Industry news of the day:

New Jersey:

• Legal Sports Report, 12.12.18 – New Jersey Sports Betting Revenue Bounces Back in November on Record $330 Million Handle
  • After taking a beating on football in October, New Jersey sports betting revenue rebounded strongly in November.
• Online Poker Report, 12.12.18 – Another Month, Another Record for New Jersey Online Casino Revenue
  • New Jersey online gambling revenue in November reached a new high-water mark for a single month. Again.
• Sports Handle, 12.12.18 – New Jersey Sports Betting Handle Skyrockets to $330M in November
  • The growing New Jersey sports betting market reached a new betting handle high in November — surging to $330.7 million, up from the previous high of $260.7 million in October, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement reported on Wednesday.
• NJ Gambling Sites, 12.12.18 – Unibets Ups Its NJ Online Gambling Plans with Evolution Gambling Partnership
  • Kindred Group solidified its NJ online gambling plans by extending its Evolution Gaming partnership this week.
• NJ Online Gambling, 12.13.18 – With Attention Focused on Sports Betting, NJ Online Casinos Continue to Break Records
  • Sports betting fever may have swept through the state over the last several months, but the NJ online casino industry is still breaking records.
• NJ Online Gambling, 12.12.18 – Purse Subsidy for New Jersey Racetracks Advancing in Trenton
  • A $100 million bill that figures to be crucial in the viability of the New Jersey horse racing industry, as well as its offshoots, is expected to be up for a vote of the full Senate next week.
• iGaming Business, 12.12.18 – NJ nears milestone $1bn handle figure
  •  New Jersey is closing in on $1bn handle since the launch of sports betting after announcing its November figures.

Pennsylvania:

• Legal Sports Report, 12.12.18 – Rivers, Sugarhouse Casinos Set to Expand PA Sports Betting Market Starting Today
  • The oft-rumored launch of the sportsbooks at Rivers Casino and Sugarhouse Casino takes place Thursday as Pennsylvania sports betting finally pushes forward.
• The Washington Times (Associated Press repost), 12.13.18 – 2 more Pennsylvania casinos open up for sports betting
  • Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and SugarHouse Casino in Philadelphia are beginning test periods Thursday. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board says that, if all goes well, the casinos can start regular sports-betting hours on Saturday.

Indiana:

• Wane, 12.12.18 – Indiana lawmaker talks of sports betting
  • Betting money in Indiana on the Colts or the Pacers could become more than just a talker next year.

Illinois:

• Casino News, 12.13.18 – Chicago Mayor Wants a Casino that will Rival Indiana’s Horseshoe Hammond
  • Chicago’s outgoing Mayor believes that a downtown casino would hurt the city’s convention business

Federal updates:

• Gambling.com, 12.12.18 – Analysis: Lindsey Graham’s Compromised Views on Online Gaming
  • A leading voice in the Senate has launched his latest salvo in an often lonely war against online casino gaming. As with his previous efforts, this opposition lacks foresight, and is tangled in the bidding of a biased benefactor.

Sports league updates:

• Legal Sports Report, 12.12.18 – The NFL Apparently Wants to be like other Leagues and Get a National Casino Partner
  • The gold rush that has accompanied the advent of legal sports betting in the United States has apparently lured the NFL.
• PlayNJ, 12.12.18 – NFL Games were not the Lucky picks for these DraftKings Sportsbook Bets
  • NJ sports betting produced a new leading team by handle for Week 14 of the NFL. And from the look of things, sports bettors at DraftKings Sportsbook are spreading their wings.

Member updates:

• Sports Handle, 12.12.18 – Breaking Down the Stars Group-NBA Marketing, Data Deal
  • Add Toronto-based The Stars Group Inc. to those seeking enlarged access to the newly legal domestic sports wagering marketplaces with the announcement on Tuesday of a multi-year partnership, establishing the company as an “authorized gaming operator” for the NBA in the U.S.

Overall industry updates:

• No new overall industry updates to report.

