El Koala

What is El Koala?

Members pushed the government for further action to block illegal websites, in the same way it provides power to quickly address terrorist and child pornography sites.

Members advocated for stronger powers to be given to Kansspelautoriteit (KSA), the regulator of gambling in the Netherlands, with tougher action taken against payment providers, social media sites and affiliates that facilitate illegal gambling.

Van Bruggen revealed the cabinet was in the process of developing legislation to introduce DNS blocking for illegal sites, with a consultation due for early 2027.

About El Koala

The Las Vegas Athletics announced a multi-year partnership with Circa Resort & Casino and Circa Sports on Thursday. The MLB franchise is set to move from Oakland ahead of the 2028 season to a new $2 billion stadium on the Las Vegas Strip.

Circa was named the club’s first Founding Partner and an Official Resort and Sportsbook of the Las Vegas Athletics and Las Vegas Athletics Ballpark.

“Derek Stevens and the Circa team have been great partners to the A’s, supporting the Club in West Sacramento during our time there, and we’re excited to build on that relationship,” said Marc Badain, president of the Athletics. “As we look toward the opening of the A’s ballpark in Las Vegas, having Circa as our first Founding Partner is an important step in bringing our vision for a uniquely Las Vegas experience to life.”

What is El Koala?

On 16 June, a coalition of gaming lobby groups, state associations and labour unions sent a letter to the Senate urging lawmakers to include language in the bill banning sports and casino-related contracts. Among the signatories were the American Gaming Association, the Indian Gaming Association, the Association of Gaming Equipment Manufacturers and the UNITE HERE unions.

“Litigation may eventually clarify the law, but this is ultimately a question of congressional intent. Congress should not wait while this nationwide expansion of gambling continues,” the letter said. “It should use crypto legislation to reaffirm a simple principle: sports betting falls outside the CFTC’s remit and cannot be offered through prediction market platforms.”

Following the vote, IGA Chairman David Bean said in a statement that the Senate “did the right thing” by not advancing the bill. The Clarity Act “could have expanded CFTC commodities authority” without clear protections, Bean said, but he cautioned that “it is not the end of this fight”.