In 2026, the U.S. sports betting world is evolving rapidly and unpredictable. To put it all in perspective, we offer InGame’s “EndGame,” a weekend compilation of the top storylines, some overlooked projects, and all the other news bits we found interesting over the past week.
Tribal leader: CFTC violated its own rules
Calling the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) a weak regulator and pointing to “insider trading” in a $32,547 Polymarket bet that Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro will be “out” by January 31, India’s new president, David Bean, said on Wednesday that the Indian state will aggressively continue to fight prediction markets.
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Bean said the platforms, which are regulated by the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), infringe on state and tribal sovereignty and ultimately deprive tribes of revenue that could be used for “vital services.” Bean succeeded longtime chairman Ernie Stevens after his unexpected death in September.
“It’s only a year old and people are just figuring out what it is,” Bean said of prediction markets. “This is a complex issue. We need to educate members of Congress to let them know that the CFTC is not doing its job and that this activity violates their own rules and regulations prohibiting gambling on sports events. We need to let them know that this is harmful to the gambling industry as a whole, but in the case of the Indian gambling industry, it affects our ability to provide essential services.”
Maduro’s contract has made national news, with the purchase coming just hours before President Donald Trump ordered U.S. Special Forces to invade Caracas. When they captured Maduro and took him away to New York to face charges, the bettor won more than $400,000. Many have pointed to insider trading, but there is no evidence of this and the person who purchased the contract has not yet been identified.
Jill R. Dotson
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Christie: Prediction markets are ‘illegal’
Contessa Brewer interviewed by CNBC In a show that aired on New Year’s Day, former New Jersey Governor Chris Christie harshly criticized sports betting on prediction markets, saying “these markets…are illegal and need to be stopped.”
As a key political and legal driver behind the challenge that led to PASPA’s 2018 repeal by the Supreme Court, Christie also has strong feelings about the CFTC’s regulation of prediction markets. “It’s not good for the integrity of sport, it’s not good for consumer protection, [and] This hurts states’ tax revenues. ” He added, “The idea that the CFTC is regulating sports is untrue and Kalshek knows it. “
Christie pointed to the potential for corruption, particularly among college athletes, and said he expected the issue would eventually be decided by the Supreme Court.
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Christie recently joined the American Gaming Association as a strategic advisor; his responsibilities will focus on the AGA’s campaign against sports prediction markets.
Class action lawsuit filed against DraftKings in MI
A Michigan resident is filing a class-action lawsuit against DraftKings, claiming the company failed to implement a mandatory 24-hour cooling-off period before raising deposit and wagering limits. The lawsuit, filed on December 30 in the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan, also accuses DraftKings of similar violations in six other states, including New York.
Koester class action lawsuit download
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In the complaint, attorneys for Michael Koester called the issue a “systemic failure” on the part of DraftKings and said Koester established deposit and wagering limits but was allowed to increase the limits without a waiting period. This partly prevented him from “delaying gambling urges and avoiding destructive gambling spirals.” Coster’s attorneys are seeking compensatory damages and other monetary damages, including treble damages.
Jill R. Dotson
Affleck says gambling is a family legacy
Actor Ben Affleck revealed Jimmy Kimmel Live! Sports betting runs deep in his family DNA Monday. He told Kimmel that his 13-year-old son Samuel asked him for $100 to bet on sports, just like all his friends do to their parents.
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Affleck later admitted that his father worked in a bar but made most of his income as a bookmaker in Massachusetts. When Dad brought home the family’s first VCR, he told Ben, “You can thank Steve Grogan (the quarterback for the New England Patriots, who didn’t cover that weekend’s game) for that.”
Affleck himself is a veteran gambler; in 2014, he was banned from the Hard Rock Stadium in Las Vegas after being accused of card counting.
BetRivers raises minimum bets in Illinois
Six months after Illinois lawmakers implemented a per-bet tax, the same week the city of Chicago’s new wagering tax took effect, Rush Street Interactive confirmed Thursday it will raise the minimum bet from $1 to $5. Payan in game The analysis shows that betting volume on BetRivers from July to October fell by 32.1% compared to 2024 (2,795,574 bets vs. 4,115,253 bets). The company has paid $698,894 in wagering surcharges, raising its effective tax rate from a base of 20% to 23.1%. It’s not all bad news – processing volume increased by 3.2% compared to the same period last year.
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While the average parlay increased from $29 to $43.16 between July and October, BetRivers’ parlay volume fell 38% from 2024, and parlay volume also fell 7.7%.
Chris Altruda
Rangers team up with Polymarket
The National Hockey League continues to tap into prediction markets, with the New York Rangers becoming the second professional hockey team on Thursday to partner with a prediction market operator. The Rangers have designated Polymarket as the team’s official prediction market partner, making them the second NHL team to sign a marketing agreement with a prediction market after the Chicago Blackhawks signed Kalshi last December. The NHL has a league-wide agreement with Kalshi and Polymarket, the only league with such a partnership.
Madison Square Garden has appointed Polymarket as the official and exclusive prediction market partner of the New York Rangers.
As a New York-based company, we are honored and proud to defend our hometown ice. LGR🏒 pic.twitter.com/1LpfMBb4Ck
— Polymarket (@Polymarket) January 8, 2026
Polymarket will feature coverage during Rangers home games at Madison Square Garden and during televised Rangers games. Polymarket will also appear on the exterior marquee at Madison Square Garden.
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Judge denies Klass traveling to DR for wedding
On December 23, former Cleveland Guardians pitcher Emmanuel Clase requested to fly to the Dominican Republic from December 24 to 26 to visit his family to spend religious holidays, obtain a passport and marry his common-law wife, but was rejected.
U.S. Magistrate Judge Lara K. Eshkenazi deemed Clase, 27, a flight risk ahead of a May 4 jury trial on his federal conspiracy, money laundering and sports bribery cases.
Most recently, Klaas, the American League saves leader and 2024 Cy Young Award finalist, and teammate Luis Ortiz were accused of rigging field results so that they and colluding gamblers could win prop bets on the game. Both men remain on administrative leave from Major League Baseball under an agreement between the league and the Players Association.
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Brent James
odds and ends
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The Rhode Island Lottery issued a “request for qualifications” on Dec. 2, seeking a company to “provide competitive sports betting products and services” to state residents, who are now limited to one operator. The lottery will sign a five-year contract with the new supplier, which will open in November this year. Applicants have until February 19 to respond to the request.
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DraftKings is adding Mindway AI’s Gamalyze responsible gaming tool to its offerings. Gamalyze is a science-based self-test that provides insights into player decision-making using “proven neuroscience principles to provide objective insights based on real behavior rather than self-reports.”
ICYMI on InGame
Kalshi fee revenue in 2025 will be $263.5 million, 89% of which will come from sports
DraftKings Predictions Review: This is a sports betting app that plays prediction markets
Google allows prediction market ads in US
Kalshi launches platinum level for ‘most loyal customers’
Prediction markets that cannot be calculated directly
Legislative Outlook: Little hope for new legal gambling states
Bets, stocks, savings: Escape from disaster?
Wall Street Analyst: ‘Low Expectations’ Could Mean Higher Sports Betting Stocks in 2026
Baseball, Beans, and Gambling: An Athlete’s Story of Rise, Recovery, and Redemption