A report from Pollstar published by PostWrestling.com revealed that WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas had a whopping $66,074,558 in ticket sales, a record for a professional wrestling event.
The revenue was never announced by WWE or TKO apart from a statement saying that they shattered all records in terms of revenue.
While the Pollstar report did not differentiate between each night, even if splitting it in half at $33 million a night, it would still beat any record in history.
Pollstar also listed the attendance at 113,412 over two nights, slightly lower than the 118,641 than what the Allegiant Stadium announced.
WrestleMania 40 was previously the record-holder in terms of gate revenue not adjusted for inflation, with a combined sales of $38.5 million, split into $18.8 million on Saturday and $19.7 million for Sunday.
The $66 million gate revenue is mainly thanks to soaring ticket prices.
In the landscape of regulated iGaming, 2026 has brought stringent enforcement of Anti-Money Laundering (AML) directives, specifically regarding the Source of Wealth (SoW). The days of depositing unlimited funds without explanation are over. The new global standard establishes a “trigger threshold” of $2,000 in cumulative monthly deposits. Once a player crosses this line, operators are legally mandated to verify the origin of those funds.
Historically, this trigger point resulted in an automatic account freeze, forcing the user to scramble for physical paperwork like tax returns or stamped bank statements. This manual bureaucratic process often took between 48 and 72 hours, killing the momentum of the gaming session. However, the industry is currently pivoting toward Open Banking technology, a system that replaces PDF uploads with a secure, instant digital handshake.
The $2,000 Threshold: Understanding the Compliance Trigger
The $2,000 limit is not arbitrary; it is the calculated risk point defined by the 6th AML Directive. It applies to the total volume of deposits within a rolling 30-day period, not just a single transaction. If a player deposits $500 weekly, the fourth deposit will trigger the SoW check. For the operator, failing to verify this invites massive regulatory fines. For the player, it historically meant a frustrating pause in service while support agents manually reviewed uploaded documents.
The “pain point” here is not just the delay, but the intrusive nature of the documentation. Sending a full bank statement reveals every coffee purchase and subscription to the casino support staff. This privacy concern has historically led to a 35% drop-off rate, where players simply abandon their accounts rather than submit the required paperwork. The manual verification process is fundamentally flawed: it is slow, insecure, and detrimental to the user experience.
Open Banking API: The Three-Second Solution
To eliminate the friction of manual uploads, forward-thinking casinos have integrated Open Banking APIs directly into the cashier. High-stakes players specifically prefer the seamless experience at Pin Up, where the system instantly validates the source of funds without demanding a pause in gameplay for document scanning. This technology functions as a secure bridge, allowing the user to focus on their session rather than on bureaucratic compliance checks.
Instead of searching for tax documents, the player simply clicks a “Confirm via Bank” button. The system redirects them to their banking app to authorize a read-only token. This token does not grant the casino access to move money or view passwords. It asks the bank a single, binary question: “Does the inflow of funds to this account support a spending capability of $2,000?” The bank’s algorithm analyzes salary or dividend inputs and returns a “Green Light” or “Red Light” signal in approximately 3 seconds.
Technical Mechanics: Tokenization and Data Privacy
The security architecture of this system relies on OAuth 2.0 protocols. When a player authorizes the check, they are not sharing their banking password with the casino. They are logging into their bank’s secure interface, which then issues an encrypted, time-limited token to the operator. This token is “read-only” and “purpose-bound,” meaning it can only be used to verify income sources and cannot be repurposed for any other data mining.
This approach adheres to the principle of “Data Minimization” under GDPR. A manual bank statement upload exposes 100% of a user’s transaction history. The API method exposes 0% of the transaction details. The casino only receives the final validation status (Verified/Unverified) and, in some cases, the generalized bracket of annual income. This creates a privacy firewall, ensuring that the casino compliance team never sees how the player spends their money outside of the platform.
