wrongly called about a domestic violence situation.
Azalea, who was a guest on the stream, was also seen visibly shocked in some of the clips taken during the police raid. There’s no indication she was involved in or even aware of any illegal activity. Azalea, who’s been getting into livestreaming and crypto deals lately, hasn’t been accused of anything.
Videos that quickly made the rounds online show a fast and intense police response. Whether the gambling claims are legitimate or just part of the swatting hoax is still up in the air. Some fans have even suggested the whole thing might’ve been staged, pointing to Neon’s track record of stirring up drama to boost his viewership.
Featured image: The Random Guy via X
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