Weekly Digest

US-Iowa led the gainers at +54.3% as NFL Week 5 rolled through the calendar. Six US states shared the top-movers table at once — a shift from last week, when Nations League fixtures drove most of Europe.

Market spotlight: six US states | NFL Week 5

Six US jurisdictions landed in the WoW gainers table at the same time — Iowa +54.3%, Colorado +44.1%, Arkansas +34.8%, Oklahoma +31.6%, Mississippi +28.6% and North Carolina +27.5%. Last week’s digest was Nations League-heavy in Europe; this week the map pivots to a shared NFL Week 5 window (8–12 October), with Thursday night on the 8th and a 13-game Sunday on 11 October.

Only Iowa paired the calendar with a dated regulatory print inside the window: on 9 October the IRGC released September 2026 handle at $290.24M and revenue at $23.75M and named football as the state’s peak betting season. 

Colorado’s gain tracks the same slate. Denver at the Chargers on 11 October at 4:05 p.m. ET — while Arkansas, Oklahoma, Mississippi and North Carolina show no state-only licensing or enforcement headline on 5–11 October. For those four, the common thread is the national NFL board plus ongoing college football.

The cluster test for next week is whether WoW% moves in sync again on NFL Week 6 (15–19 October) or starts to diverge as September handles data and promo cycles hit different state timetables.

Top gainers

US-Iowa +54.3%

NFL Week 5 ran 8–12 October: Thursday night on the 8th, then a 13-game Sunday on 11 October that opened with Philadelphia and Jacksonville in London at 9:30 a.m. ET and ran through the late window. 

On 9 October the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission posted September 2026 sports-wagering handle at $290.24M and revenue at $23.75M. Administrator Tina Eick pointed to football as the driver behind Iowa’s busiest betting months.

US-Colorado +44.1%

Colorado moved in the same Week 5 window, with Denver at the Los Angeles Chargers on 11 October at 4:05 p.m. ET. Fourteen licensed online sportsbooks compete on shared NFL and college boards, and the Department of Revenue’s monthly proceeds reports for 2026 still stop in July on the public page.

Singapore +42.3%

The Singapore Premier League resumed after the FIFA international break with Matchweek 3 of the 2026/27 season. 

On 10 October Geylang International hosted FC Jurong at Our Tampines Hub in a meeting between the only unbeaten sides. 

On 11 October Tanjong Pagar United faced Tampines Rovers at Jurong East Stadium and Lion City Sailors met Young Lions at Jalan Besar Stadium, both at 7:30 p.m. 

Latvia +29.6%

Latvia’s Nations League C trip to Cyprus on 5 October turned into a late collapse. Eduards Dašķevičs scored his first senior goal in the 57th minute, but Cyprus won 2–1 after Ioannis Kosti equalized in the 70th and Marcus Edwards struck in stoppage time at Neo GSP. 

On 8 October LFF president Vadims Ļašenko told Latvijas Radio that one point from four Nations League games fell short of the federation’s target. 

Poland +27.9%

Poland opened the 5–11 October window on Nations League B4 matchday four with a 1–0 loss in Zenica on 5 October. Ivan Bašić converted an 84th-minute penalty for Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Top decliners

Switzerland −51.7%

Switzerland gave back last week’s +118% Nations League spike even though football stayed busy. The men closed League B1 matchday four with a 3–0 home win over North Macedonia in Lucerne on 6 October.

Brazil −20.6%

Licensed sites and apps went offline on 6 October under Medida Provisória 1.394, and 5–11 October is the first full week after that shutdown. The Justice Ministry said Tuesday 6 October was the first day without authorized platform operation, with voluntary withdrawals ending at 23:59 on 5 October and operators due to file CPF-level balances with banks by 7 October. 

The Brazilian government said R$1.33B was still awaiting refund to about 26.5M bettors on shutdown day, while Brazilian press on 10 October reported R$159M still outstanding and legal pressure on eight operators that missed the bank-list deadline. 

Moldova −12.1%

Petru Popescu’s 2–1 win in Astana on 2 October gave Moldova its first Nations League C3 victory. The Tricolors lost 0–4 to Slovakia at Zimbru on 6 October, and Tomáš Suslov, Dávid Hancko and Lukáš Haraslín scored after the break as Moldova dropped to third on four points.

Gabon −9.3%

The Panthers took an 83–80 FIBA AfroCan qualifier over hosts Cameroon in Douala on 10 October.

No in-window trigger found

No dated country-specific event in 5–11 October links to the markets below.

Mali (+43.4%), US-Arkansas (+34.8%), US-Oklahoma (+31.6%), US-Mississippi (+28.6%), US-North Carolina (+27.5%), Botswana (−15.2%), Madagascar (−13.8%), Laos (−11.6%), Chile (−10.1%), AU-Queensland (−8.3%).

Regional snapshot

North America

North America’s gainers were almost all US states on NFL Week 5, with Iowa at +54.3% atop a six-state band, while Alberta’s −14.2% tracked Canadian licensing timing rather than sport.

Europe

Europe split between Nations League holdovers Poland (+27.9%) and Latvia (+29.6%) and Switzerland’s −51.7% give-back after +118% despite fresh wins in the window; Moldova (−12.1%) lost at home to Slovakia.

Latin America

Latin America was Brazil’s −20.6% first offline week under MPV 1.394, with Chile (−10.1%) in the no-trigger list. Africa mixed Gabon’s FIBA win on 10 October with movers that lacked a dated in-window event. Asia-Pacific centered on Singapore (+42.3%) around Women’s Football Week and the SPL restart.

Next week watchlist

Brazil — bank returns 9–14 October

Financial institutions face the published window to return balances to bettors, with Caixa Econômica Federal taking unresolved cases from 14 October. Flat WoW% would mark an offline plateau, while another sharp negative week would suggest refunds are still draining search interest.

Alberta — 13 October transition cut-off

Service Alberta has framed 13 October as the end of grace for grey-market operators entering the AiGC directory. Enforcement and app-store pressure after that date could compress unlicensed supply or briefly lift confusion-driven searches.

Switzerland — Israel return leg 13 October

The women’s World Cup playoff second leg in Sion kicks off at 19:30 on 13 October after the 7–3 away win, with men’s Nations League idle until November. Blask will watch whether Blask Index stabilizes after −51.7% or keeps fading from last week’s spike.

NFL Week 6 — 15–19 October

Thursday Seahawks at Broncos and Sunday’s full slate follow Week 5, and US state gainers that tracked the shared calendar may repeat if football still drives Blask Index.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.

Brazil’s Blask Index fell −78.2% in the last full week before licensed betting sites and apps go offline on 6 October. Last week’s Medida Provisória 1.394 had already closed new deposits on 25 September. Withdrawals run to 23:59 on 5 October.

Brazil | −78.2%

Brazil’s Blask Index posted the second weekly fall since President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed Medida Provisória 1.394 on 25 September. The text bans the exploitation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds bets on sports and online games, in physical and virtual channels, including foreign operators that sell to people in Brazil. Other legal lottery types stay outside the ban.

New deposits have been closed since publication day. The calendar keeps voluntary withdrawals open until 23:59 on 5 October, puts sites and apps offline from 6 October, has operators file remaining balances by CPF* with banks on 7–8 October, and sets bank returns for 9–14 October. 

*CPF is Brazil’s individual taxpayer ID. 

Top gainers

Switzerland +118%

Switzerland took six more Nations League B points inside the window: a 0–3 win over Scotland at Hampden on 29 September, then a 2–1 comeback against Slovenia in Lucerne on 3 October. That left Switzerland on nine points from three matches, with North Macedonia at home listed for 6 October. 

On 30 September at SBC Summit Lisbon, Paf** said it would start a Facebook pilot sharing Swiss licence documents and URLs so Meta can separate licensed operators and affiliates from unlicensed ads.

