Our Writers:
Michael Savio

We are sharing our biggest takeaways from Kambi’s 2025 Sports Betting Trends Report, which provides key insights into the industry. We’ll cover which sports bettors wagered on, the impact of player prop bets, and the dominance of the NFL.

The Rhode Island Lottery has opened up the bidding process for a new online sportsbook license. SportsbookRI has been the only legal platform in the state since 2019, but growing complaints from bettors drove lawmakers to expand the market.

The US has begun to alienate itself from the international community, leading many to worry that the North American World Cup won’t happen this summer. A recent attack and threats of more could lead to boycotts, though FIFA is unlikely to take action.

Next month’s NFL Super Bowl will feature an expanded sports prediction industry, providing a gauge of its performance relative to sports betting. It will also test the new sports prediction platforms launched by Fanatics, FanDuel, and DraftKings.

The battle unfolding in Illinois between sportsbooks and lawmakers is driving up fees for bettors. It led many casual bettors to stop wagers, but those who stayed are spending more. That’s led to questions around how those struggling with addiction have reacted.

BetRivers Sportsbooks will be raising its minimum bet requirement to $5 in Illinois. It recently raised it to $1 after the state increased taxes. The new change comes just days after Chicago enacted a new city-specific license and tax system.

Lawmakers in Mississippi and Wisconsin are back in session and already discussing expanding their sports betting markets to include mobile sportsbooks. While changing conditions are giving proponents hope that the efforts will succeed, larger hurdles still remain for both states.

Lawsuits over sports betting and prediction markets are putting pressure on US courts to finally determine where mobile betting occurs. The Supreme Court rejected a case involving the issues years ago, but new lawsuits could soon force a ruling.

FIFA is reported to be considering two significant rule changes with just six months until the 2026 World Cup. In contrast, they aim to improve the quality of play; some fear the lack of preparation and testing could have the opposite effect.

The Sports Betting Alliance announced that it will drop its motion for a restraining order, which it hoped would delay new licensing requirements in Chicago. The group thanked the city for addressing the license issues, but promised to continue fighting the changes.