Industry News of the Day for February 10, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Online Poker Report, 2.7.20 – Chess Grandmaster Magnus Carlsen Becomes Global Brand Ambassador For Unibet
  • Magnus Carlsen, the man at the pinnacle of competitive chess, is the newest star of sports and games to partner with an online gambling operator.

Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 2.8.20 – Get A Grip: Virginia Sports Betting Bills Advance, Massachusetts Extension, More
  • Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top stories and rounding up key stories in the world (and industry) of legal U.S. sports betting.
• SBC Americas, 2.10.20 – Bars And Taverns Provide A Natural Fit For US Sports Betting
  • Lee Richardson MBA, Founder and CE of research firm Gaming Economics, believes that sports betting could add significant value to the growing, highly competitive $28bn bar and tavern business in the US.

Sports League News:

• Fox, 2.7.20 – NASCAR Revs Up Sports Betting With Penn National Gaming Deal
  • With $13 billion wagered on sports gambling in 2019, Penn National Gaming continued its press into the sports arena Friday with a three-year deal to become NASCAR’s first authorized sports betting provider.

Virginia:

• The Washington Post, 2.9.20 – Redskins Seek Sports Betting License In Virginia Even As They Lobby For One In Maryland
  • The Washington Redskins have deepened a multistate effort to secure a spot in the burgeoning sports betting industry, dangling to both Maryland and Virginia the prospect of building astadium within their borders — so long as the team can offer wagering.
• Washington Business Journal, 2.10.20 – After Maryland Overture, Dan Snyder Pursues Sports Betting License In Virginia
  • The owner of Washington’s NFL team spoke with legislators who have introduced bills in the Virginia House and Senate.
• Legal Sports Report, 2.9.20 – Cryptic Language In Virginia Sports Betting Bill Fuels Speculation Of Major League Goals
  • A lone paragraph in a 15-page Virginia sports betting bill substitute is raising questions about the influence of pro leagues.

Maine:

• Gambling Compliance, 2.10.20 – Maine Governor Questions Vote To Overturn Her Sports-Betting Veto (subscription paywall)
  • Democratic Governor Janet Mills of Maine is not convinced of the accuracy of the 20-10 vote last week in the state’s Senate to overturn her veto of a bill to establish an open licensing regime for online sports betting.
• Bangor Daily News, 2.9.20 – Editorial: Sports-Betting Bill A Safe Wager After Work By Legislature
  • Nearly a year ago, we made the case for the Maine Legislature to explore the potential for new revenue available through sports betting. We also urged legislators not to rush. They didn’t.

Connecticut:

• WSHU, 2.10.20 – Sports Betting On The Agenda Again In Hartford
  • The Connecticut legislature will once again take up the issue of sports betting this year. A bill that will be introduced this week will try to bridge some of the concerns that caused it to be defeated last year.
• The Hartford Courant, 2.8.20 – Casinos, Off-Track Betting Sites, CT Lottery Would Take Bets Under New Sports Betting Bill
  • Sports betting is back on the Connecticut legislative agenda, though consensus around the issue remains elusive.

Massachusetts:

• Metro West Daily News, 1.7.20 – Soter: Committee Seeks ‘Best Product’ For Sports Betting
  • State Rep. Michael Soter, R-Bellingham, who serves on the Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies, said if Massachusetts allows sports betting, he would favor a framework that includes both mobile betting and physical sports books.
• Mass Live, 2.9.20 – MGM Springfield Bets On Legalization Of Sports Betting For Growth In 2020
  • It would take MGM Springfield weeks, not months or years, to get a sports betting operation up and running.

New York:

• WSN, 2.10.20 – Daily Fantasy Sports Illegal: Rules New York Appeals Court
  • Last Thursday, a New York appeals court threw a monkey wrench in the daily fantasy sports industry in the state by ruling that the games are unconstitutional and remarking that the contests are games of chance.

