gambling

I may be revealing a secret cherished by columnists the world over, but I admit that among the columns we relish writing the most fall into the “I told you so” genre.

Case in point: In April last year, in a column about the gambling mess ensnaring Shohei Ohtani’s then-interpreter, I warned that the pro sports leagues’ enthusiastic embrace of betting would inevitably produce a major scandal.

“It might not surface in the next months or even years,” I wrote, “but it will happen.”

The calendar, as it turned out, ticked over at 19 months. Last Thursday, federal prosecutors charged National Basketball Assn. player Terry Rozier and former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones with fraud and money laundering in connection with a scheme to fix bets on NBA games. Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups was charged in a separate indictment linking him to a Mafia scheme to fix poker games; Jones was also named in that indictment.

The NBA has placed Billups and Rozier on leave. They’re both due to appear in federal court in Brooklyn over the next few weeks to enter pleas, though both have asserted their innocence.

It may not be easy for the league to wash its hands of this mess. All the professional sports leagues spent years shunning gambling as a threat to their public image of integrity before embracing the siren call of big-time sports betting, bringing gambling companies and their ever-increasing customer base into their tents. But the NBA was ahead of the crowd.

In a 2014 op-ed, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver effectively cried “uncle” in the league’s battle against gambling.

“For more than two decades,” he wrote, “the National Basketball Association has opposed the expansion of legal sports betting, as have the other major professional sports leagues in the United States.” The leagues supported a 1992 federal law prohibiting sports betting except in grandfathered venues, such as Las Vegas.

They took a stern position against players and personnel caught betting on their games and their sports, dating to 1919 and the so-called Black Sox scandal, in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox were accused of throwing the World Series for the benefit of a gambling ring. Major League Baseball hired an austere federal judge, Kenesaw Mountain Landis, as its commissioner and gave him unchecked authority to clean up the game. He banned the eight players from baseball forever.

In recent times, Silver observed in his op-ed, the American appetite for sports betting has only risen. Accordingly, he called for legalizing the practice so it could be “brought out of the underground and into the sunlight where it can be appropriately monitored and regulated.”

(The 1992 law was overturned by the Supreme Court, and legalized sports betting spread coast to coast.)

Given the subsequent developments, one can tag Silver for his childlike innocence in counting on the government to regulate an industry collecting billions of dollars a year from millions of users while operating with a legal imprimatur.

Silver wrote that among his “most important responsibilities as commissioner of the N.B.A. is to protect the integrity of professional basketball and preserve public confidence in the league and our sport.”

When I asked the NBA if Silver has had second thoughts about his 2014 op-ed, the league replied, “We continue to believe that a legal, regulated, and monitored sports betting market is far superior to an illegal one operating underground,” and suggested that a single federal regulator would be preferable to the existing state-by-state patchwork, though the activities alleged in the federal indictments almost surely would be crimes in any state. Silver did say during a broadcast interview Friday that the case gave him “a pit in my stomach.”

The league’s ability to monitor the behavior of its own people is questionable. Consider a March 23, 2024, Charlotte Hornets game against the New Orleans Pelicans. According to the indictment, Rozier let the gambling conspirators know that he would take himself out of the game early, allowing them to profit from bets that his stats would fall short of bookmakers’ expectations.

The NBA, alerted by sports wagering companies to “aberrational behavior” involving Rozier in the game, investigated but later said it could find any “violation of NBA rules.”

The NBA can hardly claim to have been blindsided by the new indictments. Only last year, another federal gambling case erupted involving NBA games.

In that case, prosecutors alleged that a gambler named Ammar Awawdeh forced then-Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter to take himself out of a game early. That led gamblers who knew of the arrangement to bet that his stats for the game would fall short of expectations; those insiders made more than $100,000 on their bets, the prosecutors charged.

According to text messages filed with the 2024 indictments, Awawdeh acknowledged “forcing” Porter to participate in the scheme to help clear some of his gambling debts.

Awawdeh engaged in plea negotiations in the case, but the outcome couldn’t be determined. Porter pleaded guilty to related federal fraud charges, and is scheduled to be sentenced in December. The NBA has banned Porter for life.

Awawdeh was also named in last week’s indictment over the alleged poker scam.

In recent years, the pro leagues have cozied up to the gambling industry, claiming that their interest is merely “fan engagement” — that is, keeping TV viewers in front of their sets even during blowout games.

Only 11 states bar sports gambling today. They include the customary anti-gambling holdouts Utah and Hawaii, and California, where ballot measures to legalize sports gambling were defeated in 2022. As I mentioned in 2024, the perils of this expansion are manifest.

They’ve created a new underclass of gambling addicts while largely failing to fulfill their advocates’ assurances that state-sponsored and regulated gambling would produce a new, risk-free revenue stream for state and local budgets. The outcomes of some games have come under suspicion even where no evidence of fixing has been found.

The leagues have gone beyond just tolerating gambling; they’ve made partnership and sponsorship deals with the major sports gambling companies. The two leading companies, FanDuel and DraftKings, are official corporate gambling partners of the NBA, National Football League and Major League Baseball.

During broadcasts and steaming of games, it’s common to see in-game statistical projections on-screen — what are the chances of this hitter striking out, or hitting a home run, for instance.

During the seventh inning of Game 2 Saturday, Fox flashed a projection that there was a 36% chance that Yoshinobu Yamamoto would pitch 9+ innings. (He went the distance.)

The only reason to offer such projections is to feed the appetite for in-game proposition, or “prop,” bets. These are fundamentally bookmakers’ estimates. They don’t tell ordinary viewers anything they need to know to enjoy the coming innings, but do give bettors something to chew on before putting money down on the proposition “will Yamamoto pitch a complete game?”

In-game prop bets, as it happens, are like heroin to the vulnerable, offering instant gratification (or dismay). They “may be associated with risky gambling behavior,” according to the National Council on Problem Gaming. Draftkings heavily promotes prop bets on its sportsbook web page.

In a memo issued Monday, the NBA singled out prop bets as trouble spots: “In particular,” the memo says, “proposition bets on individual player performance involve heightened integrity concerns and require additional scrutiny.”

The major gaming companies have rolled out new ways to keep bettors betting. Smartphone apps, for example. In the old days no one could place a legal sports bet without traveling to Las Vegas, a built-in curb on problem gambling. Today, anyone with a smartphone can place a bet, often without certifying their age or financial resources.

“The advent of smartphones in 2007 and the Supreme Court decision in 2018 opened the door to fully frictionless, 24/7 legal gambling,” problem gambling experts Jonathan D. Cohen and Isaac Rose-Berman wrote recently.

I asked FanDuel and DraftKings if they accepted any responsibility for problem gaming in the U.S. DraftKings didn’t reply. A spokesman for FanDuel told me by email that the company “takes problem gambling seriously and continually works to identify at-risk behavior … including when a customer attempts to deposit significantly more than what they typically do,” or “excessive time on site, chasing losses or signals from customer service interactions.” In those cases, the company sometimes imposes deposit limits or timeouts or can exclude the user entirely.

That brings us to the latest indictments. The feds identified seven NBA games in 2023 and 2024, including the 2023 game in which Rozier allegedly tipped confederates to his decision to bench himself.

Among the others were a 2023 Trail Blazers game in which gamblers were tipped that the team would sit its best players so it would lose, thereby acquiring a better position in the upcoming NBA draft; and two Lakers games in which Jones allegedly tipped gamblers that star LeBron James, a friend since they played together on the Cleveland Cavaliers, was hurt and wouldn’t be playing.

“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight,” Jones allegedly told a contact before the first game, against the Milwaukee Bucks. James sat it out and the Lakers lost. James isn’t identified by name in the indictment, but its description of his roles helped identify him. James hasn’t made a public comment about the case, but he hasn’t been accused of any wrongdoing.

Can anything stem this tide? The smart bet at this moment is “no.” There’s just too much money riding on the continued expansion of sports betting: DraftKings has more than doubled its revenue since 2022, reaching $4.8 billion last year, and nearly doubling its monthly average users to 3.7 million. FanDuel is owned by a British gambling conglomerate, so its U.S. sports revenue is difficult to parse.

