Industry News of the Day for February 23, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News

• Gambling.com, 2.22.21 – 888 Senior VP Yaniv Sherman Q&A About Online Poker, Wire Act
  • Sherman discussed the impact of the First Circuit’s Wire Act ruling and the future of online poker.

Industry News:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.22.21 – The Week In Sports Betting News: Michigan Online Market Starts Big
  • Sports betting news was mostly dominated by legislative updates and state reports last week, which is typical for this time of year.
• SBC Americas, 2.23.21 – Rush Street Gains Market Access To Ohio, Maryland And Missouri With Penn Strategic Partnership
  • Online casino and sports betting firm Rush Street Interactive (RSI) has secured market access opportunities in Ohio, Maryland and Missouri via a strategic partnership agreement with Penn National Gaming.

Massachusetts:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.23.21 – Analysis: There Are 14 Massachusetts Sports Betting Bills But Which Can Make It?
  • Legal sports betting in Massachusetts clearly has support with 14 bills filed this session. Now legislators have to figure out which one is best.
• Lowell Sun, 2.23.21 – State Senator Lays Out Landscape For Legal Sports Betting
  • Allowing adults 21 or older to bet on professional sports in person and online in Massachusetts would generate meaningful, but not game-changing, revenue for the state, a key senator said Monday as he highlighted a bill that’s the product of nearly three years of study and consideration.
• Mass Live, 2.22.21 – Lesser Says New Bill Aims To ‘Bring Sports Betting Into The Daylight’
  • State Sen. Eric Lesser says his sports betting bill will generate millions of dollars in new tax revenue while omitting betting on college and youth sports and protecting consumers and the integrity of the games.

New York:

• Las Vegas Review-Journal, 2.22.21 – Penn Signs 20-Year Sports Wagering Deal With New York Casino
  • If New York lawmakers approve mobile sports wagering, Penn National Gaming Inc. is ready.
• The Action Network, 2.22.21 – Barstool Sportsbook In New York? Penn National Inks Deal For Online Skin, But Hurdles Remain For All Operators
  • Penn National’s latest market access deal adds another major player to the New York sports betting market, even if the company – or any other sportsbook operator – is far from guaranteed an online license.

Maryland:

• Baltimore Business Journal, 2.22.21 – Equity A Focus As MD Senators Look To Craft Their Own Sports Betting Proposal
  • Some casino operators have already pledged to incorporate minority partners in their pursuit of a sports betting license.

Virginia:

• Sports Handle, 2.22.21 – Latest Virginia City Gets Four Proposals For Casino, Sportsbook
  • While four Virginia cities are well down the track toward construction of the state’s first commercial casinos, the city of Richmond remains up for grabs.

Tennessee:

• PlayTenn, 2.22.21 – Does Tennessee Have A Responsible Gaming Problem?
  • The state’s addiction hotline has reported an increase in gambling-related calls for three months in a row.

Georgia:

• Associated Press, 2.22.21 – New Georgia House Plan Calls For Higher Sports Betting Tax
  • A Georgia House panel is upping its ante on sports betting.
• Sports Handle, 2.22.21 – Sports Betting Bill With Higher Tax Rate Moves Forward In Georgia
  • A Georgia House committee on Monday voted to move sports betting legislation forward with an amended 20% tax rate on gross revenue, after sponsor Ron Stephens introduced the rate increase and said, “We should be as good as Tennessee.”
• Legal Sports Report, 2.22.21 – Senate Committee Debates Georgia Sports Betting Bill Constitutionality
  • This year’s first Senate hearing on sports betting in Georgia brought out the usual voices speaking against a gambling-related issue.
• Rome News Tribune, 2.22.21 – Sports Betting Passes Georgia House Committee For Second Time
  • Legislation legalizing online sports betting in Georgia cleared a committee in the state House of Representatives for a second time Monday.

Alabama:

• Montgomery Advertiser, 2.22.21 – As Alabama Senate Considers Gambling Bill, Smaller Operators Want In
  • The Alabama Senate could vote on a bill this week that would allow legal gambling at five locations in the state.

South Dakota:

• KELO, 2.22.21 – Lawmakers Hold Tight To Requiring That Sports Wagers Can Occur Only On Deadwood Casino Premises
  • A state lawmaker’s bid to allow sports wagers to be accepted at potentially hundreds of bars and restaurants across South Dakota on behalf of Deadwood casinos failed Monday.