Industry News of the Day for February 5, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News

• EGR, 2.5.21 – The Month In US Sports Betting: Gains In Iowa And Betting Movements In Texas (subscription paywall)
  • So far, very little is known about New York Governor Andrew Cuomo’s newfound interest in and plans for online sports betting expansion.
• iGB North America, 2.5.21 – NFL Legend Sanders Joins BetMGM As Ambassador In Michigan
  • MGM and Entain joint venture BetMGM has signed former Detroit Lions running back and Pro Football Hall of Fame member Barry Sanders as a brand ambassador in Michigan, following the operator’s launch in the state last month.

Industry News:

• The Washington Post, 2.5.21 – Sports Gambling Could Be The Pandemic’s Biggest Winner
  • In multiple states, one option has emerged to address this fiscal crisis: legalized gambling.
• Bloomberg, 2.4.21 – Online Super Bowl Bets Expected To Increase 63% This Year
  • Overall betting will be down from the usual amount of in-person activity expected at casinos and house parties.
• Tax Foundation, 2.4.21 – States Positioned For A Super Bowl Win With New Taxes On Sports Betting
  • Although this week’s Super Bowl festivities may be muted, with far fewer parties and celebrations, states with legalized sports betting may have something to cheer: a tax revenue bump thanks to the accompanying excise taxes.

Overall Industry News:

• Online Poker Report, 2.4.21 – Late To The Party: Can Las Vegas Sands Really Succeed In the Online Gambling Space?
  • By this point, most major US casino companies have made their entries to the new online gambling space. And yet the largest of all, Las Vegas Sands, has been sitting out.

New Jersey:

• PlayNJ, 2.4.21 – Pariplay Online Casino Games Make Landfall In New Jersey With PlaySugarHouse
  • The volume of different titles available to NJ online casino players continues to grow. Thanks to a new partnership with SugarHouse online casino, Pariplay casino games will be introduced to gamblers in the Garden State for the first time.
• PlayNJ, 2.4.21 – PlayStar Casino Finds AC Partner For NJ Online Gaming
  • PlayStar Casino has entered into a multi-year agreement with Ocean Casino Resort, which will allow the newly established online casino brand to operate in New Jersey.

New York:

• Crain’s New York Business, 2.5.21 – State Senator Addabbo Jr. On The Push To Legalize Online Sports Betting (subscription paywall)
  • As chair of the state Senate’s Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, Sen. Addabbo is one of the main organizers behind the push to legalize online sports betting in New York.

Massachusetts:

• Mass Live, 2.5.21 – Will We See Barstool Sports-Branded Sports Betting Offerings In Massachusetts?
  • Results from other states where Penn National Gaming, the operator of Plainridge Park Casino, has launched its Barstool Sports-branded sports betting offerings offer a peak at the power of the Barstool brand and the potential to boost gaming activity at the Plainville slots parlor.
• NBC Boston, 2.4.21 – New Push To Legalize Sports Betting In Mass.
  • Sue O’Connell sat down with State Sen. Brendan Crighton, who is refiling a bill on Beacon Hill to legalize sports betting.

Washington, D.C.:

• WUSA 9, 2.4.21 – Sports Betting Hasn’t Yet Produced The Big Payout DC Expected
  • Advocates of legalized gambling say COVID-19 slowed the rollout of sports betting in the District, but they remain optimistic things will turn around.

Virginia:

• Washington Business Journal, 2.4.21 – Virginians Are Flocking To Sports Betting Apps, Even Before The Super Bowl. But What Happens Next?
  • Five sportsbooks have gone live since the state legalized sports wagering, and bettors have followed.
• The Daily Progress, 2.4.21 – It’s The Super Bowl Of Gambling, As Virginians Can Pick From Hundreds Of Bets On Sunday’s Big Game
  • Betting on the big game is as old as the Super Bowl itself. This year, though, it’s bigger than ever in Virginia.

Michigan:

• MI Bets, 2.4.21 – PokerStars Michigan Could Average About $2.3 Million In Rake Per Month This Year
  • As of last Friday, PokerStars is active in the state of Michigan, its third state. So far, evidence suggests that the rollout has been just as successful as it was in Pennsylvania, where PokerStars, also that state’s lone regulated poker site, launched in late 2019.
• MI Bets, 2.4.21 – Barstool Sportsbook Start In Michigan Surpasses What It Found In Pennsylvania
  • The Barstool Sportsbook app had a much stronger debut in Michigan than Pennsylvania, having benefited from the recent start on an even playing field with competitors, Penn National Gaming officials described Thursday morning.

Illinois:

• Associated Press, 2.4.21 – Illinoisans To Bet On Super Bowl, Not Related Novelty Action
  • While this is the first year Illinois gamblers can place bets on Sunday’s Super Bowl, they won’t be able to wager on novelty action, like the length of the National Anthem.
• PlayIllinois, 2.4.21 – Hard Rock Casino Rockford Found ‘Preliminary Suitable’ By IGB
  • The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) deemed the Hard Rock Casino Rockford project “preliminarily suitable” on Thursday afternoon, a key step toward adding an 11th casino in Illinois.

Minnesota:

• Law360, 2.4.21 – Bill Seeks To Legalize, Tax Sports Betting (subscription paywall)
  • Minnesota would legalize sports betting and impose a tax on wagering net revenue under a bill introduced Thursday in the state Senate.

Arizona:

• Sports Handle, 2.4.21 – Arizona Lawmaker Says Sports Betting Bill Strives for Parity; Teams And Tribes Are On Board
  • A pair of Arizona sports betting bills with the support of Gov. Doug Ducey were filed earlier this week and would allow for statewide mobile sports wagering, as well as retail wagering at the state’s tribal casinos, professional sports venues and horse racetracks.

Washington:

• Associated Press, 2.5.21 – Supporters Say Expanded Sports Betting In WA Would Add Jobs
  • Supporters of a bill to expand sports gambling in Washington state beyond Indian casinos and into privately-owned card rooms across the state said Thursday the measure would increase job and tax revenues.
• Sports Handle, 2.4.21 – Maverick Gaming Makes Another Play For Sports Betting In Washington State
  • Commercial interests in Washington State are trying again to expand the legalization of sports betting to include the state’s card rooms and racetracks, but for a second time, it appears they are running up against a powerful tribal lobby and lawmakers who seem content to keep things as they are.
• KING5, 2.4.21 – Washington Tribes Oppose Expanding Sports Betting To Non-Tribal Cardrooms
  • Betting on sports is expected to start at tribal casinos this year. Lawmakers are considering allowing that to expand to non-tribal cardrooms.
• iGB North America, 2.5.21 – Washington Bill Would Extend Legal Betting To Cardrooms
  • A Senate bill filed in Washington State would legalize wagering at cardrooms, racetracks, and via online platforms should it pass into law.

Montana:

• Montana Sports, 2.4.21 – Intralot Adds Simple Bet To Sports Bet Montana
  • With just a few days left before Super Bowl LV kicks off in Tampa, Florida, Intralot, the sports betting service contracted by the Montana lottery to power Sports Bet Montana, and Simple Bet are teaming up to introduce a new way to bet on the big game.