That’s a lot of money to be thrown around promoting more sports gambling, making it harder for governments to regulate and for sports leagues to turn up their noses at the income. Keeping their image for integrity intact in this world of greedy and needy players and voracious gamblers is only going to get harder.

Shaquille O’Neal said he’s “ashamed” of the people involved in the gambling scandal that rocked the NBA on Thursday.

Charles Barkley called two of the individuals involved in the matter “stupid.”

Kenny Smith said the situation is “super unfortunate.”

One day after the “Inside the NBA” crew made its ESPN debut, the three analysts, as well as host Ernie Johnson, had a huge story to discuss that had little to do with the actual game of basketball.

On Thursday morning, federal prosecutors unsealed two indictments that outlined separate schemes to rig sports bets and poker games. More than 30 people were arrested, including former Clippers player and current Portland head coach Chauncey Billups, who was charged with participating in a conspiracy to fix high-stakes card games run by Mafia families.

Also arrested were Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, who is accused of being part of a scheme to provide private insider NBA information to help others profit from online bets, and retired player Damon Jones, who has been charged with taking part in both schemes.

“All these guys knew what was at stake, and I’m just ashamed that they put themselves and put their family and put the NBA in this position,” O’Neal said during Thursday’s broadcast. “We all know the rules. We all know the letter of the law. And it’s just unfortunate — you know, innocent till proven guilty, but usually when the FBI has something, they have you.”

He added: “I know Chauncey. I know Damon very well, played with Damon. … I’m ashamed that those guys will put their families and their careers in jeopardy. There’s an old saying in the hood, all money ain’t good money. So if you’re making $9 million, like, how much more do you need? Especially if you know you get caught, you can do jail time, lose your career, put a bad image on yourself or your family or on the NBA.”

Smith pointed out that “gambling is an addiction which could make you make illogical decisions,” but Barkley interjected his opinion that addiction had nothing to do with the decision Jones and Rozier made to help others make fraudulent bets.

“This ain’t got nothing to do with addiction. These dudes are stupid,” Barkley said. “Why are they stupid? You under no circumstances can you fix basketball games. Under no circumstances. … Like, Rozier makes $26 million. Him betting, giving people information or taking himself out of games — how much is he going to benefit taking himself out the game to get unders?”

Barkley added: “You can’t fix ball games. Like I said, this is separate from Chauncey, but the notion that guys are making all this money and giving information — come on, man, stop that. That got nothing to do with addiction. That’s just total stupidity on these two dudes parts.”

Billups — a five-time All-Star who was the 2004 NBA Finals MVP as a member of the Detroit Pistons and is in his fifth season as Portland’s coach — and 10-year NBA veteran Rozier were placed on immediate leave, the league announced Thursday.

Billups’ attorney issued a statement Thursday night strongly denying the allegations against his client.

“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity,” attorney Chris Heywood said. “Men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others.”

Jones played three seasons with LeBron James on the Cleveland Cavaliers from 2005 to 2008 and was an assistant coach during the Lakers star‘s second stint in Cleveland. In one of the indictments, prosecutors allege Jones was an unofficial coach with the Lakers from 2022 to 2023 when he used inside information for sports betting.

Poker chip trays that can secretly read cards.

Glasses that can detect card markings.

Rigged underground games run by the New York mafia.

NBA figures exchanging insider information as part of illegal betting schemes.

These are some of the wild allegations filed in two criminal complaints this week by federal prosecutors in one of the most sweeping and sensational betting scandals in recent professional sports history.

At the heart of one of the cases, prosecutors charged several figures using private insider NBA information, such as when players would sit out, to help others profit in leveraged bets online.

But the allegations go far deeper, including a connection to the Lakers, the mob and more.

Here are four key allegations:

1. High-roller games with high-tech cheating

Portland Trail Blazers coach Chauncey Billups, who played with the Clippers for two seasons and later was a member of Clippers coach Ty Lue’s staff before earning the Trail Blazers head coaching job, is charged with rigging underground poker games that three of New York’s Mafia families backed, authorities said.

Billups and Damon Jones, a retired NBA player, according to one of the two indictments revealed Thursday, were used to attract wealthy players to the games and were referred to as “Face Cards.” But according to the federal indictment, the two were part of the cheating teams. In exchange for taking part in the games, the “Face Cards” received part of the winnings.

The teams, according to court filings, used rigged shuffling machines that read deck cards and predicted which player on the table would have the best poker hand and relayed that information to someone, referred to as the operator. That person then relayed that information to one member of the cheating team on the table, known as the “Quarterback,” or “Driver,” according to court filings.

In some cases, the cheating teams used poker chip trays that could secretly read the cards on the table. In other cases, players used glasses that could detect special markings on the cards.

U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella of Brooklyn said at a press conference said the defendants used “special contact lenses or eyeglasses that could read pre-marked cards” and tables that “could read cards face down on the table … because of the X-ray technology.”

He cited “other cheating technologies, such as poker chip tray analyzers, which is a poker chip tray that secretly reads cards using a hidden camera,.”

“Anyone who knows Chauncey Billups knows he is a man of integrity; men of integrity do not cheat and defraud others,” Chris Heywood, Billups’ attorney, said in a statement Tuesday night. “To believe that Chauncey Billups did what the federal government is accusing him of is to believe that he would risk his Hall-of-Fame legacy, his reputation, and his freedom. He would not jeopardize those things for anything, let alone a card game.”

2. Alleged mob ties

The games in the New York area were backed by three of New York’s organized crime families: the Bonanno, Gambino and Genovese Mafia families, authorities said. According to the complaint, at least a dozen of the 31 defendants were associates or members of those three families.

Among those named in the indictment was Joseph Lanni, identified as a captain in the Gambino crime family. Known as “Joe Brooklyn,” Lanni was also named as a defendant in a 2023 racketeering, extortion and witness retaliation indictment, where members and associates of the Gambino family were accused of trying to take control of New York’s carting and demolition industries.

Last week, Lanni pleaded guilty to one count of racketeering conspiracy, according to court records.

3. A tip about LeBron James

Federal prosecutors allege that between December 2022 and March 2024, the defendants , used inside information to defraud bettors, including which players would be sitting out games and when players would “pull themselves out of games early for purported injuries or illnesses.”

Damon Jones, a retired NBA player and friend of LeBron James is accused of inside information for sports betting related to the Lakers and specifically “Player 3,” a prominent NBA player.

Although the indictment does not name the player — the date referenced in 2023 when the player sat out matches when James sat out against the Milwaukee Bucks due to ankle soreness. According to the indictment, Jones, a friend of James, profited from the non-public information.

“Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out!” Jones texted an unnamed co-conspirator, according to the indictment. “[Player 3] is out tonight.”

On Thursday, the Lakers declined to comment on the investigation. A person close to LeBron James told The Times that the Lakers star didn’t know that Jones was allegedly selling injury information to gamblers placing bets. Neither James or the Lakers have been accused of any wrongdoing.

3. A ‘shady’ injury

According to the indictment, when Terry Rozier was playing for the Hornets, he told others he was planning to leave the game early with a “supposed injury,” allowing others to place wagers that raked in thousands of dollars, New York Police Commissioner Jennifer Tisch said.

Rozier and other defendants allegedly provided that information to other co-conspirators in exchange for either a flat fee or a share of betting profits.

Another game involving Rozier that has been in question was played a day earlier, on March 23, 2023, between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game — and not only did not return that night, citing a foot issue, but also did not play again that season.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return, with many turning to social media to say that something “shady” had gone on regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

Golden State Warriors superstar Stephen Curry says he “wouldn’t worry” about the NBA’s integrity despite a FBI investigation into illegal sports betting.

Miami Heat player Terry Rozier and Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups are among dozens arrested as part of a sweeping investigation that also includes allegedly rigged, mafia-linked poker games.

Rozier and Billups were named by federal prosecutors in two separate indictments on Thursday. Both men deny the allegations.

Rozier, 31, is among six people arrested over alleged betting irregularities. They include NBA players being accused of faking injuries to influence gambling markets.

There is greater concern about the impact of gambling on the integrity of American sports, with most US states having legalised sports betting since the US Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in 2018.

