Industry News of the Day for January 15, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• SBC Americas, 1.15.20 – BetMGM Becomes First Ever Gaming Partner Of National Lacrosse League
  • The National Lacrosse League (NLL) has forged a new partnership with Roar Digital, the joint venture between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings, positioning Roar’s sports betting brand, BetMGM, as the official and exclusive gaming partner of the NLL.
• Fosters, 1.14.20 – Regulations Block Use Of Sports Betting App Near NH/Maine Border (DraftKings)
  • The introduction of sports betting in New Hampshire has come with an unexpected blunder in one of the state’s most popular tourist destinations.
• PlayUSA, 1.14.20 – PlayUSA Rewind: A DraftKings Investigation, MI Partnerships, Looking Into NY & CA Sports Betting Movement (DraftKings, The Stars Group)
  • A long month translates to a busier month in the US online gambling world. And, fortunately, that world did not disappoint last week, from potential cheating in daily fantasy sports to the continued expansion of retail and online sports betting nationwide.

Overall Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 1.14.20 – CES 2020 Review: Future Of Sports Betting Debated At World’s Largest Tech Conference
  • At last week’s Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Jeff Ma, an sports wagering industry consultant and moderator of the session, asked the panelists to predict the yearly handle of the U.S. legal sports betting market by 2030.
• CNBC, 1.14.20 – Comcast Launches Accelerator For Sports Start-Ups That Could Give It A Leg Up On New Technology
  • Comcast said Tuesday it is launching a new accelerator for start-ups that could help it leverage a multibillion dollar market opportunity in sports.
• Gambling.Com, 1.14.20 – NBA Boss Adam Silver To Headline AGA Sports Betting Summit
  • NBA commissioner Adam Silver is the top name scheduled for the American Gaming Association’s Sports Betting Executive Summit in March.
• US Bets, 1.14.20 – US Lotteries Aim To Keep Building Market Lead Over Other Forms Of Gambling
  • Each legal, regulated aspect of gambling in the U.S. got its chance to make a case to state lawmakers in San Diego over the weekend — but only lotteries could claim “top dog” status.

Federal News:

• PlayPennsylvania, 1.14.20 – Getting Up To Speed In The Wire Act Case: Ball Back In NH Lottery Court
  • It’s been a hot minute in the never-ending litigation of the Wire Act case. On Friday, Dec. 20, with less than an hour before the deadline, the Department of Justice (DOJ) filed an opening brief of its appeal.

New Jersey:

• Associated Press, 1.14.20 – Rebounding Atlantic City Casinos See $3.3B Revenue In 2019
  • Atlantic City’s casinos won almost $3.3 billion from gamblers in 2019, helped by surging sports and internet bets as the seaside resort continued to rebound from a mid-decade meltdown that saw five casinos close.
• Legal Sports Report, 1.14.20 – Mobile NJ Sports Betting Hits Largest Share As 2019 Handle Goes Past $4.5 Billion
  • The Garden State reported its sports betting revenue numbers for the month Tuesday and wagering via NJ sports betting apps reached a new apex: nearly nine out of every 10 bets.
• Online Poker Report, 1.15.20 – New Jersey Online Gambling Sites Close The Books On A Record-Setting Year
  • NJ online casinos and poker sites won a combined $49.3 million in December, rattling off a string of six straight record months to end the year.
• NJ Online Gambling, 1.14.20 – New Jersey Wraps Up 2019 With Another Lucrative Sports Betting Month
  • The December sports betting revenue figures released Tuesday by the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement also opened the door for a look back at all of 2019.

Pennsylvania:

• PlayPennsylvania, 1.14.20 – From Mobsters To Scam Artists: Casino Exclusion Lists Have 60-Year Precedent in US
  • The Pennsylvania involuntary exclusion list follows in Nevada’s footsteps. Many other legal casino states have also created lists of banned persons, with varying degrees of attentiveness.

