Industry News of the Day for January 23, 2024

By iDEA | January 23, 2024

Industry News

  • Canadian Gaming Business: CBC Suggests 20% Of Sports Broadcasts Feature Sportsbook Branding
    • New research from the Canada Broadcasting Corporation news division claims that sports fans watching hockey and NBA in Ontario are being exposed to sports betting branding and marketing during 20% of broadcasts. The CBC worked with Dr. Raffaello Rossi and Dr. Jamie Wheaton at the University of Bristol. The school has previously done similar messaging research around products in other markets, including the U.K. The study looked at five NHL games and two NBA games that aired from Oct. 25-29. Across the social and broadcast spectrum, the research logged 4,119 messages. Messages are defined as on-air references to betting, posts from the social media accounts of operators and times the logo appeared on screen.
  • SBC Americas: Checkd Group Reports Record Month For Flagship North American Brand
    • A sports betting platform owned by the Checkd Group posted record results last month. FlashPicks, which initially launched in 2022, reported more than 195,000 screen views and 31,000 wagers in December 2023 marking a record for Checkd’s first venture outside the UK. The platform, which was developed in-house by Checkd’s development division, offers betting tips and allows users to compare odds across North American sportsbooks, including FanDuel and DraftKings. FlashPicks also provides real-time updates for major sports leagues.
  • Sports Handle: PrizePicks Selects XPoint As Geolocation Service Provider
    • The geolocation service XPoint scored its first coast-to-coast customer in the sports betting and fantasy sector on Monday, announcing a partnership with PrizePicks, a fantasy sports app that’s live in 32 U.S. jurisdictions and Canada. To date, Vancouver, B.C.-based GeoComply has been the choice for nearly all major wagering and fantasy operators for geolocation services. XPoint focuses specifically on the gaming industry, and according to a press release, its technology will be used for geolocation and to combat fraud. Sporttrade, the wagering and exchange wagering platform that is live in New Jersey and Colorado, also uses XPoint, which is partnered with BettorFantasy, FlexFan, PlayStar, and Skill on the Net.

California

  • PlayUSA: Proponent Ends California Sports Betting Initiative Effort Due To Tribal Opposition
    • Proponents will not continue their efforts to put a California sports betting initiative on the ballot against opposition from California gaming tribes. Kasey Thompson, spokesperson for the initiative, told PlayUSA: “This initiative was supposed to be for the tribes but is only causing division. That was never my intent. I see now the needed unity is not coming, and so I’m standing good to my word and not moving forward. I’m pulling it in full.” From the beginning, Thompson said he would not move forward with the initiative without tribal support.

Indiana

  • PlayIndiana: Report: Indiana Online Casinos To Generate $880 Million Annually
    • The Indiana Gaming Commission commissioned Spectrum Gaming Group to study the effects of online casinos in the Hoosier State. Spectrum’s results showed that online gaming operators could earn $880 million annually in a mature market. However, bettors must wait a year before Indiana online casinos are legalized. Indiana lawmakers are not slated to consider an online casino gaming bill in the 2024 legislative session. A corruption scandal involving a main proponent of online casinos has helped shelve the topic for now. In the wake of the scandal, leaders from both chambers of the legislature said gaming bills are off-limits for now.

Minnesota

  • Legal Sports Report: How New Minnesota Sports Betting Bill Highlights Gap Between Tribes, Tracks
    • A Republican Senator has turned in his party’s latest Minnesota sports betting proposal, as a middle ground remains elusive. Sen. Jeremy Miller announced updated Minnesota sports betting legislation last week, as gaming tribes and horse racing tracks continue negotiations based on a Democrat-Farmer-Laborer proposal last year. The bill comes as the two parties and their allies work toward finding an agreement to legalize MN sports betting. “Minnesota continues to miss out on what is now a $100 billion industry,“ Miller said in a statement.

New York

  • New York Post: New York Governor Appoints Daughter Of Gambling Lobbyist To State Gaming Oversight Board
    • Gov. Kathy Hochul appointed the daughter of a veteran gambling lobbyist to the state board that regulates the industry — raising concerns about potential conflicts of interest from government watchdogs, The Post has learned. Marissa Shorenstein — who served as head of Hochul’s transition team when she became governor — was tapped as commissioner on the New York Gaming Commission despite her dad’s clients including some with business before the board, public records show. Stuart Shorenstein has long been an active lobbyist and adviser to gaming firms, and is currently listed as repping the Swedish internet gambling giant Evolution Malta, which is pushing to legalize online betting in New York.

North Carolina

  • CDC Gaming Reports: GLI Approved As Independent Test Lab By North Carolina Lottery Commission
    • Gaming Laboratories International (GLI) has been approved as an independent test lab by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission. Under the approval, GLI is authorized to evaluate gaming equipment, software, and processes for compliance with state law and Commission rules. GLI is an authorized test lab for 65 lotteries and for 707 total jurisdictions worldwide. “Our testing and consultation services combine innovation with compliance and a global reach and presence that gives our clients a world of insight,” said GLI Vice President of Global Lottery Solutions Angela Wong.

Ontario

  • PlayCanada: iGO Chief Of Staff Speaks To GNC Podcast On Q3 Success, Future Of Ontario Market
    • Mitch Davidson, the chief of staff at iGaming Ontario has added some insight to the province’s latest online gambling numbers via the latest Gaming News Canada podcast. PlayCanada reported last week on yet another record-shattering quarter for Ontario’s online gambling market. Here, the province achieved all-time quarterly highs in both online gambling bets and revenue during the third quarter of the 2023-24 fiscal year covering Oct. 1 through Dec. 31 of 2023. Specifically, total online bets rose 21% from $14.2 billion in Q2 (July 1 through Sept. 30) to $17.2 billion in Q3.

Pennsylvania

  • PlayPennsylvania: Pennsylvania Welcomes Fanatics As Newest Online Gambling Operator
    • The long anticipated wait for Fanatics to enter the Pennsylvania online gambling market is over. Fanatics launched in the Keystone State with a sportsbook and online casino earlier today. Since Fanatics is taking the place of PointsBet, the state still offers 13 sportsbooks and 21 PA online casinos. Fanatics Casino is debuting with slots, table games and live dealer titles for players, with some impressive promotions. In a press release emailed to PlayPennsylvania, the new PA online casino in Fanatics announced an official launch in the Keystone State on Monday.
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