Industry News of the Day for March 11, 2019

Federal News:

  • Online Poker Report, 3.9.19 – All Aboard The Wire Act Case: NJ, PA, Michigan Lead Challenge To DOJ In Federal Court
    • New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Michigan joined the legal challenge against the Department of Justice‘s latest interpretation of the Wire Act. Online Poker Report has confirmed that New Jersey filed an amicus brief in the case started by New Hampshire in federal court.
  • Play NJ, 3.8.19 – New Jersey Adds Its Name In Support Of Federal Wire Act Challenge
    • New Jersey has entered the ring in a legal battle against the Department of Justice. PlayNJ confirmed Friday that the Garden State aligned itself with New Hampshire to challenge the DOJ’s recent opinion of the Wire Act. That opinion cracks down on state-run online lotteries, online casinos and poker sites, and online sports betting.
  • Play Pennsylvania, 3.9.19 – Pennsylvania Files To Join NH Lottery Wire Act Court Case
    • The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania continues to fight back against the Department of Justice’s new Wire Act opinion. Its latest move is to join a lawsuit challenging the validity of the new Wire Act take, which now threatens every form of online gambling in the country.

Industry News:

Pennsylvania:

  • Play Pennsylvania, 3.8.19 – FanDuel Arrives At Valley Forge Wednesday, With Brent Celek In Tow
    • FanDuel Sportsbook is going to take Valley Forge Casino by storm. And it’s bringing former Philadelphia Eagle Brent Celek along. The FanDuel Sportsbook at Valley Forge Casino will officially launch at noon local time on Wednesday, March 13. This is, of course, pending the successful completion of two days of PA Gaming Control Board (PGCB) testing.
  • Penn Live, 3.8.19 – Sports betting has come to Pennsylvania. So when do internet-based games arrive?
    • Pennsylvania is now just a couple of months away from becoming the fourth state in the country to launch Internet-based gambling that will, effectively, turn every Keystone State adult’s computer or smartphone into a potential cyber-casino seat.

New Jersey:

  • Play NJ, 3.8.19 – With DOJ Wire Act Enforcement Postponed, NJ Online Casinos Have Until June 14 To Comply
    • The New Jersey gambling industry is no stranger to waiting on legislation. A year and a half after Atlantic City casinos waited out the Supreme Court of the United States’ decision regarding the legalization of sports gambling, they’re now in limbo regarding the Department of Justice’s recent reversal of its interpretation of the Wire Act.
  • Online Poker Report, 3.11.19 – Bet365 Rents New Jersey Office Space, Eying Summertime Launch
    • European gambling heavyweight bet365 has signed a long-term lease on almost 19,000 square feet of office space in Marlton, New Jersey. The move comes as the company draws closer to launching its NJ online sports betting platform.
  • Press of Atlantic City, 3.9.19 – What do the numbers tell us about Atlantic City’s growth in 2018?
    • Visitation, casino employment, gaming revenue and state taxes and fees increased in 2018, all of which is real evidence that after several down years, the seaside resort is rebounding.
  • Metro Bet, 3.10.19 – Sports Betting Scene In Atlantic City Heating Up
    • Philadelphia sports bettors are now flush with options when it comes to wagering on games. There are, of course, the four sportsbooks all within a half hour drive from downtown. And you can bet online if you’re anywhere within the New Jersey state limits.

Connecticut:

  • Sports Handle, 3.8.19 – CT Bill: Legal, State-Wide Mobile Sports Betting, But Only If Tribes Agree
    • A week after a marathon sports betting hearing in Connecticut, the state’s Joint Public Safety and Security Committee has filed a bill that would legalize state-wide mobile sports betting and would allow casinos, OTBs and the state lottery to offer sports betting — but only if the state can negotiate a new compact with the two Indian tribes that run the state’s existing casinos.

West Virginia:

  • Online Poker Report, 3.8.19 – West Virginia Online Gambling Bill Clears Senate; Finish Line In Sight
    • Following a favorable vote in the Senate, West Virginia is on the cusp of becoming the fifth state to legalize online gambling. After sailing through the House in February, the upper chamber passed the WV Lottery Interactive Wagering Act (H 2934) by a 26-7 vote on Friday.

Minnesota:

Iowa:

Sports League News:

  • The Lines, 3.8.19 – MLB Commissioner Maintains Stance For More Federal Oversight On Sports Betting
    • Major League Baseball won’t change its stance on legalized sports betting in America. The once-great league has firmly established itself as an over-controlling dad who refuses to adapt and perpetuates his traditionalist ideals because “that’s the way it’s always been” and came from “a simpler time” that “made the world a greater place.”
  • Sports Handle, 3.8.19 – MMA And Sports Betting: A Match Made In Heaven — And Las Vegas
    • The NFL is the king of U.S sports betting, but mixed martial arts offers something different, in some ways better and more exciting, and indeed controversial at times, same as every sport.

iDEA Growth Member News:

Overall Industry News:

  • Legal Sports Report, 3.8.19 – MGM Inks First MLB Team Casino Sponsorship Deal With Boston Red Sox
    • MGM Resorts International announced a multiyear agreement Friday to be the official and exclusive resort casino of the Boston Red Sox. This is the first team sponsorship deal between a Major League Baseball team, and casino and sportsbook operator. It follows MGM becoming the official gaming partner of MLB in November.