Spartans.com is not waiting for its August 1st global launch to make moves. The popular online crypto casino already ranked 14th globally in beta has just signed a 12-month exclusive iGaming partnership with Real American Freestyle, a wrestling league generating 250 million social views per event after just eight events. This is two fast-moving operations recognising each other before either has hit full stride.
Meanwhile, Stake leads the global crypto casino market in deposit volume but is facing a mounting wave of US lawsuits targeting its live casino games operations, and Bet365 has just entered Michigan as its 17th US state, pushing further into the live casino games regulatory framework it has been building across North America. Three platforms, three very different moments right now.
Spartans.com and RAF: Two Insurgent Brands, One Exclusive Deal
Spartans.com is in beta and already the 14th largest leading online crypto casino on earth. The platform has recorded $1 billion in wagers, $100 million in deposits, $40 million in Gross Gaming Revenue, and 27,000 first-time depositors before a single day of full global operation. The 33% CashRake system returns up to 33% of the house edge automatically on every wager plus 3% cashback on losses from the first bet, with no VIP tier required and near-instant withdrawals across the board.
Now Spartans.com has formalised a 12-month exclusive iGaming partnership with Real American Freestyle, the first unscripted professional freestyle wrestling league. The deal follows successful activations at RAF07 and RAF08, where Spartans.com served as main and co-main match sponsor. RAF has generated more than 250 million social views per event across eight events and produced over eight figures in combined merchandise and ticket sales. This is not a legacy brand buying visibility from an established property, it is two operations in early momentum recognising each other before either has reached full scale.
RAF09 lands in Dallas on May 30, headlined by Gable Steveson’s debut against Alexandr Romanov, Colby Covington vs Chris Weidman, and two title bouts: Kennedy Blades vs Alexis Gomez and Kyle Snyder vs Givi Matcharashvili. Spartans.com holds mat presence and main event ownership across twelve months of RAF events, with the $7,000,000 leaderboard, the largest prize pool in online casino history, running live alongside it.
As Gurhan Kiziloz, founder of Spartans.com, said: “Partnering with RAF at this stage aligns strongly with Spartans vision, both companies are in early stages of explosive growth, and with Spartans global launch on August 1st, this is the perfect moment for both brands to take over the world together.” Exclusive big online crypto iGaming rights. Locked in before the launch.
Stake: Market Leader, Mounting Legal Front
Stake remains the largest crypto casino by deposit volume, industry data places it at $21.5 billion with a 59% year-on-year increase. In March 2026, the platform recorded 7.83 billion total casino bets averaging over 2,900 per second, with live casino games titles including Crazy Time and Speed Baccarat among the most active. In February, Stake secured a five-year Danish gambling licence and opened a headquarters at Parken Stadium in Copenhagen, signing Astralis as its official betting partner. In January, it became the exclusive casino and sportsbook partner of the X Games League.
But its US position is increasingly complicated. A New York lawsuit filed in April 2026 alleges Stake allowed underage gambling through its Stake.us sweepstakes product. Multiple states including California, Minnesota, Ohio, and Illinois have active complaints against the platform, and Baltimore has filed a civil suit alongside five other sweepstakes operators. Stake faces cease-and-desist orders in several jurisdictions and continues to navigate significant legal exposure as it scales its US operations.
Bet365: Michigan Launch, Falling Profits, and a New Tax Bill
Bet365 launched in Michigan on April 17, 2026, its 17th US state, replacing PokerStars through a partnership with Little Traverse Bay Bands of Odawa Indians at Odawa Casino. The platform signed deals with the Detroit Tigers, Detroit Red Wings, and 313 Presents, and was named the presenting partner of Detroit SportsNet with live odds integrations across broadcasts. New customers received a Bet $10 Get $365 offer and up to $1,000 casino deposit match.
The Michigan entry continues a US expansion strategy that has been steady rather than spectacular. Bet365’s most recent published financials, for the 12 months to March 2025, showed revenue of $5.45 billion with profit before tax down 44% to $470.5 million, as direct costs hit $1.21 billion from market expansion. From April 2026, a new 40% UK Remote Gaming Duty adds further margin pressure on its core domestic market. The platform does not support cryptocurrency payments and its standard withdrawal timelines run three to five business days, placing it at a structural disadvantage compared to crypto-native platforms on live casino games payout experience.
The Difference Between Expansion and Momentum
Stake is the market leader by volume and is pushing into regulated markets, but it is doing so with active lawsuits in multiple US states and growing regulatory pressure on its sweepstakes model. Bet365 is expanding steadily while posting falling profits, rising costs, and a new tax burden on its most important domestic market. Both are managing the complications that come with scale. Spartans.com has none of those headaches right now. It has a 14th global ranking earned in beta, a $7M leaderboard running live, and a 12-month exclusive deal with one of the fastest-growing sports properties on earth, all signed before August 1st. The popular online crypto case for Spartans.com does not require any competitor to fail. It only requires August 1st to arrive.
Find Out More About Spartans:
Website: https://spartans.com/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/spartans/
Twitter/X: https://x.com/SpartansBet
YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@SpartansBet
