Louisiana's gambling regulator has extended DraftKings' licence on a conditional basis to 19 February 2027 rather than granting a full renewal. A hearing on the full renewal is set for 18 February. The Gaming Control Board bought itself time to review reports that the operator used AI to target losing bettors and to finish background checks on shareholders.
At the meeting, co-founder and president of operations Paul Liberman and responsible gambling director Lori Kalani took questions on a New York Times article. Liberman rejected the allegations. Chairman Chris Hebert said the delay does not imply any violation. The board, he said, needs to study the documents.
AI questions and odd volumes on Polymarket
The interim approval carries seven conditions. DraftKings must supply further documents on shareholders holding 5% or more, answer questions about AI and prediction markets, confirm compliance with responsible gambling advertising rules and file monthly compliance reports. Massachusetts has already sent bookmakers more than 70 questions on AI, with voluntary responses due by 3 November. Michigan and Maine have opened their own reviews.
Separately, a WIRED investigation found more than $600 million of trading on two Polymarket election markets after the outcomes were effectively settled. In Ethiopia, a market on the next prime minister drew more than $285 million, while only $173,000 was staked on the winner. An MSR Decode analysis of more than 38,000 trading loops found that over 98% produced no profit for either side. The activity points to volume farming ahead of a possible token. Economist Rajiv Sethi put wash trading on the Romanian market in 2024 at 99.6% in some weeks. Polymarket said it had blocked accounts. Taiwan blocked Kalshi and Coinbase over suspected election betting ahead of the 28 November vote.
Entain grew group NGR by 2% in the third quarter. Online NGR rose 3%, and 5% excluding Brazil. Gaming NGR added 8%, while online NGR in the UK and Ireland climbed 14%. Brazil fell 36% after the ban took effect on 25 September. Chief executive Stella David expects the market to open. Guidance is unchanged: online NGR growth of 4% to 6% and EBITDA at the lower end of £910 million to £960 million. Professional bettor Shane Hennen pleaded guilty to charges over match-fixing in NCAA games and betting on the NBA. He faces up to 125 years, with sentencing set for 25 February 2027.
