Industry News of the Day for January 6, 2021

iDEA Growth in the News:

• EGR, 12.20 – New York Betting: Competition Is No Laughing Matter (John Pappas as iDEA Growth spokesman)
  • Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: New York is going to legalize mobile sports betting.

Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 1.5.21 – These 5 States Look Best Positioned To Legalize Sports Betting In 2021
  • As the 2021 legislative season starts, legal sports betting will be front-and-center for a handful of states … and will continue to be a frustrating topic for others.
• Legal Sports Report, 1.5.21 – Why Churchill Downs Is Dropping BetAmerica Brand For TwinSpires
  • Churchill Downs announced Tuesday it will drop the BetAmerica name and relaunch its online sportsbook and iGaming product under the TwinSpires brand. TwinSpires has been Churchill Downs’ online horse betting brand since 2007.

Overall Industry News:

• PlayPennsylvania, 1.5.21 – Rush Street Meets Wall Street: BetRivers Parent Company and Golden Nugget Stock Now Public
  • Rush Street Interactive, the parent company of Rivers Casino in Pittsburgh and Rivers Philadelphia, officially launched on the NYSE on December 30th following a merger with special purpose acquisition company, dMY Technology Group Inc.

New York:

• NY Daily News, 1.6.21 – Cuomo To Fully Embrace Mobile Sports Betting In State Of The State Address
  • Cuomo is finally willing to wager on mobile sports betting.
• The Action Netwok, 1.6.21 – New York Online Sports Betting: Gov. Andrew Cuomo Fully On Board, Will Address Next Week
  • Pressure of neighboring New Jersey turning into the new sports gambling capitol of the nation combined with budgetary issues from COVID-19 have led to New York Governor Andrew Cuomo finally embracing mobile sports betting in the Big Apple.
• Legal Sports Report, 1.6.21 – Governor Cuomo To Push Mobile NY Sports Betting In Empire State Shocker
  • Cuomo will include mobile New York sports betting in his 2021 policy proposals for the state. The governor consistently opposed mobile wagering in past years and contended the state needed a constitutional amendment to legalize it.

New Jersey:

• Gambling Insider, 1.5.21 – The Story Of New Jersey’s Revival
  • In the January/February edition of Gaming America magazine, we will be focusing on the revival of New Jersey and Atlantic City.

Massachusetts:

• Mass Live, 1.6.21 – Massachusetts Sports Betting Proposal Cut Out Of Economic Development Bill As Lawmakers Push Past Traditional Deadlines (subscription paywall)
  • The last-minute economic development deal reached late Tuesday confirmed what casino operators, major league sports owners and sports betting evangelists feared: Massachusetts lawmakers won’t legalize sports wagering — at least not yet.

Virginia:

• 13 News Now, 1.5.21 – ‘Could Be Up And Running By The Superbowl:’ Virginia Lottery Just Weeks Away From Approving First Sports Betting Licenses
  • According to the Virginia Lottery, the state’s first online sports betting licenses could be approved within the next two or three weeks.

Kentucky:

• Legal Sports Report, 1.5.21 – 2021 Outlook: Kentucky Gov. Beshear Pushing For Sports Betting
  • It might be a short session with another gaming topic taking center stage but Kentucky sports betting should be legalized this year, Gov. Andy Beshear said.

Michigan:

• iGB North America, 1.6.21 – Michigan Governor Signs Interstate Poker Bill
  • Michigan’s Governor Gretchen Whitmer has signed a bill that would allow online poker to be played across state lines.

Iowa:

• SBC Americas, 1.6.21 – Iowa Sports Betting Could Surge With End Of In-Person Registration
  • Iowa took a “monumental step” in its development as a sports betting industry on New Year’s Day with the expiration of the state’s in-person registration requirement to bet online according to analysts for PlayIA, which tracks Iowa’s legal sports betting and gambling industries.

Missouri:

• The Action Network, 1.5.21 – Latest Missouri Sports Betting Bill Joins Already Crowded Gaming Agenda
  • Missouri Rep. Wes Rogers prefiled a sports betting bill last week, bringing bicameral and bipartisan wagering legislation to what should be a busy year for state gambling matters.

Oregon:

• iGB North America, 1.6.21 – Oregon Sees Strong Year-End With New Sports Betting Revenue Record
  • The Oregon Lottery has revealed that its Score Board sports betting application set a new record for gross gaming revenue (GGR) in November, while the state also saw strong levels of wagering activity in December.