Industry News of the Day for March 13, 2024

By iDEA | March 13, 2024

Industry News

  • Gaming Today: NCPG Executive Director Talks Efforts In Responsible Gambling
    • Call it the public image, civic duty, a conscience, or awareness. Call the methods an administrative equivalent of a full-court press. By any measure, sports betting operators show increased efforts toward responsible gambling to shield their businesses from gambling addiction. PGAM assembles a wide range of stakeholders, including state affiliates, public health organizations, advocacy groups, professional sports leagues, and operators. Two important factors are becoming clear from these groups: More people than ever are gambling and historic new efforts are being made to keep them safe.
  • Gambling Insider: Inspired Entertainment Debuts Virtual Sports On BetRivers
    • Inspired Entertainment has joined forces with Rush Street Interactive (RSI) to introduce its virtual sports content to the New Jersey gaming scene through the BetRivers platform. The partnership aims to boost the gaming experience for BetRivers players by integrating Inspired’s virtual sports offerings – with additional plans for subsequent launches in various states in the coming year. Brooks Pierce, President and CEO of Inspired Entertainment, commented: “We are thrilled to partner with RSI to bring Inspired’s premium virtual sports to BetRivers players in New Jersey. “This collaboration will enhance the gaming experience for BetRivers players and complement their sports betting options.”

Arizona

  • SBC Americas: NFL Playoffs Drives Arizona To $706M January Sports Betting Handle
    • Arizona is continuing to showcase its ability to be a robust sports betting market. The Arizona Department of Gaming reported a $706.3 million sports betting handle in January, marking the second-highest handle since the state authorized wagering in 2021. The state benefited from the end of the NFL regular season and the start of the playoffs. By comparison, Arizona operators posted a $591 million handle in January 2023. The Grand Canyon State’s highest handle came in November 2023 at a record $713.5 million. Arizona’s handle in January generated $69.3 million in revenue with mobile wagering making up $68.9 million of that figure.

Georgia

  • Legal Sports Report: With Clock Ticking, Georgia Sports Betting Conversation Restarts
    • The Georgia sports betting discussion was renewed Tuesday, but work remains for the committee before a House vote. The House Higher Education Committee discussed Senate Bill 386 Tuesday, but did not act on the bill. The agenda also did not include the necessary Senate Resolution 579, which puts Georgia sports betting on the November ballot since the enacting legislation is tied to a constitutional amendment. Rep. Chuck Martin, the committee chair, said the SB 386 and SR 579 could be on the agenda for a meeting Wednesday, but there will be no votes. The Georgia legislative session runs until March 28. “We have a lot of work to do on this measure,” Martin said at the end of Tuesday’s meeting.

Indiana

  • SportsHandle: Indiana Sportsbooks Collect $38 Million In Revenue For February
    • The Indiana Gaming Commission reported nearly $38 million in adjusted gross sports betting revenue for February on Tuesday as bet365 had a strong showing in its first full month of action in the Hoosier State. Overall sportsbook revenue was up 37.2% compared to February 2023, getting an additional boost of $382,000 worth of adjustments in operators’ favor. It was, however, also off 29% from January’s record haul of $53.5 million. Handle totaled $408.7 million, an increase of 14.7% from 12 months prior as the state tied a record with six consecutive months of $400 million-plus worth of accepted wagers. It first accomplished the feat from October 2021 through March 2022.

Iowa

  • Radio Iowa: Iowa Casino Rule On Sports Wagering Blocked
    • A panel of lawmakers has placed a hold a proposed rule to require that Iowa casinos maintain lists of coaches, athletes and other officials who’d be barred from placing sports bets because of their involvement in college sports or fantasy sports. Representative Megan Jones of Sioux Rapids said the rule may have been spurred by the 2019 law that made it legal in Iowa to bet on sports, but it would have been unusual. “There are 38 states that participate in sports gaming, but Iowa is the first one to request or require this list and so we’re sort of on the forefront here,” Jones said, “and I’m not sure these are waters we’re prepared to go through.”

Maryland

  • PlayUSA: Maryland Online Casino Licensing Structure Gets More Inclusive, Complicated
    • In an effort to make Maryland online casino licensing more inclusive and diverse, a Maryland House subcommittee also made it much more complicated. Bill sponsor Rep. Vanessa Atterbeary amended Maryland online casino legislation HB1319 Tuesday in the House Racing and Gaming Subcommittee to the Ways and Means Committee that she chairs. The new version increases potential online casino licenses from 12 to 25 while adding conditions to make licensees more diverse, equitable and inclusive. The amendment from Atterbeary also prohibits using credit cards to fund Maryland online casino accounts and adds additional language to mitigate problem gambling issues.

Michigan

  • PlayMichigan: Detroit Casinos Bounce Back In February With $104.8 Million In Revenue
    • After a concerning January, Detroit’s three retail casinos saw improved gambling revenue numbers in February. According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, last month the Detroit casinos combined for $104.8 million in revenue from slots, table games and poker. While that is down 0.2% from February of 2023 ($105 million), it’s up 11.6% from January’s underwhelming $93.9 million total. Retail sports betting at the casinos took a drop in February, as they acquired just $13.2 million in handle. That was a 45.4% drop from January’s $24.2 million in handle. However, it is an 8.2% increase from February of 2023 ($12.2 million). Along with the lower handle, Detroit sportsbooks took a collective loss for the month of $120,142.

North Carolina

  • WFMY-TV: Statistics From The First 24 Hours Of Sports Betting In North Carolina
    • Sports betting has kicked off in North Carolina and according to Bet MGM, it’s been a “smash success”. Let’s break it down. The first bet placed in North Carolina history was $100 to win $1,800 on North Carolina +1800 to win the NCAA Tournament. In the first 24 hours, almost 50% of people bet on the Tar Heels to take home the win in the NCAA Tournament. About 10% of betters bet on the University of Connecticut and 8% bet on the University of Houston. Those that win the bet will get NCAA Tournament tickets. Betters are already thinking ahead to next year’s Super Bowl and are vying for those prized Super Bowl tickets.
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