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(AsiaGameHub) - Yesterday's upset of top-seeded Florida by Iowa shattered March Madness brackets as the NCAA Tournament advances to the Sweet 16. The other No. 1 seeds, Arizona, Michigan, and Duke, are still the top betting choices for the national title, but we will also highlight a sleeper and a longshot pick that offer greater potential returns. Updated NCAA Tournament Futures Odds at DraftKings Below are the latest odds from DraftKings for teams to win the national championship, current as of publication: TeamOddsArizona+330Michigan+340Duke+370Houston+700Purdue+1300Illinois+1400Iowa State+1600UConn+2500Michigan State+3000St. John’s+3500Arkansas+4000Nebraska+4500Tennessee+6000Iowa+12000Alabama+13000Texas+30000 Best Bet on Favorite to Win NCAA Tournament Duke +370 The tournament's top overall seed got a major scare and a wake-up call in its first-round game against 16th-seeded Siena. Favored by 27.5 points, the Blue Devils narrowly avoided disaster with a 71-65 win, a result that nearly became one of the greatest upsets in March Madness history. Duke returned to dominant form in an 81-58 victory over TCU on Saturday. The team was bolstered by the return of center Patrick Ngongba II to the rotation. He has been managing foot problems for weeks, causing him to miss the ACC Tournament and the opener against Siena. Ngongba's role will be vital for Duke in its Sweet 16 contest with St. John’s. He is expected to be the primary defender on forward Zuby Ejiofor, a formidable presence inside. Ejiofor posted a team-best 18 points and nine rebounds in his team's win over Kansas yesterday. TCU limited Duke standout Cameron Boozer to only two first-half points, but the country's premier player recovered to lead his team with 19 points. Boozer entered the tournament as the favorite to be named NCAA Tournament MVP. Isaiah Evans provides Duke with a significant perimeter scoring threat. He scored 17 points against TCU after putting up 16 versus Siena, making two three-pointers in each contest. Best Bet on Sleeper Pick to win NCAA Tournament Michigan State +3000 Head coach Tom Izzo has guided the Spartans to the Sweet 16 for the 17th time in his career. However, he is pursuing only his second national championship, with Michigan State's last title coming in 2000. The Spartans are led by versatile point guard Jeremy Fears Jr., who tops the nation with 9.4 assists per game and also leads Michigan State in scoring at 15.3 points per game. Michigan State also possesses a sizable and productive frontcourt. Jaxon Kohler (12.6 ppg, 8.9 rpg), Coen Carr (12 ppg, 5.5 rpg), and Carson Cooper (11 ppg, 7.1 rpg) all average double-digit points as well. That skilled front line will be essential to containing UConn center Tarris Reed in the Sweet 16. Reed paces the Huskies with averages of 14.2 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. Look for Michigan State to advance past UConn, which would potentially set up an Elite Eight showdown with Duke. Best Bet on Longshot to Win NCAA Tournament Tennessee +6000 The Volunteers rely on their defense, which allows just 69.1 points per game. Sixth-seeded Tennessee "upset" No. 3 Virginia 79-72 to reach the Sweet 16, despite actually being favored by 1.5 points in that matchup. Ja’kobi Gillespie led the Volunteers with 21 points, and Nate Ament contributed 16. Tennessee also boasts a signature victory over Houston from this season. Tennessee meets Iowa State in the Sweet 16. The Cyclones may once again be missing star player Joshua Jefferson (16.4 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 4.8 apg), who sustained a serious ankle sprain in the tournament's first round. KenPom ranks Jefferson second in the national player of the year race, behind only Duke's Boozer. Although the Volunteers are 4.5-point underdogs against the Cyclones, a Tennessee win would not be shocking considering their recent hot shooting. Gillespie totaled 50 points across the first two tournament games. In yesterday's win over Virginia, Tennessee shot 42.1% from beyond the arc and connected on eight three-pointers. Gillespie hit three of those, while Bishop Boswell knocked down four. This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content. AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.

