Industry News of the Day for February 24, 2020

iDEA Growth in the News:

• The Columbus Dispatch, 2.22.20 – Column: Ohio’s Missing Opportunities Of Legalized Sports Betting (Jeff Ifrah as iDEA spokesperson has authored the op-ed)
  • Over a dozen states will reap the benefits of legal sports betting this year, including Ohio’s neighboring states, but Ohioans will once again miss out on the revenue opportunities and consumer protections that regulated and legal sports betting would have provided during the tournament.

Sports League News:

• The Wall Street Journal, 2.21.20 – The NFL Keeps Warming Up to Gambling
  • The National Football League on Friday took another step toward fully embracing legalized sports gambling by allowing teams to accept sponsorships from sportsbooks.
• Axios, 2.24.20 – The NFL Warms Up To Betting
  • Starting this season, NFL teams in states with legal sports betting will be allowed to have in-stadium betting lounges and accept sponsorships from sportsbooks and betting operators, per multiple reports.
• Sports Handle, 2.21.20 – NFL Allows Teams To Sell Official Sportsbook Sponsorships, Report Says
  • On Friday, the National Football League reportedly informed teams that they may now enter into official sponsorship arrangements with regulated sportsbooks in the United States.
• ESPN, 2.21.20 – NFL To Allow Betting Lounges In Stadiums, But No Gambling
  • Starting this season, some NFL stadiums will be allowed to have betting lounges, and teams may accept sponsorships from sportsbook operators, as the league continues to get more comfortable with the expanding legal sports-gambling market in the U.S.

New Hampshire:

• WMUR, 2.23.20 – Hampton Officials Ask Residents To Back Sports Betting Location
  • Hampton officials are asking residents to put the popular tourist town in the running for one of the state’s sports betting locations.
• iGB North America, 2.24.20 – New Hampshire Surpasses 1M Sports Bets In First Six Weeks
  • The New Hampshire Lottery has revealed that it processed more than one million sports bets during the first six weeks of regulated sports wagering in the state.

New York:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.21.20 – How Much Money Is Mobile NY Sports Betting Fail Sending To New Jersey?
  • New Yorkers bet an estimated $837 million in New Jersey last year without downstate sportsbooks or mobile NY sports betting.
• NJ Online Gambling, 2.21.20 – How Much Sports Betting Tax Revenue NJ Collects From NY, Quantified
  • New Yorkers account for a remarkable 40% of the retail betting handle at the FanDuel Sportsbook at the Meadowlands Racetrack, according to a research report released this week.
• WHEC, 2.23.20 – NJ Making Profits Off NY Sports Gamblers
  • New York’s limitations on sports gambling may be paying big dividends for one of our neighboring states.

Maryland:

• CBS Baltimore, 2.24.20 – Goucher Poll: Maryland Residents Surveyed On Education, Taxes, Sports Betting, And Hogan’s Job Performance
  • According to the poll, 47 percent of Maryland residents said they support expanding gambling to allow sports betting online in Maryland;, while 43 percent of people oppose it.

Virginia:

• Virginia Mercury, 2.24.20 – As Virginia Preps For Casinos And Sports Betting, Experts Say State Needs Sharper Focus On Problem Gambling
  • With the Virginia General Assembly poised to legalize casinos, sports betting and online lottery tickets, experts believe that if the state is going to approve a significant gambling expansion, it has to start taking a more serious approach to treating the problems that come with it.

Tennessee:

• WJHL, 2.22.20 – Delays Continue As Officials Work To Implement Online Sports Betting Rules In Tennessee
  • Even though the law was passed last year, work continues to implement rules for online sports betting in Tennessee.
• Chattanooga Times Free Press, 2.23.20 – Gov. McNally Says Tennessee Lawmakers May Put Advisory Council In Charge Of State’s Online Sports Betting Program
  • Unhappy over the Tennessee Education Lottery board’s proposed rules and regulations for running the state-sponsored online sports gaming program, top state legislators are eyeing putting the Sports Wagering Advisory Council in charge of the process.

Alabama:

• Online Poker Report, 2.21.20 – Alabama Governor Orders Study On Gambling Expansion
  • As a deeply red state, Alabama is quite a longshot to legalize online gambling.

Georgia:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.21.20 – Sports Betting Going Down To Georgia? New Bill Calls For Online Sportsbook Apps
  • It seems like those interested in legal Georgia sports betting are taking a couple of notes from their northern neighbor.
• iGB North America, 2.24.20 – Mobile Sports Betting Bill Heads To Georgia Senate Committee
  • Georgia’s Senate Regulated Industries and Utilities Committee is to consider a new bill that would legalise mobile sports wagering in the US state.

Arkansas:

• Arkansas Democrat-Gazette, 2.22.20 – Ethics Complaint Filed Against Pope County Pro-Casino Group
  • The Arkansas Ethics Commission is investigating a complaint filed by a Russellville woman against the pro-casino Facebook group Pope County Majority and its leader Kelly Jett.

Florida:

• The Apopka Voice, 2.21.20 – How A Change In Gambling Laws Would Affect Florida
  • The United States’ relationship with gambling is long and complicated, and quite frankly, it is often hypocritical.

South Dakota:

• Newscenter 1, 2.21.20 – Deadwood Working To Legalize Sports Betting
  • Sports betting is still illegal in South Dakota, but a bill in Pierre could change that.

Colorado:

• Associated Press, 2.21.20 – Colorado Adopts Rules Governing New Sports Betting Industry
  • Colorado regulators have adopted rules allowing the state to have the ultimate say on what gamblers can and cannot bet on within sporting events.
• iGB North America, 2.21.20 – Colorado Approves First Sports Betting Licenses
  • Colorado’s gambling regulator, the Limited Gaming Control Commission, has approved seven licences and the state’s regulations for sports betting.

Wyoming:

• Casper Star-Tribune, 2.22.20 – Gaming Regulation In Wyoming Is Almost Certainly Coming. What It Will Look Like Is Unclear.
  • State lawmakers have long discussed whether to extend legalized gambling in Wyoming beyond horse racing. This could be the year it finally happens.

Montana:

• EGR Global, 2.21.20 – Sports Betting In Montana To Go Live In March
  • The Montana Lottery Commission is preparing to launch sports betting in the state in March, with Sports Bet Montana kiosks to go live by March 9.

Washington:

• Yakima Herald, 2.23.20 – Editorial: Sports Betting Legislation Throws Away Chance At Tax Dollars
  • Legal gambling is a heavily regulated business and can be a relatively steady source of tax revenue.

Oregon:

• Gaming Intelligence, 2.24.20 – Oregon Lawmakers Consider Regulated Fantasy Contests And Collegiate Sports Betting (subscription paywall)
  • Lawmakers in Oregon have proposed amendments to recently introduced gambling legislation in a bid to broaden the available legal offering.