Industry News of the Day for February 6, 2023

Industry News

  • Legal Sports Report: PointsBet, NBC Restructure TV Deal As Sportsbook Lowers Ad Spend
    • PointsBet and NBC Universal renegotiated their sports betting partnership, allowing the broadcaster to add more sponsors and the sportsbook to spend less by moving to local broadcasts. The agreement announced during the Australia-based sportsbook’s earnings call, adds two years onto PointsBet and NBCU’s original five-year sponsorship agreement.
  • Gaming Today: Ohio Gaming Regulations Prompt Changes to Sportsbooks’ Super Bowl Ads
    • Ohio has been one of the most aggressive states in regulating sports betting bonus advertising. Before sports betting went live in the state on Jan. 1, the Ohio Casino Control Commission included an FAQ section for sportsbook marketers. In those FAQs, it explicitly prohibited the use of the phrases “free” or “risk-free” for bets that require bettors to risk their own money before receiving site credits.
  • CDC Gaming Reports: Analyst Applauds Layoffs At DraftKings And Bally’s
    • In an overview of igaming and online sports betting (OSB) published Friday, Truist Securities analyst Barry Jonas praised last week’s job cuts at DraftKings and Bally’s Corp. DraftKings pink-slipped 3.5 percent of its staff, focusing on overseas operations, while Bally’s shed 15 percent of its workforce, slashing its interactive division.

California

  • PlayCA: Rincon Tribe Kicks Out California From Gambling Oversight Role
    • The Rincon Band of Luiseño Indians has become the first tribe in California to end state oversight of its gambling operation. The tribe will be overseen by the federal government on a nation-to-nation level moving forward. The decision to remove California as a middleman came from a US Supreme Court ruling against the state. This resolution opens the door for other tribes in California to follow suit.

Georgia

  • Legal Sports Report: Georgia Sports Betting Via Pro Teams, Augusta National Under Proposal
    • A new proposal for legal Georgia sports betting appears to borrow a few ideas from recently launched Ohio. SB 57 is a bipartisan proposal with 10 sponsors that would authorize up to 18 online GA sportsbooks, nine of which are set aside for sports franchises in the state. Also authorized is limited in-person sports betting at restaurants and bars with liquor licenses through kiosks.

New York

Texas

  • SBC Americas: Texas House Bill Seeks To Introduce Destination Casino Resorts
    • New legislation has been filed in Texas that would allow the state’s population to vote in November on if casinos and sports betting should be legalized. On Feb. 3, House Joint Resolution 97 was filed by Rep. Charlie Geren which, if approved, would see gaming companies apply for licenses to build seven “destination resorts” across the Lone Star state, including the state’s racetracks that hold a pari-mutuel license.

Vermont

  • WPTZ-TV: Vermont Lawmakers Receive First Testimony On Sports Wagering Bill
    • Now that a bill has been officially introduced to pave the way for sports betting in Vermont, state lawmakers have begun hearing testimonies from sportsbook operators and organizations who are concerned about the negative aspects of gambling. On Thursday afternoon, testimonies revolved around responsible gaming and consumer safety.