(AsiaGameHub) - สำนักงานควบคุมการพนันของโบลิเวีย (Autoridad de Juegos, AJ) ได้ประกาศออกใบอนุญาตพนันในท้องถิ่น จำนวน 1,226 ใบในปี 2025 ตามที่พวกเขาเปิดเผยในรายงานการปรับระเบียบเมื่อวันที่ 18 มีนาคม แต่ไม่ได้ยืนยันว่ามีจำนวนใบอนุญาต B2C และ B2B เท่าไหร่ AJ กล่าวว่า พวกเขายังใช้งบประมาณเกิน 90% ของงบประมาณปี 2025 ในขณะที่เพิ่มความเข้มข้นในการตรวจสอบระเบียบและความพยายามบังคับใช้กฎหมายทั่วประเทศ เงินทุนของ AJ ตลอดทั้งปี ถูกใช้ในการควบคุม การตรวจสอบหวย การพนัน การจัดรางวัลและโปรโมชันธุรกิจทั่วประเทศ นอกจากนี้ ผู้จัดโปรโมชันและรางวัลได้จ่ายรางวัลรวมถึง 573 ล้านโบลิเวียโน ($82.8 ล้านดอลลาร์สหรัฐ) ในปี 2025 เกี่ยวกับจำนวนใบอนุญาตที่มอบให้ในทุกภาคส่วน ผู้ควบคุมการตลาดกล่าวว่า สิ่งนี้ “แสดงให้เห็นว่า ผู้บริหารมีความสนใจในการพัฒนากิจกรรมของตนภายในกรอบกฎหมาย” รายงานปรับปรุงนี้ได้ถูกนำเสนอในระหว่างการฟังสัมภาษณ์ทางอินเทอร์เน็ตเมื่อวันที่ 18 มีนาคม ตามข้อกำหนดตามรัฐธรรมนูญของโบลิเวียที่บังคับให้หน่วยงานภาครายงานผลการปฏิบัติงานและการใช้ทรัพยากร การขับเคลื่อนการบังคับใช้กฎหมายเป้าหมายที่ผู้ประกอบการผิดกฎหมายทั่วประเทศ การบังคับใช้กฎหมายตลาดดำถูกเพิ่มความเข้มข้นในช่วง 12 เดือนนี้ เมื่อ AJ ได้ดำเนินการลอบเข้าเยี่ยมชมสถานที่พนันผิดกฎหมาย 82 แห่ง โดยยึดอุปกรณ์พนัน 119 ชิ้น และทำลายเครื่องมือและอุปกรณ์ที่ใช้งานผิดกฎหมาย 230 ชิ้น ทั่วโบลิเวีย กิจกรรมการบังคับใช้กฎหมายเมื่อเร็วๆ นี้ ยังรวมถึงการแทรกแซงเป้าหมายในเขตชานเมืองของโคชาบามบา ซึ่งเจ้าหน้าที่ได้ยกเลิกสถานที่เล่นเกมผิดกฎหมายที่ทำงานนอกเหนือการตรวจสอบระเบียบ ในช่วงเวลานี้ กระบวนการดำเนินงานของหน่วยงานได้รับการรับรอง ISO 9001:2015 จาก ICONTEC ของโคลอมเบีย หลังการตรวจสอบภายนอก ซึ่งเป็นขั้นตอนสำคัญในการทำให้การปฏิบัติการควบคุมมาตรฐานในตลาดและภูมิภาค LatAm ที่กว้างขึ้น ตลาดพนันของโบลิเวียได้ประสบการเติบโตอย่างรวดเร็ว โดยขับเคลื่อนโดยหวยขายปลีก รางวัลและการเพิ่มขึ้นของกิจกรรมธุรกิจโปรโมชัน อย่างไรก็ตาม ความกังวลเกี่ยวกับความซื่อสัตย์ในการพนันกีฬาได้เพิ่มความจำเป็นต้องการการตรวจสอบระเบียบที่เข้มแข็ง อุตสาหกรรมฟุตบอลในเดือนกุมภาพันธ์ได้ประสบการตรวจสอบอีกครั้ง หลังมีข้อกล่าวหาว่ามีการแก้ไขผลการแข่งขันกีฬาที่เกี่ยวข้องกับผู้เล่นจาก Club Real Santa Cruz บทความนี้จัดทำโดยผู้ให้บริการเนื้อหาจากบุคคลที่สาม AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) ไม่ได้ให้การรับประกันหรือการรับรองใดๆ เกี่ยวกับเนื้อหา หมวดหมู่: ข่าวล่าสุด, อัปเดตทั่วไป AsiaGameHub ให้บริการ การกระจายเนื้อหา iGaming แบบเจาะกลุ่มเป้าหมาย สำหรับบริษัทและองค์กร โดยเชื่อมต่อกับสื่อคุณภาพในเอเชียมากกว่า 3,000 แห่ง และอินฟลูเอนเซอร์เฉพาะทางกว่า 80,000 ราย ถือเป็นสะพานหลักสำหรับการกระจายเนื้อหา iGaming คาสิโน และ eSports ทั่วภูมิภาคอาเซียน

(AsiaGameHub) - Senior figures in the gambling industry believe Russian regulators could authorize online casinos as early as April, potentially allowing citizens to place bets online starting in May. According to the Russian media outlet Vyberu, analysts state the Kremlin is seeking methods to manage its finances and views casino taxation as a crucial new source of income. An anonymous executive from a major Russian bookmaker informed Vyberu that the Ministry of Finance aims to finalize its contentious proposal to legalize the industry by late April. Under the ministry's heavily criticized proposal, prospective operators would be required to obtain licenses. These operators