Comparative Analysis: Manual vs. Automated Verification
The efficiency gains from switching to Open Banking are measurable in both time and success rates. For players hitting the $2,000 monthly limit, the difference is between an interrupted weekend and a seamless session. The following table breaks down the operational differences between the legacy document upload method and the modern API integration.
Metric
Legacy Manual Verification
Open Banking API (2026)
Time to Completion
24 to 72 Hours
3 to 10 Seconds
User Action Required
Download, Scan, Upload PDFs
Single FaceID/TouchID click
Data Exposure
Full Transaction History
Binary Result (Pass/Fail)
Success Rate
65% (Document Rejection High)
98% (Direct Bank Data)
Cost to Player
Potential Bank Statement Fees
Free of Charge
The Future of High-Volume Play
As financial regulations tighten, the “Green Light” system is becoming the standard for high-volume players. The ability to verify Source of Wealth instantly allows players to maintain their VIP status and deposit limits without constant interruptions. It shifts the burden of proof from the user to the algorithm. In the near future, this API integration will likely extend beyond the $2,000 limit, offering a permanent “verified status” that travels with the user across the ecosystem.
For the player, the practical conclusion is clear: utilizing the API verification option is safer and faster than the traditional method. It protects personal data by keeping detailed statements off the casino’s servers and ensures that the gaming session is never paused due to a compliance backlog. In an industry where speed is currency, Open Banking provides the necessary liquidity to keep the game moving.
Former WWE Raw and Smackdown Women’s champion “Rowdy” Ronda Rousey will be returning to mixed martial arts for a dream fight against another female MMA pioneer, Gina Carano.
The two will square off on Saturday, May 16 in an event promoted by MVP Promotions and airing live around the world on Netflix. The event takes place at the Intuit Dome in Inglewood, California.
This will be Netflix’s first MMA event.
“After the record-breaking success in boxing, we wanted our first MMA event to be truly legendary,” Gabe Spitzer, Netflix VP of Sports, says. “These are more than just athletes — they are generational stars, and having them headline our MMA debut at the Intuit Dome is a defining moment for us.”
“Been waiting so long to announce this,” Rousey told Netflix. “Me and Gina Carano are gonna throw down in the biggest superfight in women’s combat sport history, and we’re partnering with the fighter-first promoter, MVP, as well as the baddest streamer on the planet, Netflix. This is for all MMA fans past, present, and future.”
Rousey’s last MMA fight came on December 30, 2016, losing to Amanda Nunes via TKO. She has a record of 12-2.
Carano last had an MMA fight on August 15, 2009, losing to Cris Cyborg via TKO. She has a record of 7-1.
Judgment Day member JD McDonagh returned to WWE TV last night on Raw, coming out with Finn Balor and Dom Mysterio as Balor prepared to go face to face with CM Punk.
The Irish star last wrestled on the November 24 episode of Raw, losing to Rey Mysterio and then underwent surgery on his right hand.
It was an injury which he had been suffering from for a few months and in a post on Instagram, McDonagh said he wouldn’t be out for too long.
With Raw next week from the State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia, WWE will be having a tribute to AJ Styles who is from the area.
On Raw yesterday it was announced that the upcoming episode will serve as a tribute to the Phenomenal One, weeks after he lost his career-threatening match against Gunther at the Royal Rumble.
Styles has not been seen on WWE TV since the premium live event and his future with the company remains up in the air, with no new deal signed as of last week.
His contract is set to expire sometime this month, with WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque keen on keeping the former WWE champion in a behind the scenes role.
Styles recently taped an episode of What’s Your Story? with Stephanie McMahon.
Asuka and Je’Von Evans qualified for the Elimination Chamber matches after successfully winning their respective triple threat matches on Raw last night.
Asuka beat her former Damage Control team mate Bayley and Nattie in the first qualifier of the night, with The Empress of Tomorrow making Bayley tap out to the Asuka lock.
Later in the show, the Young OG Je’Von Evans beat Gunther and Intercontinental champion Dominik Mysterio when he hit a very impressive OG Cutter on Mysterio for the pinfall victory.
