Industry News of the Day for February 13, 2020

iDEA Growth in the News:

• Bristol Herald Courier, 2.13.20 – Sports Gaming Bills Advance In General Assembly (Dan Walsh quoted as iDEA spokesperson)
  • Sports wagering, like casino gaming, took a large step toward legalization this week as legislation advanced through both chambers of the Virginia General Assembly.

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Gambling Compliance, 2.13.20 – DraftKings Boss Talks SBTech, Innovation, Illinois (subscription paywall)
  • As DraftKings gets set to go public later this year, CEO Jason Robbins has said the deal announced in late 2019 to combat DraftKings and technology company SBTech with a special-purpose acquisition vehicle will give it the power to innovate for the rapidly-expanding U.S. sports-betting market.
• Gaming Intelligence, 2.13.20 – Kambi Debuts Retail Sportsbook In Mississippi With Ameristar Vicksburg (subscription paywall)
  • Sports betting supplier Kambi has launched its 7^th retail sportsbook under its partnership with leading US casino operator Penn National Gaming.
• Inside Indiana Business, 2.12.20 – New Player Seeks Online Gaming And Sportsbook Access In Indiana
  • Online gambling operator Kindred Group, operating under the Unibet brand, is attempting to gain access to the lucrative Indiana sports betting market.

Industry News:

• Legal Sports Betting, 2.13.20 – Vermont Is Not The One Place Where Sports Betting Offshore Is Legal
  • At the end of January, this year the Vermont Free Press ran an article that suggested a person located within the Green Mountain State placing a bet offshore might not be doing so illegally. The answer, in short: sports betting offshore is not legal under US law.

Overall Industry News:

• Online Poker Report, 2.12.20 – Hard Rock Eyes More Control Over Tech As Online Gambling Operations Grow
  • Hard Rock is looking to seize control of its technology as its online gaming division evolves from a startup ideology.

Sports League News:

• Associated Press, 2.13.20 – Place Your Bet: New NBA All-Star Format Could Attract Action
  • While some basketball purists are skeptical about this year’s new format for the NBA All-Star Game, the changes have curiosity brewing within the betting industry.
• Law360, 2.12.20 – NBA Inks Sports Betting Partnership With PointsBet
  • The NBA announced Wednesday that sportsbook operator PointsBet is now one of several official sports betting partners, a move that further bolsters the NBA’s reputation as a trailblazer in the emerging field of legal sports gambling.

Connecticut:

• The Day, 2.12.20 – Mashantuckets, Mohegans Say They’re Not Pursuing Marijuana
  • Verrengia, co-chairman of the Public Safety and Security Committee, asked Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan officials if their tribes, eager to introduce sports betting online and at their respective casinos, also were interested in getting into the marijuana business, an endeavor the state is considering in connection with the legalization of recreational marijuana.

Virginia:

• Sports Handle, 2.12.20 – Differing Virginia Sports Betting Bills Need Ironing Before Deadline
  • On Monday, the Virginia House and Senate passed legal sports betting bills that resemble, but don’t mirror each other. And though things are going to look a little messy for the new few weeks, one key bill sponsor isn’t worried about getting a bill to Governor Ralph Northam.
• WUSA, 2.12.20 – Virginia Sports Betting Bills Looks To Entice Snyder, Redskins. But Could It Create A Bidding War With Maryland?
  • As sports betting bills advance in Virginia, and Maryland lawmakers discuss the issue, the Redskins are lobbying lawmakers across the DMV for a new stadium.
• Gambling Compliance, 2.13.20 – Virginia Church Helps Casino Bills Advance In State Legislature (subscription paywall)
  • A group of 13 members of a Baptist church in Bristol, Virginia, took a five-hour trip to the state capital of Richmond to lobby for two casino bills that were passed in both houses of the legislature on Tuesday.
• Gambling.Com, 2.12.20 – Virginia Sports Betting, Casinos Are Closer After Key Votes
  • There are no sure bets in politics or gambling, but politicians in Virginia are giving legal casinos and sports betting excellent odds.

Kentucky:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.12.20 – Surprise Amendments Throw Kentucky Sports Betting Prospects Into Question
  • A flurry of 11 divergent amendments to a Kentucky sports betting bill was proposed on the House floor on Tuesday, surprising even the legislation’s author.
• US Bets, 2.12.20 – Kentucky Sports Betting Legislation Getting Blown Up By Proposed Amendments
  • The Kentucky sports betting saga took an unexpected turn Tuesday.