**Paf is the Åland operator behind mycasino.ch.

Finland +69.8%

Finland reversed last week’s −37% as Eurojackpot, the multi-country lottery drawn in Helsinki under Veikkaus, crossed the €100M line. Tuesday 29 September left class 1 empty and sent Friday’s pool to about €106M. Friday 2 October was again unpaid, and the next advertised jackpot rose to €120M, the game’s cap. 

Nations League C added a 0–0 with Belarus in Helsinki on 29 September and a 2–1 win over Albania on 3 October. 

Greece +48.6%

Greece stayed busy in Nations League A: a 2–2 with the Netherlands at Toumba on 1 October after letting a 2–0 lead go, then a 0–0 with Germany in Thessaloniki on 4 October. 

Joker, the number lottery shared with Cyprus and run by Allwyn, advertised about €1.05M for the 4 October draw and again left class 1 unpaid. 

Azerbaijan +48.4%

Nations League D filled Baku twice. First a 0–0 with Liechtenstein on 1 October at Tofiq Bəhramov, then a 1–0 over Lithuania on 4 October. 

Hungary +45%

Hungary reversed last week’s −28.4% after opening 0–1 to Ukraine. This window brought a 0–0 at Northern Ireland on 28 September and a 1–0 over Georgia at Puskás Aréna on 2 October. 

Slovakia +37.4%

Slovakia stayed unbeaten in Nations League C: a 2–1 win over Kazakhstan in Košice on 29 September and a 1–1 in Tórshavn on 2 October. 

Rwanda +33.3%

Amavubi won their AFCON PAMOJA 2027 Matchday 2 trip. Cape Verde 1–2 Rwanda in Praia on 29 September, Kevin Niyomugabo in first-half stoppage time, and Iradukunda in the 52nd after Dú Tó Benchimol’s 40th-minute opener.

Top decliners

Lithuania −39.6%

Lithuania reversed last week’s +19.9% after two Nations League points. Inside this window the side beat Andorra 3–0 in a 30 September friendly, then lost 0–1 in Baku on 4 October. 

Uzbekistan −36.3%

Uzbekistan reversed last week’s +52.9% Super League spike. Matchday 22 closed before the FIFA break; matchday 23 waited until 7 October. As a result, the empty league calendar is the clean match to the fade.

Chile −31.1%

On 29 September transport and telecommunications minister Louis De Grange said the government can still debate two steps. One is blocking betting sites the Supreme Court has already ruled illegal. The other is a 19% digital VAT collected by SII, Chile’s tax authority. 

The same week started from Subtel’s third ISP order. It added 37 domains, for a reported running total of 91. Thirty-nine VAT-registered platforms have a first payment date in October. 

Laos −27.9%

Laos reversed last week’s +47% after the 21–22 September Vientiane raids that detained 33 people at cybercrime and online-gambling sites. No new dated arrest cluster was found inside 28 September–4 October, so decline a fade after a raid week.

No country-specific catalyst found

Chad +33.8%, AR-Buenos Aires City +36.4%, Namibia +31.9%, Paraguay −37.5%, US-Ohio −29.3%, US-California −26.1%, Peru −25.2%, Kenya −25.6%.

Regional snapshot

Europe

Europe ran on Nations League football and one lottery cap. Switzerland’s +118% and Greece, Azerbaijan, Hungary and Slovakia all sit on in-window international fixtures; Lithuania’s −39.6% is the other side of the same Baku weekend. Finland’s +69.8% is the Eurojackpot cap after two weeks of unpaid rollovers, not a new licence count.

Asia-Pacific 

Countries from this region gave back last week’s spikes. Uzbekistan’s −36.3% is an empty Super League week before matchday 23 on 7 October; Laos’s −27.9% is the fade after the Vientiane raids.

Africa 

This region split. Rwanda +33.3% and Namibia +31.9% landed on AFCON Matchday 2; Kenya −25.6% dropped on a 1–0 loss in Guinea and an unpublished 2 October High Court listing. Chad +33.8% has no verified in-window trigger.

Latin America

Latin America posted a decline. Brazil’s −78.2% is MPV 1.394 moving from signature week to close-out week. Chile −31.1% sat on a Subtel/VAT news day; Paraguay −37.5% and Peru −25.2% fell with domestic football still on the calendar. Buenos Aires City +36.4% is the thin gainer on that map.

Next week watchlist

Brazil — 5–6 October close

Withdrawals end at 23:59 on 5 October, and sites are due offline from 6 October, with bank returns listed for 9–14 October. Maybe legal iGaming will go back to the country — so Blask is watching. 

Finland — €120M cap draw

Tuesday 6 October is Belarus away in Nations League C, and the next Helsinki Eurojackpot is advertised at the €120M cap. A second up week after a hit would reclassify +69.8% as a one-draw spike. A hold with the cap still unpaid would keep the rollover reading.

Switzerland — North Macedonia

Switzerland hosted North Macedonia on 6 October with nine points already banked. A win that seals a League A path would test whether +118% was a two-match search burst or a longer international-window baseline.

Uzbekistan — Super League returns

Matchday 23 is listed for 7 October after the FIFA break. A bounce would confirm last week’s +52.9% as event-week search; another down print would weaken the calendar-only reading.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.

Brazil’s Blask Index fell –20.1% in the week President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva banned fixed-odds sports bets and online games. Finland reversed last week’s +29.3% Eurojackpot spike to −37% even as the unpaid pool climbed toward €80M. Uzbekistan led the gainers at +52.9% after Super League matchday 22 closed with eight decided games and 25 goals.

🔥 Breaking: Brazil | −20.1%

Brazil’s Blask Index dropped after President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed a presidential decree with force of law. The text bans the exploitation, offer, intermediation and advertising of fixed-odds bets on sports and online games, in physical and virtual channels. Other legal lottery types stay outside the ban.

New deposits stopped on the publication day, withdrawals remain open until 23:59 on 5 October, sites and apps go offline on 6 October. 

Blask Index in Brazil skyrocketed DoD on 26 September +41.45% as the news about iGaming ban appeared. However, it fell 20.1%, even as offshore operators rushed to fill the gap.

Top gainers

Uzbekistan +52.9%

The Uzbekistan Super League finished matchday 22 on 22 September. All eight fixtures produced a winner and the round scored 25 goals, including Navbahor’s 3–2 over Dinamo and Nasaf’s 4–1 win at Andijon, with Neftchi moving to 51 points. Round 23 waits for the FIFA window.

Laos +47%

The Ministry of Public Security ran two-day raids on 21–22 September in Vientiane’s Sisattanak District. As a result, 33 Chinese nationals were detained at five sites tied to cybercrime and online gambling; computers and phones were seized. 

Lithuania +19.9%

UEFA Nations League League D filled the week: Lithuania won 2–0 away to Liechtenstein on 24 September. Also, it drew 1–1 with Azerbaijan in Kaunas on 27 September, when Armandas Kučys scored a ninth-minute penalty and Mahir Emreli equalised in the 14th.

AU-Victoria +16%

The AFL Grand Final landed at the MCG on 26 September, where Brisbane beat Fremantle after four late goals in front of a crowd of 100,023. 

Vietnam +8.8%

Công an Hà Nội’s 3–0 win at Đồng Nai was reported on 21 September after a 20 September kick-off. The result sits on the edge of the window.

Sweden +5.3%

Sweden opened Nations League B with a 2–1 win over Romania on 25 September, Alexander Isak and Viktor Gyökeres scoring. Poland at Strawberry Arena sits on 28 September, after this window. 

Sweden also sells Eurojackpot, and Friday’s advertised pool was about €80M with no top-tier winner.

Botswana +4.7%

The Zebras opened AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifying with a 2–2 draw in Tripoli on 24 September: Tumisang Orebonye scored twice before Libya converted a stoppage-time penalty. 

