Industry News of the Day for February 6, 2024
Industry News
- SBC Americas: Ifrah: What 60 Minutes Failed To Acknowledge About US Sports Betting
- This past weekend, the longstanding news magazine show 60 Minutes tackled the regulated online betting business but did so without speaking to some key stakeholders before drawing conclusions. Jeff Ifrah is the founder and general counsel for iDEA Growth (iDevelopment and Economic Association), a nonprofit association of online gaming industry organizations that promotes responsible online gaming. He unpacks what the segment misunderstood about the industry and who the real bad actors are when it comes to American sports betting.
- NASDAQ: Paysafe Research: Stronger Online Betting Experience Starts With Payments
- Company research reveals payments play an essential role in global sportsbooks’ customer acquisition and retention amid diversifying transactional preferences. Global online sports bettors prioritize rapid payouts and payment choice when starting their customer experience with sportsbooks, according to the 2024 All the ways players pay research from Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), a leading payments platform. Released today, the report also reveals that payments are just as valuable in strengthening the customer experience for players, whose appetite for digital wallets and even crypto payments is rising.
- Legal Sports Report: Goodell Says 25 Employees Fired For NFL Betting Violations
- Twenty-five club or league employees have been terminated for violating the NFL betting policy, commissioner Roger Goodell said Monday. Goodell was addressing reporters at his annual Super Bowl news conference in Las Vegas. He added that “roughly” 13 players have been involved in some type of discipline for NFL betting policy violations.“If (employees) were betting on the NFL, you’re terminated automatically. That’s it,” Goodell said. The most well-known employee to lose his job was Amit Patel.
- Bonus.com: Opinion: How We Write About Problem Gambling Matters
- As journalists and editors, the language we use to tell the stories we share matters. For those who write about the gambling industry, it’s time we interrogate how our words may impart more meaning and harm than intended. At least, that was my takeaway after attending How We Speak Matters: Undoing Stigmatizing Language, the 2024 Ohio Problem Gambling Conference’s preconference opening session. Presented by Andrew Schreier, Thursday’s talk focused on eliminating destigmatizing language in clinical services, with a focus, in this case, on providers assisting those experiencing gambling harms.
- Sports Handle: 60 Minutes Attempts To Tackle Sports Betting, Flails About Instead
- There was some general anxiety in the sports betting space that 60 Minutes was about to do a hatchet job on the industry Sunday night. Well, those concerns proved to be … empty-ish? The piece was generally ho-hum, didn’t break any news, and 100% buried the lede in favor of light sensationalism. Probably worth a bit of a breakdown here. The first set piece is reporter Jon Wertheim talking with three dudes who like to bet on sports. They’re all friends, in their 20s, former hockey players, at a bar, and they’re drinking beer, eating wings, and there looks to be a cheeseburger and fries on the table as well.
Arizona
- SBC Americas: Arizona Becomes Latest Sports Betting Market For Bet365
- A British sports betting operator is continuing to expand its reach across America. On Monday, bet365 launched online sports wagering operations in Arizona, bringing the sportsbook’s total reach to nine states across the U.S. Bet365, which has partnered with the Ak-Chin Indian Community, is the 17th operator with market access in the Grand Canyon State. The launch in Arizona comes less than a week after bet365 went live with sports wagering in Indiana through an access agreement with French Lick Casino.
New York
- PlayUSA: Why Addabbo Made Changes To NY Online Casino Legislation As He Waits For Suggestions From Union
- Joe Addabbo doesn’t want a no. He wants a number. The New York state senator is trying to bring regulated online casino to the Empire State. He said he thinks New York could legalize iGaming this year with support from the influential Hotel and Gaming Trades Council (HTC). He added a $25 million annual fund to SB 8185, his online casino legislation, to support casino workers and ease cannibalization concerns. But the union balked and isn’t willing to discuss any compromise leading to iGaming at this time. A frustrated Addabbo spoke to PlayUSA.
- PlayNY: Despite Optimism, Downstate NY Casino Licensing May Not Come Until Mid-2025
- Believe it or not, over a year has passed since New York regulators issued a request for applications (RFA) to begin the process of issuing three downstate casino licenses. They are of course coveted. Many believe casino gaming around the New York City area could rival the Las Vegas industry. What’s more, should lawmakers legalize iGaming, those brick-and-mortars would likely become qualified to offer online casinos in New York. Yet over a year has gone by. And we still await the second, hopefully final, round of answers to questions submitted by prospective operators.
North Carolina
- Gambling News: Catawba Casino in North Carolina Eyes Mobile Betting Partnership
- North Carolina’s tribal operators legalized retail sports betting in July 2019. Then, last June, state lawmakers legalized online sports betting as well, with the launch of the activity expected next month. So far, there are eight online sports betting operators that are expected to roll out their services with the opening of the market in North Carolina in March. The list includes industry giants, DraftKings and FanDuel, as well as BetMGM, bet365 and Caesars Sportsbook. Moreover, Underdog Sports, Fanatics Sportsbook and ESPN Bet are also planning to launch their services with the opening of the legal mobile betting market next month.