Industry News of the Day for June 8, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Online Poker Report, 6.5.20 – DraftKings Finds Its Way Into Michigan Sports Betting Market Via Bay Mills
  • DraftKings this week revealed its plans to offer retail and online sports betting in Michigan under a new partnership with Bay Mills Resort & Casino.

Industry News:

• The New York Times, 6.8.20 – With Real-Life Games Halted, Betting World Puts Action On E-Sports
  • Computer-vs.-computer games of FIFA livestream to gamblers on Twitch. Fantasy contests carry League of Legends lineups. In the coronavirus age, video games have grown into a darling for casinos.
• Sports Handle, 6.5.20 – Get A Grip: The Week In Sports Betting: Illinois Sports Betting Surprise, Temperature Rising In California, DK In MI And More
  • Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top U.S. sports betting stories, highlighting some fresh news and rounding up key stories.

Overall Industry News:

• Associated Press, 6.4.20 – US Commercial Casinos Won $43.6 Billion In 2019, Up 3.7%
  • Helped by the continuing spread of legal sports betting, commercial casinos in the U.S. won $43.6 billion from gamblers last year, an increase of 3.7% from the previous year.
• SBC Americas, 6.5.20 – Online And Land Based Gaming Industries Under The Spotlight At SBC Digital Summit North America
  • The SBC Digital Summit North America virtual trade show is to deliver a comprehensive examination of the current status of and future opportunities in both the online and land based US gambling industry.

Sports League News:

• PlayUSA, 6.5.20 – Basketball Betting Is On! NBA Season Ready To Return In Orlando
  • The NBA will pick up play starting July 31 with an NBA Finals champion decided by October 12. As such, NBA betting will certainly become more active at legal sportsbooks across the country.
• Front Office Sports, 6.5.20 – Q&A: PBA CEO Colie Edison On What To Expect From Bowling’s Return
  • For the first time ever, PBA will incorporate live gambling into its coverage, just one part of its digital offerings to fans at home.

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 6.5.20 – Pittsburgh Casino Reopens Tuesday, Counting On Guests To ‘Do The Right Thing’
  • The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board’s standards covering coronavirus protocols are more flexible, and when Pittsburgh’s Rivers Casino reopens Tuesday for the first time in nearly three months, the hope is customers will employ sufficient common sense to protect themselves and others.

Michigan:

• PlayMichigan, 6.5.20 – False Start: Several Michigan Sportsbooks Hope To Be Ready For Football Season
  • After one long false start for Michigan sports betting, many of the regions’ casinos will now be put to the test.

Illinois:

• Chicago Sun-Times, 6.5.20 – Online Sports Betting Could Soon Be In Hand For Illinois Gamblers
  • When legal sports betting launched in Illinois three months ago, some gamblers might’ve expected they’d be placing wagers on the White Sox from inside Guaranteed Rate Field by mid-June.
• Legal Sports Report, 6.5.20 – Did Illinois Sports Betting Just Go Mobile Months Early?
  • The Illinois sports betting market got a significant boost from Gov. JB Pritzker as a response to the coronavirus pandemic.
• The Action Network, 6.5.20 – Illinois To Temporarily Allow Online Sports Betting Registrations, But No Books Are Live
  • When online betting gets going in Illinois, it will be much easier to register than originally anticipated. At least in the short term.
• PlayIllinois, 6.5.20 – Pritzker Suspends In-Person Registration For Online Sports Betting
  • Illinois casino operators haven’t seen any revenue since mid-March. That could change, however, because of Gov. JB Pritzker’s executive order on the state’s in-person registration requirement for online sports betting.
• US Bets, 6.5.20 – Hawthorne Set For Racing Saturday; Arlington Park, ITHA Close On Deal?
  • Horse racing in the Land of Lincoln is set to resume Saturday after Hawthorne Race Course had its amended schedule approved by the Illinois Racing Board at a specially convened meeting Friday.

Ohio:

• PlayIndiana, 6.5.20 – DeWine Gives Ohio Casinos A Path To Reopen This Summer
  • Mike DeWine has given the state’s gambling industry the green light to get things going again.

Iowa:

• KIWA Radio, 6.7.20 – Betting On eSports Approved, But Not Through Casinos
  • The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission met this past week at Grand Falls Casino and Golf Resort near Larchwood. Among other items on their agenda, the commission decided to approve betting on eSports through sports contests — but due to a legal issue — not through the state’s casinos.

Colorado:

• Legal Sports Report, 6.5.20 – Colorado Sports Betting Hits $25 Million In Wagers In First Month
  • A lack of major sports didn’t dampen the pent-up demand for Colorado sports betting in its launch month.
• PlayColorado, 6.7.20 – First Colorado Casinos Set To Reopen On June 17
  • PlayColorado learned that Gilpin County had its variance request approved by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. That means the casinos in the gaming towns of Black Hawk and Central City can finally reopen to the public.
• SBC Americas, 6.8.20 – Colorado Survey Shows Sports Bettors Are Eager To Return
  • A new survey conducted by ColoradoSharp.com indicates that Colorado bettors are ready to return to regulated sports wagering at casino sportsbooks as they reopen in the wake of the COVID-19 lockdown.

Oklahoma:

• Law360, 6.5.20 – High Court Urged To Settle Tribal Gaming Deal Dispute (subscription paywall)
  • Oklahoma’s legislative leaders urged the state’s Supreme Court to weigh in on a dispute over whether Gov. Kevin Stitt overstepped his authority when he renegotiated gambling compacts with two Native American tribes to allow sports gambling.

Nevada:

• PlayNevada, 6.5.20 – The Lowdown On What The Las Vegas Casino Reopenings Looked Like
  • Nevada casinos were legally allowed to reopen on Thursday, June 4 just after the clock struck midnight.

California:

• Sacramento Business Journal, 6.5.20 – Tribal Casinos Come Out Against Proposed Amendment Legalizing Sports Gambling
  • California is moving toward legalizing sports gambling for tribal casinos — but tribes aren’t happy about it.