Second Thunder

What is Second Thunder?

Latest ARC data revealed that US consumers purchased 25.8 million passenger trips in August 2026 (+5%), spending 19% more on air travel than they did a year ago. The average ticket price soared 17% year-over-year to $624, with economy tickets at $569 (+17%) and premium classes at $1,454 (+11%).

August’s totals set a new record for ARC-reported and settled sales, reflecting the continued strength of the U.S. travel market and continued demand,” said Steve Solomon, ARC’s chief commercial officer. “The strong summer trends from June and July carried into August, with travel to both U.S. domestic and international destinations remaining steady from the prior month and above 2025 levels.”

Air travel is booming, but Las Vegas isn’t seeing the same lift, as tourism numbers remain turbulent.

What is Second Thunder?

Online gambling participation over four weeks reached 39% (16% excluding lottery-only players), while in-person gambling participation was 29% (18% excluding lottery-only players). 

Top non-lottery activities during the period included scratchcards (13%), betting (10%) and online instant win games (8%). 

Betting skewed male, with 16% of men gambling on betting compared to 4% of women. Age-wise, overall gambling participation peaked among 45- to 64-year-olds (56%-59%), when excluding lotteries the highest participation was among 35- to 44-year-olds (35%). 

About Second Thunder

Two banner ads promoted a “100% match bonus up to £100 on 1st deposit” and displayed the mandatory 18+ logo. The ads appeared alongside live match coverage featuring betting odds and sponsor logos, including a link to Casimba’s website. 

A complaint suggested that such placements were inappropriately targeted at under-18s.

White Hat Gaming paused the ads during the investigation and argued that HLTV’s audience is primarily adult and focused on professional competitive gaming rather than casual play, which tends to attract minors.