Industry News of the Day for January 16, 2024
Industry News
- SBC Americas: AGA Opposes Federal GRIT Act Problem Gambling Bill
- While a number of responsible gambling advocacy groups like the National Council for Problem Gambling, the premier trade organization for gambling in North America will not be supporting the problem gambling funding measure put forth by Sen. Richard Blumenthal and U.S. Rep. Andrea Salinas. This week, the pair introduced the Gambling Addiction Recovery, Investment, and Treatment Act (GRIT), which proposes to take half of the funds generated by the federal excise tax on sports betting and apply it to problem gambling funding and research.
Kansas
- Sports Handle: Kansas Sportsbooks Top $30 Million In Revenue For First Time
- The Kansas Lottery reported a record $30.9 million in gross sports wagering revenue for December on Monday, closing out the first full year of betting in the Sunflower State on a positive note. Operator winnings topped the previous high of $25.4 million established in October. The statewide hold of 11.9% was fourth-highest all-time, up five percentage points from November while reaching double digits for the sixth time in 2023. Handle totaled $259.7 million, coming within shouting distance of November’s $260.9 million and up 42.7% from the final month of 2022. It was also enough to put Kansas‘ handle above $2 billion in its first full calendar year of legal wagering.
Kentucky
- WEKU: After Four Months Of Legalized Sports Gambling, Kentucky Counselors And Some Bettors Concerned About Ease Of Online Wagering
- On September 7th, in addition to slot machines and live horse racing, The Red Mile in Lexington had something new to offer: legalized gambling on sports. Lexington’s oldest racetrack and seven other sites around the state opened sports books that day. Governor Andy Beshear placed the first legal sports bet at Churchill Downs and arrived at The Red Mile a few hours later. Three weeks later, on-line sports gambling via the Internet – including phone apps – opened for business. The commonwealth’s estimated cut of the funds is around $23 million a year, but not everyone is excited about the ease of mobile sports betting.
Maryland
- Bonus.com: Maryland Online Casino Bill Draft Designed to Offset Deficit
- Maryland Senator Ron L. Watson is working to draft an online casino and poker bill that he believes could address the state’s projected $761 million deficit. A recent study informed lawmakers that online casinos could yield $900 million in revenue. However, Watson thinks the state could use more money than that, so the Maryland online casino bill he drafted includes a 46% tax rate on potential iGaming sites. Bonus already cited that 46% tax rate in a Jan. 2 story, which Watson responded to minutes later with an article about the expected deficit that was published by The Daily Record, Maryland.
Missouri
- PlayUSA: Six Pro Sports Teams In Missouri Seek Petition Signatures
- Missouri’s professional sports teams are actively pushing for the realization of legal sports betting within the state, demonstrating a heightened commitment to this cause. This past Friday, all six major professional sports teams in Missouri collectively submitted a petition, seeking to place the legalization of sports betting on the November ballot. The sports teams in Missouri have announced their initiative to collect signatures this week by distributing petitions. The proposed constitutional amendment aims to grant authorization for onsite and mobile sports betting to be provided by all 13 casinos and six professional sports teams in Missouri.
North Carolina
- NC Sharp: NCDHHS Addresses Problem Gambling Funding Ahead Of Sports Betting Launch
- Gambling is more prevalent in our daily lives than ever before, and that will only increase when North Carolina online sports betting launches later this year. What about access to resources that can prevent problem gambling and help the 2-3% of the population who are prone to gambling problems? How will problem gambling efforts in North Carolina compare to other states with legal gambling? North Carolina Public Radio published a recent segment from NPR’s New England Public Media highlighting the nationwide lack of availability and visibility for responsible gambling resources.
- Gaming Today: NC Regulator to Review Internal Controls of Online Sports Betting Operators Before Issuing Permits
- The North Carolina State Lottery Commission met last Wednesday, and a unanimous vote backed the proposal to review internal control documents of online sports betting operators that have applied for a betting permit in the state. The internal control documents of each applicant will be studied to ensure that each operator’s modus operandi complies with the betting laws and regulations of North Carolina. As per the last update, nine betting license applicants are under review. The North Carolina State Lottery Commission has set Jan. 26, 2024, as the deadline day for applicants to submit their internal control documents for review.