Industry news of the day:

Missouri:

• Sports Handle, 12.10.18 – Missouri’s Latest Sports Betting Bill Gives Royalty to Pro Leagues and NCAA
  • Missouri lawmakers seem intent on charging licensed sportsbooks some sort of royalty or other fee above and beyond taxes, application fees and other administrative costs.

New Jersey:

• NJ Online Gaming, 12.10.18 – Ocean Online Unveils VIP Program for NJ Online Casino Players…Does it Make Waves?
  • Since planting their roots in late 2013, NJ online casino VIP programs have grown increasingly more elaborate. What started out as a smattering of sites offering meager cashback and occasional bonuses to high rollers has evolved to the point where frequent players commonly earn luxury gifts, all-expenses paid trips at partner hotels, invites to exclusive high roller events, faster withdrawals, and gigantic loyalty point multipliers.
• WHYY, 12.10.18 – N.J. lawmakers consider placing a $100 million bet on the horse racing industry
  • New Jersey lawmakers are considering doling out $100 million over five years to prop up the state’s financially-strapped horse racing industry, which has continued to struggle despite beginning to offer sports betting this summer.

Pennsylvania:

• SBC Americas, 12.10.18 – Gambling fills the gaps in Pennsylvania state budget
  • Gambling has contributed more than $385m into Pennsylvania coffers in the first year since expanded gambling in the state was made law, surpassing state budget estimates in the process according to a new report by PlayPennsylvania.com.
• Gambling News, 12.10.18 – Pennsylvania’s Gambling Expansion Pays off $400m
  • Pennsylvania has managed to achieve solid results following the expansion of gambling in the state back in 2017. With the legal cogwheels tweaked last year, the state has introduced a number of highly-yielding activities, including online lotteries and daily fantasy sports, to speak nothing of sports betting, which has been gaining momentum.

Virginia:

• US Bets, 12.11.18 – Virginia Has the Same Sports Betting Support as New Jersey, Survey Shows
  • Virginia lawmakers are already considering sports betting ahead of 2019, and a new survey has provided even more momentum for the state.

Federal updates:

• No new federal updates to report.

Sports league updates:

• No new sports league updates to report.

Member updates:

• iGaming Business, 12.11.18 – 888 buys out all American Poker Network JV partners
  • 888 Holdings CEO Itai Frieberger believes the operator has given itself more flexibility to exploit new opportunities in the regulated US iGaming market by acquiring the remaining 53% interest in the All American Poker Network.

Overall industry updates:

• Coin Gape, 12.11.18 – PR: Is there a future in Cryptocurrencies in the online casino industry?
  • Cryptocurrencies are the world’s latest craze, with more and more individuals and businesses relying on them to conduct payments. People are even buying homes with cryptocurrencies, which attests to the fact that they have become a widely accepted form of currency.
• Sports Handle, 12.11.18 – Q&A: Why I’m Sticking With My ‘Local Bookie’
  • One person located in Northern New Jersey, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to talk candidly, now has new legal sportsbooks in the palm of his hand, but is sticking with his guy for a variety of reasons.

Kansas:

• Sports Handle, 12.6.18 – Kansas Remains Battleground State for Sports Betting Integrity Fees
  • Kansas lawmakers are going back to school once again, and on Tuesday, they got quite an earful when Ohio senator Bill Coley said that he thought that none of the eight states that have legalized sports betting have gotten it right, according to US Bets.

Colorado:

• Colorado Public Radio, 12.6.18 – As the Details on Legalized Sports Betting Emerge, Competition Bursts Out of the Gate
  • The details are starting to emerge on what sports gambling in Colorado will look like. In a document obtained by CPR prepared by the state Department of Revenue, there are a number of scenarios for sports wagers.

New Jersey:

• NJ Online Gambling, 12.6.18 – NJ Horsemen Seek Holy Grail in Sports Betting Suit: Commissioner Depositions
  • New Jersey’s thoroughbred horsemen made a recent filing to the U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals regarding their effort to collect at least $150 million from the NFL, NCAA, and three other sports organizations for what they say was “bad faith” on their part.
• Northjersey.com, 12.6.18 – New jersey proposes new rules for Fantasy sports betting
  • With sports betting now legal in the state, New Jersey wants new rules for businesses running fantasy sports operations and plans to start charging them fees based on how much people wager.