✅ Botswana rose in a week when several West African Index prints fell on the same CAF matchday.

Nepal +4.3%

On 21 September Nepal Police’s Central Investigation Bureau arrested ANFA treasurer Rabindra Joshi and accounts officer Sanjiv Pandey in a match-fixing and finance probe. 

Also, on 25 September Nepal’s men beat Afghanistan by five wickets at the Asian Games in Japan.

Moldova +4.1%

Moldova stays on the gainer list after last week’s +23.9%, but the print cooled. Liga 7777 matchday 13 ran 19–20 September, before this window, and inside 21–27 September the national team lost 0–2 in Slovakia on 26 September.

South Korea +4%

KBO held the 2027 rookie draft on 21 September at Lotte Hotel World in Seoul, where Kiwoom took Ha Hyun-seung first overall.

The KBO (Korea Baseball Organization) is South Korea’s top professional baseball league. 

Top decliners

Finland −37%

Last week Finland led at +29.3% as Eurojackpot rolled from about €48M to about €59M. This week the Tuesday 22 September top tier was again unpaid on a €68.2M jackpot. Friday 25 September advertised about €80M, and class 1 stayed empty. 

Finland beat San Marino 7–0 on 26 September in Nations League C, Joel Pohjanpalo scoring a hat-trick. Also, as of 22 September the National Police Board had 75 licence applications ahead of the 1 July 2027 market opening.

Haiti −34.1%

Haiti’s Blask Index dropped, although the national team won twice: Haiti beat Trinidad and Tobago 3–2 on 24 September in Kingston, Wilson Isidor scoring in the stoppage time, then beat Costa Rica 2–0 on 27 September. 

Italy −30.1%

Serie A sat on the international break as Italy opened Nations League A with a 0–2 home loss to Belgium on 25 September. Mika Godts in the 20th minute, Dodi Lukébakio in the 69th, about 47,000 at the Olimpico for Roberto Mancini’s first match back and Italy’s 900th. 

SuperEnalotto’s weekend 6 stayed unhit on a jackpot of nearly €32–33M.

Nigeria −29.8%

Nigeria posted a drop even as the Super Eagles won their AFCON opener 2–1 against Madagascar in Uyo on 25 September (Ilenikhena, Usor).

Last week several West African prints fell while waiting for Matchday 1; the wait ended, and the Index did not rebound here.

Ghana −29.7%

Côte d’Ivoire beat Ghana 2–0 in Bouaké on 24 September, Malick Yalcouyé scoring in the 44th minute and Franck Kessié adding a 58th-minute penalty.

Guinea −29.2%

South Africa beat Guinea 2–1 at Orlando Stadium on 26 September: Ime Okon on 30 minutes, Seydouba Cissé equalising on 69, and substitute Samukele Kabini winning it on 77. Guinea hosts Kenya on 1 October.

Senegal −28.8%

Senegal is a second-week decliner after −24.2%. Patrick Vieira’s first qualifier ended 1–1 in Mozambique, Nicolas Jackson scoring and Geny Catamo equalising. 

Hungary −28.4%

Hungary opened Nations League B with a 0–1 loss to Ukraine on 25 September at Puskás Aréna, Danylo Sikan heading the 42nd-minute winner in front of 56,799. Northern Ireland in Belfast is listed for 28 September.

No clear in-window catalyst found

United Arab Emirates −48.7%, Myanmar −35.5%.

Regional snapshot

Europe

Europe split, a lottery fade, Nations League results and one Super League outlier next door. Finland gave back last week’s Eurojackpot print, while Sweden, which also sells the game, rose +5.3% on Romania 2–1 plus the same Friday pool. Lithuania’s +19.9% tracked two League D matches; Italy −30.1% and Hungary −28.4% tracked home Nations League losses. Moldova’s leftover +4.1% is a fade from last week’s Liga 7777 spike.

Asia-Pacific

This region mixed a football calendar, a raid week and a Grand Final. Uzbekistan +52.9% is matchday 22, Laos +47% is the 21–22 September Vientiane detentions, and Victoria +16% is the MCG Grand Final. Vietnam’s +8.8% is a large absolute gain on a thin in-window slate. Myanmar’s second weekly drop has no new dated raid inside the window.

Africa 

Africa tested last week’s “waiting for AFCON MD1” line. Matchday 1 arrived, yet Ghana, Guinea and Senegal still fell after a loss or a draw, and Nigeria fell −4.57 million points after a 2–1 win. Botswana was the exception: +4.7% on a 2–2 in Tripoli.

Americas / Middle East 

Brazil’s −20.1% sat on Medida Provisória 1.394, signed 25 September. Haiti −34.1% came with two Concacaf wins. The UAE −48.7% has no verified in-window trigger.

Next week watchlist

Brazil — shutdown calendar

Withdrawals close at 23:59 on 5 October, and sites and apps go offline from 6 October. A further Index drop would read as the operational close; a hold would treat 25 September as a news-day print.

Finland — jackpot cycle

Tuesday and Friday Eurojackpot draws test whether −37.0% was a one-week give-back, and Finland hosted Belarus in Helsinki on 29 September. A bounce would argue last week’s +29.3% was the spike and this week was the fade. Another drop with an unpaid jackpot would weaken the lottery-only reading.

Italy and Hungary — Nations League follow-through

Italy plays Türkiye on 28 September, and Hungary plays Northern Ireland the same night. A second loss-week would keep those prints in the international-break bucket; a rebound would treat 25 September as a single-result fade.

Victoria — Grand Final afterglow

Monday 28 September is the first full day after Brisbane’s three-peat. A fade would classify +16.0% as event-week search; a hold would imply a longer spring racing/AFL tail, including the Caulfield Cup path.

AFCON Matchday 2

Guinea–Kenya (1 October), South Africa–Eritrea (30 September) and Botswana–Tunisia (28 September) sit on or just after this report. Nigeria’s −4.57 million print after a win is the number to re-test.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.

Finland led the week at +29.3% as Eurojackpot rolled from a ~€48 million Tuesday pool into a ~€59 million Friday draw in Helsinki. Ireland’s smaller +9.3% still matters commercially: Stake GEO-blocked Irish users after GRAI engagement, with the story landing mid-window. Turkey’s Blask Index jump tracked a Super Lig round packed with shock results.

🔥 This week, several African countries dropped simultaneously! Only Kenya posted a growth.

Top gainers

Finland +29.3%

Eurojackpot, the multi-country lottery drawn in Helsinki under Finnish operator Veikkaus, carried a ~€48 million jackpot into the Tuesday 15 September draw. No ticket hit the top tier, and the Friday 18 September pool was advertised at about €59 million. 

Cyprus +26.1%

Joker, the number lottery shared by Greece and Cyprus and run locally via OPAP Cyprus, staged a Sunday 20 September draw marketed for €9.6 million after a jackpot carry. 

Football added a domestic derby: Apollon Limassol 2–2 APOEL on 19 September in the Cyprus League by Stoiximan. 

Turkey +25.9%

Super Lig traffic spanned Gaziantep FK 0–0 Fenerbahçe (14 Sep), Trabzonspor’s 4–0 win over Galatasaray on 19 September (Mohamed Salah hat-trick), Fenerbahçe’s 8–0 over Eyüpspor on 20 September, and Amedspor’s 3–2 win over Beşiktaş the same evening that put Amedspor top. 

Moldova +23.9%

Liga 7777 — Moldova’s top flight, titled for the national lottery/betting brand behind 7777.md — ran matchday 13 on 19 September, including the Chișinău derby Dacia Buiucani 1–0 Zimbru. 

Poland +20.6%

PKO BP Ekstraklasa matchday 9 ran 18–20 September inside the window: headline results included Jagiellonia 1–3 Legia Warszawa and Lech Poznań 5–1 Radomiak, plus high-scoring ties such as Korona–Raków and GKS Katowice–Cracovia (both 3–2). Earlier September BLIK/UOKiK stories sit just before the window. The fresh mid-week signal is the league round.

