Industry News of the Day for December 20, 2018

Industry news of the day:

Washington DC:

• The Washington Post, 12.18.18 — D.C. Council legalizes sports betting, becoming first in Washington region
  • The D.C. Council gave final approval to legal sports betting Tuesday, making the nation’s capital the first in the region to allow residents and visitors to bet money on professional sports teams and contests.
• The Washington Times, 12.18.18 — D.C. Council approves legalized sports betting in District
  • Washington, D.C., it’s almost time to place your bets. The District is on track to become the eighth and latest jurisdiction to legalize sports betting this year, just months after a Supreme Court decision made it legal nationwide.
• ABC News, 12.19.18 — Bill to legalize sports betting in Washington, D.C. advances
  • The District of Columbia on Tuesday advanced legislation to authorize sports betting in the nation’s capital, including potentially at the homes of the professional sports franchises in Washington, D.C.
• WJLA, 12.19.18 — Nation’s capital could become gambling capital after DC legalizes sports betting
  • City lawmakers in Washington have voted to legalize sports betting, making the nation’s capital the first U.S. jurisdiction without casinos to authorize sports books.
• OnlineGambing.com, 12.19.18 — Washington, D.C. Council Approves Sports Betting Legislation for Nation’s Capital
  • The Council of the District of Columbia has passed legislation that authorizes sports betting in Washington, D.C., paving the way for the nation’s capital to become the latest jurisdiction to take legal wagering on sports.

Pennsylvania:

• Sports Handle, 12.19.18 — First PA Sports Betting Monthly Report Shows $1.4M Handle at Hollywood Casino
  • The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board on Tuesday released its first monthly report for sports betting, with only one sportsbook open for the reporting period. The Hollywood Casino at Penn National Racetrack, near Hershey, posted a handle of $1.4 million, and the state took in $173,058 in tax revenue. The local jurisdiction took in $10,179 in tax revenue.
• KYW News, 12.19.18 — Valley Forge joins other Philly-area casinos with OK for sports betting
  • All four of the operating casinos in the Philadelphia region now have the OK for sports betting after regulators approved a sports book for the Valley Forge Casino.  

New Jersey:

• PlayNJ, 12.19.18 — Will a potential Wire Act Reversal Change the NJ Online Gambling Landscape?
  • Since it has nothing else on its plate, the federal government has apparently decided it’s going to put gambling at the top of its priority list in the waning days of the 2018 legislative session.
• PlayNJ, 12.20.18 — ‘NJ is not a pushover,’ says Former State Senator on Potential Wire Act Changes
  • Former New Jersey State Sen. Raymond Lesniak thought he had done enough for New Jersey and its casino industry.
• US Bets, 12.19.18 — New Jersey has ‘Great Concerns’ as Feds Prepare New Legal Opinion on iGaming
  • The Department of Justice will revisit a 1961 law on Friday, a move that could provide complications for the nascent regulated online gaming industry.
• European Gaming, 12.20.18 — DraftKings starts online casino in New Jersey
  • DraftKings has initiated the online casino operation in New Jersey. Its mobile app sportsbook has already been launched in the state.

Iowa:

• Online Poker Report, 12.20.18 — Iowa Lawmakers to Consider Online Lottery Ticket Sales
  • Officials in Iowa are considering making lottery tickets available for purchase via the agency’s website and mobile app beginning in 2019.

California:

• Poker Online, 12.20.18 — What happened to California’s Online Poker Scene?
  • California’s card clubs may currently be in a battle against the tribes of the state, but what exactly has happened to its online poker scene?

Tennessee:

• WKRN, 12.19.18 — Tennessee AG’s opinion could make legalizing sports betting easier
  • A new legislative session fast approaches in Tennessee.
• Commercial Appeal, 12.19.18 — Weatherbee: Sports betting may work on Beale Street. But will it work to worsen people’s lives?
  • As far as sports betting goes, Beale Street is an ideal spot.

Rhode Island:

• 12 WPRI, 12.19.18 — Raimondo ‘bullish’ on legalizing online sports betting in RI
  • As sports betting takes off in Rhode Island, Gov. Gina Raimondo said she’s supportive of Senate President Dominick Ruggerio’s push to legalize online sports betting statewide.

West Virginia:

• WV News, 12.19.18 — DraftKings to partner with Charlestown casino for online sports betting
  • West Virginia could soon have one more casino offer sports betting.

