Industry News of the Day for December 8, 2021

iDEA Growth in the News: 

• SBC, 12.8.21: Jeff Ifrah: We’re Still Writing The US Gambling Story 
  • In an interview which featured in Issue 18 of the SBC Leaders Magazine, Jeff Ifrah – Founding Member and Managing Partner of Ifrah Law – reflects on his career as a renowned litigation attorney before offering his take on what we can expect from the US gaming industry in years to come. 

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• CNBC, 12.8.21: The Push To Legalize Sports Betting Fuels DraftKings’ Rise 
  • A flood of new customers eager for risk and excitement has made DraftKings one of the nation’s biggest sportsbooks. 
• SBC, 12.8.21: PointsBet Appoints Liam Roecklein To Oversee Content Strategy 
  • PointsBet has hired Liam Roecklein as its newest Senior Vice President of Content where he will oversee the online gaming operator’s overall content strategy. 
• Play USA, 12.7.21: Florida Betting Hits Another Snafu But Worth The Wait For Seminole Foes, Says 888 Exec 
  • Florida’s sports betting path remains as treacherous as a slog through the Everglades. 
• US Bets, 12.8.21: Ask A Bookmaker With Johnny Avello: How Do Sportsbooks Feel About Uneven Action? 
  • Welcome to our weekly “Ask a Bookmaker” feature, which will answer many of the common (and uncommon!) questions gamblers and enthusiasts have about how sportsbooks operate in the modern age of sports betting. 

Overall Industry News: 

• Legal Sports Report, 12.7.21: The Week In Sports Betting News: Hard Rock Shuts Florida Down; What’s Next? 
  • Happy start of the week to everyone, especially to those that praised LSR for its consistent and fair coverage of sports betting news at last week’s SBC Summit North America in New Jersey. 

Oregon:  

• IGB, 12.8.21: Oregon Sports Betting Revenue Reaches New Heights In November 
  • Oregon’s DraftKings-powered sports betting app generated a record total of $4.4m in revenue in November, up 46.5% from October and 7.6% from November 2020. 

New York: 

• Play NY, 12.8.21: Will Policymakers Allow NY Online Sportsbooks To Deduct Promotional Play With 51% Tax Rate? 
  • During SBC Summit North America last week, multiple executives in the online sports betting industry suggested to PlayNY that policymakers in New York should change the language so that operators facing a drastic 51% tax rate can deduct promotional play. 
• Play NY, 12.7.21: Progress Check: Checking In On Status Of New York Online Sports Betting As Of Dec. 6 
  • For a while, the “before Dec. 6” deadline meant that the New York State Gaming Commission could be making some big news around this time by awarding online sports betting licenses. 

Massachusetts:  

• Telegram & Gazette, 12.8.21: Central Mass. State Senators Mostly Support Legalizing Sports Betting, Await Final Bill (subscription paywall) 
  • With a bill legalizing sports betting in Massachusetts sitting in committee in the state Senate, Central Massachusetts state senators have mostly said they are in favor of legalizing sports betting, even as the particulars may require more debate. 

Connecticut: 

• Legal Sports Report, 12.8.21: Connecticut Sportsbooks Open With $54 Million In October Bets 
  • Online Connecticut sportsbooks and casinos launched in October after a nearly a decade-long process – and got off to a pretty good start. 

Maryland: 

• Sports Report, 12.7.21: Maryland Retail Sports Betting Ready To Launch Thursday 
  • The first legal sports bets in Maryland will be placed this week. Maryland will become the 11th state to launch sports betting this year. 

Virginia: 

• IGB, 12.8.21: VA Surpasses $2.3bn In Total Wagers After Setting New Handle Record In October 
  • Consumers in Virginia spent a record $427.3m betting on sports in October, taking the total amounts wagered since the state’s market launched in January to $2.39bn. 
• Legal Sports Report, 12.7.21: Virginia Sportsbooks Become Fastest To Break $2 Billion Mark 
  • Online Virginia sportsbooks set the record for the fastest US market to hit $2 billion in handle with a record October. 

Illinois: 

• US Bets, 12.7.21: Chicago City Council Recesses Without Vote On Sports Betting Ordinance 
  • The Chicago City Council recessed Tuesday without taking a vote on an ordinance that would lift the home rule ban on sports betting in the Illinois metropolis at or near its five sports venues. 
• Play IL, 12.8.21: Illinois Nears $1 Billion In Monthly Sports Bets After Record-Breaking October 
  • Illinois sportsbooks set a state record in betting handle in October, taking in $840.4 million in wagers. That is up from $596.5 million in total bets in September and $434.6 million in October 2020. 
• Chicago Tribune, 12.7.21: Plan To Allow Sports Betting At Chicago Arenas Stumbles Amid Concerns About Casino Competition  (subscription paywall) 
  • Chicago aldermen balked Tuesday at a plan to allow sports betting at Wrigley Field, the United Center and elsewhere, despite Mayor Lori Lightfoot’s hope that adding a 2% city tax to the gambling returns would blunt criticism that the sportsbooks would cut into tax money collected from a planned city-run casino. 

Canada: 

• Sport Handle, 12.7.21: Launch Of Ontario Private Sports Betting Market Not Expected Until Early 2022 
  • As the 108th Grey Cup approaches this weekend, the Canadian Football League championship could have been an opportune moment for Ontario to launch the private market for single-event sports betting.