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The Minnesota Gambling Control Board and the Department of Public Safety have issued a warning following a spate of burglaries targeting pull-tab dispensing machines.
The authorities have advised organizations and retailers to be on alert, noting the increased illicit activity across the state, with specific instructions given.
As part of the warning, the bodies have urged businesses not to store money in the dispensing machine, other than what is collected in the machine’s cash box. They have also been instructed to remove cash as frequently as possible.
The North Star State regulator issued the crime alert, with all gambling operators asked to report any suspicious activity to the relevant local enforcement agencies.
Ongoing pattern of criminals targeting pull-tab machines
It follows a significant police sting six months ago, when investigators confirmed eight individuals were linked to more than 30 burglaries in Minnesota, with hundreds of thousands of dollars stolen.
The crime ring specifically targeted businesses in the state that were selling charitable pull-tabs.
Law enforcement officers detailed that the illicit activity was carefully orchestrated, with the group thought to have scoped out and attacked businesses that kept cash on site “because of pull tab charitable gambling operations,” according to the official criminal complaint seen by ReadWrite.
Around 40 different premises were targeted, over less than a year, with the criminals escaping with almost $200,000.

“The period charged as racketeering in this complaint included 44 felony second-degree and attempted second-degree burglaries and/or thefts occurring between March 6, 2023, and February 22, 2024, including 10 in Hennepin County.” – Official court document

Elsewhere in Minnesota, a 37-year-old was sentenced by a US District Court to 51 months imprisonment followed by three years of supervised release for embezzlement of more than $2.7 million from her employer.
Destiny McKayla Combs used the funds largely to fund her gambling habit, abusing her position as the Accounting Manager for a surrogacy agency and affiliated law firm.
“Combs’s scheme was simple: she used personal credit cards to fund her gambling habit, then used company funds to pay her credit card bills,” detailed a press release from the US Attorney’s Office.
Image credit: Arrow International
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Lee Gibson, a multimillionaire “problem gambler” who lost almost £1.5 million ($2 million) on soccer bets, is trying to overturn a High Court ruling after pursuing Betfair for allowing him to gamble, in a landmark case that could change online betting as we know it.
Gibson claims that the betting platform had a duty to protect him from himself, as they were aware of the gambling-related harm he was suffering.
Flutter Entertainment is the parent company of Betfair, with other brands such as Paddy Power and FanDuel in its stable. The former was named as the official NFL sportsbook partner in the UK and Ireland last month.
The 47-year-old buy-to-let property tycoon had placed more than 30,000 individual bets with Betfair between 2009 and 2019.
Tycoon attempts to appeal court decision on Betfair
Gibson is now aiming to reclaim around £1,000,000, with the case having potential consequences for what duties betting firms are required to provide to customers.
Last year in the UK High Court, Judge Nigel Bird rejected the case, but the appeal will now be heard this week.
Judge Bird was not convinced that Betfair should have known about Gibson’s gambling problem, as he tried to conceal it.
“Mr Gibson consistently and often reassured Betfair that he was able to fund his gambling, including his losses, and none of the information he provided to Betfair painted a different picture,” said the Justice.
“The fact that he consistently satisfied anti-money laundering checks makes it impossible for Mr Gibson to argue that the size of his losses was, of itself, enough to raise reasonable concerns.
“Indeed, even after the trial, there is no real suggestion that Mr Gibson could not afford his gambling.”
Gibson was a VIP customer with a dedicated Betfair ‘relationship manager’
However, this was dismissed by Yash Kulkarni KC, Mr Gibson’s barrister, who stated in the appeal case: “The judge ought to have found that Betfair knew or ought to have known that Mr Gibson was likely to be a problem gambler throughout the material time of the claim and his finding otherwise was plainly wrong.
He continued, “Mr Gibson placed at least 20,000 individual bets in the six years prior to 22 January 2021, which is more than five per day.”
“The judge ought to have gone on to find that where a person appears likely to be gambling prolifically despite facing heavy losses, using money which appears likely to be at least in part from selling his business assets or loaning money against them, that person is likely to be a problem gambler.”
Another facet of the case is that Betfair treated Gibson as a VIP customer with a dedicated ‘relationship manager’.
Kulkarni asserts that because of this, the firm had a duty of care to look after him properly.
The bettor’s activity was said to be focused on the Correct Score soccer market, often in “obscure games” with amounts of up to £20,000 ($26,745) staked.
“The evidence showed that Betfair knew or had information available to them showing that Mr Gibson was chasing his losses, had borrowed money or sold something to gamble, and was gambling at a level beyond that which he could afford from his income after tax and expenses,” added Kulkarni.
Gibson has made his fortune by buying and renovating properties in the city of Leeds, in the north of England.
He began his relationship with the platform in 2009, using the Betfair Exchange, and had accrued losses of £100,000 within three years, despite his account being in credit at times.
By 2015, the losses had increased to £500,000 and then reached £1m by the start of 2018.
By the time Betfair permanently suspended his account in March 2019, the arrears had almost increased to £1.5m.
Betfair is arguing for the Court of Appeal to uphold the initial ruling, represented by Jonathan Davies-Jones KC.
“In light of the repeated assurances from Mr Gibson that he was both wealthy and in control of his gambling, and the contemporaneous documents that Mr Gibson provided to Betfair, the factual premise of the alleged duty of care – that Betfair had actual or constructive knowledge of Mr Gibson’s gambling problem – failed.”
A final judgment is expected to follow at a later date.
Featured image: Flickr, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
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The World Series of Poker Europe (WSOPE) has announced that its 2026 event will take place in Prague, Czech Republic, for the very first time. The festival will run from March 31 to April 12, 2026, at the Hilton Prague.
Traditionally held in the fall, the move to spring might be a strategic one, in a bid to avoid conflicts with other major poker festivals and giving players more flexibility when planning their schedules.
The Hilton Prague is already well-known among live poker players as the home of PokerStars’ EPT Prague festival. By teaming up with King’s Casino Prague, the WSOPE could be looking to build on the city’s poker reputation and established casino scene.

