As a state lawmaker, Zohran Mamdani generally opposed plans to open full-scale casinos in New York City. In June, when he walked past a billboard showing betting markets for the city mayor’s race, he even quipped that “gambling is haram,” an Arabic word meaning forbidden.

But on Wednesday, Mr. Mamdani said that he did not intend to use his newfound political clout as the Democratic mayoral nominee and the race’s front-runner to try to stop the arrival of casinos that are widely considered a fait accompli.

Speaking alongside the leader of a union pushing the gambling expansion, Mr. Mamdani told reporters that while he still had doubts about the casinos backed by corporate giants, he respected the views of state voters who had approved the downstate gambling expansion more than a decade ago.

Brazil is considering changes to its gambling regulations. The proposed bill would raise the legal betting age to 21. It also aims to introduce a monthly wagering cap, limiting players to the equivalent of one minimum wage.

On Aug. 20, Senator Humberto Costa introduced Projeto de Lei 3,754/2025, a bill that aims to impose new restrictions on Brazil’s gambling industry. The proposal seeks to amend several articles of law 14,790/2023 (the country’s fixed-odds betting legislation), including a ban on gambling advertisements outside the hours of 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. across radio, television, and online video platforms.

The bill would prohibit public displays and sponsorships in cultural, artistic, and festival events. It would also ban gambling marketing in schools and universities and forbid advertising targeting anyone under the age of 21.

In addition to raising the legal gambling age in Brazil, Costa’s bill would establish a monthly betting cap for each player. That would be the equivalent of one minimum wage, which is BRL 1518 (approximately $276). The restriction would apply uniformly across all licensed operators.

According to research from Better Business Bureau (BBB), the illegal online gambling market is nearly four times bigger than the legal online gambling industry; $402 billion to $103 billion (estimates from Researchandmarkets.com and the American Gaming Association, respectively).

The BBB says it has received almost 200 scam reports and more than 10,000 business complaints related to online gambling and gaming since 2022. Some scam reports involved theft, while complaints showed a pattern of unclear terms and consumer misunderstandings. In some cases, consumers lost tens of thousands of dollars.

Here are some common questions with answers from the BBB regarding online gambling:

What red flags should I look out for if using gambling or gaming services?

Big promises around payouts and tempting ads without details are common. Many people aren’t aware the people they are dealing with are in countries overseas. People should also be leery of sweepstakes-style games, payment through cryptocurrency and typos in names.

How can I avoid issues with gambling or gaming companies?

Read your state and provincial laws. There are many different laws for online gambling, depending on where you live.

Check for proper licensure. Even if your state allows gambling, it may have a limited list of allowed websites. Check with your state’s gaming agency to see who is licensed.

Read the fine print. The reality of how winning and withdrawal works may be different than your first impression on a website. Check out the details of a specific service and fully understand how they work before sending them any money.

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Even legitimate websites may freeze winnings. There are many reasons why a casino or sportsbook might freeze winnings, even if the money is rightfully yours. Know what actions to take if your account is frozen.

Visit BBB.org to check out a business or register a complaint and BBB.org/ScamTracker to report a scam.