Industry News of the Day for February 1, 2021
iDEA Growth Member News
- MLive, 1.29.21 – PokerStars Launches Online Poker In Michigan, FoxBet Sports Betting Also Approved
- The Michigan Gaming Control Board announced Friday that it authorized Little Traverse Bay Band of Odawa Indians and platform providers PokerStars for online gaming and FoxBet for online sports betting to launch at 11 a.m.
- Fox Business, 1.29.21 – FOX Bet, Online Gambling Partners Launch In Michigan
- FOX Bet, along with Pokerstars and Stars Casino, officially launched its sports betting and online gambling products in Michigan on Friday following another major sports-betting app that was approved in the state earlier this month.
- PlayIllinois, 1.30.21 – Entain, Epic Expand Gambling Education Program Already In Use At Illinois Colleges
- As Illinois Legislature decides whether to repeal a section of the law that bans wagering on in-state college teams, two NCAA-member institutions within the state and their partners are taking steps to improve gambling education for campus athletic workers.
- iGB North America, 2.1.21 – Golden Nugget Parent To Go Public Through SPAC Combination
- Fertitta Entertainment, the parent company of Golden Nugget operator Landry’s, is to list its shares on the New York Stock Exchange through a merger with special purpose acquisition company (SPAC) Fast Acquisition Corporation.
- US Bets, 2.1.21 – DraftKings To Debut A Pair Of Call-To-Action Super Bowl Ads
- DK will be running two commercials during Super Bowl LV, asking viewers to join a free fourth quarter pool.
- Digiday, 2.1.21 – Why DraftKings Is Partnering With Bleacher Report And Its Engaged Betting Content Audience
- Sports publishers are increasingly digging out a gold mine in the partnerships they can forge with sports books, especially around major sporting events like the Super Bowl.
- PlayPennsylvania, 1.29.21 – Valley Forge Casino Partnership With FanDuel Makes It A Big-Time Player In PA
- Valley Forge Casino is the smallest casino in Pennsylvania by square footage, but that hasn’t stopped it from making some big moves.
Industry News:
- Sports Handle, 1.29.21 – Get A Grip: The Week In Sports Betting: Connecticut, Georgia, Much More
- Here’s the weekend (or fashionably late) Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top US sports betting stories, highlighting some fresh news, and rounding up key stories.
- US Bets, 1.29.21 – Wide World Of Gambling: Las Vegas Sands Changes Tune On Online Gaming, Mega Millions Jackpot Hit, Books Happy With McGregor Loss
- In this installment of the weekly roundup from US Bets, we’re giving you a rundown of some of the more interesting new nuggets from the world of sports betting and beyond.
Overall Industry News:
- Associated Press, 1.28.21 – Virus Aid, No New Taxes Top US Gambling Industry 2021 Goals
- The U.S. gambling industry wants additional financial aid from the next round of coronavirus stimulus legislation, and promises to fight new or higher taxes on its operations as it works to recover from the pandemic.
- Axios, 1.30.21 – Casinos Add Fantasy Sports In High-Stakes Partnerships
- Casinos, internet gambling, sports betting and fantasy sports are all colliding with new, high-stakes partnerships, AP reports.
Pennsylvania:
- PlayPennsylvania, 1.29.21 – Doors Close, Window Opens: Former State House Leader Scores Spot on PA Gaming Control Board
- Longtime Pennsylvania House minority leader former state Rep. Frank Dermody found a lucrative new post on the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board this week after narrowly losing reelection in November.
- The Times, 2.1.21 – PA Casino Revenue Dropped $800M Last Year. Will Customers Flock Back With COVID Vaccines?
- Revenue from Pennsylvania casinos dropped by nearly $800 million last year compared to 2019 as the COVID-19 pandemic ravaged the industry with forced closures and reduced capacities.
Connecticut:
- Hartford Courant, 1.31.21 – Opinion: Connecticut Needs Online Sports Betting In Wake Of Economic Pain Caused By Coronavirus Shutdowns
- The COVID-19 pandemic brought significant, painful, and discouraging changes for so many people and businesses throughout Connecticut.
- Fox 61, 1.31.21 – The Real Story: Sports Gambling In CT
- Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Chair Rodney Butler gives Real Story Host Jenn Bernstein an update on talks between the Governor and the tribes.
Massachusetts:
- Gaming Intelligence, 2.1.21 – Massachusetts Governor Files Sports Betting Bill (subscription paywall)
- Governor Charles Baker of Massachusetts has once again filed legislation to regulate retail and online sports betting in the commonwealth.
Rhode Island:
- Gambling.Com, 1.29.21 – Rhode Island December Sports Betting Dips With Casinos Closed
- Rhode Island closed 2020 with a severe drop in sports betting handle and revenue in December, a decline that can largely be attributed to the state’s two casinos closing for most of the month.
Tennessee:
- Associated Press, 1.29.21 – Tennessee Oks 2 Mo32 Operators For Online-Only Sportsbooks
- A Tennessee panel approved licenses Friday for two more sportsbook operators under the state’s online-only sports betting law.
- WBIR, 1.30.21 – Tennessee’s Gamble On Sports Betting Pays Off, With A Possible $25 Million Going Towards Education
- The state of Tennessee gambled on allowing people to place online bets on sports starting around two months ago. The bet seems to be paying off.
- PlayTenn, 1.29.21 – No New Tennessee Sportsbooks Will Be Live Before The Super Bowl
- The Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL) approved two new sportsbooks during Friday’s Sports Wagering Committee meeting.
Illinois:
- Chicago Tribune, 1.29.21 – Online Sports Wagering Takes Off As Chicagoans Bet Legally On The Super Bowl For The First Time
- The Super Bowl remains the biggest betting day of the year, with wagers on everything from which team will win and total points scored, to a host of novelty “prop” bets, such as the coin flip, the length of the halftime show and the color of the postgame Gatorade shower.
Iowa:
- PlayIA, 1.29.21 – 3 Reasons Why Super Bowl Betting In Iowa Is Better This Year
- While some things are unchanged compared to Super Bowl LIV, there are three significant reasons 2021’s iteration of the biggest single betting day of the year in the US will be more fantastic.
- PlayIA, 1.30.21 – Barstool Sportsbook Looks To Take A Seat At Iowa Sports Betting Table
- Barstool Sportsbook is looking to expand its partnership with Ameristar Casino Council Bluffs for its first online foothold in the state.
- KCCI, 2.1.21 – Iowa Looks To Cash In On Super Bowl Sports Betting
- There’s a reason you’re seeing all of those sports betting commercials. Americans are expected to bet hundreds of millions of dollars on this year’s Super Bowl.
Kansas:
- Gambling.Com, 1.29.21 – Kansas Gives Sports Betting Another Try With Senate Bill
- Kansas is making another attempt to legalize sports betting.
Nevada:
- PlayNevada, 1.29.21 – Annual Nevada Gaming Revenue Plummeted 35% In 2020
- According to the Nevada Gaming Commission (NGC), gaming revenue was down 34.56% in 2020 compared to the previous year.
Arizona:
- KJZZ, 1.29.21 – What A ‘Modernized’ Gaming Compact Could Mean For Sports Betting In Arizona
- In his State of the State address, Gov. Ducey talked about the opportunity for a “modernized gaming compact” in Arizona that he says would bring in more money for the state and tribal nations.