“I think on the whole, everybody’s very mindful of what to do, what not to do, and understanding the landscape of sports right now in general,” said Curry, who has twice been the NBA’s Most Valuable Player.

“And that’s not just a NBA thing, this is new territory for everybody. So I think, on the whole, we all are very responsible.

“The integrity of the game is fine, and then obviously we let the situation play out, whatever happens. But I wouldn’t worry about that too much.”

Warriors team-mate Draymond Green, who has won four NBA championships with Curry, added: “I was shocked. It’s a tough moment for the individuals involved, a tough moment for the league.

“But I’m not going to sit here and be like, ‘man, you all partner with a gambling company, you open a can of worms’. That can of worms can be open with partnering with gambling companies or not.

“Partnering with a gambling company is not going to make gambling more accessible to us. The accessibility is what it is.”

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What are the allegations?

Which players have been arrested?

What has the NBA said about the allegations?

Who are New York’s notorious ‘Five Families’?

NEW YORK — Portland Trail Blazers head coach Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier are among more than 30 people charged in connection with schemes involving illegal sports betting and rigged poker games backed by Mafia, authorities said on Thursday.

Rozier is accused in participating in an illegal sports betting scheme using private insider NBA information, officials said. Billups is charged in a separate indictment alleging a wide-ranging scheme to rig underground poker games that were backed by Mafia families, authorities said.

The indictments are related to two major cases, one involving sports betting and the second involving rigged poker games, U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said at a news conference with FBI Director Kash Patel. In the first case, six defendants are accused of participating in an insider sports betting conspiracy that exploited confidential information about NBA athletes and teams, Nocella said. He called it “one of the most brazen sports corruption schemes since online sports betting became widely legalized in the United States.”

The second case involves 31 defendants in a nationwide scheme to rig illegal poker games, Nocella said. The defendants include former professional athletes accused of using technology to steal millions of dollars from victims in underground poker games in the New York area that were backed by Mafia families, he said.

In the sports betting scheme, players sometimes altered their performance or took themselves out of games early, New York Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch said. In one instance, Rozier, while playing for the Hornets, told other he was planning to leave the game early with a “supposed injury,” allowing others to place wagers that raked in thousands of dollars, Tisch said.

The indictment of Rozier and others says there are nine unnamed co-conspirators including a Florida resident who was an NBA player and an Oregon resident who was an NBA player from about 1997 to 2014 and an NBA coach since at least 2021, as well as a relative of Rozier.

Rozier and other defendants “had access to private information known by NBA players or NBA coaches” that was likely to affect the outcome of games or players’ performances and provided that information to other co-conspirators in exchange for either a flat fee or a share of betting profits, the indictment says.

The NBA had no immediate comment. The league has investigated Rozier previously and still is looking into the actions of former Detroit player Malik Beasley, one of the sources told the AP.

Rozier was in uniform as the Heat played the Magic in Orlando, Florida, in the season opener for both teams on Wednesday evening, though he did not play in the game. He was taken into custody in Orlando early Thursday morning. The team didn’t immediately comment on the arrest.

A message was left with Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, on Thursday. Trusty previously told ESPN that Rozier was told that an initial investigation determined he did nothing wrong after he met with NBA and FBI officials in 2023, the sports network reported.

A message seeking comment was left with Billups on Thursday morning.

The case was brought by the U.S. attorney’s office in Brooklyn that previously prosecuted ex-NBA player Jontay Porter. The former Toronto Raptors center pleaded guilty to charges that he withdrew early from games, claiming illness or injury, so that those in the know could win big by betting on him to underperform expectations.

Billups was inducted into the Basketball Hall of Fame last year. The five-time All-Star and three-time All-NBA point guard led the Detroit Pistons to their third league title in 2004 as NBA Finals MVP. Boston drafted the former Colorado star with the No. 3 pick overall in 1997. The player known as Mr. Big Shot also played for Toronto, Denver, Minnesota, the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Clippers. Billups won the Joe Dumars Trophy, the NBA’s sportsmanship award, in 2009 while playing for his hometown Denver Nuggets.

The 49-year-old Billups is in his fifth season as Portland’s coach, compiling a 117-212 record. The Trail Blazers opened the season Wednesday night at home with a 118-114 loss to Minnesota.

A game involving Rozier that has been in question was played on March 23, 2023, a matchup between the Hornets and the New Orleans Pelicans. Rozier played the first 9 minutes and 36 seconds of that game — and not only did not return that night, citing a foot issue, but did not play again that season. Charlotte had eight games remaining and was not in playoff contention, so it did not seem particularly unusual that Rozier was shut down for the season’s final games.

In that March 23 game, Rozier finished with five points, four rebounds and two assists in that opening period — a productive quarter but well below his usual total output for a full game.

Posts still online from March 23, 2023, show that some bettors were furious with sportsbooks that evening when it became evident that Rozier was not going to return to the Charlotte-New Orleans game after the first quarter, with many turning to social media to say that something “shady” had gone on regarding the prop bets involving his stats for that night.

A prop is a type of wager that allows gamblers to bet on whether a player will exceed a certain statistical number, such as whether the player will finish over or under a certain total of points, rebounds, assists and more.

Richer, Reynolds and Marcelo write for the Associated Press. Durkin Richer reported from Washington, and Reynolds reported from Miami. Associated Press reporters David Collins in Hartford, Conn., and Larry Lage in Detroit contributed.

“This level of gambling advertising during the Premier League’s first weekend is frankly astonishing,” said Sir Iain Duncan Smith MP, chair of the Gambling Reform All Party Parliamentary Group.

“The industry claimed it was taking steps to self-regulate and reduce advertising, but yet again they have not kept to their word. The whistle-to-whistle ban is far too limited and is ineffective.”

Overall, there were 27,440 gambling messages measured across the entire opening weekend, a slight decrease from last year but still more than triple the tally from 2023.

The total is found by adding together every individual instance of gambling messaging from live match coverage, plus output on TalkSport, Sky Sports News and some social media channels.

There have been growing calls for a ban on gambling advertising, akin to the 2002 ban on tobacco promotion, and in 2023 the Gambling Commission recommended the government should limit the amount and frequency of gambling ads promoted within elite sports venues.

Lord Foster of Bath, chair of Peers for Gambling Reform, said: “The government must simply step in to reduce people’s and particularly children’s exposure to gambling advertising that we know can lead to harm. The government has all the powers it needs to protect people and it must do so now.”

A spokesperson for the Department of Culture, Media and Sport told the BBC: “The government recognises that more work needs to be done to ensure that gambling advertising is appropriate, responsible, and does not exacerbate harm.

“We are consulting a wide range of evidence to inform our next steps in this space and working with industry to further raise standards.”

The Premier League did not provide a comment.

Kyiv, Ukraine – On October 2, Russian President Vladimir Putin alleged that Ukrainian attacks had destroyed a high-voltage transmission line between the Moscow-occupied Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant in southeastern Ukraine and Kyiv-controlled areas.

Days earlier, Ukraine’s leader, President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, said Russian shelling had cut the plant off from the electricity network.

The mammoth, six-reactor plant – Europe’s largest and known in Ukraine as the ZAES – sits less than 10km (6.2 miles) south of the front line. It has been shut since 2022, generating none of the electricity that once provided up to a fifth of Ukraine’s needs.

But dozens of Moscow-deployed engineers have frantically tried to restart it – so far unsuccessfully. Ukraine has long feared that Russia is trying to connect the power grid and quench a thirst for energy in Crimea and other occupied areas.

Putin purported that the alleged Ukrainian strikes caused a blackout at the plant and that it had to be fuelled by diesel generators.

The latest blackout at the plant is the longest wartime outage of power.

“On the [Ukrainian] side, people should understand that if they play so dangerously, they have an operating nuclear power station on their side,” Putin told a forum in St Petersburg.

‘The radioactivity is so powerful’

In fact, apart from the Zaporizhzhia nuclear plant, Ukraine has three operating power stations – as well as the shutdown Chornobyl facility, the site of one of the world’s worst nuclear disasters.

“And what prevents us from mirroring [Ukraine’s alleged actions] in response? Let them think about it,” Putin said.