Kenya +15.3%

Existing gambling licences expire 24 September, with High Court submissions around 21 September and judgment on 2 October.

FKF told clubs on 16 September that the SportPesa Premier League would kick off 19 September, then postponed all Saturday fixtures the same day amid conflicting court orders. Licensing deadline plus league-start chaos both sit inside the Index week.

Ireland +9.3%

Stake GEO-blocked Irish users after engagement with the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland. Stake said it would seek a GRAI licence. GRAI also said other operators, including prediction markets, had restricted Irish access. 

Weekend Premier League and Club GAA traffic on TG4 remains a secondary colour.

Mexico +8.7%

Liga MX Apertura Jornada 9 ran Friday–Sunday inside the window, including América 2–2 Guadalajara (Clásico Nacional), Monterrey 1–0 Cruz Azul, and Juárez 2–0 Tigres. Midweek leftovers from Jornada 8 (e.g. Guadalajara 3–0 Pumas on 14 September) add calendar weight. 

Top decliners

Belarus −32.6%

Vysshaya Liga fixtures continued (e.g. Vitebsk 6–0 Torpedo-BelAZ on 20 September), so domestic football was active while the Index fell.

The regulatory-review of gambling advertising influenced iGaming interest more than domestic football.

Myanmar −28.6%

Authorities published further illegal online gambling enforcement: a 14 September report on seven senior agents arrested in Yangon and Mandalay, and mid-September coverage of a Yangon syndicate case with 36 arrests and MMK396.8 million frozen across 12 accounts. Search interest often rises with crackdown headlines.

African countries dropped for one reason

African countries dropped although current news must have lifted Blask Index.Africa’s decline sits in the same pre-AFCON waiting pattern. CAF’s AFCON PAMOJA 2027 qualifier Matchdays 1–2 are scheduled from 24 September, after this Index window.

Mali −28.9%

Inside 14–20 September the only dated football noise was late call-ups — Sékou Koïta and Mamadou Doumbia replacing Touré/Sylla, covered around 18 September. 

Gabon −27.1%

On 17 September Sébastien Migné named his first Panthères squad for Morocco (25 Sep) and Niger (29 Sep), without Aubameyang. That is in-window build-up, not an in-window result. No GDJ/regulator move dated mid-September. Gabon’s −27.1% tracks the empty qualifier week before Matchday 1.

Liberia −25.5%

Lone Star’s Rwanda (25 Sep) and Mali (29 Sep) games are after the window. Inside it: Mohammed Kamara withdrew, and on 19 September Emmanuel Flomo took a late call-up. LFA First Division listed no high-salience fixtures for 19 September that would offset a national Index slide. 

Ivory Coast −24.8%

Hervé Renard’s Côte d’Ivoire squad for Ghana (24 Sep, Bouaké) and Somalia was published on 16 September — the cluster’s clearest dated squad story — while Ghana ticket sales ran 17–23 September. 

Sierra Leone −24.7%

On 17–18 September Leone Stars named a 25-man squad for Zimbabwe (24 Sep) and Equatorial Guinea (28 Sep). On 14 September Mercury International paid an NLe114,068 football-winner cheque in Kenema.

Rwanda −24.4%

BK Pro League did play inside the window — Kiyovu 1–0 Bugesera (15 Sep); Rayon Sports 1–1 Sunrise and Police 1–0 Mukura (17 Sep) — while Amavubi’s Liberia/Cape Verde provisional squad had mostly landed ~9–10 September. 

Senegal −24.2%

On 18 September Patrick Vieira named his first Senegal squad without Sadio Mané (fitness), for Mozambique (25 Sep) and Ethiopia (29 Sep). On 20 September Dakar hosted the UFOA A U-17 final (Senegal–Gambia). 

No clear in-window catalyst

Slovenia +21.1%, Montenegro +12.9%, Peru −30.1%.

Market spotlight: Finland | +29.3%

Finland’s week is still primarily a lottery-mechanics story. Eurojackpot draws run Tuesday and Friday from Helsinki. The 15 September draw left the top tier unmatched in a ~€48 million pool. By 18 September the advertised jackpot sat near €59 million. The unpaid jackpot is what rolls the advertised prize and concentrates search.

Sports added ambient noise: SM-liiga attention around Jokerit’s early-season slump at Veikkaus Arena, and Veikkausliiga Championship Group games. Those are secondary for a +29% national move next to a multi-country jackpot cascade.

Whether next week’s Index holds depends on the following Eurojackpot cycle: another unpaid top tier would keep lottery salience high. A jackpot hit would usually compress the multi-day search hook even if winner coverage spikes briefly.

Regional snapshot

Europe 

This region mixed lottery, football and one clear regulatory enforcement story. Finland and Cyprus moved on to jackpots (with Cypriot and Finnish domestic football in support). Turkey’s absolute gain tracked Super Lig shock results. Poland and Slovenia had concrete league rounds inside the window. Ireland’s GRAI/Stake geo-block is the week’s sharpest licensed-market enforcement note. Moldova combined Liga 7777 branding with a still-pending vice-tax draft. Belarus’s −32.6% sits against a presidential review while domestic league football continues.

Africa

Africa split. Kenya stacked a GRA licensing countdown with SportPesa Premier League kickoff-then-postpone chaos on 19 September. Seven of the ten decliners are African markets whose AFCON qualifier Matchday 1 starts after the window.

Asia-Pacific 

Only one Asia-Pacific country is in this weekly digest. Myanmar’s −28.6% coincides with published gambling-enforcement coverage; causation stays open.

Latin America

Mexico’s +8.7% fits Liga MX Jornada 9 (including the Clásico Nacional). Peru’s −30.1% has busy Liga 1 fixtures but no verified trigger that explains the decline.

Next week watchlist

Kenya — licensing cliff and league restart

Licences expire 24 September; High Court judgment is still set for 2 October. A confirmed SportPesa Premier League start date would add a second spike risk. Sustained elevation would confirm dual demand. A fade after the expiry would reclassify this week as deadline/chaos noise.

Ireland — GRAI enforcement follow-through

Watch whether more offshore brands geo-block or whether Stake’s licence talk produces further search. A one-week spike that fades would mark this as an enforcement news-cycle. Continued elevation would suggest lasting channelisation interest.

Nations League window — Slovenia, Montenegro, Cyprus, Moldova

League-phase fixtures begin 24–29 September, including Montenegro–Cyprus and Slovenia–Scotland. Match-day spikes would validate pre-window builds.

AFCON qualifiers — West Africa cluster

Côte d’Ivoire–Ghana (24 Sep) and other MD1 ties land immediately after this report. A rebound would argue this week’s declines were a pause before kickoff; continued falls would point away from qualifier anticipation.

Eurojackpot — Finland follow-through

The next Tuesday/Friday Helsinki draws test whether Finland’s +29.3% was a one-week rollover effect or a multi-draw plateau.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.

Russia rebounded +79.9% WoW one week after a −66.9% slide tied to the September 1 self-exclusion register — the same policy still dominated headlines as the Ministry of Economic Development reported 717 applications filed through September 6.

Top gainers

Russia +79.9% 

Russia rebounded after last week’s dramatic fall (−66.9%).

The nationwide voluntary gambling self-exclusion system launched on September 1 remained the centre of coverage through the reporting window. On September 8, the Ministry of Economic Development told RIA Novosti that 717 self-ban applications had been accepted through multifunctional centres by September 6, with Gosuslugi as the other filing route.

Gosuslugi — Russia’s unified government services portal where citizens can file applications, including voluntary gambling self-exclusion. 

