Battle Roosters

What is Battle Roosters?

The mayor of the Chicago suburb Burr Ridge says he will return a $2,000 donation from a local restaurateur and social media chef accused of moonlighting as an enforcer for an illegal gambling ring.

In response to a query from local news outlet Patch, Republican Mayor Gary Grasso confirmed the existence of the donations from the Capri restaurant and the Are We Live nightclub, two Burr Ridge businesses owned by Filippo “Gigi” Rovito.    

Rovito, whom NBC Chicago previously reported has alleged ties to the Chicago Outfit, is facing federal charges of operating an illegal gambling business and conspiracy to collect extensions of credit by extortionate means.

What is Battle Roosters?

Beyond raising the age limit to 21, Van Dijk called for a complete reversal of the Netherlands’ 2021 online gambling legalisation, which helped establish a reasonably mature legal gambling market for the sector, until tighter restrictions for players, and increased taxes, struck licensed operators in recent years.

Van Dijk also voiced his opinion that all gambling advertising should be banned, including for lotteries and land-based casinos.

He also questioned the government’s involvement with the state-owned entities Holland Casino and Nederlandse Loterij, especially in its assessment on how to limit gambling harms.

How to play Battle Roosters

After play, some looked to banks or regulatory bodies for oversight on total spend across platforms.

Within this shared model, there was a clear preference for personalised interventions over generic ones. 

Tailored, behaviour-triggered messages were seen as more effective than generic warnings, but many participants simultaneously expressed mistrust towards operators collecting behavioural data.