Industry News of the Day for February 4, 2019

iDEA Growth in the News:

• Phoenix Business Journal (subscription paywall), 2.2.19 – Are you the gambling type? Sports betting bill in works at Arizona Legislature (J. Ifrah mentioned as iDEA founder)
  • A bill introduced at the Arizona State Capitol would allow sports betting at tribal casinos across the state, but also inside bars, clubs and a number of other businesses, including horse tracks and professional sports stadiums.

Industry News:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.1.19 – Sports Betting Legislative Lasso: Half Of US States Look At Legalizing
  • The scope of the appetite for regulated sports betting has become quite evident. Less than a month into the new year, half of all US states are considering legalization or expansion of their current offerings.
• Sports Handle, 2.1.19 – ‘Get a Grip’: The Week In Sports Betting And Sports: IA, MO, Dakotas And The Super Bowl
  • Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top stories, and rounding up key stories in sports betting, gaming, and the world of sports at large. You may have missed them, and they are worth reading.

New Jersey:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.2.19 – Inside A Plan To Protect NJ Sports Betting From New Wire Act Opinion
  • A letter obtained Friday by Legal Sports Report outlines how New Jersey might fight the recent Wire Act opinion reversal by the Department of Justice.
• Legal Sports Report, 2.3.19 – Here’s Everything We Know About NJ Online Sports Betting Right Now
  • New Jersey sports betting is here, both for physical sportsbooks and now for online wagering, including for the Super Bowl.
• Legal Sports Report, 2.2.19 – Is It The End For Oscars Betting In NJ? Odds Come Off The Board
  • And the award for betting on the Oscars in New Jersey goes to… no one? Just a few days after regulators gave the green light for legal Oscars betting in the state, all odds on the Academy Awards were taken off the board by NJ sportsbook operators.
• Times Herald-Record, 2.2.19 – State stands to lose millions by limiting sports betting
  • Jeff Gural didn’t know what to expect. The managing director of the Meadowlands Racetrack & Entertainment complex thought sports betting in New Jersey might be a hit after its June launch.
• NJ Online Gambling, 2.1.19 – Compulsive Gambling Hotline Expecting Typical Super Bowl Traffic In Legal Sports Betting Era
  • Ask someone who doesn’t gamble if a compulsive gambling hotline likely would need to beef up staffing in New Jersey on Super Bowl Sunday in this first “Big Game” since the state legalized sports betting last June, and that person probably would answer, “Of course!”
• Fox 29, 2.3.19 – N.J. experience historic Super Bowl Sunday sports betting
  • Sports betting is making the big game more interesting this year. Football fans have a lot on the line, as this is the first time they could walk into a casino and place bets in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Virginia:

• AP, 1.31.19 – Panel calls for delay on casino votes until study is done
  • A Virginia state Senate committee on Wednesday changed a major casino bill to require a study and another vote in 2020 before any casino licenses would be granted.
• WJHL, 1.31.19 – Casino-style gambling legislation pushed back to 2020
  • A referendum to allow voters in Bristol, Virginia to decide whether casino-style gambling should be allowed has been pushed back to 2020, following a vote this morning in the Senate Finance Committee.

New York:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.1.19 – Mobile NY Sports Betting Task Force Bill Faces Uphill Climb In Assembly
  • Six New York assemblymen want to create a 13-member task force to hold at least four public hearings analyzing mobile sports betting over the next year.
• North Jersey Record, 2.3.19 – A Super-busy day for Super Bowl bettors
  • History, and money, was made on Sunday as football fans came to New Jersey to place their first legal bets on the gambler’s extravaganza we call the Super Bowl.

Massachusetts:

• Boston Herald, 2.2.19 – Betting in Massachusetts next year? That’d be Super
  • A year ago, Nevada was the only state in the country where you could place a legal bet on the Super Bowl.

Minnesota:

• KARE 11, 2.3.19 – Weighing the odds on sports betting
  • As the push for legalized sports betting begins anew in Minnesota, backers concede there’s a lot to ground to cover because it’s one of the most complicated forms of gambling.
• KARE 11, 2.3.19 – The future of sports betting in Minnesota
  • Some state lawmakers are renewing a push to legalize sports betting in Minnesota. John Croman is here to talk about the odds.

Arizona:

• ABC 15, 2.1.19 – Is Arizona ready to legalize sports betting? One lawmaker says yes
  • $6 billion dollars. That is how much money the American Gaming Association, which represents the gambling business, estimates Americans will wager on the Super Bowl this Sunday.