Belarus +64.7% 

The government started a campaign against gambling advertising. Local brand Maxline drew attention with its bright ad symbol, goose. On September 11, Aleksandr Lukashenko mentioned intrusive Maxline advertising and said that the country has turned into a casino. 

👉 Advertising banners in the capital are being removed. As for regions, they are still full of gambling banners, including branded vehicles.

Peru +62.8%

Liga 1 Torneo Clausura matchday 9 ran September 11–13, headlined by Alianza Lima’s 1–2 loss to Universitario on September 12 in the Clásico at Estadio Alejandro Villanueva. Earlier fixtures included UTC 1–2 Juan Pablo II and Cusco FC 0–1 Melgar on September 11. Sporting Cristal won 2–1 at CD Moquegua on September 12. ADT–Cienciano was postponed because Cienciano remained in Copa Sudamericana action.

Bolivia +57.2% 

The Copa de la División Profesional fixture Real Oruro–Nacional Potosí was scheduled for September 9 at Estadio Jesús Bermúdez in Oruro, while the Primera División calendar pointed to Real Tomayapo–Bolívar on September 13–14. Bolívar entered the week top of the table with 39 points from 18 matches.

US-Pennsylvania +43.7% 

NFL Week 1 reached Pennsylvania on September 13 as the Philadelphia Eagles hosted the Washington Commanders at Lincoln Financial Field at 4:25 p.m. EDT kickoff on FOX, with sportsbooks running opening-week sign-up offers across the state-regulated market.

US-New York +43% 

NFL Week 1 opened nationally from September 9 through the weekend, with Sunday Night Football (Dallas Cowboys at New York Giants) and Monday Night Football (Denver Broncos at Kansas City Chiefs) closing the slate after midweek standalone games.

Morocco +37.3%

PokerNews published the full Unibet Open Marrakech schedule on September 5 ahead of the festival at Casino de Marrakech, running September 24–October 4 with a MAD 12,000 Main Event starting September 30. 

Top decliners

Vietnam −26.2% 

Hung Yen police completed the XoilacTV investigation and on September 9 recommended prosecution of 74 suspects on copyright infringement, organizing gambling, and distributing obscene material. Investigators said the network streamed 1,529 unauthorized football matches and generated more than VND133 billion (~$5M) from online gambling advertising across the 90 Phut and Cakhia projects.

Poland −24.8% 

BLIK’s September 1 mechanism blocking payments to domains on the Finance Ministry’s illegal-gambling register remained in focus. TVP World reported on September 1 that the list exceeded 55,000 domains with roughly 700 additions per month. UOKiK’s August social-responsibility review of seven licensed bookmakers continued in parallel.

BLIK — Poland’s mobile payment system that can block transactions to domains on the finance ministry’s illegal-gambling register. 

UOKiK — Poland’s Office of Competition and Consumer Protection, which oversees consumer protection and can review licensed bookmakers’ marketing practices. 

Chile −24.5% 

Attention faded one week after Subtel’s September 1 DNS order against 42 unlicensed betting URLs. On September 10, the Senate Economy Commission continued refining Bill 14.838-03 with proposals for locally incorporated licensees, biometric age gates and stronger SCJ enforcement powers.

Subtel — Chile’s telecommunications undersecretariat, which can order internet providers to DNS-block unauthorized online betting sites. 

Italy −22.1% 

The Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) escalated its dispute with Lega Serie A over the “True Data” campaign. Il Fatto Quotidiano reported on September 2 that ADM would seek suspension of spots carrying the claim “If the data isn’t official, your bet is less safe”, arguing the line misleads users about state-licensed betting. Imgpress noted the campaign was still airing during Domenica Sportiva on September 7.

Bulgaria −15.7% 

Mandatory affiliate-licensing rules that entered force September 1 appeared to lose front-page momentum after the launch-week spike, with no additional dated enforcement actions inside the window.

Countries where no in-window catalyst identified

Panama +43.6%, Tajikistan +42.0%, Azerbaijan +37.7%, Austria −17.6%, Japan −16.7%, Egypt −13.2%, Greece −13.1%, Germany −13.1%.

Market spotlight: Russia | +79.9%

Russia’s Blask Index move inverted within seven days: −66.9% in the August 31–September 6 window, then +79.9% in Sep 7–13 while the self-exclusion register remained the dominant news thread. The Ministry’s September 8 update — 717 applications through September 6 — kept the policy in headlines without a second regulatory shock.

The open question is whether this week’s rebound reflects sustained curiosity around compliance mechanics and illegal-market workarounds, or a technical mean-reversion after an overshoot when the register launched. If Russia prints another positive WoW move while application counts stay flat, search attention may have decoupled from legal-market participation. If the index fades into late September, last week’s crash and this week’s bounce will look like a single news cycle priced twice.

Regional snapshot

CIS

This region produced the week’s sharpest directional flip. Russia (+79.9%) and Belarus (+64.7%) both ranked among top gainers after Russia’s −66.9% and Belarus’s −42.3% declines the prior week. Russia’s self-exclusion uptake figures and Belarus’s September 7 commentary on draft ad restrictions kept compliance in focus without a shared single enforcement event.

Latin America 

Latam split by calendar versus fade. Peru (+62.8%) and Bolivia (+57.2%) tracked domestic football — Clausura matchday 9 with the Alianza–Universitario Clásico and midweek Copa fixtures. Chile (−24.5%) retreated after the prior week’s +157.1% spike on Subtel’s DNS blocking order, while Senate licensing talks continued.

North America

NA rose on NFL Week 1, with Pennsylvania (+43.7%) and New York (+43.0%) aligned to the September 9–13 opening slate and Philadelphia’s September 13 NFC East kickoff.

Europe 

This region posted eight of ten decliners. Poland’s BLIK payment blocks, Italy’s ADM–Serie A advertising dispute and Germany’s GGL court setback formed a compliance cluster; Austria, Bulgaria, Greece and others lacked verifiable in-window catalysts.

Asia-Pacific and Africa 

These regions fixed enforcement with gaps. Vietnam (−26.2%) fell as prosecutors moved on the XoilacTV network. Morocco (+37.3%) saw poker-festival and merger follow-on coverage without a new regulatory shock.

Next week watchlist

Russia — self-exclusion follow-through 

Watch whether application counts accelerate after the September 8 disclosure or plateau. Sustained index elevation with flat registrations would suggest news-driven search rather than participation shifts; a fade would mark the two-week whiplash as a closed cycle.

Peru — Clausura matchday 10 

The APF calendar moves on after the September 12 Clásico. Whether interest tracks the next fixture list or mean-reverts once matchday 9 results are priced in will test how much of +62.8% was calendar-led.

Chile — licensing bill progress 

Senate Economy Commission revisions to Bill 14.838-03 continue after the DNS-order fades. New committee text or SCJ mirror-site additions would reactivate enforcement attention; quiet compliance filings would extend the decline.

Vietnam — XoilacTV prosecutions 

With 74 suspects referred on September 9, court scheduling and asset seizures will signal whether enforcement stays in headlines or shifts to procedural coverage.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.

Chile rose 157.1% in the week Subtel* ordered six internet providers to DNS-block 42 unlicensed betting URLs within 48 hours — the sharpest WoW move in the dataset and the most concrete enforcement step of the reporting window.

*Subtel — Chile’s Subsecretariat of Telecommunications.

Top gainers

Chile +157.1%

On September 1, Chile’s Subsecretariat of Telecommunications instructed providers to block 42 online betting and casino domains supplied by the Superintendence of Gaming Casinos. Betano, Coolbet, Betsson, Stake and bet365 mirror URLs were included in the blocking list. Providers had 48 hours from notification to implement DNS restrictions and file compliance proof with the Santiago Court of Appeals. The order followed the Supreme Court’s September 2025 ruling that unauthorized online gambling is illegal unless expressly authorized by law.

