Industry News of the Day for March 17, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Fortune, 3.17.20 – Belarusian Soccer? Bettors Scramble For Games Amid US Coronavirus Sports Blackout (DraftKings)
  • The temporary halt to the U.S. sports calendar has left gambling services scrambling to find something for clients to bet on.
• My Legal Bookie, 3.17.20 – Sports Betting And The Law : Subscribe (Ifrah Law)
  • My Legal Bookie is a must-read publication for news, case summaries, articles, and strategies concerning sports betting, gaming and the law. Our goal is not just to inform, but to help share solutions with industry participants, including: leagues, teams, facilities, sponsors, event promoters. My Legal Bookie is available free of charge to members of the sports industry.

Industry News:

• Axios, 3.17.20 – Coronavirus Sends Sports Betting Scrambling
  • Sportsbooks are flummoxed over what to do about the lack of sports events.
• Legal Sports Report, 3.16.20 – The Week In Sports Betting News: Everything Shuts Down
  • The world of sports shifted rapidly on Wednesday after NBA Commissioner Adam Silver suspended the league indefinitely.
• Gambling.Com, 3.17.20 – State-By-State Gambling & Legislative Impact Of Coronavirus
  • As more and more states shut down daily activities, here is where gambling stands in each state and where the General Assembly sessions are as some states consider sports betting legislation.
• US Bets, 3.16.20 – Legal Betting On Top Chess Event Could Be Approved As Sports World Comes To Standstill
  • The United States is increasingly becoming paralyzed thanks to an ongoing crisis with the coronavirus, with domestic leagues and organizations canceling all sporting events, with the exception of the UFC for now.
• Newsday, 3.16.20 – How Sports Betting Has Been Affected By Coronavirus
  • The legal sports business betting in the metropolitan area still is operational . . . sort of.

Overall Industry News:

• Online Poker Report, 3.16.20 – US Casino Closures Amount To An Ounce Of Prevention To Contain Coronavirus Outbreak
  • Casinos around the world are closed as public health experts advocate social distancing to contain the spread of the novel coronavirus that has, so far, infected nearly 200,000 people.
• Online Poker Report, 3.17.20 – Gambling Stocks Hit Especially Hard As Coronavirus Panic Decimates Markets
  • Last week, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a global pandemic. Gaming industry stocks have been hit harder than the overall market almost without exception.
• PlayUSA, 3.16.20 – Live Updates: Casinos Throughout The US Shutter Amid Coronavirus
  • Across the country, properties are beginning to close their doors to casual and experts bettors in an effort to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
• Gambling Compliance, 3.17.20 – Bleak Monday: 100+ Casinos Ordered To Close Their Doors Across US Due To Coronavirus (subscription paywall)
  • Casinos across the United States, including almost the entire Northeast region and much of the Gulf Coast, continued to close their doors on Monday in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.

Sports League News:

• PlayNJ, 3.17.20 – Hats Off: A Not-So Exciting Two Minutes As Kentucky Derby Postponed
  • New Jersey sports betting took another blow on Monday. The year of coronavirus calamity took another high-profile victim Monday. The famed Kentucky Derby will be moved from May 2 until Sept. 5.

New Jersey:

• PlayNJ, 3.16.20 – Lights Out: Coronavirus Precautions Force Atlantic City Casinos To Close
  • Atlantic City casinos are closing effective at 8 p.m. yesterday. The precautionary measure is be being taken to minimize the risks surrounding the spread of the coronavirus.
• PlayNJ, 3.16.20 – COVID-19 Keeps New Jersey Poker Players Home And Playing Online Poker
  • On Friday, we reported on our PlayNJ live blog that the World Series of Poker canceled its upcoming circuit events. The company, to its credit, quickly switched gears and created an entire online poker tournament series to keep players playing in a safe environment: their home.

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 3.16.20 – PA Gaming Board Shutting Down Casino Industry Due To Threat From Virus
  • The Keystone State’s entire casino industry is being shut down at 6 a.m. Tuesday due to the COVID-19 coronavirus, by order of the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board.
• PlayPennsylvania, 3.16.20 – Kentucky Derby Postponed: Third Leg Of A Triple Whammy To PA Horse Industry
  • Horse racing in Pennsylvania is facing a triple-whammy. The Kentucky Derby is pushed back four months and race tracks are closing, all due to concerns surrounding COVID-19.

Washington, D.C.:

• Washington City Paper, 3.16.20 – DC’s Sports Betting App Will Launch Into A World With No Sports
  • The Office of Lottery and Gaming said it will release its citywide mobile sports betting app and website “by the end of the month.”

Illinois:

• USBets, 3.16.20 – Sports Betting In Illinois Stopped Almost Immediately After Start
  • Unsurprisingly, both the Illinois Gaming Board and the Illinois Racing Board postponed their regularly scheduled meetings for this month.

Iowa:

• Des Moines Register, 3.16.20 – A World Without Sports: Iowans Navigate New Reality As Coronavirus Pandemic Spreads
  • These are uncertain times for Iowa’s new sports betting establishments as well. At the Elite Sportsbook tucked inside the Riverside Casino & Golf Resort on Friday evening, a would-be bettor stood at one of the kiosks tapping away, trying to find something that piqued his interest.

Georgia:

• iGB North America, 3.16.20 – Georgia Sports Betting Bills Die After Missing Legislative Deadline
  • Two bills that would have legalised certain forms of sports wagering in Georgia have died after they failed to progress in time to meet a legislative deadline in the state.

Louisiana:

• 4WWL, 3.16.20 – Louisiana’s Legislative Session Pushed Back By Coronavirus Pandemic
  • Louisiana’s annual law making session in Baton Rouge will be postponed in an effort to curb the spread of the new coronavirus, legislators announced Monday. Prior to the pandemic, legislators were set to consider whether to legalize sports betting and recreational marijuana.

Nevada:

• Sports Handle, 3.16.20 – Nevada Governor Introduces Social Distancing Guidelines While Vegas Casinos Remain Open
  • Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak unveiled a set of social distancing guidelines Sunday designed to limit the spread of the coronavirus, but stopped short of requiring the state’s casinos to close on a temporary basis.