Techme101.com

The House Bill 2198 has been introduced in Hawaii, which would see prediction markets be included in the definition of gambling, making them banned in the US state.
The summary of the bill reads as: “Includes prediction markets in the definition of gambling by specifying that the purchase, sale, or financial speculation of securities or commodities on the outcome or future contingent events related to sports, contests, people, politics, catastrophe, and death.”
It was introduced on Monday, January 26 and is a partisan bill by Democrat representatives, with 16 people listed as sponsors. The bill is still very much at the beginning stages and it is pending introduction with no hearings scheduled as of yet.
What does the Hawaii prediction markets bill 2198 mean?
In a larger document, the House Bill 2198 has been detailed further as it states the purpose of this would be to update Hawaii’s gambling laws to expressly prohibit prediction event contracts relating to sports, contests, people, politics, catastrophe, and death.
It also suggests that recent developments in the consumer-focused sector of the financial market “have allowed for individuals to create financial incentives and motivations for the occurrence of events” which have been listed above.
The legislature “finds that not only do some or all of these types of contracts violate moral and ethical standards, but they also prey upon a gap in Hawaii’s gambling laws that permits contracts for the purchase and sale at a future date of securities or commodities.”
With the bill still in its infancy, this could be one to watch and it comes at a time when prediction markets are facing difficulties in some states despite the rise of the industry.
In Louisiana, the Gaming Control Board is one of the latest states to take issue with prediction markets introducing sportsbooks. In a press release, they stated it now views sporting event contracts and “certain other event contracts” as a violation of state gambling laws.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
The post Hawaii lawmakers introduce bill that would ban prediction markets appeared first on ReadWrite.

The Gambling Authority of Ireland (GRAI) has found that problem gambling is much more likely amongst people who were exposed to gambling as children.
The study, which was conducted by the ESRI’s Behavioural Research Unit, found that rates of problem gambling are significantly higher among people who gambled as children, whose parents gambled, or whose parents had positive attitudes towards gambling.
The research has been carried out from anonymous online responses, from more than 1,600 adults. The participants’ current gambling behavior was then compared with their childhood experiences.

Did you know?
Gambling before the age of 18 almost doubles the probability of problem gambling in adulthood.
If you feel Gambling is a problem for your or a loved one, advice and information on supports are available at: https://t.co/wVU6JMsuw3 pic.twitter.com/BUuSann3ZV
— Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (@GambRegIRL) November 19, 2025

It was in the comparisons that a strong link was revealed, with those who gambled as a child being almost twice as likely to suffer from problem gambling. Having a parent who gambled also increased the likelihood of problem gambling, by one third, while parental attitudes to gambling had a similarly large effect.
In this instance, ‘problem gambling’ is referred to as when gambling disrupts and damages someone’s life and can have negative impacts on their wellbeing, social circles, and finances.
Problem gambling link established in childhood gambling
For people who both gambled as children and had a parent who gambled a lot, they were four times more likely to suffer from problem gambling.
In the sample, the majority had engaged in at least some form of gambling when under the age of 18. The most commonly found types included scratch cards, horse or dog betting, slot machines, gambling amongst friends, bingos, and lotteries.
Anne Marie Caulfield, CEO of the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland, said, “This research provides clear evidence of the long-term potential harms resulting from childhood exposure to gambling.
“It reinforces the importance of a well-regulated gambling sector that protects children and those vulnerable to gambling harm. It also points to the need for awareness and education among our young people, their parents, and guardians on gambling related harms.”
With the report now having been published, the GRAI has also shared advice for parents on how best to approach the topic of gambling and its dangers with their children.
Featured Image: AI-generated via Ideogram
The post Problem gambling found to be higher among those exposed to gambling as children appeared first on ReadWrite.