Asuka joins Tiffany Stratton, Rhea Ripley, and Alexa Bliss in the women’s match while Evans joins Randy Orton, LA Knight, and Cody Rhodes in the men’s match.
The final Raw qualifiers for next week will have Iyo Sky vs Raquel Rodriguez vs Kairi and Jey Uso vs Bronson Reed vs the original El Grande Americano.
Following a 25% discount on WrestleMania tickets during the President’s Day weekend, WWE is also running a 10% discount on the WWE World tickets.
The 10% discount, activated when inputting the code WWESLAM10, runs through February 27 at 11:59PM ET.
The multi-day fan event will be held at the Las Vegas Convention Center South Hall between April 16 and 20. A WWE World ticket is required if you plan on doing any photo ops or autograph sessions.
A five-day ticket or single-day tickets are available via WWEWorld.com. Prices vary depending on the day you are going.
WWE Superstar Logan Paul was all over the news today after he managed to sell the “holy grail” of Pokemon cards for a whopping $16.5 million.
The sale price, verified by the Guinness World Records, is not only the highest-ever for a Pokemon card, but for any trading card ever.
Paul purchased the card, a rare Pikachu Illustrator card, for $5.275 million five years ago and actually made his entrance at WrestleMania 38 with it after he attached it to a diamond encrusted necklace. Paul also gave the necklace away with the card.
The auction, with Goldin, led Paul to an estimated $8 million in profit after fees.
AEW World champion MJF will be appearing at House of Glory this Friday and will put up his AEW title on the line against Zilla Fatu.
MJF cut a hilarious promo on Fatu to hype the match, calling him “just another sloppy Samoan nepo-baby-backed bitch.”
He told Fatu that when he’s done with him, he will be done getting on his hands and knees praying to The Tribal Chief and instead, he will pray to Big Hebrew, a man who’s more talented than his whole family tree.
“When I’m through with you, your uncle Rikishi is gonna cry on his podcast, your cousin Jey is no longer gonna have the ability to Yeet, and there won’t be a single woman on God’s green earth who will ever be willing to touch your meat,” MJF continued.
HOG’s No Turning Back event will be held at the Amazura in Jamaica, New York and tickets are available starting from $40 for general admission.
WWE is running a President’s Day sale on WWE Shop with discounts of up to 60% off using the code TAGTEAM.
The offer ends tonight.
The sale includes also replica title belts, with a nice discount off several belt, including the WWE Championship which is $419.99 from $599.99, the 1986 retro WWE title which is now at $367.49 from $524.99, several jackets, Funko Pops, t-shirts, and more more.
You can take advantage of this offer by going to WWE Shop.
The AEW Grand Slam: Australia show in Sydney this past Saturday drew just over 7,000 fans, down from the 13,000+ the show had the previous year in Brisbane.
The event followed a similar pattern of All In in London where the 2024 edition drew half the audience the previous one did in the same location.
AEW lost its television presence in Australia and the only way to watch the shows is through a Disney+ subscription, which limits its reach greatly.
The company also did a rare non-televised live event the following day in Brisbane, the same location of the first Grand Slam: Australia. The show was also very poorly attended and tickets were being distributed free on the Ticketek website on the day of the event.
Bianca Belair is undergoing surgery on her finger today, a surgery which she hopes will fix a very persistent injury which she has been suffering from for the last 10 months.
Belair broke her finger knuckle in the triple threat match against Iyo Sky and Rhea Ripley at WrestleMania last year and has been out of action ever since.
Originally, it was thought that it would be healed in around three to four months but the situation got worse as time went on.
Belair has been off WWE TV for several months and her last appearance was at the Evolution premium live event where she served as the guest referee between Jade Cargill and Naomi.
Cassie Lee and Jessica McKay of The IInspiration made their AEW debut at the House Rules non-televised live event in Brisbane, Australia earlier today.
The duo defeated Frankie B and Aysha in a tag match and after the finish, the two got a mic and announced that they are both All Elite.