His threat had apparently already been fulfilled a day earlier. Ukraine accused Russia of shelling that damaged the power supply to the colossal protective “sarcophagus” over the Chornobyl station’s Reactor Four that exploded in 1986.

Both the Chornobyl station and the plant in Zaporizhzhia need electricity for their safety systems and, most importantly, for the uninterrupted circulation of water that cools nuclear fuel.

The fuel, thousands of uranium rods that keep emitting heat, are too radioactive to be taken anywhere else.

In Chornobyl, the fuel is spent and submerged in cooling ponds or “dry-stored” in ventilated, secured facilities.

But at the Zaporizhzhia site, the rods are still inside the reactors – and are newer, hotter, and made in the United States.

Before the war, Ukraine began a switch from the hexagonal, bee-cell-like rods made by Rosatom, Russia’s nuclear monopoly, to the square rods made by Westinghouse, an energy giant based in Pittsburgh in the US.

The US-made rods will take years to cool down enough to be removed without the risk of contamination, according to a former Zaporizhzhia plant engineer who fled to Kyiv.

“The radioactivity is so powerful that one can’t get the fuel out, [or] transport or handle in other ways until it burns out. It will take years,” the engineer told Al Jazeera on condition of anonymity because of security concerns for relatives in Enerhodar.

Ukrainian forces ‘prevent’ Russia’s alleged plans

A greater challenge at the plant is a severe lack of reactor-cooling water. The Zaporizhzhia station stood less than 15km (9 miles) upstream from the mammoth, Soviet-designed Novo-Kakhovka dam on the Dnieper River.

The dam created a reservoir with up to 18 cubic kilometres (4.76 trillion gallons) of water that freely flowed to the power station. In June 2023, the dam was destroyed by powerful blasts – Ukraine and Russian traded blame – and the water level dropped dramatically.

The deep cooling ponds around the plant that never froze, even in the harshest winters, had been filled to the brim, but the water keeps evaporating. There is enough to cool the shutdown reactors – but not nearly enough if the station is restarted and the uranium rods turn the water into steam to power the turbines.

“It’s absolutely impossible to switch on even one bloc,” the engineer said. “Of course, the Russians keep digging and supply some water, but it’s not enough at all.”

The biggest problem is Russia’s failure to hook the plant to the energy grid of occupied regions as Ukrainian forces pin-pointedly destroy the transmission lines Russia is building – along with fuel depots and thermal power stations, he said.

“The Russians are restoring them any way they can, but Ukrainian forces very much prevent the restoration,” the engineer quipped.

Bellona, a Norway-based nuclear monitor, said on October 2 that a “greater danger lies in Moscow’s potential use of the crisis to justify reconnecting the plant to its own grid – portraying itself as the saviour preventing a nuclear disaster”.

Should Moscow do that, the step would only “worsen [the] strategic situation, give Moscow additional leverage, and bring a potential restart closer – a move that, amid ongoing fighting, would itself sharply increase the risk of a nuclear accident,” it said.

Analysts pointed to a deal proposed by US President Donald Trump in March to transfer the plant to US management as a possible solution.

Ukrainian strikes “will go on until Russia makes a peace deal that also includes US control over the ZAES and its operation”, Nikolay Mitrokhin, a researcher with Germany’s University of Bremen, told Al Jazeera.

Meanwhile, in recent weeks, blackouts in Crimea have become unpredictable and distressing, a Crimea local told Al Jazeera.

“They switch the power off and switch it back on without any warning. Then again – on and off, on and off. My fridge died,” said a resident of Simferopol, Crimea’s administrative capital, on condition of anonymity out of fear for his safety.

Russia understands that improved power supply is a prerequisite for its efforts to restore occupied Ukrainian regions and conquer more Ukrainian land, said an observer.

Moscow needs the plant to “cover the growing [energy] consumption in the region, considering not just occupied Crimea, but also the occupied areas [above the Sea of] Azov. And also within the context of Russia’s plan to occupy part of the Zaporizhia region,” Kyiv-based analyst Aleksey Kushch told Al Jazeera.

Greenpeace said that its detailed analysis of high-resolution satellite images taken after what Putin alleged were Ukrainian strikes showed that he was bluffing.

“There is no evidence of any military strikes in the area surrounding the pylons and network of power lines in this part of Zaporizhzhia nuclear power plant,” the international environmentalist group said on October 1.

The images showed that the power towers remained in position and there were no craters left by explosions around the lines, it said.

Greenpeace concluded that the blackout at the plant is “a deliberate act of sabotage by Russia” whose aim is to “permanently disconnect the plant from the Ukraine grid and connect the nuclear plant to the grid occupied by Russia”.

WASHINGTON, Sept. 24 (UPI) — The Pentagon has failed to implement methods to prevent and treat gambling disorders among service members, even as diagnoses have risen, according to a new Government Accountability Office report.

“Gambling is widely available to military members, who may be more likely than the general population to have gambling problems due to being younger and more risk-taking.” said the report, which was released this week.

The GAO found that although Department of Defense guidance was updated in January, outlining steps military services should take to prevent and treat gambling disorders, the guidance did not designate who was to implement those measures.

As a result, critical services like medical treatment, assessments and annual training were left without clear accountability the GAO said.

In 2024, 185 active duty services members were diagnosed with gambling-related disorders, but the number could be higher, according to the report.

“What that does not include is any individual who did not seek treatment from a medical provider and possibly any that might have sought help but did not meet the diagnostic threshold,” said Kristy Williams, a defense, capabilities and management director at the GAO.

The independent agency issued nine recommendations to the Pentagon to improve care of service members with gambling issues.

The Defense Health Agency, the GAO said, must take lead to implement prevention, diagnosis and treatment for gambling disorder, adding that each military branch needs to update its policies.

Slot machines are highly popular on overseas bases, with revenues used to fund morale, welfare and recreation programs that include child care, fitness and libraries, the GAO said.

Revenues from what are called the Army Recreation Machine Program, the Air Force Venture Entertainment Program and Naval Station Diego Garcia generated $91 million in revenue just last year, according to the report.

While the military operates slot machines on overseas bases, it does not restrict access to service members with a gambling problem or post signage at the slot machines to offer resources for gambling problems, the GAO said.

In the 2024 study, 4.7% of military personnel answered yes to “Have you ever lied about gambling or felt you needed to bet more,” the GAO’s Williams said.

The report also noted that of the 15,039 respondents who have gambled in the last 12 months before the study was conducted, 2.7% of them admitted to having feelings of irritability and restlessness when trying to stop gambling.

Of the respondents who gambled, 56% said they had depression, 50% had anxiety and 8% had substance abuse disorders.

The GAO said financial counselors told service members that gambling could impact their security clearances.

“There is a definition of gambling disorder, and it really focuses on a persistent and recurrent problem with gambling behavior that would lead to some kind of clinically significant impairment,” Williams said.

“You have to exhibit four or more traits in a one-year period to get that diagnosis. It might be things like, are you lying to conceal the extent of your involvement with gambling, do you need to gamble with increasing amounts of money, do you need to gamble with increasing amounts of money to achieve a desired excitement?”

In preparing its report, the GAO met with military members at Naval Base San Diego, Marine Corps Base Camp Lejeune in Jacksonville, N.C., Fort Liberty in Fayetteville, N.C., and Nellis Air Force Base near Las Vegas.

According to a 2021 study the GAO cited in its latest report, it suggested that service members may be at a high risk for gambling disorders due to many being young and the stressors tied to military life.

In a 2017 report, the GAO found that individual readiness for service members was at risk due to being preoccupied with gambling, which can heighten financial hardship and risk of suicide.

In its response to the new report, the Department of Defense outlined medical treatments and annual training service members should undergo to prevent and treat gambling disorders. The department said it plans to release an internal findings report on service members’ gambling disorders by June.

The GAO conducted the study at the request of Congress, with the results sent to the chair and ranking member of the Senate Armed Services Committee, Sen. Roger Wicker, R-Miss., and Sen. Jack Reed, D-R.I., respectively, and to the chair and ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, Rep. Mike Rogers, R-Ala., and Rep. Adam Smith D-Wash., respectively.

