Industry News of the Day for January 12, 2022

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• SBC, 1.12.22: PointsBet Appoints Dr Eric Lee As New VP Of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion 
  • Online gaming operator PointsBet has appointed Dr Eric Lee as its new Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion (DEI). 
• Penn Bets, 1.11.22: PointsBet’s PA Arrival Appears Imminent, With Super Bowl Lurking A Month Away 
  • It’s been 10 months since PointsBet announced it would be bringing its sports betting and iCasino operations to Pennsylvania, and finally, its launch could be just weeks away. 

New York: 

• CBS News, 1.12.22: As New York Legalizes Sports Betting, Insiders Wager On Deluge Of Betting 
  • New York became the 18th state to legalize online sports betting last weekend, but it’s a whale of a player because of its 20 million-plus residents, making industry insiders believe the Empire State will set a new record for the highest amount of sports wagering in the first two months of business. 
• Sports Handle, 1.11.22: Is Midtown Manhattan Now The Sports Betting Capital Of The World? 
  • Not a lot surprises Chad Kornett when it comes to the explosive growth of legal sports wagering, but even he was taken aback by the numbers he began tracking when New York launched online sports wagering Saturday morning. 

Maryland: 

• The Southern Maryland Chronicle, 1.12.22: Maryland Brings In $3.2 Million In First Month Of Sports Betting 
  • Maryland casinos kicked off retail sports betting in December 2021 with nearly $16.5 million in total wagers after a mid-month launch. 

Oklahoma:  

• Tahlequah Daily Press, 1.11.22: Bill Would Legalize Sports Betting In Oklahoma 
  • A state lawmaker wants to allow tribes to offer sports betting for the first time in casinos in a bid to bolster public school funding and legalize a multi-million dollar underground industry. 
• Play USA, 1.11.22: Oklahoma Bill Would Add Sports Betting To Options For Tribal Casinos Within State’s Borders 
  • Right now, if you visit a tribal casino in Oklahoma, you can wager on horse races or try your luck at blackjack, but you can’t bet on how the Oklahoma Sooners will fare in their next basketball game. 

Minnesota:  

• Legal Sports Report, 1.11.22: Minnesota Sports Betting Talks Continue Ahead of Legislative Session 
  • The legislator set to lead a Minnesota sports betting effort this year said he is still working diligently to prepare the bill. 

Louisiana: 

• Sports Handle, 1.11.22: When Will Louisiana Launch Digital Platforms? That’s Still Unclear 
  • Almost since the day  that Harrah’s Casino in New Orleans took the state’s first in-person sports wager — and remember, that was Halloween — the question swirling around Louisiana has been this: When will digital sports betting launch? 

Illinois: 

• SBC, 1.12.22: Illinois Sportsbooks Witness Most Lucrative Month Since Launch In November 
  • November saw Illinois sportsbooks have their most lucrative month since sports betting launched in the state, even though wagering fell just short of another record, according to PlayIllinois, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market. 

Indiana:  

• Play IN, 1.11.22: Indiana Sportsbooks Cap 2021 With $463 Million December 
  • Indiana’s online and retail sportsbooks closed the year with another busy month, producing more than $25 million in revenue on more than $460 million of December betting.