Industry News of the Day for July 14, 2020

iDEA Growth in the News:

• Betting USA, 7.13.20 – The 9 Most Important Gambling Twitter Accounts To Follow (iDEA Growth mentioned)
  • Here you’ll find Betting USA’s nine must-follow gambling accounts as the industry tries to navigate the pandemic and prepare for a post-COVID-19 existence.

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Buffalo Business First, 7.14.20 – Meet Lawyer Jeff Ifrah, The Buffalo Native Helping The Gambling Industry Form Its Future (Ifrah Law)
  • Jeff Ifrah, a Buffalo native, is heavily embedded in the casino and sports betting industries as they continue to forge promising futures.
• PlayMichigan, 7.13.20 – Four Winds Bet Building App Provides A Hands-Free Wagering Experience
  • Mobile bet building was nice but hardly seemed essential when Kambi introduced its first Michigan sportsbook platform in March. Four months and two days later, the useful mobile method is taking on a new level of importance levels in the COVID-19 world.

Industry News:

• SBC Americas, 7.14.20 – Betgenius Pitches Unmissable Report As US Sports Make Their Return
  • Ahead of the return of major US sports this month, sportsbook management solutions provider Betgenius whets the appetites of industry observers with a US white paper analyzing $50m worth of sports bets placed on property with its US casino partners since the start of 2019.
• PlayUSA, 7.13.20 – William Hill Set To Operate More Sportsbooks In Eldorado-Caesars Deal
  • Last week, the Nevada Gaming Control Board (NGCB) officially signed off on William Hill operating all combined sportsbooks following the completion of the Eldorado Resorts/ Caesars Entertainment merger, which would account for 150 retail locations across nine states.
• SBC Americas, 7.14.20 – Amelco’s Brandon Walker: Online Will Be The Strongest US Bet
  • Brandon Walker, Head of Business Development at Amelco, spoke exclusively with SBC Americas this week about the firm’s latest activities stateside, how the post-COVID landscape will shape up, and some of the relationships being forged.

Overall Industry News:

• Gambling Compliance, 7.14.20 – Cashless Wagering Expected To Expand Fast For U.S. Casinos (subscription paywall)
  • Although a completely cashless casino remains a long way off, cashless technologies appear to be the next key evolution after coin-operated slot machines moved to ticket-in/ticket-out systems, according to expert panelists.
• Legal Sports Report, 7.13.20 – Virtual Conferences Continue With SBC Digital Summit North America
  • Even though that normal schedule was thrown off by the coronavirus pandemic, SBC is keeping conferences alive with its North American Digital Summit kicking off Tuesday.
• SBC Americas, 7.13.20 – SBC Digital Summit North America To Evaluate Future Of Betting And Media Partnerships
  • The impact of legalized sports betting on the US sports media and the partnership opportunities it may create for sportsbook operators will be the subject of an in-depth examination at SBC Digital Summit North America.

Federal News:

• NJ Online Gambling, 7.13.20 – NJ Horsemen To NFL, Other Sports Leagues: Pay Me My Money Down
  • The New Jersey Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association told a federal court last week that six years after the NFL and four sports organization partners posted a $3.4 million bond, it’s past time for the horsemen to collect — plus interest.

Sports League News:

• PlayUSA, 7.13.20 – The Return Of MLB Is Coming Up – And These Baseball Fanatics Are Ready To Bet
  • Illinois passing a gambling expansion bill was a monument’s achievement. After so many years of failed attempts, the state not only expanded gambling but include sports betting and a Chicago casino in the process.

Washington, D.C.:

• Sports Handle, 7.14.20 – Washington D.C.’s Online Monopoly Wil Put Lottery Run Sportsbook Model To Ultimate Test
  • The nation’s capital, currently mired in its own identity crisis, is the site of a legal sports betting model that will provide a fantastic case study in what it means to be a “lottery sportsbook” jurisdiction versus one with “casino sportsbooks.”

Michigan:

• PlayMichigan, 7.13.20 – No Reopening In Sight: Detroit Casinos Remain Closed As Pandemic Worsens
  • As Michigan moves backward in the COVID-19 reopening process, the return of casino gambling in Detroit seems further away by the day.
• South Bend Tribune, 7.13.20 – Four Winds Casinos Open Sports Betting At Michigan Locations
  • Four Winds Casinos are launching a sportsbook at its Michigan casinos.

Illinois:

• PlayIllinois, 7.13.20 – New Illinois Bettors Mostly Taking A Swing At Golf Wagers
  • BetRivers launched its mobile product in Illinois in June. As of now, it’s the only mobile sportsbook offering in the Land of Lincoln.

Indiana:

• PlayIndiana, 7.13.20 – Indiana Regulators Approve $17 Billion Eldorado-Caesars Merger
  • Regulators in Indiana have finally approved the Eldorado-Caesars merger. The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) gave the $17.3 billion merger its blessing during its July 10 meeting.

Iowa:

• The Gazette, 7.13.20 – Sports Betting Saves Iowa Casinos From Major Losses During Pandemic
  • Iowa’s foray into sports betting initially was viewed as a minor addition to casinos’ main gambling menu, but for a time in a coronavirus-ravaged wagering landscape it became the only game in town.

Colorado:

• Sports Handle, 7.13.20 – One Size Doesn’t Fit All For Colorado Sportsbooks
  • Colorado has become something of a test market for legal sports betting. It is the first U.S. jurisdiction in which a tribal property launched an online sportsbook that’s available statewide; where Circa expanded outside of Nevada; where the SuperBook will expand out of Nevada; where the U.K.-based Smarkets made its American debut; and where the Australia-based PointsBet has established its U.S. headquarters.
• Denver Post, 7.13.20 – Colorado Fans Wagered $25.6 Million In First Month Of Legal Sports Betting
  • Colorado’s sports betting industry kicked off May 1 during a global pandemic and in the absence of most major league sports. But that didn’t stop fans from placing bets — particularly on ping pong.
• The Colorado Sun, 7.13.20 – Table Tennis Got The Lion’s Share Of Colorado’s First $25 Million In Sports Betting Wagers
  • More than $6.5 million was wagered on table tennis matches in Colorado in May, accounting for about a quarter of the state’s first month of sports betting.
• SBC Americas, 7.14.20 – Colorado Sports Betting Debut Signals Bigger Things To Come
  • Despite a lack of major sporting activity on which to wager, Colorado’s first month of sports betting topped the debut month of most of the largest markets in the country.
• SBC Americas, 7.14.20 – TheScore Makes Its Move On Colorado With GLI Certification
  • Score Media and Gaming Inc has announced that its subsidiary, Score Digital Sports Ventures Inc (theScore Bet), has obtained Gaming Laboratories International GLI-33 certification for its mobile sports betting app and the sportsbook player account management platform it plans to deploy in Colorado.

Washington:

• Sports Handle, 7.13.20 – Inside Washington State’s Sports Betting’s Complicated Compacting Process
  • From Seattle to Spokane, legal sports betting is percolating in Washington State. But think more like the length of time it takes to age a good coffee bean than the amount of time it takes to brew a steaming cup of Joe.

California:

• PlayCA, 7.13.20 – California Cardrooms Close Again, Three Weeks After Reopening
  • Most California cardrooms closed again last week, just three weeks after receiving the green light from the state to reopen.