Pennsylvania:

• PR Newswire, 12.7.18 – Pennsylvania Gambling Expansion Nears $400 Million for the State in First Year
  • Gambling has injected more than $385 million into Pennsylvania coffers in the first year since a law was passed to expand gambling in the state, surpassing state budget estimates. Upfront licensing fees for casinos, online casinos, and sportsbooks, as well as mini-casino auction profits and tax revenue from lottery expansion and daily fantasy sports, have combined to net Pennsylvania more than $1 million a day since late 2017, according to a recent analysis by PlayPennsylvania.com.

South Dakota:

• Capital Journal, 12.6.18 – Sports Betting
  • Next month, the South Dakota Legislature will be asked to pave the way for legalized sports betting in the state.
• KSFY, 12.6.18 – Deadwood officials leading effort to legalize sports betting in South Dakota
  • Next month, the South Dakota Legislature will be asked to pave the way for legalized sports betting in the state.

Federal updates:

• Legal Sports Report, 12.6.18 – Breaking Down The Federal Sports Betting Bill Discussion Draft: Part 1
  • We are now more than six months past the day the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992. Shortly after the fall of PASPA, there were rumblings that the federal government was interested in legislating in the sports betting area.
• Legal Sports Report, 12.7.18 – Break Down The Federal Sports Betting Bill Discussion Draft: Part 2
  • Yesterday we looked at a number of key portions of the federal sports betting draft bill circulating in Congress. It is a discussion draft format that will likely be revised and redrafted numerous times before it ever gets passed, if it ever passes. Both the Wire Act and the Unlawful Internet Gambling Enforcement Act took years before they passed.

Sports league updates:

• No new sports league updates.

Member updates:

• Scientific Games Corporation Press Release (PR Newswire), 12.6.18 – SG Digital Triumphant at SBC Awards 2018
  • Scientific Games Corporation (NASDAQ: SGMS) (“Scientific Games” or the “Company”) announces SG Digital has won Standalone Sportsbook Platform Provider of the Year and Best Live Betting Product at the SBC Awards 2018, further cementing its position as a leading sports betting supplier.

Overall industry updates:

• No new industry updates.

Industry news of the day:

New York:

• Online Poker Report, 12.4.18 – Key NY Lawmaker: ‘I Would Give Up Online Poker for Sports Betting’
  • New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow told Online Poker Report that he would give up his three-year pursuit of online poker legislation if it meant New York could get sports betting done.

Washington DC:

• Sports Handle, 12.4.18 – D.C. Sports Betting Bill Moves Forward with No Amendments, Keeping Single-App System
  • After much debate, but with no new amendments, the District of Columbia Council voted 9-2 on Tuesday to advance its sports betting bill to a second hearing on Dec. 18. The bill, as written, will effectively allow the D.C. Lottery to have a monopoly on mobile/internet sports betting within the District. It also allows in-person sports betting within five professional sporting venues around the city.
• WAMU, 12.5.18 – Sports Betting Bill Gets First Approval From D.C. Council
  • The D.C. Council on Tuesday cast a first vote in favor of bringing legal sports betting to the nation’s capital, pushing the city one step closer to becoming the first place in the Washington region to capitalize on the increasingly lucrative market.

Missouri:

• PlayUSA, 12.4.18 – Missouri has a better Idea than Paying Sports Betting Integrity Fees
  • Missouri lawmakers were all set to become among the first in the country to seriously consider paying the integrity fee that US pro sports leagues have asked any state considering legalizing sports betting to pay.

New Jersey:

• Online Gambling, 12.5.18 – Hard Rock and Gig have Big Plans for their Online Casino and Sportsbook in 2019
  • Big things are happening with one of New Jersey’s newest brick-and-mortar casinos.
• iGaming Business, 12.4.18 – Kindred targets NJ sportsbook launch in Q1 2019
  • Kindred Group is aiming to launch in New Jersey’s regulated sports betting market in the first quarter of 2019, after expanding its existing supply deal with Kambi.

