Blinged

What is Blinged?

Americans wagered nearly $167 billion on sports in 2025 through regulated sportsbooks, an 11% increase year-over-year, according to data from the American Gaming Association (AGA).

The blurring line between financial investing and gambling has been accelerated by the rise of prediction markets—exchanges offering event contracts that are federally regulated as financial derivatives. U.S. News found that over 40% of active sports bettors now also participate in sports prediction markets.

Financial advisors continue to urge consumers to view sports wagering strictly as entertainment and to only risk funds they can afford to lose.

About Blinged

“These jobs matter. They matter particularly in communities where good local employment can be difficult to find.”

She emphasised that half of Entain’s retail employees were women, with over 50% working flexible or part-time hours. More than 2,500 of its employees are under 25 years old.

The letter argues that the proposed increase would hit the workers and communities Labour’s “Makerfield Test” is supposed to protect, while potentially costing the Exchequer money rather than raising it.

What is Blinged?

The regulator noted that several inactive accounts remained open long after users requested exclusion. 

Specifically, 156 out of 229 accounts with no pending bets remained linked to BetStop users seven days after self-exclusion registration. Some accounts were non-compliant for periods extending up to 200 days.

Carolyn Lidgerwood, an ACMA member, stressed the importance of respecting self-exclusion decisions, stating “providers must respect that decision” and “must have robust systems in place”.