Industry News of the Day for June 30, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• SBC, 6.30.21: Draftkings And Cambridge Health Alliance Collaborate On Safer Play Approach To Employee Training 
  • DraftKings Inc has entered into a strategic consulting agreement this week with the Division on Addiction at Cambridge Health Alliance, affiliated with Harvard Medical School. 
• Sports Handle, 6.30.21: In Its 25th Year, The WNBA Gains More Popularity Among Bettors At Sportsbooks (Mike Korn – PointsBet, Johnny Avello – DraftKings mentioned) 
  • It’s hard to imagine now, but the NBA in the late 1970s was a mostly-ignored sport.  

Overall Industry News: 

• Cronkite News, 6.29.21: Could Sports Gambling Be Boon For Women’s Sports? Bet On It, Some Say 
  • Since it became legal in the United States in 2018 – and with it apps, websites and booths at sporting events – it doesn’t look that way anymore. That could be good news for women’s sports, as some observers believe greater gambling accessibility could translate to increased interest and fandom. 
• Play USA, 6.29.21: Could Offshore Sites Be Benefitting From States Legalizing Sports Betting? 
  • Legal sports betting continues to be unfortunately good for business for illegal sports betting. Just how good remains a source of debate. 

Maine: 

• Sports Handle, 6.30.21: Maine Sports Betting Bill Needs More Votes Before Getting To Governor 
  • Maine lawmakers approved legal sports betting in the wee hours of June 18. Or did they? 

New York: 

• Legal Sports Report, 6.29.21: Key Mobile NY Sports Betting Backer ‘Very Optimistic’ On Bidding 
  • One of the most important players involved in legalizing mobile NY sports betting this year is ready to get the process started. Sen. Joe Addabbo Jr. told LSR he is very optimistic about who will get involved in the bidding process, which is expected to open no later than Thursday. 

Connecticut: 

• Hartford Courant, 6.29.21: Sports Betting In Connecticut Will Be Legal July 1, But Fantasy Contests On Draftkings And Fanduel Could Go Offline Barring A Last-minute Deal. Here’s Why. 
  • Popular paid fantasy sports platforms including DraftKings and FanDuel could go offline in Connecticut on Thursday, barring a last-minute deal between the companies and one of the state’s existing gaming operators. 

Louisiana: 

• Daily Advertiser, 6.29.21: Louisiana Sports Betting Implementation Delayed With Absence Of Regulator 
  • Louisiana’s implementation of sports betting is being delayed by the absence of a gambling regulatory chief, Republican state Senate President Page Cortez said in an interview with USA Today Network Tuesday. 

Ohio: 

• Play OH, 6.29.21: Ohio Sports Betting Bill On Hold Until After Labor Day 
  • Late Monday night, the Ohio House voted 96-0 not to concur with Senate amendments to H 29. 
• Sports Handle, 6.30.21: Ohio Lawmakers Now Say They’ll Legalize Sports Betting In September 
  • Ohio lawmakers on Tuesday continued to keep sports betting in the news even though there is nothing new … unless you count yet another promise to make it a priority. 

Tennessee: 

• IGB, 6.30.21: Tennessee Takes $160.9m In Sports Wagers In May 
  • Results published by the Tennessee Education Lottery (TEL), the body responsible for online sportsbook licensing and regulation, show that customers wagered a total of $160.9m on sports during the month of May. 

Pennsylvania: 

• Play PA, 6.29.21: An Easter Egg in a House Bill: Betting on eSports Could Be Legal Soon in Pennsylvania 
  • Should HB 1580 become law as currently written, it will be time for Pennsylvanians to put down their controllers and pick up their phones. That bill in the PA House would take Pennsylvania esports betting from its loading status to live action. 

Mississippi: 

• IGB, 6.30.21: Mississippi Sports Betting Revenue Reaches $3.9m In May 
  • Sports wagering revenue in Mississippi rocketed by 4,333.8% year-on-year to $3.9m in May, while the US state’s handle also jumped 15,175.0% to $36.1m.  

Illinois: 

• Play Illinois, 6.29.21: In-State College Betting Bill Still Alive, But In Limbo Until October Veto Session 
  • Even Rep. Michael Zalewski thought in-state college wagering was coming to Illinois by college football season. 
• Play Illinois, 6.29.21: A Look Back At What’s Happened And What’s To Come 2 Years Into Illinois’ Gaming Expansion 
  • Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signed the gaming expansion bill into law in June 2019. Two years have passed, and plenty has happened during that span. 

Arizona: 

• Prescott E-new, 6.30.21: Will The Legalization Of Sports Betting In Arizona Encourage The State To Legalize Online Casinos? 
  • Gambling laws in the U.S. have always been a changing landscape. There are currently a few states that still do not have any form of gambling. 
• IGB, 6.30.21: Sports Betting Stakeholders Speak Out On Arizona Draft Rules 
  • Representatives of leading betting operators and some top sports properties have contributed towards the first set of written comments in relation to a draft of sports wagering rules in Arizona. 

Florida: 

• Florida Weekly, 6.30.21: Sports Betting Plan Pitched To Fund State Education 
  • Steering money from gambling to public education convinced Florida voters to sign off on a state lottery more than three decades ago. 

Canada: 

• IGB, 6.30.21: Canada Single-event Sports Betting Bill Receives Royal Assent 
  • A bill to legalize single-event sports betting in Canada has secured Royal Asset and will pass into law once the country’s House of Commons has been advised.