Industry News of the Day for March 18, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News

• PYMNTS, 3.17.21 – FanDuel Sports Betting Platform Focuses On Faster Payouts, Fraud Prevention
  • Sports might have been sidelined by COVID-19 in 2020, but online sports betting was not. In fact, Flutter, the parent company of FanDuel — one of the major online sports betting outfits in the U.S. — turned in an impressive 81 percent revenue growth in 2020.

Industry News:

• Online Poker Report, 3.17.21 – BetMGM Poker App Debuts In Google Play, Casino And Sportsbook Still On The Way
  • BetMGM Poker is the latest gambling app to appear in the Google Play store. Unlike its casino and sportsbook, BetMGM’s poker product is only available for players in New Jersey, and the app is marked as such.
• PlayUSA, 3.17.21 – PlayUSA Rewind: NY Assembly Adds Mobile Betting To Budget Proposal
  • Although March Madness kicks off Thursday, there won’t be any basketball talk on this week’s rewind.
• Forbes, 3.17.21 – March Madness Gamblers Expected To Break $8.5 Billion Record Thanks To Mobile Sports Betting
  • With online gambling now legal in 25 states, the 2021 NCAA tournament will be a slam dunk for gaming sites—and the friendly office pool may never rebound.

Overall Industry News:

• The Wall Street Journal, 3.18.21 – Sinclair Starts Marketing Push For Its Forthcoming Bally Sports Network
  • Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc. is preparing to rebrand its regional Fox Sports networks in the U.S. under the banner of Bally Sports, taking the name of casino operator Bally’s Corp. as sports media continues to establish closer ties with the gambling industry.
• The Action Network, 3.17.21 – Bally’s Largest Shareholder On Future Of Sports Betting, Return To In-Person Gambling & More
  • A year after the COVID-19 pandemic shuttered virtually every American casino — and much of the rest of the hospitality and entertainment industries — gaming stakeholders are seeing a steady return to pre-pandemic conditions.
• Chicago Business Journal, 3.17.21 – US Sports Betting: Wary Of The Betting Firestorm In Europe, Properties Seek The Right Balance Of Promotion And Advertising
  • As sportsbook advertising increases, responsible gambling messages can provide a counterbalance.

Sports League News:

• ESPN, 3.17.21 – NCAA To Keep Close Tabs On Betting For Men’s Basketball Tournament
  • For the first time, the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, one of America’s favorite sporting events to bet on, will take place in a state with legal bookmakers operating right down the street from where the games are being played.
• iGB North America, 3.18.21 – Bally’s Signs New Partnership With Major League Baseball
  • Bally’s Corporation has entered into a partnership with Major League Baseball (MLB), in a deal that marks its third link-up with a professional sports league in North America.

Connecticut:

• Associated Press, 3.18.21 – Lamont, Tribes Reach Agreement On Gambling Expansion
  • Ned Lamont’s administration has reached an agreement with Connecticut’s two federally recognized Native American tribes on a comprehensive gambling expansion plan that could eventually lead to sports wagering and online gambling, the governor and tribes announced Thursday.
• The Day, 3.18.21 – Lamont, Tribes Reach Gaming Agreement; Sports Wagering, Online Betting On Tap
  • Ned Lamont and the chairmen of the Mashantucket Pequot and Mohegan tribes announced today that they’ve reach a gaming agreement that will allow the tribes and the Connecticut Lottery Corp. to provide sports wagering and online gaming.

New Jersey:

• Online Poker Report, 3.17.21 – New Jersey Holds On To Significant Annual Gains In February, Though January’s Record Remains Unbeaten
  • Online gambling revenue is saving the day in New Jersey.

Pennsylvania:

• Online Poker Report, 3.17.21 – PokerStars Makes Moves In Pennsylvania As Market Growth Continues In February
  • PA online casino and poker operators combined to bring in nearly $78 million in gross revenue. That doesn’t quite top the state record of $80.4 million set last month, but it’s February’s short length that’s to blame.

New York:

• SBC Americas, 12.18.21 – PlayNY White Paper Examines The Future Of New York Sports Betting
  • New York has lost out on millions in revenue since retail betting launched in July 2019, but the legislative push to add online sports betting could make the state the largest US sports betting market if properly structured, according to a white paper authored by PlayNY.
• PlayNY, 3.17.21 – Video: How Legal New York Sports Betting Would Change A Podcaster’s Life
  • As Nick Dais says at the start of “How Legal New York Sports Betting Would Change a Podcaster’s Life“, New York is the mecca.

