Industry News of the Day for January 21, 2021
iDEA Growth in the News:
- Gambling Compliance, 1.21.20 – US Appeals Court Rejects Trump-Era Wire Act Memo (iDEA Growth credited with contributions leading to the win)
- In a potentially historic opinion, a federal appeals court on Wednesday rejected an appeal by the U.S. Department of Justice that posed a threat to the future expansion of the gambling industry.
- Law360, 1.20.21 – 1st. Circ. Affirms Narrow View Of Wire Act In Betting Industry (J. Ifrah mentioned as iDEA Growth spokesman)
- The First Circuit ruled Wednesday that the federal Wire Act applies only to interstate communications related to sports betting, rejecting a 2018 U.S. Department of Justice legal opinion interpreting the act as applying to gambling more broadly.
- Online Poker Report, 1.20.21 – Huge Win For Interstate Poker As First Circuit Court Of Appeals Rules Favorably On Wire Act Case (J. Ifrah mentioned as iDEA Growth spokesman)
- The New Hampshire Lottery Commission has won its case against the US Department of Justice (DOJ) regarding the latter’s 2018 revised opinion on the Wire Act. Again.
- US Bets, 1.20.21 – New Federal Ruling On Wire Act Is Big Win For Lotteries, Online Poker Compacts (J. Ifrah mentioned as iDEA Growth spokesman)
- After two years of confusion created by a DOJ memo, a court found that The Wire Act has limited scope.
iDEA Growth Member News
- Sports Handle, 1.20.21 – FanDuel Approved For Virginia Sports Betting, Prepping To Go Live
- FanDuel Sportsbook will be the first to go live in Virginia and expects to be the only active online book over the weekend, a source confirmed to Sports Handle late Wednesday after a flurry of activity on Twitter pointed to the company possibly going live Thursday.
- The Action Network, 1.21.20 – Virginia Announces Online Sports Betting Set To Launch On Thursday, FanDuel Announces
- In a surprise, Virginia will go live with online sports betting on Thursday.
- Legal Sports Report, 1.21.21 – Surprise: Virginia Sports Betting Appears To Be Launching Thursday
- Virginia sports betting launches Thursday, according to information released Wednesday by FanDuel, before the company backtracked slightly.
- SBC Americas, 1.21.21 – Entain Highlights US Momentum With BetMGM In Latest Trading Update
- Global sports betting and gaming firm Entain plc has posted a trading update for the financial year to December 31, 2020 and October 1 to December 31 2020, citing continued momentum in the US, specifically with BetMGM, its joint venture with MGM Resorts.
- SBC Americas, 1.21.21 – Golden Nugget To Go Live With Michigan Online Casino And Sportsbook
- Golden Nugget Online Gaming (GNOG) has received authorization from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to start offering its online casino and sportsbook at 12pm EST on January 22, 2021.
- SBC Americas, 1.20.21 – DraftKings Ready To Go Live With Sports Betting And Casino App In Michigan
- With mobile betting ready to go live in Michigan this Friday, DFS and sportsbook operator DraftKings Inc has teamed up with Bay Mills Resort & Casino for the upcoming launch of its mobile sportsbook and casino app for bettors in the Great Lakes State.
Industry News:
- PlayUSA, 1.20.21 – PlayUSA Rewind: WynnBet Gains Market Access To A Bevy Of New States
- Wynn Resorts prepares to launch its mobile app in seven states, Iowa sports betting continues to set records, and the Louisiana gaming industry takes a hit.
Overall Industry News:
- SBC Americas, 1.20.21 – iGaming Expansion Sees Betting On Sports America Evolve Into SBC Summit North America
- Gambling industry event organizer SBC has announced that it is expanding its successful Betting on Sports America (BOSA) conference and exhibition to incorporate another fast-growing part of the US entertainment landscape – online gaming.
Federal News:
- Bloomberg Tax, 1.20.21 – First Circuit Oks Interstate Lottery Sales But Not Sports Bets
- The U.S. Justice Department can’t block the interstate online lotteries of New Hampshire and other states, but it can limit interstate sports betting, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit ruled Wednesday.
