Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – August 25-31

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

DraftKings has introduced credit card deposit ban for US customers. This decision aligns them with other major gambling operators, such as Fanatics Betting & Gaming, Betr and Sporttrade, which have already banned credit card funding for wagering accounts. It also comes on the heels of another major announcement by DraftKings. Starting September 1, DraftKings will charge a 50-cent fee for every mobile and online bet placed in Illinois using its Sportsbook platform.

Virginia lawmakers are actively debating whether to establish a new regulatory agency to oversee iGaming. The joint subcommittee discussed a bill to create the Virginia Gaming Commission. It would manage all gambling verticals beyond the lottery. Currently, the Virginia Lottery regulates sports betting and casinos, while other agencies manage charitable gaming and horse racing. Lawmakers also considered legalising online casinos, including real-money platforms.

This summer is shaping up to be a strong one for the Atlantic City casinos and their online gambling operating partners. According to the latest data collected by the state, the total gambling revenue for the casinos and their operating partners from in-state online gambling was nearly $250 million during July. That represents a nearly 27% increase over last year’s total revenue for July, and it comes on top of a more than 23% year-over-year increase measured during the month of June. In all, revenue this year from online gambling through the end of July topped $1.6 billion, up 23.3% compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, which regularly tracks gambling revenue earned legally in New Jersey.

The Uruguayan Government has taken an important step towards legislating and taxing gambling activities. A new decree, decree number 167/025, gives life to a special tax on bets placed with electronic game machines and automatic betting systems installed within casinos and authorised entertainment spaces. It was signed into law by President Yamandú Orsi and Minister of Economy Gabriel Oddone and is a careful step in the direction of allowing more direct contributions to the state’s fiscal system. The new regulation imposes a 0.75% tax on the total amount of each wager. That is, regardless of whether the wager is placed in chips, coins, bills, e-money or other equivalent sources, the initial amount wagered by the player is subject to tax.

Leading gambling companies Caesar’s Entertainment, MGM Resorts International and Las Vegas Sands have recently been spotlighted in the 2025 “Low-Wage 100” report. This annual publication by the Institute for Policy Studies and Inequality.org identifies S&P 500 companies that show the smallest median wages for their employees compared to the large earnings of their top executives. These pay gaps have sparked ongoing criticism of the casino industry. Since 2019, the top executive pay at Caesar’s has more than doubled, surpassing the 40% wage increase seen among its workforce. Though MGM and Las Vegas Sands have also raised executive salaries at a faster rate than employee wages, their growth was less dramatic compared to Caesar’s. Industry critics suggest these pronounced salary gaps damage employee morale and complicate talent retention, ultimately hindering long-term growth.