MAJOR NEWS
In partnership with @PokerroomKings Prague, WSOP Europe 2026 will take place at the Hilton Prague in the Czech Republic, running from March 31 to April 12, 2026.
The schedule for WSOP Europe 2026 is set to be released soon and will be available on… pic.twitter.com/ReSPT6IaYf
— WSOP – World Series of Poker (@WSOP) October 8, 2025

That said, there’s been no public announcement (as of now) of an EPT Prague for 2026. On PokerStars’ official EPT page, EPT Prague is listed as a December 2025 event, not as part of a 2026 schedule. However, the 2026 PokerStars LIVE calendar has confirmed EPT Paris for February 18 through March 1.
Meanwhile, the WSOPE series will continue its legacy of awarding poker’s most sought-after prizes and will have 15 gold bracelet events, with full details and buy-ins to be announced soon.
WSOPE 2026 ‘rebirth in Prague’
“It’s an exciting rebirth of the World Series of Poker Europe in Prague,” said Ty Stewart, Chief Executive Officer of WSOP.
“We have a big ambition to elevate this festival to one of the very best in the world and look forward to welcoming players to a great poker city next April.”
Since its start in 2007, the WSOPE has been a celebration of poker excellence across Europe, with past host cities including London, Cannes, Paris, Berlin, and Rozvadov. Its main event champions list includes Annette Obrestad, John Juanda, Elio Fox, Phil Hellmuth, Adrian Mateos, Kevin MacPhee, and Jack Sinclair.
The 2026 series will also introduce the WSOP+ app, a brand-new digital platform built to enhance the player experience.
Players can qualify for the 2026 World Series of Poker Europe exclusively through GGPoker, known as the World’s Biggest Poker Room. WSOP Express satellite tournaments are already available.
Featured image: Canva
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Canada has made one step towards curbing the prevalence of sports betting adverts in the country. A Senate committee has cleared a bill that would put federal restrictions on the commercials, which it managed to do in 45 seconds and without debate.
The bill is trying to counteract the very real rise of gambling problems that are becoming more persistent as it becomes ever easier to access. Bill S-211 would force the government to “identify measures to regulate sports betting advertising in Canada with a view to restricting the use of such advertising.”
“Foolish” to not push back on gambling ads says bill author
Gambling in Canada is handled similarly to America. Regulations are handled by the state, and wider matters, like those in Bill S-211, are handled by the federal government on a national scale. This would be the second attempt to quash gambling advertising in the country, as a similar bill passed last November, but never made it through before lapsing on January 6.