Michigan:

• The Washington Post, 12.19.18 — The Latest: Michigan panel Oks bill to limit ballot drives
  • The Latest on the Michigan Legislature’s lame-duck session (all times local): 3:30 p.m.

Federal updates:

• Online Poker Report, 12.19.18 — Department of Justice Preparing to Reverse Opinion that Wire Act Only Applies to Sports Betting
  • The Department of Justice is preparing an opinion that will likely say that the Wire Act applies to all forms of online gambling and not just sports betting, Online Poker Report has learned.
• The Washington Post, 12.19.18 — APNewsBreak: Feds eye move to regulate legal sports betting
  • The federal government would regulate sports betting nationwide under a bill to be introduced Wednesday.
• Legal Sports Report, 12.19.18 – Reports: Hatch, Schumer Preparing To Drop Federal Sports Betting Bill In Senate
  • With little time remaining in the current Congress, though, any bill dropped now would need a major push to advance. Hatch, a co-author of PASPA, is retiring at the end of this session and likely wants to introduce this bill before he departs.
• Sports Handle, 12.19.18 — Federal Sports Betting Bill Has ‘Integrity’ in the Title and Data in the Details
  • ‘Tis the season for gift-giving, and outgoing Republican Senator Orrin Hatch of Utah found a willing donor in Democratic Senator Chuck Schumer of New York to introduce the Sports Wagering Market Integrity Act of 2018 on Wednesday during Congress’ lame duck season.
• ESPN, 12.19.18 — U.S. senators Charles Schumer, Orrin Hatch introduce federal sports gambling bill
  • A pair of U.S. senators from opposing parties are proposing that the federal government take back control of sports gambling in America, the first formal move by Congress after a Supreme Court ruling reopened a complex debate over fans betting on games and who controls the action.
• Reuters, 12.19.18 — Federal bill would regulate U.S. sports betting
  • The nascent U.S. legal sports betting market would be subject to federal oversight under a bill introduced in Congress on Wednesday, one that will surely face opposition from the casino industry and some states.
• The Press Democrat, 12.19.18 — Senators announce plan for federal regulation of sports betting
  • A pair of U.S. senators from opposing parties is proposing that the federal government take back control of sports gambling in America, the first formal move by Congress after a Supreme Court ruling reopened a complex debate over fans betting on games and who controls the action.
• Forbes, 12.19.18 — Proposed Bill Sets Federal Standards for Sports Betting, But Questions Remain on Integrity Fees
  • Days before he is scheduled to retire, Orrin Hatch has a parting gift for the Senate.

Sports league updates:

• No new sports league updates to report.

Member updates:

• Gambling.com, 12.19.18 — Gambling.com’s Naughty or Nice List 2018
  • Christmas is here again, and that means it’s time to find out which top bookmakers and casinos have behaved themselves… and which haven’t.
• iNTER GAME, 12.20.18 — WeAreCasino partners with live dealer gaming provider Ezugi
  • The news follows on from the company’s success at SiGMA, which was it go live with Bee-Fee products.
• Calvin Ayre, 12.20.18 — 3 Barrels: 888Poker ambassadors star; RomeoPro top pro; Pick’em8 official
  • Wave after wave of PokerStars related stories hit my email inbox like a tsunami on a daily basis. I could write about them all day.
• Calvin Ayre, 12.20.18 — Nektan boosts casino offering with NetEnt’s live dealer games
  • Nektan plc (AIM: NKTN), the fast-growing international gaming technology platform and services provider, has expanded its diverse premium games portfolio with the addition of NetEnt’s Live Casino offering.

Overall industry updates:

• Gaming Today, 12.12.18 — States Approach Sports Betting Legislation with Some Caution
  • The current year has been a transformative one for the sports betting industry in the United States. Since the US Supreme Court handed down its historic ruling in May that overturned PASPA, many individual states have been energized by the prospect of legalizing sports betting.
• Gambling.com, 12.19.18 — 7 Predictions for Sports Betting in the U.S. in 2019
  • 2018 has been an historic year for gaming in the United States. Of course, the overwhelming majority of buzz surrounding the gaming industry can be attributed to the Supreme Court’s landmark decision to invalidate PASPA, allowing states to take control of sports betting authorization.
• The Washington Post, 12.19.18 — Climate change, Airbnb, voting at 16: What became law in D.C. in 2018 – and what didn’t
  • The D.C. Council capped off its year by legalizing sports betting, banning bump stocks and taking a step toward the creation of a new hospital in Southeast Washington.