Wyoming:

• iGB North America, 2.13.20 – Wyoming To Consider Online Sports Betting Bill
  • Lawmakers in Wyoming are to assess a new bill that aims to legalize online and mobile sports wagering in the US state.
• Gaming Intelligence, 2.13.20 – Wyoming Bill Aims To Regulate Sports Betting In 2021 (subscription paywall)
  • Lawmakers in Wyoming introduced legislation Wednesday to regulate sports betting.

Washington:

• Associated Press, 2.12.20 – Bill To Allow Sports Betting Advances To State House Floor
  • The chance to bet on sporting events is a step closer to reality in Washington state after a House appropriations committee approved a bill allowing tribal casinos to offer such bets.
• Sports Handle, 2.12.20 – Washington House Committee Moves Tribal-Only Sports Betting Bill
  • With only about six hours remaining before a key legislative deadline, Washington State lawmakers on Tuesday night moved a tribal-only sports betting bill forward.
• The Seattle Times, 2.12.20 – Sports Betting: Tribal Casinos Shouldn’t Get A New Monopoly
  • In the two years since the U.S. Supreme Court allowed legalization of sports betting, legislatures across the country have rushed to open up betting windows.

Alaska:

• US Bets, 2.13.20 – Alaska Governor Proposes Sports Betting, Lottery Legislation
  • There’s a new piece of legislation, House Bill No. 246, that would legalize a lottery that could offer sports betting. The bill would create an Alaska Lottery Corporation.
• Anchorage Daily News, 2.12.20 – Broad Alaska Lottery Proposal From Gov. Dunleavy Could Lead To Sports Betting
  • In a sweeping new plan for Alaska’s first statewide lottery, Gov. Mike Dunleavy is proposing a state-owned corporation empowered to allow video lottery as well as keno, scratch-off tickets and sports betting.
• KTUU, 2.12.20 – Governor Proposes Independent Corporation To Run An Alaska Lottery
  • Mike Dunleavy has introduced legislation that would create a statewide lottery.

Maryland:

• Betting News, 2.12.20 – Maryland Gets Closer To Sports Betting Legislation; Redskins Interested In Being Involved
  • Maryland residents are starting to get excited about the possibility of legal sports betting in their state as this week to force the government heard feedback and input to two separate bills that were introduced for debate.

Maine:

• News Center Maine, 2.12.20 – Sports Betting Is Still Illegal In Maine, Great News For The Casinos
  • Hollywood Casino Hotel and Raceway in Bangor and Oxford Casino and Hotel continue their monopoly on the gambling market in the state.

New Hampshire:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.13.20 – Why NH Sports Betting Is Pacing Single-Operator Sales At The Start
  • There are currently three states with one mobile sportsbook: Oregon, Rhode Island and the most recently launched, New Hampshire.
• Online Poker Report, 2.12.20 – New Year, Same Old Success For Surging Online Casinos In New Jersey
  • Online gambling sites in New Jersey started the new year right where they left off in 2019.

New Jersey:

• Associated Press, 2.12.20 – Super Bowl Run-Up Helps Boost NJ Gambling Revenue
  • Betting on the NFL playoffs in the run-up to the Super Bowl, along with soaring internet gambling revenue and a solid month at Atlantic City’s brick-and-mortar casinos led to an increase in New Jersey’s gambling revenue of more than 30% in January.
• Legal Sports Report, 2.12.20 – NJ Sportsbooks Stay Hot, Take $540 Million In Bets In January
  • New Jersey sports betting stayed hot in January with $540 million in wagers, down only 3.2% from December but up 40% from last January.
• Ashbury Park Press, 2.12.20 – NJ Sports Betting: More Than Half-Billion Dollars Wagered In Super Bowl Buildup
  • New Jersey sports books produced a total handle of $540 million in January, which represents a 185-percent increase from the same time last year.
• NJ Online Gambling, 2.12.20 – Online Poker, Sports Betting, Is eSports Betting The Next Frontier For New Jersey?
  • Both eSports and sports betting are growing exponentially all over the U.S. — but so far, mostly on parallel tracks.

Pennsylvania:

• PlayPennsylvania, 2.12.20 – PA Gaming Review: Mall Mini-Casino, Gambling Machine Crackdown, MLB Futures
  • The last week’s been something of a grab-bag for gambling news out of Pennsylvania.

West Virginia:

• PlayWV, 2.13.20 – WV Sportsbooks Have Their Best Month; Online Sports Betting Gaining Ground
  • The West Virginia sports betting market hit its stride in January 2020, having its best month in terms of accepting wagers. WV sportsbooks reached over $8.5 million in handle in every week of the month.

Indiana:

• PlayIndiana, 2.12.20 – Land-Based Casino Revenue Froze During January
  • Indiana’s land-based casinos didn’t profit as much in Janu