Industry News of the Day for March 1, 2024

Industry News

• Gambling Insider: George Rover Appointed RGAA Executive Director
  • The Responsible Gambling Affiliate Association (RGAA) has brought on its first executive, George Rover. Rover has had previous experience with bodies including the New Jersey Department of Law and Public Safety, the Office of the Attorney General and the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE), where he held several senior positions. Specifically, during his time with the NJDGE, Rover oversaw bureaus including the Service Industry Licensing Bureau, Casino Prosecutions Bureau, Internet Gaming Bureau and Technical Services Bureau. He directed the launching of Internet Gaming in the Garden State, while also overseeing various investigations and prosecutions.

Alabama

• Legal Sports Report: Senator Calls For Cooperation On Alabama Sports Betting Bill
  • An Alabama sports betting bill met a wall of opposition in a Senate committee Wednesday, but a strong proponent kept hope alive for a deal this year.  Sen. Greg Albritton took a chance to plead for cooperation on a comprehensive gambling package during Wednesday’s Alabama Senate Tourism Committee. The committee did not take action and carried the proposal, which includes Alabama sports betting, over for a future meeting. While Albritton said there were likely enough votes on the committee to advance the package, he said there is a substitute bill expected in the coming days. Multiple legislators said they would vote ‘no’ on the floor as the legislation stands now.

Maryland

• PlayUSA: Senator Tackles Maryland Online Casino Concerns In Committee Hearing
  • Sen. Ron Watson already knew the arguments opponents of his Maryland online casino legislation would offer at Wednesday’s Senate hearing. He got an extended preview Monday when they spoke at a House Ways and Means Committee hearing that lasted more than five hours. So he came prepared with rebuttals in a 16-minute introduction to Maryland online casino enabling bill SB603 and constitutional amendment SB565 in the Senate Budget and Taxation Committee. Watson said he would work with opponents to find language they could support.

New Hampshire

• Gaming Today: New Hampshire Sports Betting Declines in January Financial Report
  • In January, New Hampshire sports betting experienced yet another setback, marked by a decline in both the total handle and the revenue generated from gaming activities. When analyzing the gross gaming revenue in the Granite State, the results were mixed. While there was a notable decline of 20.3% from the impressive peak of $12.3 million reached in Jan. 2023, the current figure still stands significantly higher, boasting a 27.3% increase over December’s earnings of $7.7 million. A substantial portion of January’s revenue, totaling $8.9 million, stemmed from online betting activities. An impressive $951,079 was generated through wagering at retail sportsbooks scattered across New Hampshire.

New Jersey

• US Bets: David Rebuck, New Jersey Gambling Chief, Retires After 13 Years At The Helm
  • David Rebuck, who has served as New Jersey’s director of the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) for the last 13 years, announced his retirement Thursday afternoon, effective immediately. Rebuck oversaw the state’s foray into online gambling in 2013 as well as its jump into the online sports betting industry less than a month after PASPA was repealed. “Throughout his career, David Rebuck has exemplified professionalism, innovation, and leadership as the gaming industry transformed, first with the legalization of Internet gaming in 2013 and then with the new era of sports gaming in 2018,” Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said in a press release.

North Carolina

• SBC Americas: Seven Operators Approved For North Carolina Sports Betting Launch
  • The launch of sports betting in North Carolina is less than two weeks away and eight operators have been approved to go live when the market opens on March 11. Moreover, the operators can begin pre-registering customers as soon as tomorrow. “Issuing the first interactive sports wagering operator licenses today represents a major milestone in establishing legal sports betting in North Carolina,” said North Carolina State Lottery Commission Chair Ripley Rand.

Ohio

• Sports Handle: Ohio Sportsbooks Ring Up $113 Million In January Revenue
  • The Ohio Casino Control Commission reported adjusted gross sports betting revenue of $113.5 million for January on Thursday, becoming the quickest state to $1 billion in operator winnings. A 45.8% plunge in revenue from 2023 considering Ohio had set the post-PASPA monthly all-time high at $209.1 million last year is not bad. It was only this year that New York reclaimed that No. 1 spot. Operator winnings, though, were up 30% compared to December as the 14% hold was nearly 3.5 percentage points higher.

Pennsylvania

• PlayPennsylvania: PA Skill Games Bill With 16% Tax Referred To Gaming Oversight Committee
  • House Bill 2075, an act that imposes taxes on Pennsylvania skill games, was referred to the Gaming Oversight Committee earlier this week. Representative Danilo Burgos introduced the bill as the primary sponsor in September 2023. The bill is picking up momentum as it moves to the Gaming Oversight Committee. Earlier this month, Gov. Josh Shapiro announced plans to regulate and tax Pennsylvania skill games in his proposed FY 2024/2025 budget. While skill games appear to be headed for regulation, there’s a lot that needs to be sorted out before it happens.

Rhode Island

• Bonus.com: Bally’s Rhode Island Soft Launch Will Include Live Dealer Games
  • On March 1, Bally Casino will have its soft launch in Rhode Island and, contrary to earlier reporting, will include live dealer games from the start. Last year, Bally’s had said that its partner, StakeLogic, would not be prepared to open its studios until April. That would have left Bally Casino with a slots-only product for its first month. Due to a quirk of Rhode Island’s laws, purely digital (“RNG”) table games aren’t legal. Any game that would typically involve a human dealer in a retail casino needs to be streamed from a live dealer studio to be legal for online play in the state.