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Remember to gamble responsibly 

A responsible gambler is someone who: 

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing 
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose 
• Never chases their losses 
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed 
• Gamcare – www.gamcare.org.uk 
• Gamble Aware – www.gambleaware.org 

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to www.gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites. 

Find our detailed guide on responsible gambling practices here.

Cambodia is one of the key hubs for gambling operations in Southeast Asia. Online and offline gambling have expanded to neighboring countries, contributing to the proliferation of transnational crimes such as human trafficking, online scams, and labor exploitation. Women are the most vulnerable group to exploitation and violence. According to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), there are at least 100,000 victims of human trafficking working in Cambodia (UNODC, 2023). High poverty rates and limited job opportunities in the country increase people’s vulnerability to becoming trapped in these crimes. Many victims are offered well-paid jobs, but in reality, they are often forced to work, sexually exploited, and subjected to abuse.

Gender inequality and patriarchal structures in Southeast Asia exacerbate women’s vulnerability to human trafficking, sexual violence, and economic subordination. The Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh recorded 1,761 Indonesian citizens who were victims of online scams in Cambodia, with the majority of them identified as women (Sekarwati, 2024). This situation indicates that transnational crimes based on illegal gambling not only threaten a country’s economic stability and national security but also create humanitarian crises and strengthen gender inequality in the region.

Conceptual Framework

 Feminism does not interpret gender in a biological context but rather as a social construct that creates a hierarchy between masculinity—associated with strength and rationality—and femininity, which is often considered inferior. This hierarchy produces inequality between women and men (Baylis et al., 2014). Feminism also emphasizes the importance of integrating women’s experiences and voices into global political analysis (Enloe, 2014). This perspective is emancipatory, as it explains the subordination of women in marginalized positions within the patriarchal international system. Therefore, feminism can be used to analyze state policies, particularly in the areas of security and transnational crime, which have traditionally focused on state interests and control over individuals, without considering the impact on women as the main victims.

Legalization of Gambling and Reproduction of Patriarchy by the Cambodian Government

Besides being the largest gambling center in Southeast Asia, Sihanoukville is a thriving hub for fraud and human trafficking operations. In 2020, there were 193 casinos in the city, indicating tremendous growth for gambling in Cambodia (Sok, 2023). The Cambodian government is taking advantage of gambling bans in neighboring countries such as Thailand and China by legalizing casino operations in areas such as Sihanoukville. This allows foreigners who cannot gamble in their home countries to play in Cambodia. This also attracted foreign investors from China to open a gambling industry in Cambodia since the Chinese government has strict restrictions on the gambling industry. In addition, Cambodia facilitates the development of gambling by providing various facilities to Chinese syndicates, such as tax exemptions, as the government considers the gambling industry an important source of revenue. In 2019, this sector contributed US$85 million to the country. Therefore, the Cambodian government considers that the gambling industry has a corresponding effect on other sectors, such as the economy, tourism, and services (Luo, 2023).

By legalizing the gambling industry, the Cambodian government is prioritizing economic interest over human security. In this context, economic gains take precedence over women’s security and rights. From a feminist perspective, this policy reflects a patriarchal structure in which women are positioned as objects to be controlled for economic purposes. Their bodies and labor are exploited as tools to generate profit, without adequate protection or recognition of their rights. As mentioned before, the gambling industry is closely linked to the economic, tourism, and service sectors, where women are the most vulnerable group, often exploited as sex workers and servants for foreign gamblers in Cambodia. The government’s policies uphold gender inequality and reinforce a patriarchal system that subordinates women. Women are physically and sexually exploited to satisfy men’s interest, while the state, through the legalization of gambling, legitimizes this objectification. As a result, certain men and elites benefit, while social justice and gender equality are neglected.

The state plays a role as an institution that maintains patriarchy through gender-discriminatory laws, policies, and political practices (Walby, 1990). The Cambodian government fails to provide job opportunities and develop a strong economic sector for its citizens; hence, the gambling industry is considered one of the most profitable sectors. As a result, women in the region are easily trapped in these crime syndicates due to limited employment opportunities and poverty.

Exploitation and Objectification in the Gambling Industry in Cambodia

            The prevalence of gambling and other transnational crimes in Cambodia makes the country both a transit point and destination for victims of human trafficking in Southeast Asia (De Leon, 2024). Trafficked women are often subjected to gender-based violence, including being forced into inappropriate work, overworked with inadequate wages, and assigned tasks that threaten their safety and security. Women are particularly vulnerable to being manipulated into working as ‘prostitutes.’ There is even a form of unconscious ‘voluntary’ prostitution, in which prostitution is perceived as a means of earning a living. From an abolitionist feminist perspective, prostitution violates human rights, and women involved in this activity are considered victims of human trafficking. According to Kathleen Barry, women who believe they are voluntarily engaged in prostitution are, in fact, victims of manipulations by crime syndicates, which create a false consciousness as a survival strategy (Lobasz, 2009).

            Furthermore, online gambling advertisements on illegal websites often display images of beautiful women in sexy and seductive clothing. In this context, women are objectified to influence the public to visit these online gambling sites, reflecting the gender bias that places women in a subordinate position to men (Ikhsani, 2023). In the development of online gambling, women’s bodies are exploited for the economic benefit of certain elites, often men. The state overlooks this exploitation as long as it does not threaten national security as a whole. Women’s voices are rarely heard in discussions about gambling; they are often treated merely as statistics rather than as subjects who experience structural violence rooted in the patriarchal system and reinforced by socially constructed stereotypes.

The Impact of Gambling Expansion in Cambodia for Indonesia

            From Indonesia’s perspective, the impact of online gambling expansion in Cambodia is significant. According to the Indonesian Ministry of Immigration and Corrections (2024), between 2020 and 2023, a total of 1,233 Indonesian citizens fell victim to human trafficking in Cambodia. This situation is exacerbated by limited employment opportunities in Indonesia, which drives citizens to seek work abroad without realizing the potential risk of exploitation. Moreover, the Indonesian government estimates that more than 3 million Indonesian citizens are involved in online gambling activities that cost the country around USD 20 billion (UNODC, 2024). The high poverty rate in Indonesia encourages many of its citizens to play online gambling to find an easy way to earn money. This widespread practice has a negative impact on women, especially housewives, who are vulnerable to domestic violence due to a gambling-addicted partner. This addiction triggers financial conflicts as perpetrators divert funds for household needs to gambling. In many cases, the perpetrator forces his spouse to commit crimes such as stealing or even ‘exploiting’ his wife to pay all his gambling debts. According to the Central Statistics Agency of Indonesia (BPS), in 2024 there were 2,889 divorce cases caused by gambling (Revo M, 2025).

            Furthermore, women face the double burden of earning a living to meet household needs while simultaneously taking care of the home. In some cases, women endure domestic violence from their partners because they feel powerless to report it. They also face negative stigma from their social environment as a result of their partner’s involvement in online gambling. This reflects a social system in Indonesia that tends to blame the victim rather than the perpetrator, labeling women as being incompetent in managing the household, poor at handling finances, or even failing to take care of their husbands (Kamalludin, 2024).

State Security vs. Human Security

            In 2020, the Cambodian government enacted the Law on the Management of Commercial Gambling, which provides for the licensing and regulation of commercial gambling. However, the government had already officially banned all forms of online gambling in 2019. This policy was not solely aimed at protecting the interests of its citizens but rather at maintaining diplomatic relations with China. China has been exercising its soft power in Southeast Asia by collaborating with Cambodia to transform Sihanoukville into an economic city (Luo, 2023). From a feminist perspective, this policy reflects elements of masculinity, as the government prioritizes interstate cooperation over the human security—particularly women—who are increasingly vulnerable to being re-trafficked or even criminalized by the state.

