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About The Magic Orb
The GMI, know locally as EEE, is described as a “residual payment to guarantee and legal minimum income for all residents”.
Anyone residing in Cyprus, with income not high enough to support their basic needs, is eligible for the benefit.
Cyprus is not the first market to consider whether to block its welfare recipients from using their benefits to gamble, Brazil introduced a similar ban in 2025.
About The Magic Orb
Another influencer (fictitious name, João) shares live game-style videos on his stories, simulating high-paying gaming sessions. In them, he points out which operator or game “is paying the most”, while in another piece of content, he posts a screenshot of his exclusive Telegram group, where he shares “highest payout” times for betting on specific games.
In a third publication, he “teaches” the gambler to observe patterns in the game interface, such as an animation on the tiger’s face, a specific glow that appears or a sequence of supposed events that indicate that the big win is about to happen.
On the Instagram profiles of gambling operators, the content varies according to the brand’s strategies. It ranges from the use of humorous and entertaining videos to the generic use of AI in banners advertising promotions, available casino games and important sporting events with betting odds.
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Convened by Texas State Senator Bryan Hughes, the hearing in the Senate Committee on State Affairs examined the relationship between federally regulated derivatives markets and state-prohibited gambling. Research from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming in April found that 43% of activity from sports event contracts came from two states, Texas and California. A separate breakout of Texas activity alone is not publicly available.
At Tuesday’s hearing, AGA Vice President Tres York testified before the committee alongside Robert DeNault, head of enforcement and legal counsel at Kalshi. The AGA, one of the nation’s most strident critics of prediction markets, argued that an event contract on the Cowboys to beat the Giants does not differ fundamentally from the same wager placed at a sportsbook.
As with California, sports wagering is illegal in Texas. Greg Abbott, a three-term governor, is up for re-election in November, along with Dan Patrick, his lieutenant governor. Patrick, who vehemently opposes sports betting, also serves as president of the Texas Senate in his current role. Several attempts to legalise sports wagering since the 2018 PASPA decision have been foiled under Patrick’s leadership.