would pay taxes equal to 30% of their yearly profits, after deducting player winnings. According to ministry estimates, this would increase state revenue by 100 billion rubles (approximately $1.2 billion) each year. Gamblers place their bets at Altai Palace, one of a handful of permit-holding land-based casinos in Russia. (Image: Altai Palace/Facebook) Will Russia Legalize Online Casinos? Online casinos were prohibited in Russia in 2009. However, the ministry reports that citizens spend "hundreds of billions of rubles every year" on online slot platforms based abroad. The ministry claims it has limited ability to shut down these sites. Roskomnadzor, the government's communications watchdog and censorship body, has attempted to block access to online casinos. But the ministry asserts that operators create new mirror sites and duplicate servers "more quickly than authorities can monitor them." Russia's budget shortfall is expanding rapidly. Financial authorities had established a deficit limit of 3.79 trillion rubles for 2026. Yet, this threshold was already 91% reached by February's end, the outlet reported. The outlet attributed much of this to a 50% drop in oil and gas income. Sergey Shvedov, Editor-in-Chief of the Russian gambling news site Legalbet, told the outlet he expects a "positive resolution" on legalization "soon." "The ministry is working in a difficult environment," Shvedov stated. "The budget deficit is increasing at a rapid pace." If reports of the ministry aiming to accelerate its plan are accurate, he remarked, "we are in for a hot April. Not just climatically, but legislatively as well." Shvedov argued: "Right now, you can play roulette on illegal offshore sites. They might not pay out winnings, but Russian casinos would be legally bound to pay." Words of Warning Some sector analysts, however, have advised a cautious approach. Oleg Davydov, Executive Director of the First Self-Regulatory Organization of Russian Bookmakers, which represents leading licensed bookmakers, said legalization might be a drawn-out and complex procedure. "A decision to legalize casinos is not a minor detail in a document," he explained. "It must be a federal law or a set of amendments to current laws. The draft law must be presented to the State Duma. It must then pass three readings and gain the Federation Council's consent. Only after that can the President endorse it." The industry will only become fully engaged once the government releases the final bill text, Davydov noted. "Until that happens, all discussion on this topic is merely speculation." Shvedov mentioned the government could employ current age-verification systems to stop underage online gambling. However, legal specialists have raised concerns about this previously. Lawmakers have proposed setting the minimum age for online casino access at 21. Russian attorney Olga Fedorova recently stated that without a "strong" age-verification system, the goal of keeping those under 21 from betting online would be "merely a theoretical concept." This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content. AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.

