Did you bet on March Madness?

I did, and many of you did, too. Americans bet billions on NCAA tournaments.

We also "spent $60 billion at casinos last year (and) about $12 billion on online sports betting," notes economist Jason Sorens in my new video.

Sorens published a state-by-state ranking of gambling freedom across America. Nevada lets gambling flourish, while Utah, Hawaii and Georgia ban most of it.

Now some politicians want to ban more.

Sportsbooks and daily fantasy operators are preparing for a Summer Olympics bump.

The games in Paris, set to start July 26, will be the first to take place since legal gambling became widespread in the U.S. The gaming industry expects an increase in wagering from the previous Summer Games in Tokyo, particularly for sports like men’s and women’s basketball, soccer and tennis.

In 2018, British regulators sanctioned the UK arm of online gambling giant Flutter (FLTRF.L) after it failed to catch an astonishing anomaly. The head of an animal shelter had been embezzling money from his employer to fund his bets, losing what the charity said was more than half a million dollars over four years. The gambling watchdog forced Flutter to pay about $2.8 million for not protecting customers from obviously uncontrolled gambling and not stopping the use of stolen money.

Toronto Raptors player Jontay Porter has been given a lifetime ban by the NBA for breaching betting rules.

An NBA investigation found the 24-year-old disclosed confidential information about his fitness to sports bettors and limited his participation in games for betting purposes.

Porter also bet on NBA games using a friend's online account.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Porter's "blatant violations" warranted the "most severe punishment".

For months, talks over a new casino deal between New York State and the Seneca Nation of Indians have been at an impasse, with the two sides deadlocked over the size of the state’s cut of hundreds of millions of dollars in gambling revenue, and what the tribe would get in return.

Sports betting is now fully legal in 36 states, and betting on your favorite team is easier than ever with apps on phones and computers. But the rise in sportsbooks corresponds with a sharp rise in gambling addiction and the financial distress that follows.

Governments an enamored by the rise in sports books because it brings billions in new tax revenue. Sports betting is one of the biggest boons in new tax revenue many states have seen in decades.

Native American tribes could expand their gambling operations in the U.S., including pursuing lucrative online betting, under new rule changes proposed by the federal government.

The proposals from the Bureau of Indian Affairs include easing rules for tribes to acquire additional land, which could ultimately be approved for casino development. New rules would also ensure that tribes can negotiate online-betting deals with states. 

In their latest court filings, the Seminole Tribe and the United States Department of the Interior have articulated a novel, if not legally dubious argument, for reinstating the Tribe’s new gaming compact with the State of Florida.

As the ad starts, a woman leaps from a blimp flying over the big game, free-falling in black leather. She lands on the goal post like a character from “The Matrix,” just in time to deflect a field goal — as she warns against safe bets. “Life is a gamble,” says this cyberpunk Lady Luck. In shifting scenes, she joins Joe Namath promising to win Super Bowl III, Evel Knievel jumping his motorcycle over a line of buses, a couple in love getting tattoos. Take a risk, she urges, and be part of the action. 

At least 123 visitors to Nevada have tested positive for the coronavirus in the weeks following their trip and returning home, USA Today reports. This comes after casinos in the state reopened on June 4, with state Gov. Steve Sisolak (D) aiming to rejuvenate the economy by welcoming tourists back to Las Vegas.