IPL 2026 opener spikes iGaming demand in India and Sri Lanka
Blask Index data from both markets shows what happened when the first ball was bowled on March 28.
No matches found
Blask Index data from both markets shows what happened when the first ball was bowled on March 28.
Blask Index daily data for the US market shows five distinct demand spikes in the first quarter of 2026, all tied to specific NFL events. Super Bowl LX on February 8 produced the largest single-day reading of the period — DraftKings hit more than 5x its typical daily baseline. Here is how the full NFL postseason and March Madness moved search demand across US sportsbooks.
The 2026 NCAA Tournament projected $3.3 billion in legal handle — but consumer attention didn't distribute evenly. Blask Index data shows DraftKings performing above its monthly average while FanDuel and BetMGM continued declining. Prediction markets added a new dimension: Kalshi recorded $3.4 billion in weekly notional volume and grew its Blask Index 76% year-over-year.
UK and Spain both broke gambling revenue records in 2025. Blask data and regulatory filings show harm demand growing 31× faster than the UK market, while Spain's offshore leakage accelerates on every methodology available. Revenue records are lagging indicators. This is what the leading ones say.
Maryland's SB 761 — the referendum bill for online casino legalization — was pulled by its sponsor in March 2026. Blask data tells a different story than the headlines: 290 brands are already active in the state, offshore operators are growing at triple-digit rates, and licensed operators like FanDuel and DraftKings are losing demand year over year. The legislature chose not to regulate a market that has no interest in waiting.
Six years of Blask Index data on the UK market reveal the same pattern, repeated annually: one demand spike the day before Cheltenham Festival opens, and a second exactly five days before the Grand National. The timing is consistent enough to plan campaigns around.
Finland approved the gambling reform bill, the licensing process has opened, and one of Western Europe's last state monopolies is winding down. The competitive model is coming.
The vertical that grew 256% in 2025 is now fighting for the right to exist in its fastest-growing states.