(AsiaGameHub) - An inquest held this week into the death of Arthur Soames concluded that the 19-year-old died by suicide, after mental health distress was exacerbated by gambling. In the months leading up to his passing, Soames gambled excessively online at bet365, prompting questions over how the gambling operator could have intervened in this case. The West London Coroner’s Court heard that Soames first opened his Bet365 account in June 2020, shortly after his 18th birthday, the legal minimum age for gambling in the UK. Initially, he placed infrequent bets on football, but starting in December 2021, he began playing online casino games including roulette and blackjack. In a press statement, Leigh Day, the legal firm representing Soames’ family in the case, said: “Over the following two months, the amount of time and money Arthur spent gambling rose sharply. His gambling sessions grew longer, often taking place in the early hours of the morning, which is a widely recognised indicator of gambling harm.” bet365 sent more than 80 marketing messages to the student, with only one single warning email sent. Dan Webster from Leigh Day said the company should have taken far more action. He commented: “Arthur’s gambling activity on bet365 showed a number of clear indicators of harm that the inquest heard should have been identified, and should have prompted further engagement and intervention to address Arthur’s gambling.” Arthur’s Account Was in a Net Winning Position A spokesperson for bet365 responded: “This is an incredibly tragic and complex case, and our thoughts and condolences remain with Arthur’s family and friends. bet365 strives for the highest safer gambling standards and consistently reviews and updates our procedures, including over the last five years. We will now take time to consider the inquest’s findings, and we once again extend our sincere condolences to Arthur’s family and friends.” During the inquest, the company pushed back against the claim that gambling caused his death, noting that his account was in a net winning position. They argued other factors caused the stress that contributed to Arthur’s struggles. Leigh Day said the sheer volume of bets should have triggered a safety alert; Arthur placed 1,600 wagers in the months leading up to his death. In January 2022, The Times reported he wagered £13,000 ($17,000). It was never disclosed how much of that sum he lost, but on the day of his death, he lost seven casino bets in a row, doubling his stake each time. Coroner Ian Arrow said this “exhausted all viable funds and credit” available to him. He added: “He told his friends ‘I have lost everything.’ In my view, he lost more than just funds. He lost his financial and social standing. I accept the evidence that his depression reinforced his gambling, and his gambling reinforced his depression.” Calls for Greater Protection for Young Gamblers Arthur’s family has called on the UK to introduce new measures to protect gamblers from harm. His mother, Isabelle Soames, stated: “We are now calling on the Gambling Commission to introduce greater protection, particularly for young people, and to prevent gambling operators from offering them free bets or cross-selling them highly addictive casino products.” The UK has already introduced some measures to curb problem gambling, including a stake limit for online slots. However, these changes have not reduced the total amount of money lost on these games. UK gamblers wagered more than £25.7 billion ($35 billion) on slots over the three months ending late last year, up from £24 billion ($32 billion) in the same period in 2024. “We believe the Commission should require operators to use a tailored risk detection system for Arthur’s age group, focusing more on the frequency of bets, the length of gambling sessions, and the time of day when gambling takes place, with night-time gambling classified as a high risk indicator – rather than only focusing on amounts of money lost,” said Isabelle Soames. “We believe only by introducing these protections can more young lives like Arthur’s be saved from tragic loss.” In previous cases, the UK Gambling Commission has issued heavy fines to operators that fail to meet their safeguarding responsibilities. In Soames’ case, however, the regulator has not released the results of its investigation into bet365. If Arthur’s account was indeed net positive, as the company claims, this may clear the operator of any wrongdoing that would lead to penalties. Webster said this demonstrates the gambling regulator’s failures, stating: “Not for the first time, this gives rise to serious questions about the Commission’s fitness for purpose as a regulator tasked with protecting the public from gambling harm and investigating operators’ conduct in these most serious cases.” The Case Highlights Multiple Systemic Failures While bet365 and the Gambling Commission may bear some responsibility for their lack of intervention, the case also highlighted failures in the UK’s mental health support system and a widespread lack of attention to problem gambling. As his family grew increasingly worried about his well-being, Arthur sought help from his doctor. Initial mental health screenings included no questions about gambling. When he eventually told mental health services that he was spending large amounts of time and money gambling, no action was taken to support him. “Their communication was not good,” said his mother. “We didn’t know how bad things had gotten, and we had no idea of the level of risk Arthur faced.” Arthur’s family had no awareness of his gambling habit and only learned the full extent of it after his death. His mother added: “I was so shocked when I saw his betting history. It was just one bet after another. I had no idea this was happening.” This article is provided by a third-party. AsiaGameHub (https://asiagamehub.com/) makes no warranties regarding its content. AsiaGameHub delivers targeted distribution for iGaming, Casino, and eSports, connecting 3,000+ premium Asian media outlets and 80,000+ specialized influencers across ASEAN.