Pennsylvania:
- PlayPennsylvania, 1.20.21 – Buy Or Hold? What The Biden Presidency Could Mean For PA Gambling Stocks
- Good news for the gambling businesses and gaming stocks today: Joe Biden took office as the nation’s 46th president without a hitch.
- PlayPennsylvania, 1.20.21 – Victory For Online Poker As DOJ Loses Wire Act Appeal, Biden Takes Office
- On Wednesday online poker players in the United States — and especially in Pennsylvania — received some good news on the legislative front.
- Penn Bets, 1.20.21 – A Rare Down Year For PA Gambling In 2020 Still Showed Basis To Expect Growth In 2021
- Never let it be said that Pennsylvanians don’t love to gamble, whatever the format.
New York:
- Legal Sports Report, 1.20.21 – Mobile NY Sports Betting Bills On The Move As Committees Approve
- The NY sports betting proposal some legislators appear to favor over Gov. Andrew Cuomo‘s state-run model is getting support in both chambers.
- New York Business Journal, 1.20.21 – New York Might Legalize Sports Betting This Year
- With Cuomo’s new embrace of mobile wagering, New York could be one of several states to legalize in 2021
West Virginia:
- Gaming Intelligence, 1.21.21 – West Virginia Sports Betting And iGaming Wagers Top $179M In December (subscription paywall)
- West Virginia’s licensed casino operators booked a record $179.2m in combined wagers from sports betting and iGaming in December.
Michigan:
- The Detroit News, 1.20.21 – Michigan Gaming Control Board Authorizes 10th Casino For Online Sports Betting
- The Michigan Gaming Control Board on Wednesday said it had authorized a 10th operator to launch online sports betting at noon Friday.
- Lansing State Journal, 1.20.21 – A Guide To Michigan Legal Online Sports Betting And Gambling, Which Starts Friday
- Sports betting has been legal in Michigan since last March. But to do that, you had to go to an actual casino that offered a sportsbook.
- MLive, 1.20.21 – Michigan Attorney General Urges Residents To ‘Read Fine Print’ Before Gaming, Sports Betting Online
- As the state prepares for legal online gaming and sports betting later this week, Michigan Attorney General Dana Nessel is encouraging potential users to read the fine print before signing up.
- WILX, 1.20.21 – Internet And Sports Betting Legalization Causing Addiction Worries
- Compared to the national average, ‘problem gambling’ isn’t a huge issue in Michigan right now.
- iGB North America, 1.21.21 – Michigan Approves PointsBet For Online Betting Launch
- The Michigan Gaming Control Board has approved the Lac Vieux Desert tribe and its platform provider, PointsBet, to launch online sports betting tomorrow (Friday, January 22) at noon.
Minnesota:
- Sports Handle, 1.20.21 – Minnesota Proposal Will Call For Only Retail Sports Betting In First Year, Then Online With In-Person Registration
- Bill hasn’t been filed yet, but it will require in-person registration and won’t allow for mobile/online betting until second year.
Indiana:
- PlayIndiana, 1.20.21 – WynnBet App Could Beat Barstool Sportsbook To Indiana Launch
- WynnBET sportsbook is expanding its reach across the US. The company now has market access to seven new states.
Colorado:
- PlayColorado, 1.21.21 – New In-Play Betting System Coming To Circa Sports From DeckPrism
- Circa Sports is set to take in-play odds to a new level. In the process, Colorado sports betting is once again at the forefront of the industry.
- Legal Sports Report, 1.21.21 – All-American: Circa Partners With DeckPrism Sports For Colorado Live Betting Lines
- Circa has partnered with DeckPrism Sports to bring its live betting lines to Colorado.
New Mexico:
- KRQE, 1.20.21 – Lawmakers Propose Racino Table Games, Sports Betting To Benefit Lottery Scholarships
- Another push to bring poker, blackjack, craps, and sports betting to New Mexico’s five-state race track casinos is making its way through the state legislative. However, lawmakers behind the latest effort think the money generated from those games should go to college students first.