From product innovation to policy pushback, the industry kept its foot on the gas this week.

Crypto-led experimentation pushed boundaries across gaming, AI, and payments, while brand refreshes and token developments pointed to sharper positioning and longer-term strategy. At the same time, regulatory resistance and tax pressure continued to influence market direction, even as providers expanded their reach and financial infrastructure developments moved closer to real-world adoption.

Let’s dive into this week’s iGaming Weekly!

Industry Overview

Crypto Casino

• Duelbits and the Pretoria Capitals of the South African professional cricket league have partnered to make Duelbits the official betting partner.
• The Thrill brand has been given a refresh, intended to “better reflect the experience (they) stand behind”.
• OddsFi announced its intention to facilitate a 1:1 token swap from $HXRO to $ODDS, targeted for the week commencing January 12th, 2026.
• BetHog have introduced Battle of the Bots, which gives five different LLM’s the same rules and starting bankroll, tracking their progress week over week.

Traditional Gaming

• DraftKings has debuted a new standalone predictions app, following the craze that has exploded in the past six months.
• LiveScore will exit the Bulgarian market before the end of 2025, blaming higher UK gambling taxes and growing fiscal uncertainty.
• Massachusetts State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg and Governor Maura Healey are both signaling opposition to iCasino expansion, raising fresh doubts about whether lawmakers can move the issue forward in 2026.

Aggregators & Providers

• Hacksaw has strengthened their presence in Romania and in Bulgaria, partnering with WinBet and efbet respectively.
• Nolimit received 4 awards in 3 different categories at this year's Bigwinboard Awards.

Miscellaneous

• David Sacks said on Thursday that US Senators have scheduled a January committee markup for the country's highly anticipated crypto market structure bill.
• European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde says the institution has finished its technical preparations for a digital euro and that it now awaits legislative approval.
• Intuit has signed a multiyear partnership with Circle to integrate USDC stablecoin payments across TurboTax and QuickBooks for faster and lower-cost payment flows.

New Releases

• Hacksaw: Donny & Danny
• Pragmatic: Anaconda Gold, DJ Neko
• Nolimit: Das xBoot Zwei!
• BGaming: UFO Pyramids
• Cloudbet: Dice Golden Ticket
• Whale: Keno

Upcoming Releases

• BGaming: Treasure Explorer, Mystery Heist
• Pragmatic: Wheel of Happiness, Joker’s Jewels Hold & Spin
• Hacksaw: Toshi Ways Club
• Nolimit: Duck Hunters Happy Hour, Golden Shower
• Push: Bait ‘n’ Bank, The Great Banker

Upcoming Events

• January 19th - January 21st, ICE Barcelona, Barcelona, Spain

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