Industry News of the Day for June 17, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• SBC, 6.16.21: Technology, Regulation And A Lack Of Harmony Cited As Key Obstacles For US Igaming (Manuel Stan/Kindred mentioned) 
  • Technology and regulation remain significant hurdles to progress for igaming suppliers as they strive to build their brands across multiple US states. 
• US Bets, 6.16.21: Responsible Gambling Programs Should Be Preventative, Panel Says (Maris Catania/Kindred and Martin Lycka/Entain mentioned) 
  • Whyte explained that the industry’s “responsible gaming” initiatives too often are seen as solely being attempts to address gamblers already in serious financial and/or emotional trouble. 
• Online Poker Report, 6.16.21: Michigan Online Gambling Revenue Holds Steady In May, As FanDuel Establishes Itself In Second Place 
  • So far, the defining feature of the Michigan online gambling market has been its stability. May’s revenue figures, released this week by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) exhibit that trend to a remarkable degree. 

Massachusetts: 

• Boston Herald, 6.16.21: Survey Shows Up To 72% Of Massachusetts Residents Support Sports Betting Ahead Of Thursday Hearing 
  • A poll commissioned by Encore Boston Harbor and the Plainridge Park Casino Commission found that 61% of Massachusetts voters would support sports betting in the state. 
• CBS Boston, 6.17.21: Legalized Sports Betting In Massachusetts Debated At State House Hearing 
  • A joint committee is holding a virtual hearing Thursday on 19 different bills related to sports betting in Massachusetts. 

New Jersey: 

• NBC Philadelphia, 6.17.21: Betting on Rutgers: NJ Moves Closer to Allowing Sports Bets on Its College Teams 
  • When Rutgers University’s men’s basketball team made the NCAA tournament this year for the first time in three decades, it stood to reason that fans in the nation’s top sports betting market would flood casinos and racetracks with bets on their local team. 
• Legal Sports Report, 6.17.21: New Jersey Gambling Revenue Rises Again In May 
  • Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased 290.4% year-on-year to $374.2m in May, while the monthly total was also 6.4% higher than in April of this year. 
• Legal Sports Report, 6.17.21: Baseball Bets Propel New Jersey Sportsbooks To Strong May Revenue 
  • New Jersey saw sports betting handle climb in May despite a slowdown in the sports calendar, with handle up 14% month-on-month to $814 million. 

Ohio: 

• Play Ohio, 6.16.21: Ohio Senate Passes Sports Betting Bill That Some Casinos Don’t Like 
  • The Ohio Senate nearly unanimously passed a sports betting bill Wednesday, even as some lawmakers asked for changes as the bill moves to the House. 
• Play Ohio, 6.1.621: Latest Ohio Sports Betting Changes Have Penn National Fired Up 
  • The increased licenses appear to provide room for all the major players in Ohio and more to participate. However, priority given to sports teams combined with county limits on sports betting licenses are concerning to Ohio casinos and racinos. 

New York: 

• Legal Sports Report, 6.17.21: New York Sports Betting Revenue Reaches $1.6m In May 
  • Commercial sports betting revenue in New York amounted to $1.6m in May, an increase of 23.1% from the total generated in April. 

Virginia: 

• Play Virginia, 6.17.21: Where Can You Bet On College Football Futures Around The DMV? 
  • The summer solstice is near, which means that the start of the 2021-22 college football season isn’t far off. Appropriately, Virginia sportsbooks and their counterparts in Washington, DC, have college football futures markets for bettors’ consideration. 

West Virginia: 

• Play WV, 6.16.21: Euro 2020 Betting Odds Showcased At West Virginia Online Sportsbooks 
  • The Euro 2020, one of the biggest soccer tournaments in the world, is underway and available to wager on at West Virginia sportsbooks. 

Maine: 

• Sports Handle, 6.16.21: In Maine, Last Minute Sports Betting Amendments And Apparent Cap On Mobile Platforms 
  • With literally only hours remaining in the current Maine legislative session set to adjourn Wednesday, three amendments were filed to the sports betting bill that many in the industry considered dead. 

Michigan: 

• Play Michigan, 6.16.21: Michigan Clears Way For Minor League Baseball Betting 
  • Minor league baseball could soon be on its way to the Michigan sports betting menu. 

Illinois: 

• Daily Herald, 6.16.21: Illinois Mental Health Experts See Varied Impacts Of Sports Gambling A Year Into State’s Legalization 
  • Woodstock resident Jose Tapia had a feeling Tom Brady was going to look for a familiar receiver as the quarterback led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers into the Super Bowl this year. 

Arizona: 

• KTAR News, 6.16.21: Arizona Department Of Gaming Releases Draft Rules For Sports Betting 
  • The Arizona Department of Gaming released draft rules for sports betting on Tuesday and reaffirmed it remains on track to begin by the start of the NFL season in September. 

Canada: 

• Legal Sports Report, 6.17.21: Opinion: How Prepared Is Canada For Legal Sports Betting? 
  • The clock continues to tick on sports betting in Canada, but with more hope.