Texas:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.1.19 – Texas Sports Betting Bill Appears, But Don’t Hold Your Breath For Sportsbook Apps Soon
  • Texans love their sports, so it only makes sense that Texas has joined more than half the country in introducing sports betting legislation.

Missouri:

• KRCG, 2.1.19 – Gaming officials say bets still off sports gambling in Missouri–for now
  • State gaming officials on Friday said Super Bowl fans in Missouri still need to refrain from placing bets on the big game.

South Dakota:

• AP, 2.3.19 – Lawmakers to debate sports betting, distracted driving plans
  • South Dakota lawmakers plan to take up bills this week to create a reporter shield law, allow sports betting in Deadwood and ban teaching about gender identity in elementary and middle schools.

North Dakota:

• INFORUM, 2.2.19 – Could sports betting be coming to North Dakota?
  • North Dakota legislators, including two state representatives and a senator from Fargo, are pushing for the state to legalize sports betting and have introduced two bills in the state legislature to allow it.

West Virginia:

• WTRF, 2.2.19 – First ever sports betting Superbowl in West Virginia
  • Millions of people across the country will have their eyes glued to their televisions Sunday night to watch Superbowl 53.

Montana:

• MontanaSports.com, 2.3.19 – On-site vs. Mobile fight key to sports betting question in Montana
  • Last May, gamblers across the country rejoiced when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur sports Protection Act, giving all 50 states the chance to legalize sports wagering.

Mississippi:

• WLOX, 2.3.19 – Sports betting going strong, but Saints absence may keep the party attendance low
  • The IP Casino Resort and Spa’s new Sports Book opened Thursday, just in time for Super Bowl Sunday.
• WLOX, 2.1.19 – Long Beach casino a step closer to becoming reality, residents react
  • Residents of Long Beach have heard about the possibilities of a casino in their town for years. Now with the Gaming Commission’s site approval on Wednesday, a casino is one step closer to becoming a reality.

Kansas:

• The Topeka Capital-Journal, 2.3.19 – Competing interests coming into play on Kansas sports wagering legislation
  • Tipoff of the battle for control of legalized sports betting in Kansas revealed an eagerness of casinos, bars, retailers and leagues for a piece of the action.

Pennsylvania:

• CBS 21 News, 2.3.19 – Fans have chance for first year of legal sports betting
  • 2019 is the first year ever for “legal” super bowl betting in Pennsylvania. CBS 21 Sports Director Joel D Smith went out to Hollywood Casino to get you ready for the big day — and he knows which team bettors are pulling for.

Nevada:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.1.19 – Nevada Sports Betting Crushes Records With $5 Billion Year
  • Other states might challenge Nevada sports betting for supremacy in future years, but the Silver State still reigns. Nevada wrapped up 2018 with another huge month, helping the total handle for the year over $5 billion. Sportsbooks also held a record-setting amount over those 12 months — more than $300 million.
• OnlineGambling.com, 2.3.19 – Nevada Sportsbooks Set Records with $5B in Handle, $301M in Winnings in 2018
  • While the spread of legalized sports betting across the United States made have created a lot more competition for Nevada sportsbooks, it certainly didn’t stop gamblers from placing their bets in the Silver State.

Iowa:

• Des Moines Register, 2.4.19 – A battle over sports betting arrives at the Iowa Capitol in full force
  • A battle over who will benefit from legalized sports betting in Iowa will soon arrive at the Capitol, bringing with it competition ingrained in high-stakes gambling.

Sports League News:

• No news to report.

Federal News:

• Philly.com, 2.2.19 – Federal move could ‘virtually destroy’ online gambling in Pennsylvania, N.J., but help big GOP donor
  • Online gaming is already a big hit even though it is still in its infancy. Internet gaming has generated a billion dollars in revenue for New Jersey casinos and millions in new income for the state treasuries in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
• Fox Business, 2.1.19 – As we head into Super Bowl LIII, DOJ fumbles on online gambling ban
  • Just in time for Super Bowl LIII, bureaucrats Opens a New Window. in Washington have taken action that could make it harder for Americans to legally bet on this and future games.

iDEA Growth Member News:

• No news to report.

Overall Industry News:

• ESPN, 2.3.19 – Biggest Super Bowl LIII bets
  • In the American sports betting world, nothing is bigger than the Super Bowl. Leading up to the Feb. 3 kickoff between the Los Angeles Rams and New England Patriots, more money will be bet on Super Bowl LIII than any other single game in American sports.