Industry News of the Day for April 15, 2022

Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 4.14.22: AGA To DOJ: Crack Down On Illegal Gambling Websites
  • In its most aggressive effort yet, the American Gaming Association on Thursday released a letter sent to U.S. Attorney General Merrick Garland calling on the Department of Justice to crack down — hard — on illegal offshore sportsbooks.
• SBC Americas, 4.14.22: AGA demands DoJ intervention against illegal gambling outlets
  • The American Gaming Association (AGA) has written to the US Department of Justice demanding that it cracks down on illegal casinos, sportsbooks and other black-market gambling operations.
• iGaming Business, 4.14.22: AGA urges Attorney General to act against offshore operators
  • The American Gaming Association (AGA) has called on the US Department of Justice to crack down on offshore operators Bovada, MyBookie and BetOnline and the wider unregulated gambling market in a new letter to Attorney General Merrick Garland.
• NBC, 4.14.22: Crypto casinos: How bitcoin opened up a new online gambling world
  • Online casino gambling in the U.S. is illegal in all but six states, kept in check by strict rules that make it hard for users to move money in and out of regulated internet casinos. But those rules don’t hold up so well when it comes to bitcoin.

Kentucky:

• Sports Handle, 4.15.22: Sports Betting Bill Dies In Committee On Final Day Of Kentucky Legislative Session
  • HB 606 cleared the House on March 18, but it never made it to a Senate floor vote
• Online Poker Report, 4.14.22: Online Poker, Sports Betting Bill Fans Still Hopeful In Kentucky
  • As legislators near adjournment of the Kentucky General Assembly, fans of online poker and online sports betting express hope that lawmakers will approve the bill legalizing both today.
• Lexington Herald Leader, 4.15.22: Sports betting, medical marijuana, ‘gray’ slots bills fail to cross the finish line
  • On the final day of the 2022 General Assembly, Republican members of the Senate had a lot to be happy with… Bills to legalize sports betting and allow medical marijuana in Kentucky weren’t among those accomplishments.
• Spectrum News 1, 4.14.22: Sports betting, medical marijuana bills fizzle as session ends
  • Sports betting was not called during the final day of the legislative session, ending its chances to pass for yet another year.

Indiana:

• Legal Sports Report, 4.14.22: Indiana Sportsbooks Bounce Back Thanks To Basketball
  • Indiana sportsbooks felt the expected handle pop from March Madness, with revenue also bouncing back from a drab February.

Illinois:

• Sports Handle, 4.14.22: Illinois Reports $286 Million Handle For NCAA Basketball Tournaments
  • The Illinois Gaming Board reported a combined sports wagering handle of $286.2 million for the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments, with newcomer BetMGM making a strong entrance as the state’s seventh mobile operator.

Ohio:

• Play Ohio, 4.14.22: How Ohio Sports Betting Might Impact State’s Problem Gambling
  • Sports betting will soon be legal in Ohio. With pieces falling into place for a January 2023 launch, some are concerned about the potential for an increase in problem gambling in Ohio.

Maine:

• News Center Maine, 4.14.22: Rival sports betting bills considered in Maine Legislature
  • In Maine, lawmakers are considering two bills that address sports betting. The big difference between them is how the state’s Indigenous tribes would be affected.
• WMTW, 4.14.22: Amendment to sports betting bill proposed despite tribal opposition
  • State Sen. Joseph Baldacci (D-Bangor) proposed an amendment to LD 583, which would legalize sports wagering in Maine, in a news conference in Augusta on Thursday.
• WABI, 4.14.22: Bipartisan group of lawmakers discuss an amendment to a bill that would legalize mobile sports betting
  • A bipartisan group of lawmakers met earlier today to discuss an amendment to a bill that would legalize mobile sports betting.

Maryland:

• Baltimore Business Journal, 4.14.22: Maryland’s sports betting handle rose to $31 million in March
  • Live Casino & Hotel in Hanover reported the largest handle, $13.6 million, among sportsbook operators last month.

New York:

• Action Network, 4.14.22: New York Lawmaker Wants to Expand Sports Betting Menu
  • The biggest sports betting state in the country could get even bigger under a bill that would expand its menu of things to bet on.