Ras Reckoning

About Ras Reckoning

Thanks to their hosting of the World Cup, numerous cities across the nation have experienced higher visitor volumes this year.

They include Atlanta, Boston, Dallas, Houston, Kansas City, Los Angeles, Miami, New York City, Philadelphia, San Francisco, and Seattle. Austin, Detroit, and New Orleans have also reported higher tourism in 2026.

The record-breaking numbers make clear that Americans haven’t pulled back on travel spending, even amid a challenging economic backdrop. But that demand hasn’t necessarily translated to Las Vegas in 2026, as World Cup host cities absorbed a larger share of domestic trips.

About Ras Reckoning

“Oftentimes when you see governments increasing taxes, banning iGaming, it’s mainly because of illegal operators because they don’t comply,” he declares. “An illegal operator may not provide age verification, responsible gambling tools, secure treatment of player funds, or an effective complaints mechanism.

“So illegal operators undermine licensed businesses that invest in compliance, contribute to taxes and operate under regulatory oversight. We are where we are because of illegal operators. Oftentimes, licensed operators have licence conditions that they need to abide with.”

Kesitilwe highlights a recent study by Gaming Compliance International that estimated around 77% of Africa’s gambling market is offshore.

About Ras Reckoning

At Sun International’s Capital Markets Day, the company also revealed it was assessing expansion opportunities in Zambia, Kenya and Ghana.

The company recently launched a new user interface for SunBet in both South Africa and Botswana, and Bengtsson said there was more to come.

“That work is ongoing,” Bengtsson commented. “We had a very strong World Cup, which shows that our sportsbook can handle and can have the capacity to handle larger volumes.