Industry News of the Day for April 27, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Online Poker Report, 4.24.20 – Flutter, Stars Group Shareholders Sign Off On $6B Tie-Up
  • The union of industry giants Flutter and The Stars Group (TSG) is marching toward completion.
• Legal Sports Report, 4.24.20 – The Reason US Sportsbooks Are Being Hit Hardest By Coronavirus
  • US sportsbooks have seen a steeper drop-off because of coronavirus-related shutdowns than their European counterparts, according to Swedish provider Kambi.
• Associated Press, 4.23.20 – Lack Of Sports Doesn’t Stop DraftKings From Going Public
  • Sports daily fantasy and betting website DraftKings debuted as a publicly traded company Friday against a backdrop of a near-complete shutdown of athletic competition across the globe due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Industry News:

• The Atlantic, 4.25.20 – What Happens To Gambling When Sports Shut Down?
  • The coronavirus pandemic has ended, or postponed, all of this, bringing major sports (and most of the world) to a near standstill. For fans, it has left a yawning hole in their daily routines, but for the gamblers who watch and wager, it is a double blow.
• Sports Handle, 4.26.20 – Get A Grip: Sports Betting Wrap With Oklahoma, NFL Draft Ratings
  • Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top sports betting stories, highlighting some fresh news and rounding up key stories.
• Legal Sports Report, 4.24.20 – US Sports Betting Experts To Discuss State Of The Industry At SBC Digital Summit
  • Right about now, the US sports betting industry should be preparing for Betting on Sports America from SBC.
• Gambling Compliance, 4.27.20 – BetMGM Boss Talks Coronavirus, Online Casino, ‘Sustainable’ Sports Betting (subscription paywall)
  • Despite the coronavirus pandemic taking hold just a few months after the relaunch of BetMGM by ROAR Digital, the joint venture’s chief executive says its long-term outlook remains the same.
• The Intelligencer, 4.24.20 – PA, NJ Casinos Lose $274M In A Month, Despite Explosion In Online Gambling
  • Even in states with the nation’s laxest online gambling laws, revenues plummeted by hundreds of millions of dollars following the closure of bricks-and-mortar casinos last month.
• SBC Americas, 4.27.20 – NFL Draft Delivers Record-Setting Handle For PlaySugarHouse.Com
  • The NFL Draft Round One produced record-setting handle for PlaySugarHouse.com in New Jersey and a plethora of first-round surprises late last week.
• iGB, 4.24.20 – Lsports Unveils New Simulated Tennis Betting Products
  • Sports betting data API provider LSports has launched a new simulated tennis product to allow sportsbooks to continue offering betting services during the shutdown of traditional sports as a result of the novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
• iGB, 4.24.20 – Intralot: Business Will Not Return To Normal Until November
  • Intralot believes the impact of novel coronavirus (Covid-19) on the business is yet to reach its peak, and does not expect to return to normal levels of activity until November this year.

Overall Industry News:

• SBC Americas, 4.24.20 – SBC News Network Grows With Lottery Daily Launch
  • The industry-leading SBC news network has grown further with the launch of Lottery Daily, a site focused on developments in the global lottery sector.

New Jersey:

• PlayNJ, 4.24.20 – Deflating Times: AC Casino Revenue Drops Over 60% Following COVID-19 Closures
  • Atlantic City casinos are facing challenging times like they never have before.
• PlayNJ, 4.24.20 – Let’s Make A Deal: Caesars Selling Bally’s To Twin River Holdings
  • Bally’s Atlantic City is no longer going to be included as part of the Caesars-Eldorado merger. Las Vegas-based Caesars Entertainment and VICI Properties Inc. announced the sale to Twin River Worldwide Holdings Inc. via press release.
• NJ Online Gambling, 4.24.20 – Twin River Eyes Online Gambling In New Jersey After Acquiring Caesars Atlantic City Casino
  • The massive Caesars-Eldorado merger appears to be closer to completion, as a Rhode Island casino operator also gets access to the lucrative but highly competitive Garden State online gambling market.

Pennsylvania:

• PlayPennsylvania, 4.24.20 – PA Republicans Plot To Reopen Economy, But Wolf Has The Upper Hand
  • Tom Wolf shut down horse racing and casinos, along with almost all of the rest of the state’s economy. Now Pennsylvania Republicans, want the state reopened, and are plotting to curb Wolf’s sweeping powers invoked to combat COVID-19.

Virginia:

• Affiliate Insider, 4.27.20 – Sports Betting Could Be Coming To Virginia Soon
  • Sports betting could soon be coming to Virginia, after legislators have added Governor Ralph Northam’s recommended changes to the bill.

Michigan:

• PlayMichigan, 4.24.20 – Gov. Whitmer: Golf And Boating Back, But Michigan Casinos Still Dark
  • Gretchen Whitmer extended the stay-at-home order through May 15 for Michigan residents, as the COVID-19 pandemic has softened on the hard-hit state.

Illinois:

• PlayIllinois, 4.24.20 – IL Supreme Court Says DFS Is Game Of Skill But Stops Short Of Extending Classification To Online Gambling
  • In the eyes of Illinois’ highest court, DFS contests are not gambling. The court’s decision means more legislation is necessary to ever legalize online poker, slots and table games throughout IL in the future, however.

Iowa:

• PlayIA, 4.24.20 – Iowa’s In-Person Registration Requirement Makes Bad Situation Worse For Sportsbooks
  • What fouls up Iowa’s in-person registration requirement for legal online sports betting? The state’s government mandate that shutters the necessary facilities.

Ohio:

• Cincinnati Enquirer, 4.25.20 – Where Do Things Stand In Ohio With Legalized Sports Wagering? Well, It’s Complicated
  • It’s been a little more than a year since Ohio introduced two bills – House Bill 194 and Senate Bill 111 – that would legalize and regulate sports wagering in the Buckeye State. So where do things stand now?

Tennessee:

• PlayUSA, 4.25.20 – Tennessee Sports Betting Could Arrive In July, But At What Cost?
  • Online sports betting in Tennessee is expected to make its official debut in July. However, it will come with a stain, at least in the eyes of experts who analyze the markets.

Colorado:

• The Denver Post, 4.26.20 – Colorado Sports Betting Set To Launch May 1 With Most Teams Sidelined And State’s Casinos Closed
  • When legal sports betting comes to Colorado on May 1, the landscape will look vastly different than fans and regulators anticipated.
• The Denver Post, 4.26.20 – Here Are The 17 Sports Betting Apps Coming To Colorado
  • Fans will have their pick of FanDuel, DraftKings, BetRivers and more when legal gambling kicks off on May 1.

Oklahoma:

• Tulsa World, 4.25.20 – Tribes Won’t Press Sports Betting Issue, Attorney Says
  • The two tribes that signed gaming compacts with Gov. Kevin Stitt this week won’t press the contentious issue of sports betting until the state resolves the matter, their attorney said Friday.