Industry News of the Day for April 30, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• IGB, 4.30.21: PointsBet Hires Madison Square Garden Veteran As Communications Lead 
  • PointsBet has hired Patrick Sandusky from The Madison Square Garden Sports Company (MSG) as senior vice president of communications, effective May 3. 
• SBC, 4.30.21: Patrick Sandusky Joins PointsBet as Senior VP of Communications 
  • Global sportsbook operator PointsBet has appointed veteran communications and public affairs executive Patrick D Sandusky as Senior Vice President of Communications, effective May 3, 2021. 
• IGB, 4.30.21: Kindred Launches Unibet Mobile Sports Betting Brand In Virginia With Pala 
  • Kindred Group has announced the launch of its Unibet brand in Virginia in partnership with online gambling platform provider Pala Interactive. 

Pennsylvania: 

• Penn Bets, 4.30.21: NFL Betting Widely Available In PA, Except On Draft 
  • In Pennsylvania, state law dictates that sportsbook wagering must be tied to athletic competition taking place between teams or individuals. Thus, just as there was no recent Academy Awards betting in the state (which New Jersey also allowed), you won’t find anything tied to the NFL draft by the state’s dozen online sportsbooks. 

New York: 

• US Bets, 4.30.21: New York To Use $6 Million A Year From Sports Betting To Combat Addiction 
  • New York State is moving forward with online sports betting, though some key details are still up in the air. What isn’t up in the air is funding for combating the rise in gambling addiction that will come with the state-sanctioned sports wagering via computers and mobile devices. 

Rhode Island:  

• IGB, 4.30.21: Rhode Island Sports Betting Revenue Rockets 372.4% YoY in March 
  • Revenue for the month amounted to $4.0m, up from $841,767 in the same month last year, with this rise primarily down to the improving situation regarding novel coronavirus (Covid-19) compared to March 2020. 

Florida: 

• Bloomberg, 4.30.21: Florida Places $6 Billion Wager on Sports Betting Deal 
  • Seminole Gaming CEO and Hard Rock International Chairman Jim Allen discuses a new compact signed by Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to construct an online sports-betting market in the state. He speaks on “Quicktake Charge. 
• Bloomberg, 4.30.21: Florida’s $6 Billion Betting Deal Puts It in ‘Uncharted Waters’ 
  • After years of debate and negotiation, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis signed a new compact giving the state’s Seminole tribe a lock on one of the fastest-growing businesses in the U.S.: sports betting. (Paywall) 

Michigan: 

• Play Michigan, 4.30.21: Michigan’s Complicated NFL Draft Betting Rules Lead To Apparent Violations 
  • Fox Bet and PointsBet were in apparent violation Thursday of a Michigan Gaming Control Board guideline to take NFL Draft markets off the board the night before the selections are made. 

Colorado:  

• The Gazette, 4.29.21: March Madness Helps Colorado Sports Betting Recover In March 
  • March Madness and the surging Denver Nuggets helped sports wagering in Colorado recover in March after declining in February from the previous month for the first time. 

Ohio: 

• FOX 8, 4.2.21: Battle Brews Over Legalized Sports Betting In Ohio 
  • With the eyes of the sports world focused on Cleveland for the NFL Draft, there’s a battle brewing among Ohio’s major league teams, casinos and more. They all want a stake in legalized sports betting in the state and it may now be closer than ever to becoming reality. 

Illinois: 

• Play IA, 4.30.21: Who’s For, Who’s Against The Most Significant Illinois Gaming Proposals 
  • The Illinois House Executive Committee met on April 28 to discuss “gaming proposals.” The most significant gaming items were on the agenda: online casino legislation, in-person sports betting registration and betting on in-state college teams, to name a few. 
• Chicago Tribune, 4.29.21: Illinois Online Sports Betting Remote Sign-up Push Earns Frosty Reception 
  • It seems increasingly likely Illinois sports bettors will have to register for sportsbooks in-person throughout the rest of the year after lawmakers responded coldly to remote sign-up pitches during a legislative hearing Wednesday. 
• WCIA, 4.29.21: Lawmakers Consider Lifting A Ban On Sports Betting 
  • Lawmakers are considering lifting a ban on gambling on in-state colleges and universities but the University of Illinois’ athletic director isn’t on board. Josh Whitman spoke to a house executive committee about this yesterday and says it’s about protecting the mental health and well-being of student athletes.