Industry News of the Day for January 21, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• SBC Americas, 1.20.20 – Inspired Grows US Footprint With Deals For Virtual Sports And Online Casino (bet365, 888)
  • Virtual sports firm Inspired Entertainment has struck two major deals that will build on its presence in the North American gaming market.
• PlayNJ, 1.21.20 – We Got The Inside Tour Of Golden Nugget’s Live Dealer Studio
  • Customers arriving at the Golden Nugget Atlantic City via the self-parking entrance may or may not notice a hidden casino.

Industry News:

• Fox 8, 1.20.20 – As Super Bowl Gets Closer, Sports Books On The Coast Stay Busy
  • Sports books across the Coast saw plenty of action Sunday as the Chiefs and the 49ers soared to victory, beating out the Packers and the Titans and going on to face off against each other in Super Bowl 54.

Overall Industry News:

• Fortune, 1.21.20 – Why Investors Should Pick The Underdog In Sports Gambling
  • A Supreme Court decision that wins bipartisan praise is about as rare as a backdoor cover on a seven-team parlay.
• Gambling Compliance, 1.21.20 – Cybersecurity, GDPR Serious Concerns For U.S. Casinos, Expert Says (subscription paywall)
  • Hospitality and retail companies are among the top seven targets for hackers, and the amount of data that gaming companies keep on their customers makes them extra vulnerable, an expert on cybersecurity and data protection has said.
• Gambling Compliance, 1.21.20 – Apple Gambling App Removal Requests Decline (subscription paywall)
  • Apple received fewer requests from governments to remove gambling-related apps from its App Store during the first six months of last year.
• WSN, 1.21.20 – Penn National Gaming Looks To Buy Barstool Sports
  • On paper, it may appear to be an odd coupling, but sports betting is behind the possible acquisition of controversial sports websites, Barstool Sports, by Penn National Gaming.

Michigan:

• The Detroit News, 1.20.20 – Ahead Of Sports Betting Bill, GOP Lawmakers Met League Officials At PGA Tour Headquarters
  • Michigan’s House speaker and two other GOP lawmakers met with pro sports league officials at Professional Golfers Association Tour headquarters in February to discuss the state’s plan to legalize sports betting.
• WWMT, 1.21.20 – West Michigan Tribal Casino Prepares For 2020 Launch Of Sports Betting
  • After years of waiting, sports gambling in the state of Michigan was officially signed by Gov. Gretchen Whitmer in December.

Ohio:

• Com, 1.20.20 – Sports Betting Bill Faces Stalemate In Ohio Legislature
  • This year’s Super Bowl is out of the question. But might sports betting be legalized in Ohio by the time the next one rolls around?
• The Columbus Dispatch, 1.21.20 – Letter: Legalize Sports Betting To Keep Revenue In Ohio
  • It is far past time that Ohio legalizes online and in-person sports betting.

Connecticut:

• The Day, 1.20.20 – Osten Preparing To Resubmit Gaming Bill
  • Two weeks before the start of the General Assembly’s 2020 session, state Sen. Cathy Osten is preparing to resubmit legislation aimed at resolving gaming issues that have occupied lawmakers for years.

Georgia:

• WXGA, 1.20.20 – Midstate DA: Focus On Addiction, Corruption, Violence Of Gambling Before Legalizing It
  • Georgia lawmakers are talking about allowing casinos, horse racing, and sports betting, but this potential billion dollar operation comes with controversy.

Washington:

• SBC Americas, 1.20.20 – Maverick Gaming Backs Calls For Legal Sports Betting In Washington State
  • Las Vegas headquartered Maverick Gaming has voiced its support for a fully regulated and taxed land-based and mobile sports betting system in Washington State.

Iowa:

• Fox42, 1.20.20 – Sports Betting Bringing In Big Profits For Council Bluffs Casinos
  • Sports betting has only been legal in Iowa for a few months now, but it’s already proving to be profitable for the state.

Indiana:

• WIBC, 1.20.20 – Bell: Indiana To Have Competition Soon In Sports Betting, Mobile Betting Will Grow
  • Indiana is now the fourth-largest sports betting market in the nation, but the state will likely have competition soon.

New York:

• SI Live, 1.21.20 – Reformed Gamblers Fear State Could See Surge In Problem Gamblers If Mobile Sports Betting Legalized
  • With state legislators back in Albany for the 2020 legislative session, some think legalizing mobile sports betting is key to filling the $6 billion budget shortfall facing the state. But problem gamblers fear legalizing mobile sports betting could get kids addicted to gambling at an early age.

Delaware:

• Delaware Business Times, 1.20.20 – Neighbors Cut Into Delaware’s Take From Sports Betting
  • Regional sports-betting competition from New Jersey and Pennsylvania cut into Delaware’s 2019 sales (the handle) and revenue (the hold) as the state continues to study the lucrative online betting market that the other two states have embraced.