Industry News of the Day for January 20, 2023

iDEA Growth Member News

  • Gambling News: Kambi Sets Ambitious Financial Targets For The Next 5-Year Period
    • Kambi Group, a leading provider of sports betting services, has set its sights on long-term growth by adopting new financial targets that align with the company’s strategic vision. These targets, which were presented at the company’s Capital Markets Day on January 19, include revenue of 2-3 times the levels of 2022 by 2027 and an EBIT of over EUR 150 million ($162 million).

Industry News

  • ESPN: UFC Tightens Gambling Rules, Hires Integrity Firm Amid Probe
    • On Thursday, the UFC announced the addition of stricter language about wagering in its fighter code of conduct as well as the hiring of sports wagering monitoring firm U.S. Integrity. The two changes come as multiple governmental bodies are investigating a UFC fight between Darrick Minner and Shayilan Nuerdanbieke on Nov. 5 that attracted suspicious betting patterns.
  • SBC Americas: High 5 Games expands US reach With BetMGM Deal In Pennsylvania
    • High 5 Games has extended its partnership with BetMGM to cover the igaming market in Pennsylvania as the studio seeks to gain further North American growth.  Following the closure of the agreement, High 5 games titles are now available to players in the Keystone State via the BetMGM online casino app. This solidifies and strengthens the partnership between the studio and the operator as the pair extend their relationship into their fourth jurisdiction.
  • iGB North America: Genius Sports Enters NFL Data And Betting Deal With TSN+
    • Genius Sports has entered into a partnership with Canadian sports channel The Sports Network (TSN), wherein Genius will supply TSN’s streaming platform TSN+ with its proprietary data feed for NFL games. Under the terms of the agreement, Genius will deliver its real-time overlays to TSN+ which will include graphics and visualization,s as well as its Next Gen Stats (NGS) data.

Arizona

  • KVOA Tucson: Arizona Lottery Sales, Prize Redemptions Remain Paused Due To Outage
    • Arizona Lottery sales and prize redemptions remain paused as a statewide outage continues, lottery officials said Friday. In a news release, Arizona Lottery said they are waiting for Scientific Games, the company that operates its gaming system, to “implement a solution that upholds the integrity of the Lottery’s games.”

Illinois

  • WCIA-TV: Illinois City Pauses Issuing Gaming Licenses After 40% Spike In Vieo Gaming Losses
    • “The city of Decatur might be considered the video gaming capital of the state of Illinois,” City Council member David Horn said. City leaders aim to change that reputation and slow the growth of gambling in Decatur. According to Horn, residents are losing roughly 40% more money on video game gambling today than they were just a few years ago.

Maryland

  • Maryland Sharp: Maryland SWARC Approves Diversity Plans For 10 Sports Betting Licensees
    • On Wednesday, Jan. 18, the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) approved the diversity plans of 10 companies that have Maryland sports betting licenses. In September, the SWARC added an addendum that required each sports licensing applicant to submit a Diversity Plan. Once an entity was awarded a license it had 30 days to submit its diversity plan.

Massachusetts

  • PlayMA: Gambling Revenue At Massachusetts Casinos Rises In 2022, Year Ends With Gains
    • December was a good month for casinos in the Commonwealth. With the expected opening day of their retail sportsbooks at the end of January, Massachusetts casinos entered the New Year with an uptick in gross gaming revenue (GGR) from table games and slots to cap 2022 on a good note. With 2020’s pandemic lows behind them, Encore Boston Harbor (EBH), MGM Springfield, and Plainridge Park Casino (PPR) all increased their annual revenue in 2022.
  • Sports Handle: Massachusetts Gaming Commission Approves Series Of Sports Betting Regulations
    • The Massachusetts Gaming Commission approved a series of proposed sports wagering regulations on Wednesday, setting the stage for the anticipated launch of retail sports betting later this month. The MGC approved draft regulations on seven separate rules covering critical subjects such as sports wagering licensing fees, suitability determination standards, and voluntary self-exclusion protocols for customers susceptible to problem gambling.

New Jersey

  • PlayNJ: AC Casinos’ $215.6 Million December Revenue Cements 9% Yearly Growth
    • December was a noteworthy month for Atlantic City Casinos, capping a year equally as remarkable for retail casino revenue. According to data from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement, the city’s nine casinos generated $215.6 million in gross gaming revenue (GGR), marking their strongest December in 10 years. Yearly GGR totaled $2.79 billion, up 9% from $2.55 billion in 2021.

Ohio

  • Legal Sports Report: Regulators Praise Caesars For Dropping Partner After Ohio Sports Betting Fine
    • Caesars was the first operator to address its Ohio sports betting violation in a public setting, with regulators pleased with how the company handled the issue. Caesars Sportsbook received a notice of violation from the Ohio Casino Control Commission just days after Ohio sportsbooks launched on Jan. 1. BetMGM and DraftKings received notices of violation as well, but Caesars chose to waive its right to a hearing and address the commission at its Wednesday meeting.