            In addition, the large number of Indonesians involved in illegal gambling practices in Cambodia has prompted the Indonesian government to tighten security measures and cooperate with Cambodia through the Cambodia-Indonesia Bilateral Meeting on Immigration Matters to eradicate this crime. Feminist perspectives criticize government policies for being overly masculine, as they tend to prioritize state security and interstate cooperation. Feminist scholars also critique traditional theories that prioritize state interest over individual security, ultimately placing the safety of victims below the security needs of the state. In terms of interstate cooperation, policies developed by regional and international organizations primarily focus on strengthening borders, enhancing cooperation, improving law enforcement, and tightening the control of document production. These approaches concentrate on punishing perpetrators without addressing the structural problems that make victims vulnerable to exploitation by transnational crime syndicates. Moreover, because state policies are focused on state security, victims are often treated as criminals and deported without any support services. This lack of protection leaves them vulnerable to being trafficked again (Lobasz, 2009).

Conclusion

Feminist perspectives offer a critical space for women’s voices in international politics, especially in addressing the impact of illegal gambling and transnational crime. Gender inequality in social structures and patriarchal culture makes women the most vulnerable to exploitation, violence, and subordination. The case of gambling in Cambodia shows how women’s safety and rights are marginalized in favor of the state’s masculine interests. The state upholds the patriarchal system through policies that prioritize national security over individual protection. Therefore, it is important for governments, both at the domestic and regional levels, to consider gender-sensitive policies to prioritize human security that guarantees the rights, safety, and dignity of every citizen, ensuring protection without gender discrimination.

HIKING gambling taxes at the Budget would “backfire” and push punters to the unsafe black market, the sector has said.

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has been warned not to press ahead with proposals to introduce a single remote betting tax amid the damage to horse racing.

Enormous damage would be caused if the 15 per cent tax paid by bookmakers is brought into line with online gaming which is taxed at 21 per cent.

Horse racing will go on strike next Wednesday when four race meetings are put on hold in protest at the proposed changes.

The horse racing industry would be dealt a £66 million a year hit and threaten thousands of jobs.

Ministers have been warned that any such move will have be catastrophic for racing’s fragile finances with punters also being driven to illicit markets.

A spokesperson for the Betting and Gaming Council said: “Hiking gambling taxes would backfire spectacularly.

“Far from boosting the Treasury, it will push punters towards the unsafe black market, which pays no tax, backs no sport and has zero standards.”

They add that it would shrink the legal market and damage sport.

The industry says it already pays £4 billion in taxes, supports 109,000 jobs and pumps £6.8 billion into the economy.

Ex-PM Gordon Brown has called for an increase on gambling taxes to help take children out of poverty.

The Treasury has previously said: “We are consulting on bringing the treatment of online betting in line with other forms of online gambling to cut down bureaucracy – it is not about increasing or decreasing rates, and we welcome views from all stakeholders including businesses, trade bodies, the third sector and individuals.”

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WHEN it comes to online payment methods, few are as instantly recognisable as PayPal. The popular ewallet is used for everything from eBay sales to subscription services, and it has become the ewallet of choice for thousands of online gamblers.

If you are struggling to decide which PayPal casino in the UK is the best for you, you have come to the right place. In this guide, we have applied our Sun Factor ratings to some of the biggest PayPal casinos in the UK and created a handy list of the best ones for you to use.

We have analysed their game catalogues, bonuses, mobile use, and more. This guide also explores the pros and cons of using PayPal at online casinos and some of the service’s best features. 

Best PayPal casino sites

🔎 A closer look at the top 10 PayPal casinos in the UK

PayPal is one of the most widely used e-wallets in the UK, and, as such, there are countless online casinos that allow you to deposit using the service. However, not all casinos are created equal, and our dedicated team of casino experts has selected the following as the top ten best online casinos in the UK that accept PayPal. 

1. Casumo

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £10
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £10

Casumo is an extremely popular casino with UK players, and for good reason. The site serves up over 1,500 games for players to try their luck at, the bulk of which are online slots from some of the industry’s biggest names. 

A big selling point for me is Casumo’s ease of use. The site has a smooth sign-up method and allows players to deposit and withdraw from £10. In my experience, PayPal withdrawals on the site are extremely convenient, and the service can be used to claim bonuses. Casumo’s welcome offer is a generous £100 bonus, with 50 bonus spins on top. 

2. Betfred

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £5
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £5

Betfred might be a site best known for its betting options, but it also packs a serious punch as an online casino. The site is home to over 2,000 games, working alongside industry standard-bearers like Pragmatic Play, Evolution, and Play’n Go. 

A variety of games are on offer at Betfred, with the site offering slots, live casino, table games, and more. There is also a regularly updated selection of promotions, all of which can be claimed using PayPal. The Betfred welcome bonus helps you get stuck into the site, giving out 200 free spins on selected slots. 

3. BetMGM

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £5
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £5

As a big fan of BetMGM in the States, I was excited to see the brand make its way to the UK in 2023, and it certainly lived up to its promise. The site is as stylishly designed as you would expect, and it works with many of the industry’s top names, offering huge jackpots, exclusive titles, and more. 

The live casino section here is superb, with some games being broadcast to players live from Las Vegas. Of course, BetMGM is a brand renowned for its loyalty programs and bonuses, and this all starts with a £200 match bonus and 100 free spins you will receive when you make your first deposit. 

4. SpinzWin

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £10
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £10

SpinzWin has been on the UK market since 2016 and has established itself as a popular choice for UK PayPal players. The site appeals to me for many reasons, not least of which is its impressive slot selection, with over 850 titles to choose from. It also has an impressive Megaways collection and is regularly featured as part of network progressive jackpots. 

SpinzWin also serves up one of the best multi-part welcome packages around, offering 50 free spins on your first deposit, followed by 25% up to £200, 50% up to £200, and 50% up to £600 on your next three. Finally, on your fifth deposit, you can get another 50 free spins, this time to use on Play’n Go’s iconic Book of Dead. 

5. Mr Vegas

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £10
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £10

When it comes to bonuses and regular promotions, Mr Vegas is one of my top choices in the UK. The site has a massive selection of games, with over 8,000 to choose from, making it one of the best PayPal casinos in the UK for online slots. These are complemented perfectly by features such as the Wheel of Vegas, allowing players to win exclusive jackpots on each spin. 

I’m also a big fan of the site’s stylish black and green colour scheme, which is very easy on the eyes and makes for a smooth customer experience. Top this off with a good range of payment methods and a welcome bonus worth up to £200, and you’ve got a winning combination. 

6. VideoSlots

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £10
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £10

With a name like VideoSlots, it would be a surprise if a huge game catalogue wasn’t the order of the day here, and the site certainly lives up to that billing. With over 9,000 games in its catalogue, VideoSlots has quickly become my go-to site for online slots, especially those that are tough to find elsewhere. 

The site is more than just its mammoth games catalogue, though. It also features a generous welcome bonus of up to £200 for new customers, as well as a plethora of jackpot titles and regularly updated promotions, all of which can be claimed using PayPal. 

7. PokerStars

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £5
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £5

It would be easy to dismiss PokerStars as a site solely dedicated to poker action, but you would be doing so at your own peril. The site has a stacked online slot selection, featuring titles from the likes of Blueprint Gaming, Hacksaw, and more. It is also home to one of the most unique live casino catalogues in the UK, with exclusive blackjack and roulette titles available. 

It also tempts players in with a hugely generous welcome bonus worth up to £500 when they use the promo code FIRST500. The site will also chuck in 50 free spins for good measure. 

8. Duelz

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £10
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £10

If you want a site with a little more pizzazz, then Duelz could be the operator for you. The site has a unique fantasy theme that makes you feel like you have been dropped in a casino in the middle of Clash of Clans. The site is more than just its wacky theme though, with players being able to try their luck on over 2,000 games. 

One thing I love about Duelz is how the site has managed to incorporate its theme into so many different areas, with the unique quests and promotions keeping players coming back for more. It also welcomes new players with a generous £100 bonus and 100 free spins to be used on Book of Dead, all of which can be claimed by making a real money PayPal deposit. 

9. Virgin Games

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £10
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £10

Virgin is an internationally recognised brand, so it shouldn’t come as a surprise that its online casino, Virgin Games, offers a high-quality online playing experience. I found the site’s game variety to be one of its biggest attractions, with the online bingo and Slingo sections helping it stand out from other top UK online PayPal casinos. 

