Industry News of the Day for March 2, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Gambling Compliance, 3.2.20 – Online-Only Licenses, Ad Restrictions In Massachusetts Sports-Betting Bill (subscription paywall)
  • The likes of Boston-based DraftKings could apply for one of five online-only licenses for sports wagering under a keenly anticipated bill released on Friday by a Massachusetts legislative committee.
• Online Poker Report, 2.28.20 – Stars Group Revenue Soars, Even As Online Poker Keeps Losing Altitude
  • The Stars Group (TSG) published strong Q4 and 2019 full-year financial results on Thursday. Its annual revenues grew by about $500 million, while net earnings turned from a loss in 2018 into a profit of $62 million.

Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 2.28.20 – Get A Grip: Virginia On Track, Around The Horn In U.S., Notable Sports Betting Industry Stories
  • Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top stories, highlighting some fresh news and rounding up key stories in the world (and industry) of legal U.S. sports betting.
• Gambling Compliance, 2.28.20 – Sports-Betting Bills Advance In Kansas, Virginia (subscription paywall)
  • The Kansas Senate has passed a sports-betting bill favorable to the state’s casinos, setting up a clash with a competing House measure that envisions a broader role for the state lottery and major sports leagues.
• Bloomberg, 2.28.20 – Gaming Giant Gets New Compliance Chief As Sports Betting Spreads
  • Penn National Gaming Inc. hired a new chief compliance officer this month, just weeks after the North American casino and racetrack operator pushed further into the sports betting market.
• NJ Online Gambling, 2.28.20 – FanDuel Crossover Customers Fueled Major Growth In 2019
  • Of FanDuel Group’s 350,000 sports betting customers, 42% have migrated from their daily fantasy sports database, the company announced Thursday as part of its 2019 financial highlights.

Federal News:

• Gambling Compliance, 2.28.20 – New Hampshire Lottery Vendor Requests Oral Arguments In Landmark Wire Act Case (subscription paywall)
  • The online vendor for the New Hampshire Lottery Commission is asking a federal court in Boston to schedule oral arguments on an appeal by the U.S. Department of Justice which could determine the future of internet gambling.

Sports League News:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.2.20 – The PGA Tour Launches A Golf Betting Site: What You Need To Know
  • The PGA Tour has taken another step into the sports betting space with the launch of betting content site GolfBet.com.

Washington:

• Sports Handle, 3.2.20 – Washington Sports Betting Bill Excluding Mobile Wagering May Head To Senate Floor
  • The question of whether or not Washington lawmakers should approve sports betting on tribal gaming premises only versus a more inclusive online model was debated Friday when the Senate Ways and Means Committee heard testimony from 16 stakeholders.
• The Seattle Times, 2.28.20 – Opponents Of Tribal-Only Sports Gambling Legislation Vow To Spend Millions To Block It From Becoming Law
  • As public hearings opened Friday ahead of sending an emergency sports gambling bill for the state’s Native American tribal casinos to a final Senate vote, opponents vowed to launch a fight that stretches far beyond legislative discussions.
• Law360, 2.28.20 – Casino Phone Game Maker Wants Redo Of 9^th Decision (subscription paywall)
  • Casino phone game developer High 5 Games LLC wants Washington’s Supreme Court to decide whether its apps constitute “gambling” under Evergreen State law, potentially undoing a controversial Ninth Circuit ruling that sent shock waves through the mobile gaming industry by answering that question with a “yes.”

Massachusetts:

• Gambling Compliance, 3.2.20 – US Appeals Court Denies Mashpee Casino Challenge (subscription paywall)
  • The U.S. Court of Appeals in Boston has upheld a lower court ruling to overturn a land-into-trust designation for the Mashpee Wampanoag Tribe, a decision that could clear the way for the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) to move forward with the state’s third commercial casino.
• Boston Globe, 2.28.20 – Sports Betting Would Be Legal Under Bill Moving Ahead In Mass. Legislature
  • Massachusetts casinos and a handful of online operators would be allowed to offer betting on college and professional athletic events under new legislation state lawmakers advanced Friday, a major step in the pursuit of legalized sports wagering within the state’s borders.
• The Herald News, 2.28.20 – New Bill To Legalize Sports Betting In Massachusetts Advances
  • Adults in Massachusetts would be able to bet on professional and Division I college sports in person and through web or mobile apps under legislation released Friday by a legislative panel that’s been studying sports betting for a year.