Paraguay +124.4% 

Matchday 9 of the Torneo Clausura 2026 fell on September 5–6, headlined by Olimpia’s 2-1 comeback win over Sportivo Trinidense at Defensores del Chaco on September 6. Hugo Sandoval’s 80th-minute goal lifted Decano to third with 16 points. The APF council also published the schedule for rounds 10–11 on September 5. 

India +71.6% 

The Enforcement Directorate searched 17 locations across five states on September 2 in its Parimatch money-laundering probe, seizing Rs 61 lakh ($64,000) in cash, a 1-kg gold bar and freezing roughly Rs 37 crore ($3.9M) in bank balances. Investigators said the Cyprus-linked platform moved more than Rs 3,000 crore ($316M) in a year through mule accounts, hawala channels and crypto wallets.

CA-British Columbia +62.3%

B.C.’s Independent Gambling Control Office clarified on August 28 that sports and entertainment contracts on unregulated prediction markets, including Polymarket and Kalshi, constitute illegal gambling outside the PlayNow monopoly. Finance Minister Brenda Bailey told the legislature that PlayNow captures an estimated 51% of provincial online gambling, leaving roughly C$441 million annually with unregulated operators.

Peru +49.9% 

Matchday 8 of the Liga 1 Torneo Clausura 2026 ran September 4–6, headlined by Sporting Cristal’s 5-0 win over Los Chankas on September 6 and Deportivo Garcilaso’s 4-2 defeat of Atlético Grau the same day. Garcilaso stayed sole Clausura leader with 16 points. 

Cienciano’s 5-2 away win at FC Cajamarca opened the round on September 4. Universitario drew 2-2 with Comerciantes Unidos on September 5. 

Morocco +48.9% 

Lottomatica and Cirsa signed a binding €2.8B merger agreement on September 2 that includes Cirsa’s four Moroccan casinos — two in Agadir, one in Tangier and La Mamounia’s Grand Casino in Marrakech. Italian and Moroccan outlets mapped the kingdom’s land-based portfolio through September 6 as the deal positioned the combined group to become the world’s second-largest listed gaming operator.

Zimbabwe +47.1% 

No clear in-window catalyst identified.

Ghana +44.9% 

Ghana Premier League 2026/27 opened September 5, lifting the interest in iGaming. 

Ivory Coast +44.8% 

No clear in-window catalyst identified.

Algeria +42.8% 

No clear in-window catalyst identified.

Top decliners

Cyprus −69.7% 

Parliament’s House Audit Committee examined proposals on September 3 to block Minimum Guaranteed Income recipients from spending welfare payments at casinos, betting shops or gambling websites, including a restricted-benefits card and pre-issue casino membership checks.

Russia −66.9% 

A national voluntary gambling self-exclusion register took effect September 1, letting citizens ban themselves from legal betting, casinos and online bookmakers for at least 12 months via Gosuslugi. Licensed operators must block listed players and face fines of 300,000–500,000 rubles for accepting prohibited bets.

Bulgaria −53.1% 

Mandatory gambling-affiliate licensing entered force September 1, requiring a €6,000 annual fee plus 10% withholding on performance-based commission. Unlicensed affiliates face blocking orders within 24 hours of an NRA decision.

Italy −50.7% 

The Customs and Monopolies Agency (ADM) demanded suspension of Lega Serie A’s “True Data” campaign during matchday two. The closing line “If the data isn’t official, your bet is less secure” misleads users about state-licensed betting and constitutes indirect gambling promotion. ADM issued its statement on August 31.

Poland −50.2% 

BLIK** began blocking payments to domains on the Ministry of Finance illegal-gambling register on September 1. UOKiK’s*** August 26 probe into seven licensed bookmakers over dark-pattern UX continued.

**BLIK — popular mobile payment system in Poland. 

***Office of Competition and Consumer Protection.

Hungary −43.2% 

Government Resolution 1277/2026, published August 31, ordered a review of abolishing the Supervisory Authority for Regulated Activities (SZTFH) after a 35-year Sopron casino concession was granted without public tender. Justice Minister Márta Görög must report by September 30.

Serbia −42.7% 

No clear in-window catalyst identified.

Belarus −42.3% 

The Ministry of Antimonopoly Regulation and Trade sent a draft bill on August 21 to government bodies that would ban online gambling advertising and restrict broadcast windows.

Rwanda −40.3% 

No clear in-window catalyst identified.

Czech Republic −38.5%

No clear in-window catalyst tied to the WoW decline.

Market spotlight: Chile | +157.1%

On September 1, Subtel notified six major ISPs to DNS-block 42 URLs identified by the Superintendence of Gaming Casinos — the first mass blocking order under the post–Supreme Court enforcement playbook. The list mixes international brands (Betano, 1xBet, Betsson, Stake, bet365) with local-facing domains and mirror sites. Congress is still debating Bill 14.838-03 to create a licensed online framework. Until that passes, enforcement runs through existing law and court rulings.

The open question is whether the blocking cycle sustains elevated search attention as operators shift domains or whether interest mean-reverts once the 42-site list is priced in. A sustained elevation through September would confirm enforcement as a recurring demand driver. A fade would reclassify this week as a one-off news-cycle spike.

Regional snapshot

Latin America

Latam combined the week’s largest percentage moves: Chile’s DNS order and Clausura matchdays in Paraguay and Peru, with enforcement stories led in Chile. 

Europe 

This region posted all ten decliners. Russia’s September 1 self-exclusion register, Bulgaria’s affiliate-licensing launch, Poland’s BLIK payment blocks and Italy’s ADM–Serie A advertising dispute all landed in the same seven-day window.

Africa 

Africa saw broad gains without a single shared trigger: Ghana’s domestic-odds ban ahead of the GPL opener, Zimbabwe’s show-floor enforcement rhetoric and Morocco’s laundering probe each carried distinct mechanisms. Ivory Coast and Algeria lacked verifiable in-window catalysts.

Asia-Pacific and North America 

These regions were led by India’s Parimatch ED raids and British Columbia’s prediction-market clarification — both regulatory enforcement stories rather than fixture-driven spikes.

Next week watchlist

Chile — DNS follow-through

Watch whether ISPs file compliance certificates and whether SCJ submits additional URL lists. Sustained blocking announcements would confirm enforcement as a recurring news driver. Quiet compliance would suggest this week’s spike was front-loaded.

Paraguay — Clausura matchday 10 (September 11–13) 

The APF council confirmed rounds 10–11 on September 5 after football drove this week’s +124.4% spike. Matchday 10 opens Friday September 11 and closes Sunday September 13 with two fixtures per day, completing the first round — headlined by Recoleta vs Olimpia and Cerro Porteño vs Sportivo Trinidense. Watch whether search attention tracks the weekend calendar or mean-reverts once matchday 9 is priced in.

Hungary — SZTFH abolition report 

Justice Minister Görög must deliver her feasibility report by September 30. A dissolution proposal would reshape who holds licences and runs the blocking regime. A retention recommendation would leave the licensing-scandal cloud intact.

Russia — self-exclusion uptake 

Early Gosuslugi sign-ups exceeded 20,000 on the first two days. Whether legal-market interest keeps fading or stabilizes once registration publicity drops will test how much of this week’s decline is structural.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.

Kansas led the weekly board at +78.5%, but Cyprus had the clearest event cluster. Its +48.7% rise coincided with a €5.4M rollover in Joker, the number lottery shared by Greece and Cyprus, and the opening of the domestic football season.

Top gainers

US–Kansas +78.5%

The Kansas move coincided with a nine-game streak by the Kansas City Royals, the state’s Major League Baseball team. The run ended on Aug 26, but the Royals then won 13–2 in Toronto and took two games in Cleveland on Aug 28–29. A Kansas ticket also won $50 000 in Powerball, the US multistate lottery, on Aug 24. Neither event proves causation, but both created fresh local search hooks inside the reporting window.