It is a fantastic site for pursuing big wins and jackpots, and it offers a smooth customer experience to back this up. Players can deposit funds with a range of methods, and the site also offers instant withdrawals and 24/7 customer support.

10. Betrino

• Minimum PayPal deposit: £10
• Minimum PayPal withdrawal: £10

Finally, wrapping up our list of the best PayPal casinos in the UK is Betrino. This is a site that was first brought to my attention last year. It is owned and operated by ProgressPlay, a company with a reputation for creating top-quality casinos, and Betrino reinforces that. The site allows players to deposit and withdraw with a range of methods, including PayPal, PayviaPhone, Visa/Mastercard, and more, and boasts an impressive games lobby. 

If you are new to the site, you can claim a welcome bonus of 200% up to £50 with your first deposit. After that, you can continue to claim other regular promotions, including a cashback weekends offer and a midweek spin of a bonus wheel. 

🤔 How to use PayPal at an online casino

PayPal is one of the most popular payment methods for online casino players in the UK, and one of the biggest reasons for that is how easy the service is to use. I’ve personally been using PayPal to play at online casinos for over a decade, and have always found it one of the most reliable services on the net. If you want to use PayPal at a UK online casino, you can begin by following these steps. 

1. How to make a PayPal account

Before you play at an online casino using PayPal, you are going to need to set up a PayPal account. This is an easy process that takes a matter of minutes. To begin, visit the PayPal site or download the casino app from the Google Play or App Store.

The first question PayPal will ask is whether you want to open a business or a personal account. For most players, it will be a personal account.

You will then be required to enter your email address and phone number. Once you have done this and verified both, your account will be active. The next step is to link your bank account to your PayPal profile, which will allow you to store cash and make deposits and withdrawals. 

2. How to sign up for a PayPal casino

Now you have a PayPal account, the next step is to sign up with a PayPal casino. You can follow these steps:

• Choose a PayPal casino from the ones listed in this guide. 
• Click on the registration button and begin the sign-up process.
  If required, make sure you enter any bonus codes needed to claim the casino’s welcome bonus.
• Provide any personal information the casino asks for. This is typically an email, phone number, and address. You will also need to enter your password. 
• Verify your account details and complete the registration process. 

3. How to deposit with PayPal

Once your casino is set up, you can head to the cashier and make your first deposit using PayPal.

• When you click on the PayPal option, a separate window will open prompting you to log in to your PayPal account.
• Enter your login details and verify your account.
• You will then return to the casino and can enter the amount you would like to deposit and complete the transaction.
• You will not need to enter any of your bank details at the casino. 

4. How to withdraw funds with PayPal

If you are lucky enough to have landed some wins at a PayPal UK casino, then you will need to be able to withdraw them safely and quickly.

• To withdraw using PayPal, head to the cashier, click withdraw, and then choose PayPal as your method.
• You may need to verify your PayPal account depending on your settings.
• Players should know that they can only use PayPal for a withdrawal if it was previously used for a deposit.
• The speed of the withdrawal will depend on how quickly the casino processes the request.
• Casinos have become much quicker at this in recent years, with many casinos offering instant withdrawals. 

📋 How we review the best PayPal casinos

Choosing the best PayPal casinos is no easy process. Our team has a dedicated set of criteria we apply to each casino review, known as ‘The Sun Factor’. The following are some of the most important factors considered when reviewing a PayPal casino. 

• Welcome bonus: You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and this is something online casinos in the UK understand better than anybody. When we are deciding which PayPal casinos to recommend, we always pay close attention to the welcome bonus, being sure to check its terms and conditions and wagering requirements. Of course, the size of the bonus also plays a huge role. 
• Ongoing promotions: While a good welcome bonus will get you through the door, the best online casinos are the ones that reward you for sticking around. When reviewing PayPal casinos, we check their ongoing promotions and how frequently they are updated. Our Sun Factor review system also rewards casinos for being innovative and offering different bonus types to their customers. 
• Licensing: All of the PayPal casinos we recommend at The Sun are licensed and regulated by the United Kingdom Gambling Commission. The UKGC is one of the most respected gambling regulators in the world, and by holding a license from them, a casino is displaying to its customers that their well-being and security are a priority. 
• Mobile compatibility: Mobile gameplay is an essential part of the modern online casino experience, and we test every casino we recommend on an Android and iOS device. Where possible, we also review a casino’s mobile app. 
• Customer support: Having access to around-the-clock customer support can make a big difference to an online casino player. As such, when we review an online casino, we will to see what customer support options it has, as well as the availability hours. 
• Available payment methods: While we are focused on PayPal in this guide, variety is the spice of life, and it is always good for players to have alternative options. It is not just the methods we factor in, but also the limits and the withdrawal speed. 
• Game selection: A casino can score high marks in all of the above, but if it does not offer a good range of games, are you really going to want to sign up? When we review a casino, we note not only the number of games available, but also the quality of the developers it works with. We also want to see a diverse range of game types, including slots, live casino, crash games, and more. 

👍 Advantages of using PayPal at online casinos

Let’s take a look at some of the biggest advantages of using PayPal to deposit at top online casinos. 

• Enhanced privacy: PayPal essentially acts as a middleman between players and the casino, which is brilliant for players who are more conscious of their online privacy and security. This means you never have to share your banking details directly with an operator. PayPal also has fantastic security features, with the company utilising the latest in encryption technology to ensure players’ personal information is kept secure. 
• No fees: In almost all instances, online casinos will not charge you a fee for using PayPal to make a deposit or withdrawal. Players should be aware, however, that PayPal may charge a fee when you attempt to transfer funds from your PayPal account to your bank account. 
• Well-established and trusted brand: PayPal is a globally recognised brand with a glowing reputation worldwide. The company has been in operation for nearly three decades, and it has managed to maintain its position as the world’s most popular e-wallet for a reason. 
• Widely available: PayPal is available at many of the UK’s top online casinos, making it an extremely attractive proposition for players who have accounts with multiple casinos. 
• Easy to use: Setting up, depositing and withdrawing with PayPal is an extremely easy process. The service is available on desktop, mobile, and as an app, and is known for its user-friendly interface and ease of use. 
• Speedy transactions: While other methods are now catching up, one of the reasons PayPal became so popular among casino players is the speed of its transactions. In many instances, players can withdraw funds from an online casino in less than 24 hours and in some cases, instantly. 

👎 Disadvantages of using PayPal

As with any payment method, there are also some downsides to using PayPal at online casinos in the UK. While the good considerably outweighs these, it is still important to make you aware of some of the bigger issues you might encounter using a PayPal casino. 

• Bonus exclusion: While it is not as commonly restricted from casino bonuses as other payment methods like Skrill and Neteller, it is not unheard of for PayPal deposits to be excluded from welcome bonuses and other promotions. As such, make sure you read through the terms & conditions of any bonuses before claiming to see if PayPal is eligible. 
• PayPal fees: As I’ve already addressed in this UK PayPal casino guide, it is uncommon for a casino to charge you for using PayPal to make a deposit or a withdrawal. However, PayPal commonly has charges for withdrawing funds to your bank account. 

🔒 Security at online casinos with PayPal

For many players, one of the biggest selling points of PayPal is that it is so secure. The service utilises many modern security features, each of which is designed to ensure customers are kept safe when playing at online casinos or using the service for other reasons. The following are some of its key features: 

• Data encryption: PayPal uses advanced encryption technology to ensure players’ personal and financial details are kept safe from third-parties. 
• Fraud detection software: PayPal uses advanced fraud-detection technology to alert customers if suspicious activities are taking place on their accounts. 
• Two-Factor Authentication: Two-factor authentication (2FA) has become one of the most widespread security measures across the internet in recent years. When this is turned on, players will need to enter their password and another piece of information to be able to access their account. This is typically a verification code sent to your phone or email address. 

PayPal also offer buyer protection, which protects customers to open a disputes regarding purchases and get refunds. However, this is not available for use at online casinos. 

