Industry News of the Day for August 12, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• PlayUSA, 8.11.20 – Nevada Knowledge Spreads to All Corners of Sports Betting Nation
  • Veteran oddsmaker Johnny Avello left his position at the Wynn in Las Vegas for burgeoning national sports betting purveyor DraftKings.
• Associated Press, 8.12.20 – 1^st Sports Betting Retail Location Opening In New Hampshire (DraftKings)
  • The first sports betting retail location is opening in New Hampshire, a little over a year since Gov. Chris Sununu signed a bill legalizing betting on professional and college sports in the state.
• iGB North America, 8.12.20 – DraftKings Launches First Retail Sportsbook In New Hampshire
  • DraftKings has launched New Hampshire’s first retail sportsbook, in partnership with the state lottery and Eureka Casino-owned venue The Brook.
• PlayIllinois, 8.11.20 – GeoComply Deal Lets DraftKings Illinois Customers Sign Up Online While On-Site
  • DraftKings Sportsbook is now partners with geolocation technology provider, GeoComply, to ensure efficient registration for Illinois sports bettors.

Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 8.11.20 – Big Ten, Pac-12 Postponements Could Wreak Sports Betting Havoc
  • It was the first domino no one in college football or the sports betting industry wanted to see fall, but both the Big Ten and Pac-12 announced Tuesday they are postponing their respective 2020-21 fall sports seasons — including football — due to the ongoing health and safety concerns created by the COVID-19 pandemic.
• Legal Sports Report, 8.11.20 – Will Caesars Be Part Of Next US Sports Betting Spinoff?
  • There’s been talk of the combined Caesars and Eldorado company spinning off its sports betting and iGaming business since news of the merger.
• Gambling Compliance, 8.12.20 – Caesars Entertainment Plans Sports-Betting Move By End Of 2020 (subscription paywall)
  • The newly-merged Caesars Entertainment is expecting to make a move on its sports-betting profile by year’s end, while its partner William Hill says it plans to operate a dual brand strategy in the United States.
• Sports Handle, 8.11.20 – MGM’s New Shareholder Thinking Online Gaming, Sports Betting
  • A 12% purchase — for $1 billion — in an iconic brand such as MGM Resorts doesn’t automatically raise so many eyebrows. But on Monday, billionaire Barry Diller’s IAC not only made that investment – Diller had an intriguing reason why.

Overall Industry News:

• US Bets, 8.11.20 – Gamblers Drop $12 Billion To U.S. Commercial Casinos In First Half Of 2020
  • The commercial casinos nationwide won $12.03 billion from gamblers through the first half of the year, down more than 46% compared to the same period in 2019, according to data compiled by the University of Nevada Las Vegas’ Center for Gaming Research.
• US Bets, 8.12.20 – Casino Industry Pushes For Cashless Options, But Concerns Are Raised About Problem Gamblers
  • The idea of reducing use of paper money in casinos has been percolating for years, and for industry executives, it has taken on new urgency in the COVID-19 era of health concerns over potential transmission of viruses during such exchanges.

Federal News:

• Gambling Compliance, 8.12.20 – Joe Biden’s Historic Running Mate Clashed With California Gaming Tribes (subscription paywall)
  • The historic selection on Tuesday of Democratic Senator Kamala Harris by Joe Biden to be his running mate could be problematic for California tribes, but the Indian gaming industry seems ready to move on from the Trump administration.

Sports League News:

• US Bets, 8.11.20 – BetMGM Enters Partnership With NASCAR, Will Expand In-Race Betting
  • BetMGM announced it has entered a multi-year partnership with NASCAR on Tuesday, becoming the auto racing circuit’s authorized gaming operator and allowing the sportsbook to expand its in-race sports betting offerings starting in the 2021 season.

New Jersey:

• PlayNJ, 8.11.20 – ‘Why Not Jersey?’ How Legal Sports Betting Has Put Atlantic City Back In Play
  • Remember the days of talking about what a great addition legal sports betting would be to the Atlantic City casino market?

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 8.11.20 – In A First, The Live! Brand Launches Online Casino Before Its Real Properties Open
  • Months before anyone will visit one of two new Live! casinos in Pennsylvania, slots and table game players can begin gambling using the company’s online casino.

Virginia:

• iGB North America, 8.12.20 – Caesars Launches Campaign For New Virginia Casino
  • Caesars Entertainment has formally launched a campaign to garner public support for a new casino in the city of Danville, Virginia.

Michigan:

• PlayMichigan, 8.12.20 – MGCB Budget Is Tight With Casino Closures, Could Impact Online Gaming
  • The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) released another blank revenue report for July after Tuesday’s regular meeting.
• PlayMichigan, 8.11.20 – Of All Things, The FBI Might Slow Down Michigan’s Online Gambling Launch
  • Though it has been legal nationwide since 2018, a hurdle from the federal level could trip up Michigan’s implementation of online sports betting.
• PlayMichigan, 8.11.20 – MI Online Sportsbooks Will Launch With No Big Ten Football To Bet On
  • One of the main pillars of the Michigan sports betting market has fallen for the fall.
• iGB North America, 8.12.20 – Detroit Casino Revenue Decline Widens To 65.0%
  • The year-on-year decline in revenue for Detroit’s three commercial casinos has widened to 65.0% as of July 31, the final full month the venues will be closed.

Nevada:

• iGB North America, 8.12.20 – NV Governor Grants Casinos Legal Protection In COVID-19 Bill
  • Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has signed into law a new bill that will protect gambling businesses from lawsuits related to novel coronavirus (Covid-19).
• SBC Americas, 8.12.20 – AGA President Welcomes Protective Measures In Senate Bill 4
  • American Gaming Association (AGA) President and CEO Bill Miller has issued a statement supporting the Nevada Legislature‘s passage of Senate Bill 4 which revises provisions relating to public health.

Oklahoma:

• The Purcell Register, 8.12.20 – Stitt Asks Oklahoma Supreme Court For Rehearing Over Compact Ruling
  • Kevin Stitt on Monday asked the Oklahoma Supreme Court to clarify an order ruling invalid two gaming compacts he signed.