The Senate adopts ISG Senator Marty Deacon’s Bill S-269 on sports betting. Congratulations, @SenMartyDeacon! Now, off to the House of Commons.https://t.co/elFODkqpCk pic.twitter.com/jPQSbDsori
— Independent Senators Group (ISG) (@ISGSenate) November 8, 2024

Speaking on the matter, the bill sponsor and Senator Marty Deacon said:
“It is foolish to gamble with the health and well-being of Canadians when we already know what the outcome will be.
“It makes absolutely no sense to wait for these problems to arise and then react to them, at which point tens of thousands of Canadians’ lives will have been devastated through problem gambling.
“I had a hope that by making single-game betting legal, we’d see some work to address its harms as well. That has not happened. I did not anticipate the level of promotion that we’re seeing, potentially creating a generation of problem gamblers.”
Medical journal backs Canada gambling ad plans
In September, an editorial from the Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMAJ) actually called for pushback on ads during sports broadcasts. The CMAJ article, which mostly focuses on the effects of gambling adverts on the youth, is written by Dr. Shannon Charlebois and Dr. Shawn Kelly. From the article:
“Canadian Bill S-211, which passed its second reading in the Senate on June 12, 2025 provides for the development of a national framework to regulate sports betting advertising and set national standards for the prevention of risk for people negatively affected.
“The bill is only a start but must be expedited and passed now to protect Canada’s youth from the harms of exposure to aggressive sports betting advertising.”
Featured image: Social Soup Social Media via Pexels
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Kalshi and Polymarket have seen a sharp rise in interest in a particular contract surrounding the US government’s shutdown.
As the Republicans don’t have the votes to push through their healthcare agenda, which would see prices soar for everyday Americans, the government can’t agree and has decided to shut it down until someone makes the first move.
With interest around the political situation at an all-time high, it’s no wonder that prediction markets like Kalshi and Polymarket have come out swinging with wagers based on the shutdown.

Kalshi has over $4 million in volume on government shutdown

Both prediction markets currently have a wager on how long the shutdown will last, as the Trump administration has hinted that it’s unlikely for furloughed workers to receive back pay.

BREAKING: The US government shutdown is now forecasted to last nearly 24 days
This would make it the second longest in history pic.twitter.com/3lrVYYTwJd
— Kalshi (@Kalshi) October 8, 2025

On Kalshi, the current volume at the time of writing is at $4,133,683 million, with wagers sitting at:

61% for more than 20 days
49% for more than 25 days
39% for more than 30 days

As of right now, it’s at eight days, with the longest US shutdown being during Trump’s first presidency, at 35 days. This was over the lack of funding for the border wall that Mexico was originally said to be paying for. Before this, it was in 1996, which lasted 21 days under Bill Clinton, when balancing the budget caused a schism.
Polymarket’s $5 million speculation thinks shutdown is going to last longer

Over on Polymarket, the question is “When will the Government shutdown end?”, rather than how long it’s expected to last. Its total volume is sitting at $5,363,145. Currently active are:

October 6-9 (today), with $908,146 volume behind it at less than 1%
October 10-14, with $356,486 volume behind it at 15%
October 15 or later, with $2,041,562 volume, at 85%

BREAKING: The U.S. Government is still shut down.
83% chance it doesn’t end anytime soon.https://t.co/TCIdcHRfg3
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) October 8, 2025

Polymarket is also running a similar wager to Kalshi, in regards to how many days the government will remain shut down. As of right now, 10 to 29 days lead, with 71%. This particular wager has a volume of $1,237,281.

We reported today that the Pennsylvania gambling watchdog has concerns about Kalshi’s sports wagering.
Featured image: Kalshi / Polymarket

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