Industry News of the Day for December 19, 2019

Industry News:

• Associated Press, 12.18.19 – Sports Betting’s Rapid Expansion Faces More Tests In 2020
  • The line for the ticket windows at a Rhode Island casino’s sportsbook stretched to the door on one afternoon last month: Gamblers were cashing in their winnings from betting on the victorious New England Patriots the day before and placing new wagers for that night.
• Online Poker Report, 12.18.19 – FanDuel Gets Green Light For Online Racebook In Massachusetts, California
  • The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) recently voted to grant FanDuel temporary approval to offer mobile betting on horse racing. The vote was unanimous, 4-0.

Federal News:

• US Bets, 12.18.19 – Connecticut Senator Blumenthal Working On Sports Betting Bill To Protect Student-Athletes
  • Connecticut Senator Richard Blumenthal, a Democrat, is reportedly working on a sports betting bill that would establish a non-federal agency to protect amateur athletes from being exploited by gamblers.

New Jersey:

• Play NJ, 12.19.19 – New Jersey Gambling News: Records, Records, And More Records
  • The biggest New Jersey sports betting headline in NFL Week 16 is the highly-anticipated meeting between the Philadelphia Eagles and the Dallas Cowboys. All of this sports betting excitement translated into some big online gambling revenue numbers for both online sports betting apps and online casinos in NJ.

Pennsylvania:

• Online Poker Report, 12.19.19 – Pennsylvania Online Gambling Revenue On The Rise, Now With Poker!
  • November was a big month for the fledgling Pennsylvania online gambling industry. Combined revenues for slots and table games have risen every month since launch, so naturally the last one was the biggest to date.
• SBC Americas, 12.18.19 – Pennsylvania’s First Billion Marks a Year Of Progress Despite All The Critics
  • The analysts at PlayPennsylvania.com have published their take on how the Pennsylvania sports betting market has shaped up in its first year of legal operations. The verdict is for the most part hugely positive for a state that was slow to get off the mark, but has since confounded the views of some high-profile critics of its tax regime.

Michigan:

• Legal Sports Report, 12.18.19 – March Madness Is The Goal For Michigan Sports Betting Launch
  • March might bring an extra amount of madness in Michigan next year. With Michigan’s sports betting bill expected to be signed into law later this week, there likely isn’t time for legal sports betting to start in the state for NFL’s championship game at the beginning of February.

West Virginia:

• Play WV, 12.18.19 – Boom! West Virginia Sports Betting Handle Explodes For New Record High
  • The West Virginia sports betting market had its most active week ever, accepting nearly $9.5 million in wagers. The week of Nov. 30 was the Mountain State’s best performance in terms of the overall betting handle by more than $1 million.
• Charleston Gazette-Mail, 12.18.19 – WV Mobile Sports Betting Growing Slower Than Hoped
  • Mobile sports wagering continued to grow in November, albeit slower than what the West Virginia Lottery Commission had hoped, Director John Myers said Wednesday.

Florida:

• Sports Handle, 12.18.19 – William Hill Makes Foray Into Jai Alai, With An Eye On Sports Betting In Florida
  • Earlier this month during the heart of football season, William Hill US CEO Joe Asher made a long trek to South Florida to take part in a ribbon-cutting ceremony for a new company race book.

California:

• Fox, 12.19.19 – California Voters Will Have To Choose Between Two Sports Betting Plans
  • Sports betting’s legalization has already made states like New Jersey and Pennsylvania a ton of money, and California could soon be coming into the wagering market’s gold mine.
• Gambling Compliance, 12.19.19 – California Cardrooms, Lawmakers, Business Groups All Oppose New Dealer Regulations (subscription paywall)
  • The ongoing controversy over proposed new dealer rules for California’s commercial cardrooms took center state in Sacramento on Wednesday as city officials, state lawmakers, business organizations and law enforcement officials questioned the need for the changes.

Illinois:

• Chicago Sun-Times, 12.18.19 – Rivers Casino Ready To Launch Sportsbook Once It Gets Illinois Approval
  • The state’s highest-grossing casino has launched land-based operations, and it’s ready to launch sports betting whenever state regulators are.

Oklahoma:

• Enid News & Eagle, 12.18.19 – Tribes Prepare For Sports Betting, But Compact Debate With Governor Continues
  • Oklahoma’s governor has said tribal casinos will be operating in violation of the law on Jan. 1, while tribal officials have maintained it will be business as usual for casinos on New Year’s Day.

Connecticut:

• Hartford Courant, 12.18.19 – Lamont Reopens Door To Sports Betting With Tribes
  • In a surprise, Gov. Ned Lamont reopened the door Wednesday to sports betting – a long-stalled issue at the state Capitol.

Georgia:

• Associated Press, 12.18.19 – No Agreement For Now On Gambling Plan Among Georgia Senators
  • One group of Georgia lawmakers studying whether to expand gambling in the state are putting off recommendations for now.
• WABE, 12.18.19 – Senate Lawmakers Stuck On Whether To Legalize Casinos, Horse Racing
  • A Georgia State Senate Study Committee could not agree on what legislation to recommend the General Assembly consider concerning new gambling options in Georgia.

Delaware:

• iGaming Business, 12.18.19 – Delaware’s Online Gaming Market Recovers In November
  • Licensed online gambling operators in Delaware posted $376,331 in collective revenue for November, the second-highest monthly total of the year so far and a significant improvement on the year-low of $246,092 in October.