🎰 PayPal features relevant to online gambling

PayPal offers many features that are extremely useful to online gamblers. Let’s break them down and see how they are relevant to online gambling: 

• Instant transfer: This one is pretty self-explanatory. The quicker you can get your funds in and out of a casino, the better. Instant transfers allow you to deposit funds instantly and be playing your favourite online slots within a matter of seconds. 
• Cross device access: As I’ve already mentioned in this guide to the UK’s best PayPal casinos, PayPal is available on different devices and platforms, adding an extra level of convenience to the online gambling experience. PayPal is supported on desktop and mobile devices, and also has a mobile app that can be downloaded for free on the Google Play Store and the App Store. 
• Multiple currency support: While this is not generally needed for online casinos in the UK, it can be useful to use if you have another currency in your PayPal account and you want to convert it before depositing at a UK online casino. 
• Linked bank/card fallback: A handy feature at PayPal that provides customers with some assurances is the bank/card fallback. Essentially, if you attempt to make a deposit from your account and there is not enough money, it will look to your other funding source to ensure you can cover the deposit. So if you attempt to deposit £10 and your PayPal account only has £8, it will take £2 from your bank account if that is the primary linked source. 

🪙 Deposit fees and other costs when using PayPal

In almost all instances, UK online casinos will not charge players a fee for using PayPal to make deposits or withdrawals on their site. I would, however, recommend you read through all of the terms & conditions of an individual site before you attempt to deposit or withdraw using PayPal, or reach out to the customer support team to be on the safe side. 

Players should be aware, however, that PayPal will charge you a fee for making an instant transfer from your PayPal account back to your bank account. This is typically a percentage of the withdrawal amount, and is currently 1%. 

💳 Alternative payment methods to PayPal

For many players, PayPal reigns supreme as the best e-wallet service for depositing and withdrawing funds at online casinos. It is not, however, the only one available. The following are the most popular alternative methods you will encounter: 

• Visa/Mastercard debit cards: Debit cards are by far the most popular way to deposit and withdraw funds from online casinos. Accessibility and ease of use continue to be the driving factors behind this, with everyone having access to a bank account. It is important to note that UK players can not make a deposit using a credit card. 
• Apple Pay and Google Pay: If you are a mobile casino player, there’s a good chance you use Apple Pay or Google Pay regularly. These are virtual wallets that allow you to make instant deposits and withdrawals from your bank account. 
• Skrill: Skrill is arguably the second-most popular e-wallet in the UK and is available at many top UK casinos. The service is not quite as popular as PayPal, largely due to PayPal’s wider availability, and it is often excluded from bonuses and promotions. Still, it remains a solid choice for those looking for alternative payment methods. 
• Neteller: Like Skrill, Neteller is another popular e-wallet that has become increasingly common at top online casinos. It offers a good alternative to PayPal, but is also regularly excluded from bonuses. 
• PaysafeCard: PaysafeCard is a pre-paid service that customers can use to deposit funds at top online casinos. The service is one of the safest and most private on the internet, but it is regularly excluded from promotions and can not be used for withdrawals. 

Conclusion: Why choose PayPal for online gambling?

As you can see throughout this guide, there are many perks to using PayPal to play at top online casinos in the UK. Not only is it one of the most available methods for depositing and withdrawing real money, but it is also one of the safest and easiest to use. It is also available on mobile and desktop devices, making it one of the best all-around payment service providers to use at UK casinos. 

Q&A about PayPal casino sites in the UK

1. What is a PayPal casino site?

A PayPal casino site is a site that allows players to deposit and withdraw funds using PayPal. 

2. Are PayPal casino transactions secure?

Yes. PayPal uses the latest encryption technology to ensure all transactions made through the service are 100% secure. 

3. How fast are PayPal withdrawals at online casinos?

PayPal itself will process withdrawals within 24 hours, and, in many cases, these withdrawals can be instant. The speed the casino processes the withdrawal request will vary depending on the casino. 

4. Do I need to verify my PayPal account to use it at casinos?

Yes. You will need to have your PayPal account set up and verified before you can use it to deposit at an online casino. 

5. Are there any fees when using PayPal at casino sites?

No. In almost all cases, casinos will not charge you for making a deposit or withdrawal using PayPal. However, you should check the terms & conditions of a casino before using it if you have any concerns. 

About the author

James Anderson

James Anderson is a Betting & Gaming Writer at The Sun. He is an expert in sports betting and online casinos, and joined the company in November 2020 to work closely with leading bookmakers and online gaming companies to curate content in all areas of sports betting. He previously worked as a Digital Sports Reporter and Head of Live Blogs/Events at the Daily Express and Daily Star, covering football, cricket, snooker, F1 and horse racing.

Find James on LinkedIn

Remember to gamble responsibly

A responsible gambler is someone who:

• Establishes time and monetary limits before playing
• Only gambles with money they can afford to lose
• Never chase their losses
• Doesn’t gamble if they’re upset, angry or depressed
• Gamcare – gamcare.org.uk
• GambleAware – GambleAware.org

Read our guide on responsible gambling practices.

For help with a gambling problem, call the National Gambling Helpline on 0808 8020 133 or go to gamstop.co.uk to be excluded from all UK-regulated gambling websites.

Players placing bets on games is taboo. Innumerable sports fans were educated on this point in 1989 when hits king Pete Rose received a lifetime ban from Major League Baseball for betting on games while he was a manager.

Or upon watching “Eight Men Out,” the 1988 film about MLB’s Black Sox Scandal in which eight members of the Chicago White Sox conspired with gamblers to lose the 1919 World Series.

Or from recent incidents, including Atlanta Falcons wide receiver Calvin Ridley’s suspension in 2022 for a year for betting on NFL games and Toronto Raptors forward Jontay Porter’s lifetime ban in 2024 for betting on NBA games, giving gamblers confidential information and taking himself out of a game to affect bets.

Rose’s ban was rescinded this year, but not until after he died, with MLB commissioner Rob Manfred reasoning that the lifetime part of the ban was no longer applicable.

Former Lakers guard Malik Beasley presumably can take solace in being alive Friday when he learned that he is no longer a target of the federal gambling investigation that his attorneys said harmed his reputation and cost him millions in potential earnings.

Attorneys Steve Haney and Mike Schachter told ESPN that they were informed by the court conducting the investigation that Beasley is not suspected of gambling on NBA games during the 2023-24 season.

“Months after this investigation commenced, Malik remains uncharged and is not the target of this investigation,” Haney told ESPN. “An allegation with no charge, indictment or conviction should never have the catastrophic consequence this has caused Malik. This has literally been the opposite of the presumption of innocence.”

It was reported one day before the official start of free agency in June that Beasley was under investigation by the Eastern District of New York. And, yes, Beasley was a free agent after averaging 16.3 points a game with the Detroit Pistons and setting a franchise record with 319 three-pointers.

Result? The three-year, $42-million contract the Pistons had on the table to bring back the 28-year-old nine-year veteran was rescinded. Other suitors turned their backs as well.

Two months later, most teams have spent the money for free agents. The maximum Beasley can re-sign with the Pistons for is one year and $7.2 million. Several other teams can offer a similar or slightly more lucrative deal, but Beasley likely will sign a one-year deal.

Beasley posted a SnapChat story Aug. 6 before he had been exonerated, and he couldn’t help but sound bitter.

“People are judging me,” he said on the video. “Have I made some mistakes in my life? Yes. Am I proud of those mistakes? No. I’m human, but I know what I know… I just gotta stay positive, stay low key.

“I’ll tell you one thing, I’ve got a chip on my shoulder. I’m ready to destroy anything in front of me to prove again that I belong in this league. For those who know me, I work too hard. I work every day. I put basketball before anything.”

Beasley pleaded guilty to a felony charge of threats of violence and was sentenced to 120 days in jail in 2020. The NBA suspended him for 12 games. The three-point-shooting expert played 24 games for the Lakers in the 2022-23 season, averaging 11.1 points a game.

Beasley drew the attention of the gambling investigation when a sportsbook detected heavy betting on his statistics beginning in January 2024, according to ESPN.

A Jan. 31 game involving the Milwaukee Bucks — the team Beasley played for at the time — raised suspicions, according to ESPN’s gambling industry source. The odds on Beasley recording fewer than 2.5 rebounds shortened significantly at sportsbooks leading up to the game. Beasley, however, finished with six rebounds, and those suspicious bets lost.

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