Industry News of the Day for April 28, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• The Washington Post, 4.27.21: DraftKings Buys Rights To Dan Le Batard’s Radio Show As Sports Betting Company eExpands Media Footprint 
  • DraftKings announced Monday a new partnership with former ESPN personality Dan Le Batard to distribute his radio show and podcast, furthering the sports betting company’s ambitions as a media company and giving Le Batard a new home in a sports media industry increasingly tied to sports betting. 
• Legal Sports Report, 4.27.21: DraftKings Makes It Rain Again In Deal With ESPN Vet Le Batard 
  • DraftKings has continued its foray into the media space with a “first-of-its-kind” content deal with Meadowlark Media and popular personality Dan Le Batard. 
• US Bets, 4.27.21: DraftKings And Dan Le Batard Enter Into A ‘First Of Its Kind’ Distribution Deal 
  • The DraftKings world domination tour continued Tuesday afternoon with the announcement the daily fantasy and sports betting company has entered into what it calls a “first-of-its-kind distribution, monetization, and sponsorship” agreement with Meadowlark Media, a company formed in January by former ESPN honcho John Skipper and broadcaster Dan Le Batard. 
• SBC, 4.28.21: DraftKings Broadens Media Footprint With Meadowlark Media Content Partnership 
  • DraftKings Inc has completed a “first-of-its-kind content distribution, monetization and sponsorship agreement” with Meadowlark Media this week. 
• IGB, 4.28.21: DraftKings To Enter Distribution Deal With Dan Le Batard Show Owner Meadowlark 
  • DraftKings has announced a content distribution and sponsorship media agreement with Meadowlark Media in a continued effort to expand its sports entertainment reach. 

New York: 

• Sports Handle, 4.27.21: NY Gaming Commission Clears Up Some Complexities In Mobile Sports Wagering Process With Detailed FAQ Memo 
  • Though New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the 2022 fiscal year budget into law last week, the rollout of mobile sports betting in the Empire State still remained shrouded in ambiguity despite the breakthrough. 
• Play NY, 4.27.21: New York State Gaming Commission On Mobile Sports Betting: You Have Questions, We Have (Some) Answers 
  • Inquiring minds have wanted to know how regulators in New York will approach mobile sports betting since Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed the budget bill into law earlier this month. Well, we now have a peek into the minds of the New York State Gaming Commission on the matter 

North Carolina:  

• TN Bets, 4.27.21: University Of North Carolina All In On Sports Betting With DraftKings Exec Joining Board 
  • According to The News & Observer, the university has appointed an executive at DraftKings to its exclusive board of trustees. The school already has a lobbyist for the Boston-based company as a member of its board of governors. DraftKings doesn’t yet offer legal sports betting in the state. 

Nevada: 

• Legal Sports Report, 4.27.21: Nevada Sports Betting Takes US Market To $50 Billion In Bets 
  • Pent-up demand for both March Madness and a good time in a Las Vegas sportsbook led to a pretty busy month for Nevada sports betting. Nevada sportsbooks  took $641 million in bets last month, good for the state’s third-best month ever. Sports betting revenue was $39.3 million, good for 6.1% hold. 
• US Bets, 4.27.21: Nevada Posts Its Third-Highest Sports Betting Handle At $640.8M For March 
  • Buoyed with a strong basketball handle from the NCAA tournament, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported a handle of nearly $640.8 million for March, the state’s third-highest monthly total in the post-PASPA era. 

Virginia: 

• Play Virginia, 4.27.21: How FanDuel Became The Early King Of Sports Betting At Virginia Sportsbooks 
  • With a key partnership and a big pocketbook, FanDuel has taken the crown as the early king of Virginia sports betting. Through the first two-plus months of legal wagering at Virginia sportsbooks, FanDuel has processed more than half of the market’s sports betting handle. 

Tennessee: 

• Legal Sports Report, 4.27.21: Opaque State Report Shows TN Sports Betting Handle, Revenue Up 
  • The TN sports betting market returned to growth in March as both handle and revenue increased over February. Total handle was $205.9 million, the second-best month the still-young Tennessee market has had so far. Only January and its $211.3 million in handle was better. 

Connecticut:  

• Hartford Business Journal, 4.28.21: CT Lottery Gets 15 Responses In Search For Sports Gambling Contractor 
  • There are over a dozen applicants vying for the opportunity to administer the rollout of sports betting in Connecticut if it is eventually legalized, state officials announced this week. 

Florida:  

• Sports Handle, 4.27.21: Hold Your Bets: Florida’s Tribal Sports Betting Compact Is Rife With Roadblocks 
  • Last week, a gaming compact that lays the groundwork for legal sports betting in Florida was signed between Seminole Tribe Chairman Marcellus Osceola and Gov. Ron DeSantis. 
• Sun Sentinel, 4.28.21: Ante Up: Florida’s Gambling Deal Opens The Door For Online Poker And Blackjack 
  • Florida’s sweeping gambling deal wouldn’t just bring sports betting to the Sunshine State: It also opens the door for online poker, blackjack and other games. (Paywall) 

Colorado: 

• Legal Sports Report, 4.28.21: Colorado Sports Betting Back On The Upswing With March Madness Boost 
  • After its first monthly handle dip in February, Colorado sports betting increased again in March. Colorado bettors wagered $301 million in March, according to a Colorado Division of Gaming report released Tuesday. Since launching in May 2020, the state has now surpassed $2 billion in handle. 
• Play Colorado, 4.27.21: March Madness Betting Boosts Colorado to $300 Million Handle 
  • Colorado sports betting has topped another major milestone. The state has brought in over $2 billion in handle. Yes, you read that number correctly. In the 11 months since sports betting launched here, bettors have put up $2 billion. The Centennial State is the sixth market in the U.S. to reach that milestone. 
• IGB, 4.27.21: Colorado Surpasses $2bn In Sports Bets Since Launch As March Wagers Hit $300m 
  • Players in Colorado have spent more than $2.0bn on sports betting since the state opened its regulated market in May 2020, with figures from the Colorado Department of Revenue showing over $300.0m was wagered in March this year. 
• CBS Denver, 4.28.21: Sports Betting Wagers In Colorado Reached The $2 Billion Mark In March 
  • The Colorado Department of Revenue’s Division of Gaming says total wages hit the $2 billion mark in March 2021. That’s double the number that the state hit in December, when the state first reached the $1 billion milestone.