Industry News of the Day for December 20, 2023

Industry News

  • AP News: NFL Players Face Pressure As Never Before, In The Digital-Age surge Of Betting and Fantasy
    • Alexander Mattison and the Minnesota Vikings had boarded the flight home after a tough loss earlier this season, when the fifth-year running back found dozens of hateful and racist messages directed toward him on social media. Criticism for the fumble he lost or his lack of rushing yards in the game? Fine. That comes with the job. But the trolling that night was so egregious that Mattison, after conferring with a trusted friend and fellow Black teammate, decided to push back and share some screen shots.

Delaware

  • Gaming Today: Delaware Lawmakers Back Online Sports Betting Expansion
    • The Delaware legislature has received a final recommendation from the Internet Sports Lottery Legislative Working Group, a specialized committee formed to comprehensively explore the prospects of legalizing online sports betting within the state. The report presented by the group supports and advocates for the expansion of online sports betting within Delaware, highlighting the potential benefits and opportunities that such an expansion could bring to “The First State.” The group explored strategies adopted by nearby states like New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland in their online sports betting frameworks, presenting potential approaches for Delaware’s consideration. 

Michigan

  • PlayMichigan: Best Month Ever For Michigan Online Casino Revenue In Record-Breaking Year
    • Michigan online casinos record the best month in history in November during the second and final month of the Detroit casino workers’ strike. And, the numbers helped push the state to its best year ever. The Michigan Gaming Control Board released November’s online revenue numbers on Tuesday and Michigan online casinos recorded $175.3 million in combined revenue. That bested the previous record of $171.8 million recorded in March 2023. It was up 9.4% from October’s revenue of $160.3 million, up 5.3% from September 2022’s $166.4 million and up 20.6% from November 2022’s $145.4 million.

New Jersey

  • PlayNJ: Relax Gaming Makes US Debut In Partnership With BetMGM In New Jersey
    • Relax Gaming is finally here. One of the online casino industry’s leading providers with licensing in countries around the world, Relax Gaming announced its new partnership for a US debut. Now, they are launching in the  as “RLX Gaming” in the New Jersey online casino landscape through BetMGM in a partnership approved through a vendor transactional waiver with the Division of Gaming Enforcement. The partnership will bring Relax’s extensive archive of casino games to anyone with the BetMGM casino app in the state of New Jersey.

North Carolina

  • NC Sharp: Implications Of NCAA President Baker’s New NIL Proposal For NC Student-Athletes
    • Seismic shifts continue to shake up the college sports landscape with the NCAA president proposing a new tier for the wealthiest Division I schools, which include many North Carolina colleges and universities. Charlie Baker, who has been NCAA president for less than a year, proposed a plan for schools to pay at least half of their student-athletes $30,000 via an educational trust fund. The proposal would also allow any school to offer unlimited educational perks to athletes and pave the way for direct NIL agreements with colleges and universities.

Pennsylvania

  • PlayPennsylvania: PA Sports Betting Breaks Handle Record For Second Straight Month In November
    • Pennsylvania sports betting operators set another handle record in November. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reported a new record of $934.1 million in total November bets. This beat October’s previous record of $829 million in handle. Despite the record wagers, PA online sportsbooks only brought in $49.1 million in revenue, down from nearly $73.6 million last month. It’s obvious that sportsbooks won’t keep up this impressive pace when football winds down, as it’s clear that football season is still king and stronger than ever in the Keystone State.

Tennessee

  • PlayUSA: Tennessee’s November Sports Gambling Tops $500M For The First Time
    • Tennessee’s Sports Wagering Advisory Council (SWAC) issued its latest report, revealing the state accepted $517.14 million in handle (total bets) in November. It is the first time the Tennessee sports betting exceeded the $500 million handle mark since the launch in November 2020. As a result, sportsbooks generated $1.63 million in adjustments, an almost 178% increase from the previous month. High sports betting numbers come as no surprise since they were expected to improve after the start of the 2023 college football and NFL season, which is at its peak now.

Vermont

  • SBC Americas: Vermont Confirms Sports Wagering Catalog Ahead Of Jan Launch
    • The Vermont Department of Liquor and Lottery has confirmed the catalog of approved sports for the launch of the wagering market which is set to go live on Jan. 11.  A large array of global sports will be allowed to be wagered on when the market goes live in the new year, with only a small number of notable exceptions. While NFL, MLB, NHL, NBA and MLS games are all approved for wagering, more niche sports are included in the catalog such as World Chase Tag, the Drone Racing League and Major League Fishing. A number of collegiate sporting tournaments are included in the sports betting catalog, such as NCAA football, basketball, baseball and wrestling.