June 1–7 reporting window was defined by two opposing forces: World Cup preparation momentum across international football markets and rapid regulatory tightening in select emerging economies.
While the World Cup warm–up matches created an advantageous upside for multiple African nations, many of the Central Asian countries who experienced one of the sharpest contractions in the current cycle due to regulatory enforcement actions, have seen the act of enforcement take place.
The dichotomy in terms of the previous weeks consists not of the gap between sport and normalisation but of the gap between expanding visibility in sport and structural suppression through regulation.
Top 5 Gainers of the Week
Ivory Coast (+18.5%)
Ivory Coast had a significant increase in demand between last week and this week, driven primarily by its surprise 2–1 victory over France in a warmup match. The result exceeded expectations, and as a result brought national recognition and excitement to the team as they began the last part of their World Cup preparation. The win against a top-tier team was very meaningful, as it served as a powerful demand generator for the team.
Haiti (+17.6%)
Haiti‘s substantial increase in demand was primarily driven by its unexpected 4–0 victory over New Zealand on June 2, resulting in a high level of engagement as the team prepares for its first World Cup match since 1974 against Scotland.
Dominican Republic (+13.0%)
The increase in demand for the Dominican Republic National Team was primarily due to the recent Lotto 5 Más prize of $30 million on June 7. The Lotto 5 Más prize was characterized by a large amount of pre-draw engagement and search activity because of the size of the Lotto 5 Más pot. Thus, it was very much a pure calendar-driven spike.
Japan (+11.7%)
Japan had a growth in demand over the past week due to the J–League playoff rounds on June 6–7. Because of the density of matches during the playoffs, there was a temporary concentration of engagement within Japan‘s otherwise structurally stable football market.
Algeria (+9.4%)
Algeria increased in demand this week as a result of its 1–0 victory over the Netherlands in Rotterdam on June 3. The win was significant to the desire of the Algerian audience to prepare for their upcoming World Cup. The win created continued but steady international football-driven growth and engagement.
Top 5 Decliners of the Week
Kazakhstan (-51%)
Kazakhstan experienced the largest drop in the week with a –51% decline. After mid-May regulatory warnings evolved into enforcement activity in early June, accessibility was severely disrupted due to telecom restrictions and mobile payment bans on illegal online gambling, resulting in very few legal and grey markets operating.
Uzbekistan (-49.5%)
Uzbekistan also continued to decline for a second week with a –49.5% decrease in activity from last week. While the legalization of online gambling was effective in January 2025, there have been no licenses issued resulting in no activity for an extended period. A bottleneck effect is evident from lack of issued licenses.
Tajikistan (-40.5%)
In Tajikistan, a –40.5% decrease reflects no discernible cause; however, the drop continues from baseline variability in a low liquidity market.
Latvia (-39%)
No clear trigger detected during the reporting period.
Ecuador (-38.6%)
Ecuador‘s decrease in activity reflects increased regulatory friction since implementing a new tax compliance framework on June 1st. The simultaneous declaration and payment of VAT has increased transaction costs for operators, resulting in reduced activity and lower demand for searches.
Market Spotlight: Kazakhstan (-51.0%)
Kazakhstan recorded the sharpest contraction of the week, marking a structural break rather than a cyclical fluctuation.
The decline aligns with the transition from regulatory warning phase to active enforcement execution. During the first week of June, authorities implemented telecom-level blocks and mobile payment restrictions targeting illegal gambling operators. This effectively removed the primary access and transaction infrastructure supporting grey-market activity.
Original source: Blask.com
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.