Maine:

• NECN, 1.14.20 – Where Legalized Sports Betting Stands In Maine After Gov. Mills’ Veto
  • Maine has a chance at becoming the next New England state that allows legal sports betting but, odds are, it won’t be right away.

Georgia:

• WCTV, 1.14.20 – Georgia Lawmakers Take Up Legalizing Gambling
  • Could casinos be coming to the Peach State? That’s just one of the big questions facing Georgia lawmakers as they spend the next 40 days in Atlanta.

Kentucky:

• Legal Sports Report, 1.14.20 – 2020 Vision: Governor Beshear Calls For Legal Kentucky Sports Betting
  • Legalization of Kentucky sports betting is getting a big push from the top in 2020. Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear spoke strongly in favor of legalizing sports betting in his State of the Commonwealth address Tuesday.

Illinois:

• CBS Chicago, 1.14.20 – Lottery Sales Sink As Other Gambling Options Take Off
  • As sports wagering emerges in Indiana and online gambling expands in Illinois, something troubling is brewing at the Illinois Lottery.

Tennessee:

• Sports Handle, 1.14.20 – Read Official Recap Of Comments On Controversial TN Sports Betting Draft Rules
  • Following the extension of the public comment period on the draft Tennessee sports betting regulations until Jan. 6, a recap of the comments was published on Tuesday, coinciding with a Sports Wagering Advisory Council meeting.
• TN Bets, 1.14.20 – Tennessee Still Mulling ‘Difficult And Controversial’ Sports Betting Payout Cap
  • The Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation and its Sports Wagering Advisory Council met Tuesday afternoon to discuss the finer details of how the internet sports betting law enacted in 2019 will be implemented and lead to sportsbook launches.

New York:

• Affiliate Insider, 1.15.20 – New York Could Soon Stop Being A Mobile Betting Onlooker
  • Mobile sports betting could be back on the agenda in New York after Bill S17 passed the first committee stage.

Montana:

• Helena Independent Record, 1.14.20 – Montana Lottery Sued Over Rule Tying Sports Betting To Liquor Licenses
  • A Billings-based investment group has followed through with its promise to sue the Montana Lottery over new rules stating sports bets can be placed only in bars, taverns and restaurants with specific alcohol licenses.

Oklahoma:

• Gambling Compliance, 1.15.20 – Former NIGC Chairman Disputes Oklahoma Governor’s Claim On Compact (subscription paywall)
  • Tribal casinos across Oklahoma are still open for business despite a warning from the governor that their gaming operations became illegal in January, a political position several industry experts say goes against federal law.

Indiana:

• PlayIndiana, 1.14.20 – Indiana Gaming Commission Gives Thumbs Up To Gatorade And Other Super Bowl Prop Bets
  • The Hoosier State may have a national reputation as a conservative place, but when it comes to sports betting that is not true.

Rhode Island:

• Associated Press, 1.14.20 – $2.5M In Rhode Island Sports Betting Revenue Made Last Month
  • The Rhode Island sportsbook made nearly 2 1/2 times more in sports betting revenue last month compared to the previous December, according to a lottery report.
• Online Poker Report, 1.14.20 – Signs Of Progress In Rhode Island Gambling Services Dispute
  • Conflict is still brewing between International Game Technology (IGT), the gaming service provider for the Rhode Island, and the owner of the state’s two casinos, Twin River Worldwide Holdings.

Sports League News:

• Legal Sports Report, 1.14.20 – What Exactly Is ‘Commercially Reasonable’ Pricing For Official League Data?
  • The phrase “commercially reasonable terms” has been popping up in sports betting bills across the country as debate rages over mandated official league data usage.
• Sports Handle, 1.15.20 – NFLPA, MLB And NCAA: Don’t Forget About The Athletes
  • At state hearings, including in Missouri, Illinois and New York, Joe Briggs – counsel for the NFLPA – has introduced lawmakers to yet more wrinkles in the legalization of sports betting, from keeping players safe, to developing some sort of whistleblower policy to keeping the mountains of biometric data that the league collects private.