Industry News of the Day for March 11, 2020

Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 3.10.20 – Option Play: Legal Sports Betting Factoring Into Redskins’ Plans For New Stadium In Maryland, Virginia Or Washington, DC
  • The location of a new Washington Redskins stadium remains to be determined, but the odds on whether ground eventually breaks in Maryland, Virginia or the District of Columbia are likely shifting in part due to the opportunity the team receives in each jurisdiction to get involved in legal sports betting.

Overall Industry News:

• Online Poker Report, 3.10.20 – Every Month Should Be Problem Gambling Awareness Month
  • March is Problem Gambling Awareness Month in the US, and the annual initiative is of the utmost importance in 2020.
• PlayUSA, 3.10.20 – PlayUSA Rewind: Coronavirus Outbreak Takes A Toll On Casino Stocks
  • The country has quickly fallen into a panic as the coronavirus continues to spread. Even the casino industry has suffered.
• EGR Technology, 3.11.20 – Sweet Streams: How Sports Betting Can Capitalise On The Rise Of OTT Broadcasts (subscription paywall)
  • EGR Technology explores the world of streaming in sports betting or where it is headed next with expert insight from senior industry figures.

Sports League News:

• Las Vegas Review-Journal, 3.10.20 – PGA Tour Makes Bet On Sports Wagering To Engage Fans
  • Last week, PGA Tour and Action Sports Network executives announced GolfBet, “golf-focused betting content platform.”

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 3.11.20 – Caesars Gives Pennsylvania A Ninth Online Sportsbook Through Harrah’s Philadelphia
  • Pennsylvanians now have a ninth online/mobile option for sports wagering, with Harrah’s Philadelphia getting in the game with a soft launch this week.
• PlayPennsylvania, 3.10.20 – Sound The Trumpets: Caesars Launches Online Sportsbook In PA At Long Last
  • Yet another heavy hitter in the casino game announced today that it is joining the blossoming online sportsbook market in Pennsylvania. Caesars Entertainment began taking sports bets at Caesars Online Sportsbook at 3 p.m. ET Tuesday, March 10.
• PlayPennsylvania, 3.10.20 – How Coronavirus Might Impact PA Casinos And Sports Betting
  • Fear of the spread of the coronavirus has canceled festivals, conferences and sporting events. Places where significant numbers of people gather, like malls, stadiums and casinos, are responding on a case-by-case basis.

Maryland:

• Associated Press, 3.10.20 – Maryland Senate OKs Sports Betting Measure
  • Sports betting would be allowed at Maryland’s six casinos, horse racing tracks and potentially at a Washington Redskins stadium, under a measure the Maryland Senate approved Tuesday.
• Legal Sports Handle, 3.10.20 – Unanimous Senate Vote Sends Maryland Sports Betting Bill Forward With Momentum
  • Maryland sports betting took its first major step toward legalization on Tuesday, days after neighboring Virginia cleared its own bill.
• Gambling Compliance, 3.11.20 – Sports-Betting Bill Clears Maryland Senate Unanimously (subscription paywall)
  • Just days after neighboring Virginia’s state legislature passed its own sports-betting bill, Maryland’s Senate took the state’s biggest step yet toward adding the amenity to its gaming portfolio.

Virginia:

• iGB North America, 3.9.20 – Virginia Sports Betting Bills Head To Governor
  • Bills that would legalise certain forms of sports betting in Virginia have moved forward to Governor Ralph Northam for signature, after securing approval in the state’s House of Representatives and Senate.

Michigan:

• WXYZ, 3.10.20 – Resolution For Legal Sports Betting At Detroit Casinos Approved, Will Launch Today
  • The Michigan Gaming Control Board passed a resolution Tuesday supporting the launch of on-site sports betting at Detroit casinos.
• Affiliate Insider, 3.10.20 – Michigan Online Gambling Delayed Until 2021, Land-Based Sports Betting Expected To Launch Tomorrow
  • Online gambling in Michigan has been delayed until early 2021, with rules still yet to be finalised in full. Retail sports betting, on the other hand, is expected to go live tomorrow.
• MLive, 3.10.20 – Michigan Gamblers Get The OK To Place Sports Bets In Person In Time For March Madness
  • In-person sports betting in Michigan will officially open at 1 p.m. Wednesday, March 11.

Indiana:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.10.20 – Indiana Sports Betting Mobile Growth Outpacing Even The Biggest Markets
  • The mobile share of Indiana sports betting handle surged again in February, continuing a growth streak since its October launch.
• PlayIndiana, 3.10.20 – Nearly Half Of February’s $187M In Wagers Were Placed On Basketball
  • With football season finally coming to a close, Super Bowl betting helped the sport boost Indiana’s handle one last time.
• iGB North America, 3.10.20 – Indiana Sports Betting Market Breaks Handle Record In February
  • Indiana’s regulated sports betting market reported a 9.6% month-on-month rise in handle in February, breaking the record set in January thanks largely to continued online growth.
• PlayIndiana, 3.11.20 – IGC Investigation Puts BetIndiana Sportsbook Launch On Hold
  • Spectacle Entertainment’s plans for a new casino near Terre Haute are on hold.

Tennessee:

• Associated Press, 3.10.20 – Eyeing Football Start, Tennessee Tweaking Sports Bet Rule
  • Officials overseeing the roll-out of Tennessee’s online-only sports betting program offered changes Tuesday to proposed rules over concerns about how to cap payouts, restrict certain types of bets and regulate advertising, as they mull the possibility of the first bets being placed during the upcoming football season.
• Sports Handle, 3.10.20 – Tennessee House Tables Sports Betting Bill Amid Debate Over Controversial Rule
  • A Tennessee House subcommittee tabled legislation on Tuesday afternoon that could strip the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation of certain sports betting rulemaking responsibilities.

Washington:

• Gaming Intelligence, 3.11.20 – Washington Legislature Approves Tribal Sports Betting Bill (subscription paywall)
  • Lawmakers in Washington State have approved legislation to authorize sports betting at tribal casinos, with the bill now headed to Governor Jay Inslee for approval.