Industry News of the Day for December 30, 2019
iDEA Growth Member News:
- Legal Sports Report, 12.29.19 – BetAmerica Leaps Forward With Two New Online Sportsbooks (DraftKings, SBTech)
- BetAmerica should be live in three states by the end of the year with its recent Pennsylvania and pending Indiana launches.
- Play USA, 12.27.19 – DraftKings Merges With SBTech, Will Become Publicly Traded Company
- After months of conjecture and speculation, the mammoth merger between DraftKings and sports betting technology provider SBTech has become official.
Industry News:
- The Economist, 12.29.19 – As Much As $26BN Could Be Gambled On American Sport In 2020 (subscription paywall)
- In America, gambling on sport has long been frowned upon. Prohibitionists considered it an intolerable vice, like drinking alcohol, and outlawed it in the early 20th century.
- Sports Handle, 12.27.19 – Get A Grip: The Week In Sports Betting: 13 Jurisdictions Went Legal Or Live In 2019
- Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top stories and rounding up key stories in sports betting, gaming, and the world of sports at large.
Federal News:
- Legal Sports Report, 12.27.19 – The DOJ’s Wire Act Case Looks Flimsy In Latest Filing
- Late in the evening of Friday, Dec. 20, less than an hour before its deadline to do so, the Department of Justice filed its opening brief of its appeal of the order by the federal court in New Hampshire setting aside the 2018 memorandum by the DOJ’s Office of Legislative Counsel (OLC) purporting to expand the scope of the Wire Act beyond sports wagering, to cover all forms of wagering.
New Jersey:
- CBS New York, 12.27.19 – New Jersey Seeing More Gambling Moving From Casinos To Smart Phones, Tablets
- More of New Jersey’s gambling action has moved out of the casino and onto smart phones and tablets.
Michigan:
- Lansing State Journal, 12.28.19 – The Wide World Of Sports Betting – Las Vegas Comes To Michigan
- There won’t be betting at Spartan Stadium, but existing Michigan casinos are poised, with legislative approval, to begin offering sports betting in their buildings and eventually online.
Florida:
- Fox 35, 12.28.19 – Florida Lawmaker Filing Bill To Legalize Sports Betting
- There is a new push to legalize sports betting in Florida. Republican State Senator Jeff Brandes is filing a bill that would allow the Florida Lottery to offer tickets at self-serving kiosks.
Massachusetts:
- The Boston Globe, 12.27.19 – MGM Casino Eager For Sports Betting Law
- It’s a question of when, not if, Massachusetts legalizes sports betting, and MGM Springfield will be ready to take the action within weeks, said the president of the Western Massachusetts casino.
- NBC Boston, 12.27.19 – Top Mass. Lawmaker Doesn’t Commit To Legalize Sports Betting In 2020: Report
- As legalized sports betting rolls out in neighboring New Hampshire, Massachusetts continues to assess the best way to implement it, and a top legislator said that the process may take some time.
California:
- Lake County News, 12.30.19 – Legislature To Hold Sports Betting Hearing Jan. 8
- Bill Dodd, D-Napa, and Assembly member Adam Gray, D-Merced, will convene a joint Senate-Assembly informational hearing Jan. 8 in Sacramento on a proposal to legalize sports betting in California.
Texas:
- TXK Today, 12.27.19 – Texas Has The Strictest Gambling Laws In The Country, But Could The State Benefit From Changing Its Outlook?
- Texas Hold ‘Em is perhaps the most popular card game in the world, but if you were to play it in the state that it took its name from, you could find yourself facing a $500 misdemeanor fine.
Nevada:
- Legal Sports Report, 12.27.19 – Nevada Sets Sports Betting Record With $614 Million In Wagers In One Month
- Nevada‘s sports betting handle set a new monthly record and eclipsed the $600 million mark for the first time in November. It was also the first time Nevada or any regulated stated had surpassed that mark for any month.
- US Bets, 12.27.19 – Nevada Breaks Record With $614 Million In Sports Betting Handle
- Nevada’s sports betting industry continues to reach new heights. On Friday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board reported that the state’s sportsbooks reported $31 mm in winnings off a record $614.1 mm in handle.
Mississippi:
- Legal Sports Report, 12.30.19 – Mississippi Sportsbooks Feel Burrow, Mattress Mack Effect
- A top football team, a Heisman winner and Mattress Mack helped shape Mississippi’s sports betting handle and revenue in November compared to October.