Industry News of the Day for December 17, 2019

iDEA Growth in the News:

• Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 12.15.19 – Betting On Sports Fuels N.J. Gambling (iDEA Growth mentioned; reposted from Bloomberg)
  • The introduction of sports betting in New Jersey last year has lit a fire under the state’s gambling businesses.

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Online Poker Report, 12.16.19 – PokerStars Awards More Than $1.5 Million During Inaugural PACOOP
  • Years of hard work and regulatory due diligence in Pennsylvania are finally paying off in spades for PokerStars.

Industry News:

• Legal Sports Report, 12.16.19 – The Week In Sports Betting: Michigan Nears Finish Line; FanDuel In Philly
  • Welcome to one of the most stressful weeks of the year: fantasy football championship week.
• Online Poker Report, 12.16.19 – What Would A Joe Biden Presidency Mean For Online Gambling?
  • Former US Vice President Joe Biden is the latest 2020 presidential candidate to weigh in on federal gambling policy. After addressing a group of Las Vegas union workers last week, Biden’s campaign told CDC Gaming Reports that he “doesn’t support adding unnecessary restrictions to the gaming industry like the Trump Administration has done.”
• Legal Sports Report, 12.16.19 – Why Low Sports Betting Handle In New York, Iowa Makes Case For Online Gambling
  • Iowa‘s and New York‘s sports betting figures for November continued to illustrate how states will be limited without fully open online sports betting.
• Online Poker Report, 12.16.19 – Is The Future Of Online Gambling Built On Blockchain, Cryptocurrency?
  • Online gambling is often cited as a logical use-case for cryptocurrency, but that promise has yet to materialize in regulated US markets. Will that ever change? And when?

Overall Industry News:

• Betting News, 12.16.19 – Canada Reacts To U.S. Sports Betting Legalization
  • With all the talk around the repeal of PASPA and the legalization of sports betting in the United States, the neighbor to the north has now started to make some news of their own regarding the gambling landscape.

New Jersey:

• Play NJ, 12.16.19 – Knock, Knock: Will NJ Online Casinos Open The Door To $50 Million In Revenue?
  • Historically, New Jersey online casino revenue in November is typically flat when compared with October. Well, that’s not the case this year.
• NJ Online Gambling, 12.16.19 – Ocean Casino In Atlantic City Believes It Has Found The Right Woman For The CEO Job
  • Terry Glebocki made news recently by becoming the only current female CEO of an Atlantic City casino.

Pennsylvania:

• Play Pennsylvania, 12.16.19 – BetAmerica Sportsbook Sneaks In A Soft Launch Before 2019 Wraps Up
  • Another Pennsylvania online sportsbook launched as quietly as Santa sneaks through living rooms. On Monday afternoon, BetAmerica entered the market.

Michigan:

• Gambling Compliance, 12.17.19 – Michigan Sports-Betting Bill Outlines ‘Commercially Reasonable’ Official Data Factors (subscription paywall)
  • Pending a governor’s signature, Michigan will be the third state to require operators to use official league data to settle in-play wagers, but also became the first to set parameters in legislation as to how regulators can determine if data is being offered at “commercially reasonable terms.”
• Sports Handle, 12.16.19 – Brick And Mortar Sportsbooks Are Indeed Coming To Michigan
  • When the Michigan Senate last week sent a package of iGaming bills to Governor Gretchen Whitmer for signature, nothing in the language itself explicitly legalized sports betting at brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

Kentucky:

• WLKY, 12.16.19 – Odds Of Legalized Sports Wagering In Kentucky Go Up After Legal Expert’s Testimony
  • The odds of legalized sports wagering in Kentucky got better Monday after earning an endorsement from the state’s second-most powerful Republican.
• WDRB, 12.16.19 – Expert Tells Lawmakers No Constitutional Amendment Needed For Sports Wagering In Kentucky
  • Supporters say the odds for bringing sports betting to Kentucky are improving. One key question surrounding the issue is whether it requires amending the state constitution.

Nevada:

• The National Law Review, 12.16.19 – The SEC Lays Down A Bet In A Nevada Court
  • The college football bowl season is upon us, NFL teams are jockeying for playoff seeding, and with the college basketball season underway fans of that game are looking longingly towards March for how their brackets may look for the 2020 tournament.

Illinois:

• US Bets, 12.16.19 – Illinois Sports Lottery Yet To Find Any Takers
  • Tucked in near the middle of Illinois Senate Bill 690, an 816-page measure that legalized sports betting in the state this summer, is a six-page section devoted to creation of a pilot program that could bring a sports lottery to the Land of Lincoln.

Arkansas:

• Betting News, 12.16.19 – Arkansas Sports Betting To Get A Mobile Boost
  • Sports betting enthusiasts in Arkansas have had a great year in 2019, with the introduction of legal betting to the landscape for the first time.

Iowa:

• Play IA, 12.16.19 – Hard Rock Launches Iowa Online Sportsbook In Time For Bowl Season
  • Just in time for the college football bowl season, there is a new option for legal online sports betting in Iowa. The Hard Rock mobile sportsbook is now live.

West Virginia:

• Play WV, 12.16.19 – WV Sports Betting: WVU Football Is Over, Now What?
  • Sports betting in West Virginia came back online in late August, just in time for the 2019 college football season. It was perfect timing for a state that rallies behind WVU football.