Rhode Island:

• South Coast Today, 12.4.18 – Sports betting kicks off at Tiverton casino
  • Sports betting kicked off at Tiverton Casino Hotel on Monday afternoon, making it the second venue in New England — besides its sister casino, Twin River Casino in Lincoln — to offer legal betting on a myriad of sports leagues and teams.

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 12.4.18 – Harrah’s Online Sports Betting Preview
  • Caesars Entertainment, owner of many successful gambling venues around the world, is eager to leverage its successful Harrah’s presence in the Pennsylvania market into a new sports wagering opportunity.

Kansas:

• iGaming Business, 12.4.18 – Kansas sports betting hearing begins
  • Kansas lawmakers are preparing for two days of hearings that could lead to a sports betting bill being filed in the state’s House of Representatives during the 2019 legislative session.

Michigan:

• UpNorthLive.com, 12.4.18 – Online gambling bill still awaits Senate decision
  • Despite the state’s current lame-duck status, lawmakers in Michigan are still pushing for several bills to get passed, and one of those would allow casinos to have online gaming.

Federal updates:

• Legal Sports Report, 12.4.18 – Feds Would Have to Approve State Sports Betting Laws Under New Draft Bill in Congress
  • A draft of a federal sports betting bill has appeared in Congress in which the federal government would have to approve state laws legalizing sports gambling.
• Sports Handle, 12.4.18 – New Federal Sports Betting Bill Surfaces, Empowering Attorney General and Mandating Purchase of Data
  • A draft of a federal sports betting bill that surfaced Tuesday would force states to obtain approval from the U.S. Attorney General’s office for their sports betting legalization plans – while also mandating that operators purchase official statistical data from sports leagues at least through 2022.
• ESPN, 12.5.18 – Congress pushing for federal sports betting oversight
  • Congress’ interest in the expanding U.S. sports betting market is growing.
• iGaming Business, 12.5.18 – State betting laws could be vetoed under leaked federal bill
  • US states would be required to have betting legislation approved by the US Attorney General and purchase official major league data under plans for federal oversight outlined in a leaked Congressional draft bill.

Sports league updates:

• No new sports league updates.

Member updates:

• Online Gambling, 12.4.18 – On Anniversary of Pivotal U.S. Supreme Court Sports Betting hearing, Key Players Reflect (J. Ifrah mentioned)
  • The minutes before the start of a U.S. Supreme Court hearing on an issue that had bounced from federal court to federal court for six years presumably would be a nerve-wracking time for those who had been involved from the beginning.

Overall industry updates:

• Online Poker Report, 12.5.18 – History of Online Gambling Expansion Raises Questions for Sports Betting in 2019
  • Following the May decision by the US Supreme Court that found PASPA unconstitutional, the sports betting floodgates are officially open.

Industry news of the day:

State updates:
Washington DC:

• Sports Handle, 11.30.18 – D.C. Sports Betting Bill Would Allow Sportsbooks in Professional Sports Arenas
  • If the sports betting bill that’s currently on the table in Washington, D.C. is approved as written on Tuesday, the District will be on the cutting edge of sports betting — the bill allows for five professional sports stadiums in Washington to have 24-hour-a-day sports books that are open to the public.
• Legal Sports Report, 12.3.18 – Sportsbooks, Leagues Team Up For First Time In Sports Betting Lobbying; Alliance Supports Royalty Fee In DC
  • Some sports betting operators and major US sports leagues are apparently working together to get a law passed to legalize sports betting in Washington, DC.

Rhode Island:

• Legal Sports Report, 11.30.18 – The Week in Sports Betting: A Small States, A Tiny District and Big Data
  • Better late than never, RI sports betting began Monday at Twin River Casino in Lincoln. It’s happening in a temporary space for now, with the permanent book slated to open in a couple of weeks. The other, newer property in Tiverton will also have its sportsbook up and running next week.
• Legal Sports Report, 12.3.18 – Rhode Island Sports Betting Doubles Today with Addition of Twin River Tiverton Book
  • Twin River will open the sportsbook at the recently opened Tiverton Casino Hotel today. The facility joins the company’s Lincoln property to expand Twin River sports betting to both state casinos.
• Turn to 10, 11.30.18 – Twin River sets date for sports betting in Tiverton
  • Twin River said Friday that sports betting will begin next week at the Tiverton Casino Hotel.