Maryland:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.17.21 – Changes Ahead For Maryland Sports Betting Bill In Senate?
  • Legal sports betting in Maryland likely is coming this year after voters approved a referendum by a nearly 2-to-1 margin in November.

Virginia:

• WSBJ, 3.17.21 – Sports Betting Underway Ahead Of March Madness
  • Tipoff to March Madness is hours away and this year there are more opportunities for Virginians to get invested in the action.

Michigan:

• Online Poker Report, 3.17.21 – One Month In, Michigan’s Online Casino Market Already Rivals Pennsylvania’s
  • The Michigan iGaming market is closing in on its two-month anniversary. Due to the timing with which revenue reports are released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, however, we’ve only just received our first peek at what a full month looks like.
• PlayMichigan, 3.17.21 – Why Michigan Online Casinos Shouldn’t Be Ignored Any Longer
  • The early days in Michigan online gambling are sending a clear message to other states: Sports betting is great, but don’t forget about online casinos.

Ohio:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.18.21 – Why Pro Teams Are Pushing Legislators On Ohio Sports Betting Bill
  • The Ohio legislative session runs for all of 2021, but the wait for a sports betting bill should only last another month.

Illinois:

• State Journal-Register, 3.17.21 – Want To Bet On Illinois To Win NCAA Tournament? A Change In State Law Will Be Needed (subscription paywall)
  • With the University of Illinois men’s basketball team set to begin a promising run in the NCAA Tournament Friday and the first March Madness event since Illinois legalized sports betting in 2019, many basketball fans living in Illinois might be hoping to bet a few dollars on the Illini. However, state law prevents it.

Indiana:

• Cincinnati Business Courier, 3.17.21 – Indiana Sports Betting Drops But Here’s Why It Could Be Poised To Surge
  • Sports betting in Indiana fell last month but it promises to leap this month, a sports betting expert says.

Nebraska:

• Associated Press, 3.17.21 – Nebraska Lawmakers Advance Rules For Casinos, Sports Betting
  • Nebraska moved one step closer Wednesday to enacting rules for the state’s newly legalized casinos, but some gambling opponents criticized portions that would clear the way for sports betting and electronic keno tickets.
• KOLN, 3.17.21 – Lawmakers Debate Over Allowing Sports Betting In Casinos
  • After a 37-5 vote Wednesday, lawmakers passed a casino regulation bill that includes sports betting. Lawmakers argue when Nebraskans voted for casinos in November, it meant sports betting was also legalized.

North Carolina:

• Charlotte Observer, 3.17.21 – Cherokees To Open North Carolina’s 1^st Sports Betting Venues In Time For March Madness
  • The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians is scheduled to open North Carolina’s first legal sports betting venues on Thursday.
• iGB North America, 3.18.21 – Sports Betting Launches In North Carolina
  • The Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and William Hill have opened The Book, North Carolina’s first legal sports betting venue, at both of its Harrah’s Cherokee Casino sites in Cherokee and Murphy.
• US Bets, 3.17.21 – Sports Betting Launches – In Timid Fashion – In North Carolina
  • Operators of the two Harrah’s casinos in North Carolina — the only such legal gambling venues in the state — on Wednesday announced the casinos will be welcoming sports betting customers on Thursday immediately after a ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Tennessee:

• TN Bets, 3.17.21 – Tennessee Gambling Expansion Bill Doesn’t Clear Committee Vote
  • The proposed Tennessee Horse Racing Control Act of 2021 was voted down Tuesday in a legislative committee during the very early stages of the policy-making process.

Mississippi:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.18.21 – Without Mobile, Mississippi Sports Betting Finally Breaks $1 Billion In Handle
  • It took 31 months but sports betting in Mississippi finally broke the $1 billion mark for handle since launch in February.

Colorado:

• PlayColorado, 3.17.21 – Colorado Breaks The Mold By Allowing Fans To Wager On Local College Teams
  • Since the market is about to embark on its first March Madness betting, Colorado allows fans of the home state teams to wager on them.

Wyoming:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.17.21 – Wyoming Sports Betting Bill Moves On In Second Life
  • Wyoming sports betting caught a second wind last week.
• iGB North America, 3.18.21 – Wyoming Sports Betting Bill Moves To Senate After Initial Rejection
  • A bill to legalize online sports wagering in the state of Wyoming has finally passed the House of Representatives and moves onto the Senate after initially being voted down.

Oregon:

• Gambling.com, 3.17.21 – Like Other States, Oregon Sees Dip In February Sports Betting
  • Oregon sports betting decreased across the board in February, after recording its highest handle in January.