Cyprus +48.7%

Joker draw 3111 produced no top-tier winner on Aug 27, setting a minimum €5.4M jackpot for Aug 30. The jackpot reached €5 540 413.55 and rolled again after no 5+1 ticket won. Cyprus League by Stoiximan, the island’s top football division, then opened on Aug 28 with six fixtures through Sunday, including three early derbies.

North Macedonia +30.7%

The domestic Prva Liga, North Macedonia’s top football division, included a 2–1 win for Shkëndija over fellow league club Struga on Aug 24. Besart Ibraimi scored the winner in the 87th minute. No separate regulatory or lottery trigger surfaced inside the week.

Colombia +26.4%

Colombia stayed in the gainer board for a second week after rising 27.9% on Aug 17–23, when Liga BetPlay, the country’s top football division, resumed following an earthquake-related pause. League organiser DIMAYOR reconfirmed Matchday 8 on Aug 26, and seven fixtures followed on Aug 29–30. The repeated increase coincided with concentrated domestic football inventory rather than a single new country-wide event.

Tanzania +26.0%

Young Africans, better known as Yanga and one of Tanzania’s two dominant football clubs, beat JKT Tanzania 4–0 on Aug 24, then defeated Pamba Jiji 2–0 on Aug 28. Rival club Simba also won during NBC Premier League round four, leaving both teams perfect after four matches.

Spain +24.7%

UEFA held the Champions League league-phase draw on Aug 27 with five Spanish clubs in the field. Eight LaLiga Matchday 3 fixtures then ran on Aug 28–30, including Sevilla–Atlético Madrid and Real Madrid–Málaga. The two events created a concentrated national football window without proving the cause of the Index increase.

Haiti +24.6%

No clear country-specific trigger surfaced during Aug 24–30.

South Africa +24.1%

South Africa had the densest multi-sport calendar in the group. Eight matches in the Premiership, the country’s top football division, ran on Aug 25–26. The Springboks, South Africa’s national rugby team, beat New Zealand 33–26 on Aug 29, while the national cricket side played consecutive T20Is, short-format internationals, in Windhoek on Aug 28–29. The National Lottery also began adding sales through 60 South African Post Office branches across all nine provinces.

Namibia +24.0%

Namibia opened its home T20I tri-series, a short-format cricket tournament with South Africa and Zimbabwe, with an 18-run win over South Africa on Aug 28. The tournament runs through Sept 6.

Pakistan +22.4%

Pakistan played England in the second Test, cricket’s five-day international format, at Lord’s, London’s historic cricket ground, from Aug 27–30. England won by 194 runs and took an unassailable 2–0 series lead. Four days of national-team cricket provide a stronger timing match than any gambling-specific news found in the window.

Top decliners

Turkey −34.8%

Turkey recorded the week’s deepest decline despite a full Süper Lig schedule. Galatasaray beat fellow top-flight club Göztepe 3–2, while Başakşehir–Kasımpaşa finished 1–1 on Aug 30. The data therefore does not support a simple fixture-gap explanation, and no clear in-window negative catalyst was identified.

CA–Quebec −23.6%

Quebec’s decline followed a C$55M win in Lotto Max, Canada’s national jackpot lottery, in the Aug 21 draw. The jackpot reset to C$10M for Aug 25, removing the exceptional prize pool that had closed the previous reporting week. A smaller news cycle followed when a Quebec player claimed a C$1M scratch-ticket prize on Aug 26.

Russia −22.5%

Russia extended the correction that followed its +134.0% spike on Aug 10–16. The comparison week ended with two marquee Russian Premier League fixtures: Moscow rivals CSKA–Lokomotiv and Spartak against Saint Petersburg’s Zenit. The Aug 28–30 round had a full schedule but fewer equivalent pairings. Blask Index fell 7.8% and then 22.5% across the two weeks after the spike. The Sept 1 self-exclusion launch remains a forward event, not a verified cause of the decline.

CA–Alberta −17.8%

Alberta declined even as private operators continued their post-launch expansion. Online operator BetRivers announced a retail partnership with two casinos run by Gateway, a Canadian casino group. Canadian regulators also reiterated that sports prediction contracts belong under provincial gambling rules. These events provide market context but do not explain the direction of the weekly move.

Switzerland −14.9%

Switzerland reversed after leading the previous week at +40.3%. The prior increase coincided with Matchday 4 of the Swiss Super League, the country’s top football division; the latest decline came despite a fixture between leading clubs Young Boys and Basel on Aug 29. That pattern reads as normalisation after a concentrated fixture-led spike, not the absence of football.

US–Ohio −13.6%

Ohio had several local sports events, including an elimination game against Texas in the Little League World Series, an international youth baseball tournament, on Aug 24. No clear event explains the market-wide decline.

AR–Cordoba −10.8%

No clear province-specific trigger surfaced during Aug 24–30.

South Korea −10.5%

Rain removed eight scheduled KBO games on Aug 28 and 30. KBO is South Korea’s top professional baseball league. The cancellations included the entire five-game Friday slate and a game between league clubs LG Twins and Lotte Giants that was abandoned in the third inning. The disruption materially reduced baseball betting inventory, although it does not prove the cause of the decline.

Paraguay −10.1%

Paraguay retained regular Clausura football fixtures and hosted a World Rally Championship round on Aug 27–30. The stronger comparison effect sits just outside the window: Olimpia beat arch-rival Cerro Porteño 2–1 in the Superclásico, Paraguay’s biggest club fixture, on Aug 23.

Mali −10.0%

PMU, Mali’s horse-racing betting programme, continued on its normal schedule while the domestic football league remained between seasons. No clear in-window catalyst was identified.

Market spotlight: Cyprus | +48.7%

Cyprus posted the week’s second-largest percentage increase as two gambling-relevant events overlapped. Joker rolled to €5 540 413.55 without a top-tier winner on Aug 30, while Cyprus League Matchday 1 packed six fixtures into Aug 28–30, including three early derbies.

The timing does not isolate one cause: the lottery built repeated draw interest while the league created a full opening-weekend schedule. Joker rises to at least €5.8M on Sept 1 and Matchday 2 runs Sept 4–7. Another elevated reading would support a multi-event effect; a fast decline would make this week look like an opening-week spike.

Regional snapshot

Europe

Europe split between dense event calendars and post-event corrections. Cyprus (+48.7%) combined a Joker rollover with its league opener; Spain (+24.7%) had the Champions League draw and eight LaLiga fixtures. Turkey (−34.8%) fell despite its own match density, while Switzerland (−14.9%) reversed the previous week’s +40.3% lead.

Africa

Africa supplied three closely grouped gainers: Tanzania (+26.0%), South Africa (+24.1%) and Namibia (+24.0%). Together, the three markets increased by 24.7% from the previous week. The timing overlapped with Yanga’s early-season run, expanded lottery retail access in South Africa and the Namibia T20I tri-series, without isolating any one event as the cause.

North America

Kansas (+78.5%) led the percentage board while both Canadian provinces declined. Quebec (−23.6%) followed the reset of a C$55M lottery jackpot; Alberta (−17.8%) cooled despite continued operator expansion. The same regional board therefore contained three distinct market contexts.

Latin America and the Caribbean

Colombia (+26.4%) extended the previous week’s Liga BetPlay rebound, while Haiti (+24.6%) rose without a verified trigger. Cordoba (−10.8%) and Paraguay (−10.1%) moved in the opposite direction without a common regional event.

Asia-Pacific

Pakistan (+22.4%) and South Korea (−10.5%) split around contrasting cricket and baseball calendars. Pakistan had a four-day Test at Lord’s; South Korea lost eight scheduled KBO games to weather on Aug 28 and 30.

Next week watchlist

Russia — self-exclusion register

Russia’s national self-exclusion register becomes operational on Sept 1. The first live week will show whether the compliance event interrupts the ongoing correction or adds another short search pulse.

