Industry News of the Day for April 3, 2019

Michigan:

• The Detroit News, 4.2.19 – Editorial: Lawmakers, take a bet on online gaming
  • At the end of the legislative session in December, former Gov. Rick Snyder vetoed a bipartisan bill to legalize online gaming. Lawmakers are reviving the proposal, and it’s worth studying.

Pennsylvania:

• PA Online Casino, 4.2.19 – West Virginia Passed Online Gambling; Should Pennsylvania Worry?
  • Pennsylvania’s neighbor will soon join the Keystone State in the world of online casino gaming. Last Wednesday, West Virginia legalized online casino gambling when House Bill 2934 became law.

West Virginia:

• Play WV, 4.2.19 – Got Patience? Lottery In No Hurry To Launch West Virginia Online Casinos
  • It could be a while before there is the first pull of a virtual slot machine at one of the new West Virginia online casinos. The West Virginia Lottery Interactive Wagering Act provides the West Virginia Lottery with over a year to establish iGaming regulations.

Illinois:

• Journal Topics, 4.3.19 – Proposal Looks To Limit Sports Betting Sites
  • A fifth proposal to allow sports betting in Illinois surfaced late last week when an affiliate of Rivers Casino presented a plan to only allow the state’s 10 brick and mortar riverboat casinos and three horse racing tracks to be licensed to operate the new form of legal gambling.

Montana:

• Sports Report, 4.3.19 – Bet On It: Montana May Be First to Legalize in 2019
  • Given the speed with which Montana is moving a trio of sports betting bills through its state legislature, it’s probably a good bet that the Big Sky state will be the first to legalize sports wagering in 2019.

Arkansas:

• Sports Handle, 4.2.19 – Arkansas Sports Betting Bill Bans Wagering On Special Olympics, WWE
  • There are dozens of sports betting bills across the country, but one filed in Arkansas on Monday is rather unique. Among other things, it includes a prohibition against wagering on the Special Olympics, WWE events and American Kennel Club dog shows.

Alabama:

• Legal Sports Report, 4.3.19 – Roll Sports Betting Tide: New Bill Appears In Alabama
  • The list of states that have considered or introduced sports betting bills now stands at 37 after an unlikely state — Alabama — joined the party on Tuesday.

New York:

• Legal Sports Report, 4.2.19 – Who’s To Blame On NY Sports Betting Inaction? Senator Points Finger At Assembly For Budget Failure
  • The lack of a united front from the New York Senate and Assembly kept mobile sports wagering out of the state budget, according to the lawmaker leading the effort on the Senate side.

Puerto Rico:

• Legal Sports Report, 4.2.19 – Puerto Rico Eyes Legal Sports Betting After A Debt Crisis, Hurricane Maria
  • Puerto Rico Governor Ricardo Rosselló has proposed legislation to legalize online and live gambling. A full suite of gambling is in the bill, including esports, fantasy sports and sports betting, both on and offline.

Sports League News:

• Sports Handle, 4.2.19 – Q&A With Keith McDonnell On League-Gaming Sponsorships In The U.S.
  • International expert in the online gaming space, Keith McDonnell, founded KMI Gaming in 2011, which consults in the regulated online gambling sector. McDonnell has helped companies big and small execute marketing strategies, among other things, and has brokered sponsorship and corporate deals.

Overall Industry News:

• AP, 4.2.19 – Analysis: Most states’ sports betting revenue misses estimates
  • For a variety of reasons, not just the Patriots’ star quarterback, most of the states that moved quickly to legalize sports betting after the Supreme Court cleared the way are still waiting for the expected payoff.