Industry News of the Day for February 28, 2020
iDEA Growth Member News:
- Play Pennsylvania, 2.27.20 – How DraftKings Rocketed Up The Ranks In Pennsylvania Sports Betting
- FanDuel staked its claim as the top online sports betting operator in Pennsylvania in August and, since then, has only widened its lead. Newcomers entered the fray before football season, but none could cut into FanDuel’s strong market foothold. Yet to threaten FanDuel’s dominance in Pennsylvania, DraftKings Sportsbook is doing something that other operators are not. It’s not making noise.
- Play NJ, 2.28.20 – Golden Nugget Expands iGaming Partnership With Scientific Games
- When it comes to New Jersey online gambling, Golden Nugget is king. At the same time, the operator has a reputation for keeping up with the times. The latest example took place on Monday when Golden Nugget and Scientific Games announced an agreement to expand their iGaming partnership.
Illinois:
- KHQA, 2.28.20 – Legal Sports Betting Begins To Take Illinois By Storm
- Access to sports wagering is available online through any mobile device giving users a chance to press their luck 24/7. Illinois governor J.B. Pritzker signed House Bill 690 last summer, making Illinois one of fourteen states, including Iowa, to legalize sports betting.
Kansas:
- AP, 2.27.20 – Kansas Struggles With Details Of Legalizing Sports Betting
- Kansas lawmakers who want to legalize betting on sports events and allow online sales of lottery tickets are struggling to agree on the details and facing criticism that they’re being too generous toward companies already managing casinos for the state.
- Sports Handle, 2.27.20 – Kansas Sports Betting Moves Forward Amid Controversy
- Kansas could become the first Midwestern state this year to legalize sports betting — and despite controversy, the bill that is currently moving forward in the state Senate should appeal to sportsbook operators.
Indiana:
- Legal Sports Report, 2.27.20 – Indiana Sports Betting Launch Imminent For PointsBet, Which Could Be Late To Another Key State
- PointsBet will expand to its third state next month when it launches Indiana sports betting before March Madness. It will be the first of four state launches remaining this year, according to CEO Sam Swanell. Other planned launches beyond Indiana sports betting include Illinois, Colorado and Michigan.
Missouri:
- News Tribute, 2.27.20 – Missouri Lawmakers Hope To Legalize Sports Betting In 2020
- As neighboring states like Iowa, Illinois and Arkansas legalize sports betting, some state lawmakers hope this is the year Missouri gets in the game.
Massachusetts:
- Boston Herald, 2.27.20 – Need More Revenue? Pass Sports Betting Bill
- “Revenue can’t wait.” That was House Speaker Robert DeLeo’s justification for legislation he unveiled this week that would hike gas taxes and boost fees for ride-hailing services and costs to corporations.
Federal News:
- US Bets, 2.27.20 – New Hampshire Lottery Still Fighting Department Of Justice In Wire Act Case
- The U.S. Department of Justice stepped on a hornet’s nest — namely, the U.S. lottery industry — when it published a directive in January 2019 finding that the Federal Wire Act of 1961 applied to all forms of wagering that cross state lines.
Sports League News:
- Forbes, 2.27.20 – XFL Embraces Gambling In Quest To Become Most Sports Betting Friendly League In The Country
- The annual football hibernation has been suspended this year, as the XFL has stepped in to fill the seven month void with what they feel is a new and improved take on American football.
Overall Industry News:
- Online Poker Report, 2.27.20 – From DFS To Sports To Casino, Cross-Sell Drives Growth For FanDuel Group
- FanDuel Group saw Q4 2019 casino revenues treble year-over-year, with Betfair Casino reaping the rewards of sportsbook cross-sell. Revenue for the quarter came in at more than $26 million, good for a 19% share of the New Jersey online casino market.
- Legal Sports Report, 2.27.20 – Why It’s So Hard To Be A US Sports Betting Startup In 2020
- There’s no doubting the investment interest in the US sports betting industry. We’ve seen a flurry of major deals in recent months between the likes of Penn National Gaming and Barstool Sports, Spotify and The Ringer, and William Hill and CBS Sports.
- Play USA, 2.27.20 – Talking Sports Betting Growth With Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen
- When Jim Allen, CEO of Hard Rock International, talks about the company’s expanding casino portfolio, sports betting is bound to come up. With 21 states with live sports betting bills, the topic is hard to ignore. Not to mention the 14 legal states and the seven (including Washington, DC) others where launch is pending.