Industry News of the Day for June 3, 2021

By iDEA | June 3, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

  • IGB, 6.3.21: PointsBet Brings In Sulsky To Support Canadian Expansion Plans 
    • Sportsbook operator PointsBet has appointed Nic Sulsky as chief commercial officer for its Canadian operations, to support plans to launch its sports betting services in the country. 
  • Play Tenn, 6.2.21: BetMGM and FanDuel Spar For Title Of Top Tennessee Sportsbook 
    • BetMGM may still be the top dog in Tennessee, but FanDuel is hot on the trail. We’ve got the breakdown of individual operator performance during the month of April and are about to run down Tennessee’s most popular sportsbooks. 
  • Legal Sports Report, 6.2.21: Arizona Sports Betting Receives Official Target Launch Date (DraftKings, FanDuel mentioned) 
    • The Arizona Department of Gaming announced a target launch date of September 9 for sports betting in Arizona to go live. The date coincides with the official kickoff of the 2021 NFL season. Additionally, the department announced rules for the industry will be available for “public inspection and comment” on June 14. Retail and mobile AZ sports betting are included for both tribal casinos and the state’s professional sports organizations. 
  • Sports Handle, 6.2.21: DraftKings At Casino Queen Begins Work On $10 Million Expansion 
    • DraftKings at Casino Queen in Illinois has begun construction on a $10 million expansion that will include a new sportsbook and feature new dining options. 
  • Online Poker Report, 6.2.21: DraftKings Social Debuts Quietly For Web Users, Bringing A New Social Network To Its Sportsbook And DFS Verticals 
    • US online bettors now have their own social network. DraftKings Social is up and running today in what appears to be a soft launch through the DraftKings website. It hasn’t yet been added to the company’s mobile apps and there’s been no formal announcement as yet. 

Virginia: 

  • US Bets, 6.2.21: Virginia Is For Bettors: Analyzing The Early Returns For A New Sports Betting State 
    • Virginia took in $865.2 million in bets in its first three-plus months and is a lock to surpass the billion-dollar mark in its fifth month, breaking a record currently held by Tennessee, which hit 10 digits in its sixth month of regulated action. In advance of that milestone being announced, this seems as reasonable a time as any to check in on the early returns in Old Dominion, from the perspective of the sportsbook operators, the state, and the bettors. 

Ohio: 

  • Action Network, 6.2.21: Ohio Sports Betting Breaking Down Possible License Holders and Where the State Stands 
    • Ohio lawmakers have not taken any formal votes yet on an updated online and retail sports betting bill that could bring legal wagering to one of the nation’s largest markets. Elected officials on the state’s Select Committee on Gaming have targeted legislative approval for sports betting by the end of the month, but took no further action at a Wednesday meeting, the committee’s 13th of the calendar year. 

Illinois: 

  • Lineups, 6.2.21: Illinois Agrees to In-State Betting on College Teams 
    • Change is coming to the Illinois sports betting industry, but it’s not the change that some were hoping to see. Sports bettors will soon be able to bet on in-state college teams, but only at the retail sportsbooks in the state. 

Wyoming: 

  • Legal Sports Report, 6.2.21: Wyoming Sports Betting Rules Ready By Next Week 
    • The Wyoming Gaming Commission will hold a meeting June 8 with hopes of finalizing the rules for sports betting in Wyoming. Executive Director Charles Moore laid out that expectation at the commission’s normal June meeting on Tuesday. 

Florida: 

  • Legal Sports Report, 6.2.21: A Deeper Look At What Lies Ahead In Florida Sports Betting Journey 
    • The key question that many around the country are watching intently is whether the Department of the Interior will sign off on the Compact’s mobile sports betting provision. Though, hardly the first state to reach an agreement with tribes to offer sports betting in FL via the internet and on mobile devices, this is the first time that language was included in a new compact being sent for review. 

Louisiana: 

  • Legal Sports Report, 6.3.21: Louisiana Sports Betting Bills Close In On Finish Line 
    • Appropriations bill SB 142 passed the Senate on Wednesday. Meanwhile, regulatory bill SB 247 is scheduled for a third and final reading in the House on Thursday. Tax bill HB 697 is all the way through both chambers. It now awaits Gov. John Bel Edwards‘ signature. 

Arizona: 

Colorado: 

  • CPR News, 6.2.21: Colorado Got $6.6M From Its First Year Of Sports Betting. Where Does That Money Go Now? 
    • After closing the books on its first year of legalized sports betting, Colorado collected more than $6.6 million in tax revenue. The programs set to receive that money will start to do so this fall. Voters passed Proposition DD by a slim margin in 2019. But by the time legal betting launched in May of last year, the state didn’t know what to expect because of the pandemic, Colorado’s director of gaming Dan Hartman said. 

Canada: 

  • Legal Sports Report, 6.3.21: Sports Betting In Canada Could Launch By Fall If Passed By Parliament 
    • Marshall asked how quickly Canadian sports betting partners could launch if the Canadian Parliament passes C-218. She supports the bill but said legislative initiatives can take years to launch. Burns said it will be a matter of months, perhaps even weeks, for provincial lotteries to launch single-game sports betting. The lotteries already offer parlay sports bets. 
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