A third individual linked to an Amarillo cockfighting ring has been sentenced as part of a wider gambling investigation.
A custodial jail term was imposed on Salvador Sanchez Chávez, 49, after the case led by United States Attorney for the Northern District of Texas Ryan Raybould uncovered more wrongdoing.
Chávez case stems from wider cockfighting gambling investigation
The case stems back to an investigation led by the Dallas Field Office (Amarillo Resident Agency) of Homeland Security Investigations (HSI).
In February 2025, three individuals, including Chávez, were indicted for their roles in this animal-fighting venture, which violated the federal Animal Welfare Act.
Alongside HSI, the case involved multiple agencies, including the Potter County Sheriff’s Office, Texas State Game Wardens, the Amarillo Police Department, the Texas Department of Public Safety, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement, which conducted the investigation, along with support from the Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center.
In a statement on Facebook, the center said: “Ultimately, the decision was made that these roosters had to be humanely euthanized. While that outcome is never easy, we find comfort in knowing that for the time they spent with us, they were shown compassion. They were fed, kept warm, spoken to gently, and allowed to simply exist as roosters—free from fear, pain, and expectation.
“Some days in this work are beautiful. Some days are heartbreaking. And some days remind us exactly why this work matter.”
Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center reflects on a heartbreaking cockfighting rescue and their role supporting law enforcement. Credit: Facebook / Wild West Wildlife Rehabilitation Center
Special Agent in Charge Travis Pickard said, “Savagely pitting defenseless animals against each other for sport, gambling, or personal enjoyment is cruel and sadistic, and the illicit proceeds are often used to fuel other transnational criminal activity.”
Third person sentenced
Chávez was one of the individuals, including Ivan Herrera Lopez, 45, and Jaime Gamez Resendiz, 34, linked to a complaint that the Potter County Sheriff’s Office responded to at a property in Amarillo on February 10, 2024.
Upon arrival at the scene, a live cockfighting contest was ongoing, and as part of the testimony of the attending deputies, there were “multiple dead roosters, over 160 live fighting roosters, metal blades or talons used to affix to the roosters’ feet for fighting, syringes and medications used to boost the roosters’ adrenaline before a fight.”
The evidence showed a marker board for documenting bets and other items indicative of a cockfighting gambling operation being in progress.
“Cockfighting is not a sport. It is flat-out cruel,” said U.S. Attorney Ryan Raybould. “This prosecution and the sentences reflect the seriousness of the defendants’ crimes against animals. Credit to our law enforcement partners for saving these animals before more harm could be done.”
Chávez, along with the other defendants, was sentenced by U.S. District Judge Matthew J. Kacsmaryk after a lengthy list of evidence that showed corroboration, purchase and transport of animals for this ill-gotten gambling ring.
He will be given an 11-month sentence in federal prison, and the men will be subject to removal to their home nation of Mexico from the United States.
Lopez pleaded guilty in July 2025 and was sentenced in October to eight months in federal prison and a $10,000 fine, while Resendiz also pleaded guilty in July and received an eight-month sentence.
Pickard concluded, “We were able to dismantle the criminal organization responsible for operating this illegal gambling operation, hold the criminal illegal aliens who ran it accountable, and rescue the animals from certain death.”
Featured image: Canva
The post Third Amarillo cockfighting figure sentenced in federal gambling investigation case appeared first on ReadWrite.

A bill that would have banned smoking on casino gaming floors in Iowa didn’t go anywhere this week, after a Senate subcommittee voted to shelve the proposal indefinitely.
The legislation, Senate File 2051, was introduced as “An Act relating to the elimination of the exemption of gaming floors from the prohibitions of the smokefree air Act.” The bill proposed a change to state law by amending Iowa Code section 142D.4 “by striking the subsection” that currently allows smoking on certain gaming floors.
Iowa casino smoking ban bill would have applied to all types of indoor public spaces
Under the proposal, casinos and racetracks covered by Iowa Code chapter 99F would have lost their exemption that currently allows smoking. The bill’s explanation stated that it would apply to “gambling structures, excursion gambling boats, and racetracks,” and that the change would subject those facilities to the same smoking prohibitions as other indoor public places.

Casino Smoking Ban Rejected in Iowa Senate Subcommittee———-An Iowa Senate subcommittee has rejected a bill that would have ended smoking inside casinos, racetracks, and gambling structures by removing their exemption from the Iowa Smokefree Air Act.
Sen. Tony Bisignano… pic.twitter.com/EJbZNuTIrB
— Iowa Pulse (@IowaPulse) January 27, 2026

The explanation included with the bill also noted that “The inclusion of this explanation does not constitute agreement with the explanation’s substance by the members of the general assembly.”
With the subcommittee recommending that the bill be indefinitely postponed, it’s unlikely to go anywhere this session unless lawmakers take extra steps to revive it.
The pause in Iowa comes as similar fights over smoking in casinos are playing out in other states. In New Jersey, casino workers saw new legal momentum this week in a long-running challenge to smoking on gambling floors. After a case was sent back to a trial court on remand, workers are getting another shot at overturning rules that still allow smoking in casinos.
Lobbyists and union leaders involved in the case argue that smoking should be banned anywhere employees are exposed to secondhand smoke. The group Casino Employees Against Smoking Effects, or CEASE, along with union representatives, now has another opportunity to make its case at the trial court level after an earlier setback.
Featured image: Grok
The post Iowa Senate shelves bill to ban smoking on casino gaming floors appeared first on ReadWrite.