Alabama:

• 13 ABC, 12.1.18 – Sports betting site already paying out expecting Alabama title
  • FanDuel sportsbook is paying out bets from people who picked Alabama to win the college football national championship — over a month before the game will be played.

New Jersey:

• NJ.com, 11.30.18 – Coming soon: Hard Rock in Atlantic City to offer online sports betting

• • Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is poised to join New Jersey’s fast-growing sports-betting scene.
• Online Gambling, 11.30.18 – New Jersey Online Poker MTT Series on the Up-and-up, but Larger Main events show signs of wear
  • With all the focus on the meteoric rise of online sports betting and the continued growth of casinos, online poker has become something of an afterthought.
• Biz Journal, 12.3.18 – Atlantic City’s Hard Rock casino to launch sportsbook in early 2019
  • By early next year, another Atlantic City casino will offer sports betting. Hard Rock International and Malta-based Gaming Innovation Group announced last week plans to launch a sports book at the South Jersey property within the first quarter of 2019.
• PlayNJ, 12.3.18 – After Five Years of Growth, the Sky is still the Limit for NJ Online Gambling
  • Over the course of those five years, the industry has grown from quaint little product offering to a juggernaut, with annual revenues of more than $250 million.

Michigan:

• Online Poker Report, 11.30.18 – Rep. Iden: Michigan Online Gambling Bill ‘Close to the Finish Line’
  • With three weeks and nine sessions left in the Michigan legislative session, Rep. Brandt Idenremains hopeful that his online gambling bill will reach the governor’s desk this year.

Missouri:

• Sports Handle, 12.3.18 – The Genesis of Missouri Lawmaker’s New Spin on Sports Betting ‘Integrity Fee’

• • Missouri state senator Denny Hoskins (D-District 21) isn’t opposed to a sports betting “integrity fee” — an off-the-top cut of all wagers. He’s just not willing to give it to the professional leagues.
• Sports Handle, 11.30.18 – Missouri Lawmakers May Put Entertaining New Twist on ‘Integrity Fee’
  • Days after Representative Dean Plocher, (R-District 89) told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that he anticipates sports betting “being out there” for discussion when the Missouri state legislature returns to session in January, Senator Denny Hoskins (D-District 21) is preparing to pre-file a sports betting bill finding an entirely different use for a cut of all wagers that the pro sports leagues have sought to capture.
• FOX 2 Now, 12.2.18 – Missouri lawmakers to consider legalizing sports betting
  • Missouri lawmakers plan to make another attempt at legalizing sports betting just months after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal law that has restricted most states from allowing bets on sports.

Kansas:

• Hays Post, 12.3.18 – Kansas lawmakers begin talks about sports betting
  • Kansas lawmakers will get a crash course in sports gambling this week as they consider how to capitalize on a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in May that lifted a federal ban on it.

Federal updates:

• No new federal updates to report.

Sports league updates:

• Legal Sports Report, 11.30.18 – When They Say Integrity Fee, Are Pro Sports Leagues Really Asking for a Private Tax?
  • Since January, some professional sports leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB), have sought payment from states who seek to license sports betting.
• ESPN, 12.1.18 – Deontay Wilder-Tyson Fury Fight trumps football at Vegas sportsbooks
  • On a Saturday highlighted by college football conference championship games, the heavyweight title fight between Deontay Wilder and Tyson Fury was generating the most buzz — and the biggest bets — around Las Vegas.
• ESPN, 12.1.18 – Fan Duel sportsbooks already paying out national championship bets on Alabama
  • FanDuel sportsbook is paying out bets from people who picked Alabama to win the College Football Playoff National Championship — over a month before the game will be played.

Member updates:

• Gambling Insider, 12.3.18 – Don Best deal will specify US offering, says SG Digital exec
  • SG Digital’s acquisition of Don Best Sports tailors the supplier to the US market, according to Keith O’Loughlin, Senior Vice President of Sportsbook and Platforms.

Overall industry updates:

• No new updates to report.