West Virginia:

• iGB North America, 2.10.20 – West Virginia Sports Betting Revenue Hits $2.2M In January
  • Licensed gambling operators in the state of West Virginia generated a collective $2.2m in sports wagering revenue in January, with mobile the most popular form of betting for consumers.

Pennsylvania:

• PlayPennsylvania, 2.7.20 – State Police Resume Seizure Of Unlicensed Gambling Devices, But Is POM In The Clear?
  • Pennsylvania‘s crackdown on unlicensed gambling devices is slowly continuing. It follows a Jan. 21 court ruling, which lifted a ban on seizures of machines from one company, Pace-O-Matic (POM), of PA.

Ohio:

• WOSU, 2.7.20 – DeWine Says Sports Gambling Coming To Ohio Soon
  • Ohio, unlike some other states, does not have sports betting. Ohio’s Governor says he’s convinced betting on sports will be a reality in the Buckeye State soon.
• WKSU, 2.7.20 – Could Ohio Legislators Debate Sports Betting Ahead Of March Madness?
  • There are two bipartisan bills that would allow sports betting in Ohio but neither have had hearings since November. Still, Governor Mike DeWine said he expects something will pass soon.
• Mount Vernon News, 2.7.20 – Two Bills Proposing Sports Betting In Ohio (subscription paywall)
  • By request, State Rep. Rick Carfagna (R-68^th House District) provided the Mount Vernon News with an update on sports betting in Ohio, with 19 states – including the neighboring states of Indiana, West Virginia, and now Michigan – allowing wagers to be placed on football, basketball and other sports.

Alabama:

• Gambling Compliance, 2.10.20 – Alabama Governor Tries To Kick Gambling Can Down The Road (subscription paywall)
  • Gambling legislation has returned with a vengeance in Alabama, so much so that Republican Governor Kay Ivey wants a study group to spend this year determining what should be done.

Kentucky:

• Associated Press, 2.7.20 – Sports Betting Bill Stumbles From Starting Gate In Kentucky
  • In a state where betting on the Kentucky Derby is seen as a rite of passage, efforts to legalize wagering on other sports have barely gotten out of the starting gate.
• Kentucky Today, 2.8.20 – Sports Betting Bill Far From Done Deal As Both Sides Weigh In
  • Not everybody is lined up in support of the expanded sports wagering bill that continues to sit in the Kentucky House.
• Louisville Courier Journal, 2.7.20 – The Kentucky Sports Betting Bill Overwhelmingly Favors Two Things: Horses And Horsepower
  • Should House Bill 137 advance far enough for Gov. Andy Beshear’s signature, sports betting licenses will be available to all of Kentucky’s racetracks and to those professional sports venues “with seating for at least fifty thousand and where professional sporting events are held under the auspices of a professional league recognized by the racing commission …”
• The Daily Independent, 2.8.20 – In Our View – Take A Gamble, Kentucky: Sports Betting Makes Sense For Commonwealth
  • Nine states legalized sports betting in 2019 to bring the total to 20. Is Kentucky next? Ohio?

South Dakota:

• KELO, 2.8.20 – Sports-Wagering Might Be A Small Way To Help Cover South Dakota’s Constant Cash Shortage
  • No one from the South Dakota governor’s office nor the state attorney general’s office spoke a word at a public hearing Friday, when a panel of lawmakers considered asking voters whether they want sports wagering allowed in Deadwood.
• ESPN 991, 2.8.20 – Legalized Sports Betting Could Be On The Ballot In 2020 In South Dakota
  • In the summer of 2021, you could be making legal sports bets in the state of South Dakota.
• Dakota News Now, 2.7.20 – Sports Betting In South Dakota One Step Closer
  • Sports betting in South Dakota is one step closer to becoming legal.

Washington:

• Crosscut, 2.7.20 – ‘Free’ Casino Apps Prey On Addiction, Users Say, And WA Lawmakers Are Considering A Crackdown
  • Several ongoing lawsuits allege that mobile casino games, as well as games that let players buy ‘loot boxes,’ amount to illegal online gambling.