Namibia and South Africa — T20I schedule

The Windhoek tri-series continues with Namibia–Zimbabwe on Aug 31, Zimbabwe–South Africa on Sept 1 and two further league matches on Sept 3–4 before the Sept 6 final. Sustained interest would separate tournament demand from opening-week novelty.

Cyprus — Joker and Matchday 2

Joker offers at least €5.8M on Sept 1, while Cyprus League Matchday 2 runs Sept 4–7. The next reading will test whether the lottery and football cluster sustains attention.

South Africa — illegal-site blocking deadline

Technology suppliers have until Sept 4 to respond to the National Gambling Board’s request for a system to monitor and block illegal gambling websites. The deadline creates a second, regulatory search hook after this week’s lottery and cricket events.

Bottom line

Cyprus combined the week’s clearest lottery and football signals, while prior event spikes unwound in Switzerland, Quebec and Russia. The €5.8M Joker draw and Cyprus Matchday 2 will test whether that event cluster can hold attention.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.

Mean-reversion drained the CIS and Baltic cluster that dominated Aug 10–16. Russia (–7.8% after +134.0%), Lithuania (–9.1% after +50.2%), Tajikistan (–8.6% after +37.8%), Slovakia (–6.8% after +42.7%), and Latvia (–7.3% after +26.8%) all compressed in tandem. 

Attention shifted to calendar-driven markets — Switzerland led at +40.3% on Super League Matchday 4, Colombia (+27.9%) rebounded as Liga BetPlay resumed after the Aug 10 earthquake pause. Ukraine (–12.8%) extended a two-week suppression streak under Cosmobet scrutiny. 

❗️ Important. Some of the top gainers are not mentioned in the digest below because they posted a growth without clear in-window catalyst.

Top gainers

Switzerland +40.3% 

Super League Matchday 4 delivered a full domestic slate Aug 22–23, headlined by Young Boys’ 4–2 win over Vaduz at the Wankdorf on Aug 23. Event gravity from a high-scoring weekend — combined with YB taking the table lead — pulled acquisition intent toward licensed Swiss operators as the 2026/27 season entered its early table-shaping phase.

Sierra Leone +38.1%

Calendar spillover from the European club-season restart that lifted West African betting markets alongside Ghana and Senegal. The +38.1% WoW move also reads as a low-base effect: Blask Index grew on a comparatively thin prior-week baseline in a retail-heavy market where physical betting shops remain the primary channel.

Colombia +27.9% 

Liga BetPlay 2026-II restarted after a week-long suspension triggered by the Aug 10 earthquake. Matchday 6 packed the Aug 22–23 window with high-attention fixtures: Santa Fe vs América de Cali (0–0, halted nearly an hour for fan violence), Nacional’s controversial 2–1 win over Fortaleza, and Cúcuta’s 1–0 upset at Medellín. 

Senegal +25.7% 

Ligue 1 2026–27 calendar publication on Aug 22 aligned with the broader European club-season restart. It drove betting interest across West Africa, and in particularly in Senegal.

Sweden +24.7% 

Rebound from last week’s –11.4% compression. Allsvenskan Matchday 20 ran Aug 17–18 with Malmö FF, AIK, and Hammarby fixtures inside the window.

Top decliners

Ukraine –12.8% 

Investigative reporting on Cosmobet’s Russian-linked ownership structures and KRAIL licensing scrutiny intensified mid-August, adding regulatory friction to a market already under wartime gambling restrictions. 

Uzbekistan –11.0% 

The July 31 issuance of Uzbekistan’s first NAPP bookmaker licences to Olimpbet and Aurum Vale triggered a pre-window spike. This week normalises as the market digests the arrival of two licensed operators against an offshore base still estimated at 65% of measurable demand.

Lithuania –9.1% 

After the prior week’s +50.2% surge, the index compressed despite structurally strong fundamentals: LPT data published Aug 14 showed H1 2026 GGR up 16.8% to €153.6M, with remote gambling at 78% of the market. The decline is momentum-driven, not data-driven.

Tajikistan –8.6% 

Mean-reversion from the prior week’s relatively big +37.8% gain. 

Russia –7.8% 

The +134% prior-week spike — the largest mover in the Aug 10–16 report — mean-reverted sharply. Coverage of the national self-exclusion register launching Sept 1 added a forward suppression signal, but the primary mechanism is baseline normalisation after an unsustainable weekly jump.

Market spotlight: Switzerland | +40.3%

Switzerland posted the week’s sharpest percentage gain at +40.3%. The timing aligned with Super League Matchday 4 on Aug 22–23. A full domestic slate after the early-season August break was capped by Young Boys’ 4–2 home win over Vaduz at the Wankdorf on Aug 23. It was a high-scoring fixture that sent YB to the top of the table with 10 points from four matches.

The mechanism is event gravity within a tightly regulated market. Licensed online sports betting runs through ESBK casino extensions and Gespa-supervised Swisslos and Loterie Romande channels. Offshore sites face DNS blocking. Matchday 4 concentrated search attention on domestic fixtures as the 2026/27 season entered its table-shaping phase. Young Boys vs Basel on Aug 29 — the league’s first summit clash of the campaign — should sustain acquisition intent through the next reporting window unless mid-table rounds dilute fixture salience.

Regional snapshot

Europe 

The region split between calendar winners and reversion losers. Switzerland (+40.3%) and Sweden (+24.7%, rebounding from last week’s –11.4%) rode domestic league restarts, while Lithuania (–9.1%), Russia (–7.8%), Latvia (–7.3%), and Slovakia (–6.8%) gave back prior-week spikes. Remote gambling’s 78% share of Lithuania’s H1 GGR underscores that the Baltic compression is momentum, not fundamentals.

Asia-Pacific 

This region showed suppression and normalisation. Uzbekistan (–11.0%) eased after the July 31 licensing event, Ukraine (–12.8%) extended its two-week decline under operator-scrutiny coverage, and Pakistan (–7.0%) drifted lower with no fresh August enforcement headline — ongoing PTA block lists remain in force but outside the verified source window. Ethiopia (+21.8%) gained without a dated catalyst, against a backdrop of the Ethiopian Lottery Service maintaining that no licensed sports betting operator legally operates in the country.

Africa 

The African continent contributed five of the top 10 gainers — the strongest regional cluster of the week. Ghana (+26.0%) and Senegal (+25.7%) aligned with the Aug 22 publication of Senegal’s Ligue 1 2026–27 calendar and the broader European club-season restart that drives betting interest across West Africa. Sierra Leone (+38.1%) and Haiti (+26.6%) moved without verified in-window triggers. Botswana (–6.0%) registered the region’s largest downside move at the edge of the board.

Next week watchlist

European club-season restart

Early-season matchdays across the Premier League, La Liga, Serie A, and Bundesliga should sustain calendar-driven acquisition intent in regulated European markets and extend West African spillover in Ghana, Senegal, and Sierra Leone. A fade would reclassify this week’s low-base moves as one-off bounces rather than season-long calendar gravity. 

Colombia — Liga BetPlay Matchday 7 (Aug 29–30)

Continued domestic fixture density should sustain acquisition intent if no further calendar interruptions occur. Expected direction is neutral to positive.

Switzerland — Young Boys vs Basel (Aug 29)

Super League summit fixture one week after YB took the table lead. High event gravity expected from the league’s marquee early-season clash.

Russia — National self-exclusion register (effective Sept 1)

The Gosuslugi-linked self-ban mechanism becomes operational. It could create elevated search interest around compliance and operator blocking obligations, with potential downward pressure on acquisition intent.

Methodology note

Blask Index tracks real-time iGaming player interest via AI-analyzed Google search data, updated hourly and filtered to remove low-intent noise (scams, complaints). WoW% measures momentum: positive indicates growing attention; negative indicates declining attention.