Casino City’s Friday Five: Penalties, prediction markets and jackpots edition

9 October 2026

By Dan Ippolito

This week’s gaming news roundup covers a major slot win at Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City, Coinbase’s agreement to halt sports-related event contracts in Michigan, and sentencing for two men behind an illegal poker operation in Cardiff. Plus, Ontario’s gaming regulator penalized TheScore Bet $200,000, while Kalshi partnered with four tribal nations to launch prediction market apps.

Let’s start off with a six-figure jackpot:

5. $101,450 slot win at Hard Rock Casino in Atlantic City
A Warrington, Pennsylvania woman won a $101,450 jackpot with a $50 bet last Friday afternoon at Hard Rock Hotel & Casino - Atlantic City.

The lucky guest won the big jackpot on a $1 denomination Dragon Link Golden Century slot machine.

4. Coinbase agrees to half sports-related event contracts in Michigan
Earlier this week, the Michigan Gaming Control Board announced that Coinbase Financial Markets has agreed to stop offering new sports-related event contracts to Michigan customers by 10 October, and to close out any remaining open customer positions by that same deadline.

The agreement, negotiated between the state and Coinbase, is the latest in a series of actions Michigan has taken this year against unlicensed operators offering sports wagering products disguised as federally regulated “prediction markets.”

It follows a nearly identical agreement recently reached with Robinhood Derivatives, as well as a state-court preliminary injunction obtained against Kalshi.

3. Cardiff men sentenced over illegal poker operation
Two men have been given suspended prison sentences for possessing and transferring criminal funds obtained through the running of illegal poker games in Cardiff, following a U.K. Gambling Commission investigation.

Between August 2022 and February 2024, Noor Rassam and Panayiotis Karayiannis ran illegal poker games from an upstairs room within a unit on an industrial estate in Splott. The premises had been fitted out with six poker tables, a spinning prize wheel, seating areas, and fridges stocked with drinks and snacks.

Both men admitted to possessing criminal property, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and transferring criminal property, contrary to the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002. A Proceeds of Crime Act hearing has been set for the 9 April 2027.

2. AGCO issues $200,000 penalty to TheScore Bet
On Tuesday, the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario issued a $200,000 monetary penalty against Score Media and Gaming, operator of TheScore Bet, for failing to meet Ontario's strict player protection standards by presenting cash-out offers that were not honored.

The enforcement action relates to a $1,000 bet placed on 14 March 2025. The bet was a multi-leg parlay, and if every selection was correct, the potential payout was more than $1 million.

After all but one of the legs were successful, TheScore presented the player with a cash-out offer of approximately $380,000. The player accepted the offer immediately, however TheScore rejected the transaction during automated verification after the odds changed.

Four minutes later, TheScore presented the player with a second cash-out offer of almost $100,000. The player again accepted immediately, but this offer also was not honored. The bet ultimately settled as a loss, and the player received no payout.

AGCO issues $200,000 penalty to theScore Bet over misleading cash-out offers

Learn More: https://t.co/NpnMYM5azq https://t.co/OWG98FwMSW

— Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (@Ont_AGCO) October 6, 2026

1. Kalshi partners with four tribes on prediction market apps
Four more tribal nations are entering the prediction market business, joining a growing number of tribes turning to federally regulated event contracts as a new source of revenue.

The Alabama-Quassarte Tribal Town (Oklahoma) is launching PokkeTrades; the Greenville Rancheria (California) is launching Greenville; the Kletsel Economic Development Authority (KEDA), the economic development arm of the federally recognized Kletsel Dehe Wintun Nation (California), is launching Sovereign Edge; and the Alturas Indian Rancheria (California) is launching AIR Markets. Each is an independent prediction market app powered by Kalshi.

The apps share the same ownership model. In each case, the tribe owns the app and controls the customer-facing part of the business. Kalshi operates the exchange layer beneath each platform under federal regulation, providing the matching, clearing, custody, and market surveillance.