The former WWE Women’s and TNA Knockouts Tag Team champions left TNA in January after losing their tag titles to The Elegance Brand on the TNA debut on AMC.
Lee and McKay have a chance to become the first ever women’s tag team to win the women’s tag team titles in the three major promotions.
One of AEW’s newest arrivals, Lena Kross, made her proper debut at the Grand Slam: Australia show yesterday in Sydney.
Kross, who is from Perth, showed up after the Babes of Wrath retained their AEW Women’s Tag Team titles against Megabad and aligned herself with Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford by flattening Harley Cameron and then joining in the duo in the post-match beat-down.
The 30-year-old appeared on AEW television for the first time in July of last year, losing a quick match to Kris Statlander. She has been wrestling since 2017 and apart from doing the indies, she also had a stint in Japan.
The AEW World title match at the upcoming Revolution pay-per-view was confirmed after the conclusion of last night’s Grand Slam: Australia show.
“Hangman” Adam Page defeated Andrade El Idolo in the final of the mini tournament to determine the #1 contender for the title. Page only had to beat Mark Davis to advance to the final while Andrade had to beat Swerve Strickland and Kenny Omega to advance.
Later in the show, reigning champion MJF defeated Brody King in the main event, also getting his ticket to the top of the card in Los Angeles. MJF had lost to King on Dynamite the prior week in a title eliminator match, a match which got a bunch of publicity from the mainstream media due to the “F*ck ICE” chants started by the Las Vegas crowd.
The Australian fans in Sydney also repeated the chant at the start of last night’s main event.
AEW is in Australia for tonight’s Grand Slam televised event, airing on TNT and HBO Max starting at 8PM ET in place of Collision. The show, taped earlier due to the time difference, was held at the Qudos Bank Arena in Sydney. Grand Slam: Australia will run for a total of 2 and a half hours.
Scheduled for tonight’s broadcast are MJF vs Brody King for the AEW World title, Kyle Fletcher vs Mark Briscoe for the TNT title in a ladder match, Harley Cameron and Willow Nightingale vs Megan Bayne and Penelope Ford for the AEW Women’s Tag Team titles, Jon Moxley vs Konosuke Takeshita for the AEW Continental title, Toni Storm and Orange Cassidy vs Marina Shafir and Wheeler Yuta in a mixed Tornado tag team match where the loser of the fall has to shave their head, and “Hangman” Adam Page vs Andrade El Idolo in a number one contender’s match for the AEW World title at Revolution.
The company will travel to Brisbane for a rare non-televised live event tomorrow, the same location where last year’s Grand Slam: Australia was held.
Grammy Award winner Jelly Roll was present at the TNA No Surrender event yesterday in his hometown of Nashville.
The WWE celebrity wrestler and frequent collaborator was shown on camera sitting at ringside and acknowledged also with a lower third graphic.
Jelly Roll, who lost a ton of weight over the past few months, also received a challenge from AJ Francis during the show, with Francis telling him that if his “fish fillet body-built ass” ever wants to cross the line, he would be waiting for him.
In a piece on CNN titled ‘The shocking, rule-breaking new move in pro wrestling: getting specific about politics,’ the news network confirmed that its parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, owns a stake in All Elite Wrestling.
The piece comes after the “F*ck ICE” chants which started at the beginning of the MJF vs Brody King match last week on Dynamite, and a chant which will continue on tonight’s Grand Slam: Australia.
Just like in every article which talks about a property which is owned by the same parent company, CNN inserted the disclaimer “Warner Bros. Discovery, CNN’s parent corporation, owns a minority stake in AEW.”
This is the first time that the statement is confirmed by someone within WBD. AEW President Tony Khan never confirmed nor denied the the topic, but since it’s minority stake which does not surpass a certain percentage, they’re not obligated to confirm or even talk about it publicly.
Once Warner Bros. Discovery splits, the minority stake will remain with Discovery and will not move to Netflix, like the rest of Warner Bros.
