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About Vegas Starstruck
The “too easy to get a licence” argument doesn’t necessarily hold up to scrutiny, to be fair. Andrew Bentley, co-founder and CEO of regulatory technology startup LiSense, is one who rejects the suggestion.
“There are significant checks on individuals and businesses before a licence is granted,” he says. “The UK Gambling Commission has set out what it expects. If you want a licence in the UK, you need to meet those expectations.”
Bentley believes regulated operators are genuinely trying to do the right thing but says some mistakes could be mitigated through better automation and continuous monitoring. Enforcement statements also provide lessons that businesses should use to test their own exposure.
About Vegas Starstruck
“Rashid operated a high-end prostitution business that transported victims across the United States, using various paid websites … to advertise the victims for prostitution purposes,” read a press release from the US attorney’s office, District of Nevada.
Prosecutors said Rashid imposed strict rules, manipulated the women, and used threats to maintain control. Some victims were encouraged to tattoo his name or image as a sign of loyalty, and many were led to believe he could advance their entertainment careers.
While appearing before Navarro on Thursday, Rashid admitted to a series of breaches of his supervised release that prosecutors said showed he had not reformed.
About Vegas Starstruck
Great Britain’s gambling industry generated £17.5 billion ($23.4 billion) in gross gambling yield (GGY) during FY2026, a 4.4% increase from the previous year.
Excluding lotteries, the Gambling Commission reported that GGY rose 4.7% to £13.2 billion ($17.7 billion) between April 2025 and March 2026.
Growth was strongest online, where remote casino, betting, and bingo GGY climbed 6.9% to £8.3 billion ($11.1 billion), compared with a modest 1.1% increase across land-based sectors.
