Industry News of the Day for August 4, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Sports Handle, 8.3.20 – Expect DraftKings To Go Live With Sports Betting In Illinois This Week
  • It appears that DraftKings will be the next sports betting operator to go live in Illinois — and likely this week.
• Legal Sports Report, 8.3.20 – DraftKings Preps For SBTech Platform Move With New US Trading Head
  • DraftKings has hired a new director of trading for the US as the company builds out its capabilities ahead of its looming platform shift.
• PlayMichigan, 8.4.20 – How A Tiny Upper Peninsula Tribe Bagged DraftKings As A Betting Partner
  • Tucked away in the eastern Upper Peninsula, the Bay Mills Indian Community seems like an unlikely entity to make big moves. But when open season for online gambling started, the Michigan tribe set its sights on the biggest of targets.
• Online Poker Report, 8.3.20 – Everi Expands New Jersey Online Casino Footprint With BetMGM Deal (GVC Holdings)
  • Everi, a leading manufacturer of slot machines, announced an expanded New Jersey partnership on Monday with Roar Digital.

Industry News:

• Gambling Compliance, 8.4.20 – Cash-Short States Eye Lottery Revenues To Help Balance Their Budgets (subscription paywall)
  • As state lawmakers deal with budget shortfalls from a steep drop in tax revenues as a result of the coronavirus economic shutdown, gaming executives believe lotteries can generate additional revenues if needed investments are made.
• PlayUSA, 8.3.20 – Lawmakers Foster Misconceptions About Sports Betting, Importance Of Mobile
  • Operators and gaming advocates continue to face familiar old obstacles when lobbying legislators. Among other issues, there is a misunderstanding of the benefit of full mobile utility and the method of protecting college athletes.
• Legal Sports Report, 8.3.20 – The Week In Sports Betting News: MA Pahks Sports Betting Talk
  • Happy Monday, everyone. Sports betting operators are hoping to avoid more news about coronavirus cases after their first full weekend slate of games in nearly five months.
• Online Poker Report, 8.3.20 – FanDuel, IGT Tighten Long-Term US Online Gambling Alliance
  • FanDuel and International Game Technology (IGT) announced on Monday a deal to expand and extend their online gambling and sports betting partnership through 2024.

Sports League News:

• ESPN, 8.3.20 – NBA Launches Betting-Centric Telecast For Select Games Of Restart
  • The NBA on Monday announced the launch of an alternate telecast centered on sports betting for select games, the latest broadcast enhancement for the NBA restart.
• Sports Handle, 8.3.20 – NBA Digital To Offer Betting-Focused NBA BetStream Telecasts
  • NBA Digital is offering an alternate telecast geared to sports betting viewers that includes expert analysis, enhanced graphics, and new camera angles.
• iGB North America, 8.3.20 – PGA Tour Announces BetMGM As Official Betting Partner
  • The PGA Tour, the organizer of the leading men’s golf tournaments in North America, has announced BetMGM as its latest official betting operator.

New Jersey:

• NJ Online Gambling, 8.3.20 – Esports Betting Expansion Bill Moving Forward In New Jersey
  • The New Jersey Assembly on Thursday passed a bill designed to make it much easier for eSports tournaments to become part of the state’s legal, regulated sportsbooks’ menu of offerings.

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 8.3.20 – PA Lottery Came Close In Latest Fiscal Year To Matching 2018-2019 Record Revenue
  • The Pennsylvania Lottery faced challenges in 2019-20 from the impact of COVID-19 on retailers and a drop in big multi-state prize games, but it emerged with fiscal year revenue almost identical to that of the year before.
• Penn Bets, 8.3.20 – New VGT Bill Sheds Some Light On Senate Leader’s Hopes For Gambling Expansion
  • The Pennsylvania legislature adjourned for the summer without any public consideration of a controversial gaming expansion through widespread legalization of VGTs, but a bill introduced last week by a key Republican lawmaker makes clear the issue is far from closed.
• iGB North America, 8.4.20 – PA Lottery Generates $1.14bn For Seniors In 2019-20
  • The Pennsylvania Lottery generated profits of $1.14bn for programs that benefit the state’s senior citizens in its 2019-20 fiscal year, the ninth consecutive year in which its contribution has surpassed $1bn.

New York:

• Gambling Compliance, 8.4.20 – Key Deadline Passes For New York Online Sports Betting (subscription paywall)
  • Supporters of online sports wagering in New York are making a big bet that Governor Andrew Cuomo will ultimately change his tune about whether a constitutional referendum is required to legalize the activity.

Washington, D.C.:

• Washington Business Journal, 8.3.20 – D.C.’s In-Person Sports Betting Goes Live with Pop-Up Capital One Arena Sportsbook
  • Two other companies have also received provisional licenses under the city’s sports betting rules.
• The Action Network, 8.3.20 – William Hill Officially Launches Sports Betting Operations In Washington D.C.
  • William Hill officially launched its Washington D.C. operations on Monday, though it wasn’t how they pictured the grand opening.

Michigan:

• iGB North America, 8.4.20 – AGA Report: Michigan Casinos Worth $6.3bn Annually To State
  • Michigan’s 27 combined commercial and tribal casinos have an annual economic impact of $6.3bn for the state, according to a new report from the American Gaming Association (AGA).
• PlayMichigan, 8.3.20 – Detroit Casinos Reopening At 15% Capacity, But Is That Number Sustainable?
  • When Gov. Gretchen Whitmer announced last week that Detroit’s three casinos could reopen this week, there were a few catches. Front and center is a 15% capacity restriction, the lowest in the country.

Illinois:

• Legal Sports Report, 8.3.20 – Third Illinois Sports Betting Option Appears As Leagues Begin Restart
  • William Hill opened a retail sportsbook just outside Chicago on Monday, becoming the third Illinois sports betting operator to go live.
• PlayIllinois, 8.3.20 – William Hill Opens Sportsbook At Grand Victoria Casino In Illinois
  • Until Saturday, bettors in Illinois had one option for legal sports betting. Over the weekend, William Hill Illinois doubled that count, at least on the retail side.

Kentucky:

• iGB North America, 8.3.20 – Kentucky Lottery Revenue Grows To $1.20bn in 2019-20
  • The Kentucky Lottery Corporation took in record revenue of $1.20bn in its 2020 fiscal year ended 30 June 2020, a 6.2% year-on-year rise.

California:

• PlayCA, 8.3.20 – How The California Sports Betting Effort Turned Out To Be Fool’s Gold
  • Legal sports betting nearly encountered a perfect storm for getting done in the California legislature in 2020. And then reality set in.