Industry News of the Day for August 16, 2023

Industry News

• Legal Sports Report: Opinion: What We Can Learn From Iowa Sports Betting Criminal Probe
  • We have a lot to learn about how sports betting can coexist with sports in the US despite being five years into widespread legalization, as the Iowa sports betting scandal highlights clearly. This summer has been an eye-opening time for many, and it has been a ‘told you so moment’ for some. For others, it has been a moment where it has become necessary to pause and look at what we are doing. The NFL, NBA, NHL, and Major League Baseball are all made up of professional athletes.

• Gaming Today: Former PlayUp Employees Cite CEO’s Lack of Vision, Leadership Problems for Shutdown
  • The suspension of the PlayUp sportsbook betting platform in Colorado and New Jersey resonated with many in the American gambling industry, regardless if they had any direct connection to the highly publicized but troubled start-up. For the 40 United States-based employees of the Australian company, the last several weeks were a financial roundhouse.

• Sports Handle: Mobile Sports Betting Expected To Launch In Three States By End Of 2023
  • The Maine Gambling Control Board met Tuesday morning, with the group briefly discussing the state’s upcoming sports betting launch. Proposed regulations for Maine’s sports wagering system are currently under review, and a mobile launch is expected in the coming months. “They’re under legal review, and we’re working the details out now with an anticipation to go live in November,” said Milt Champion, executive director of Maine’s Gambling Control Unit.

• Bonus.com: Is 2023 The Financial Turning Point For Online Gambling Operators In The US?
  • The second quarter of 2023 was an important period for the young US online gambling industry, as many companies are reporting that their online operations turned profitable for the first time. For years, even the biggest operators had been outspending their revenues, creating impatience among investors and contributing to the slump most gaming stocks experienced last year. CEOs promised that profitability was coming, and now it seems that those assurances were warranted.

Colorado

• SBC Americas: Novig Gears Up For CO Launch With US Integrity
  • Sports betting exchange Novig has signed a partnership with US Integrity to secure the monitoring of betting activity on its platform once it launches.  The platform is set to debut in the US sports betting market this fall when it tests the waters in Colorado. It will then analyze performance before expanding nationally in 2024.  Preparing for the rollout of its peer-to-peer betting platform, Novig has penned this deal with US Integrity to ensure that no suspicious activity takes place on its app.

Massachusetts

• PlayMA: Massachusetts Surpasses $2 Billion In Online Sports Betting Handle
  • Here’s a number:$2.2 billion in bets. That’s how much Massachusetts online sportsbooks have handled since launching earlier this year. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission released the state’s July online sports betting numbers Tuesday. DraftKings once again led the way with a total handle of $144.9 million. FanDuel came in second with $86.2 million in handle.

Michigan

• PlayMichigan: Detroit Casinos Table Game, Slot Revenue On Pace For Best Year Since 2019
  • Table games and slots at Detroit’s retail casinos may not be back to their pre-pandemic levels, but they’re on pace to have their best year since 2019. The three casinos combined to bring in $106.7 million in aggregate revenue from their casino floors in July, according a release Tuesday from the Michigan Gaming Control Board. With retail sports betting revenue added, they generated $107.2 million.

• PlayUSA: Michigan Regulators Eyeing New Daily Fantasy Sports Regulations
  • There is concern that daily fantasy sports (DFS) operators might be encroaching on Michigan sports betting territory.  Recently, Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) is proposed new regulations to ban contests that closely resemble sports bets. If adopted, the new rules would prohibit DFS operators from offering “proposition selection” products that mimic sports betting.

Nebraska

• Lincoln Journal Star: Nebraska Gaming Taxes On The Rise In July For Second Straight Month
  • Receipts from gaming taxes rose for the second straight month in Nebraska in July, according to the Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission. The amount of taxes collected at WarHorse Lincoln rose to $841,714.98 — an increase of nearly $88,000 compared with June. Grand Island Casino Resort collected $440,895.60 in taxes in July, up from about $414,000 in June.

New York

• PlayNY: State Will ‘Hopefully’ Have Answers To First Round Of NY Casinos Questions By September
  • Back in January, Sen. Joe Addabbo issued a statement following the official request for applications (RFA) issued by New York for downstate casinos. While emphasizing his faith in the process – and in those charged with carrying it out – Addabbo also made it clear: The quicker, the better. Now, seven months later, we still await the completion of the third step of Stage 1: Answers to the first round of downstate NY casino questions submitted by interested applicants. According to Brian O’Dwyer, chair of the New York State Gaming Commission, we could finally see those answers.

Pennsylvania

• PlayPennsylvania: Digital Gaming Corp. To Debut Pennsylvania Online Casino Games On FanDuel
  • More games are coming to Pennsylvania online casinos. Digital Gaming Corporation (DGC) announced a partnership to bring its library of titles to FanDuel Casino PA. FanDuel is a top-three online casino operator in Pennsylvania based on market share, and is continuing to grow. The deal between DGC and FanDuel covers the sides releasing online casino slots to Pennsylvania, Michigan and New Jersey players.