Connecticut:

• Fox 61, 3.1.20 – The Real Story: Sports Betting In Connecticut?
  • State lawmakers are considering two bills to bring sports betting to Connecticut.

Michigan:

• MLive, 2.28.20 – Sports Betting Coming To Northern Michigan Casinos In Time For 2020 Football Season
  • The Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa Indians announced this week that it plans to bring sports betting to its two Northern Michigan casinos.

Illinois:

• Sports Handle, 3.2.20 – Two More Illinois Casinos Approved For Sports Betting
  • The Illinois Gaming Board on Friday released the names of two more casinos to receive a temporary operating permit for sports betting, raising the number of permits granted to five overall.
• Chicago Sun Times, 2.29.20 – More Illinois Casinos Line Up For Sports Betting Licenses With Industry Launch Looming
  • Three more Illinois casinos and a downstate racetrack have applied for sports betting licenses, bringing the number of would-be sportsbooks to a lucky seven as the newly legal industry appears poised to launch across the state in the weeks ahead.

Missouri:

• The Joplin Globe, 2.28.20 – Sports Betting Back On Table In Missouri
  • As neighboring states such as Iowa, Illinois and Arkansas legalize sports betting, some state lawmakers hope this is the year Missouri gets in the game.

Iowa:

• PlayIA, 2.28.20 – Portion Of Iowa Sports Betting Revenue May Fund Emergency Medical Services
  • One of the most common, consistent points made by supporters of sports betting legalization has been tax revenue and the causes it can support.

Georgia:

• Gambling Compliance, 2.28.20 – Georgian Legislators Pushing For Advertising Restrictions (subscription paywall)
  • Georgian legislators are lining up to introduce gambling restrictions, as the country grapples with growing concerns on underage gambling and crime associated with the industry.
• The Atlanta Journal-Constitution, 2.29.20 – Opinion: Should GA Legalize Sports Betting?
  • As lawmakers consider enacting sports wagering, they must balance fiscal upsides with potential for problems.
• Georgia Recorder, 3.2.20 – State Senate Set To Consider Legalizing Online College And Pro Sports Betting
  • Some Georgia lawmakers say it’s time for the state’s education programs to get a piece of the sports betting action by making it legal.
• The Georgia Voice, 3.1.20 – ATL Sports CEOs Speak In Favor Of Sports Betting
  • From the incipience of gambling with the mob gangsters of boxing fights in Vegas to the famous horse betting races at the Kentucky Derby, sports betting has always been a part of American culture.

Alabama:

• iGB North America, 3.2.20 – New Alabama Bill Targets Legal Sports Betting
  • Alabama’s House of Representatives is to run the rule over a new bill that aims to legalize land-based and mobile sports wagering in the US state.

Wyoming:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.28.20 – Wyoming Sports Betting Bill Fails In House Vote
  • A bill to legalize sports betting in Wyoming failed in a vote on the House floor Friday.
• iGB North America, 3.2.20 – Wyoming Sports Betting Bill Fails After Narrow Defeat In House
  • The Wyoming House of Representatives has narrowly voted against a bill that had aimed to legalize online and mobile sports wagering in the US state.

Nevada:

• Legal Sports Report, 2.28.20 – Nevada Mobile Betting Splits Show Cost Of In-Person Registration
  • Mobile accounted for 56% of Nevada sports betting revenues in January, as the regulator published the mobile-retail split for the first time.
• US Bets, 2.28.20 – Nevada Releases First Online Sports Betting Figures
  • On Friday, the Nevada Gaming Control Board released figures showing the first ever breakdown between retail and online/mobile sports wagering in the state.
• iGB North America, 3.2.20 – Nevada Sports Betting Revenue Reaches $20.2M In January
  • Sports wagering revenue in Nevada climbed 36.0% year-on-year to $20.2m in January, while statewide casino gaming revenue was also up 5.5% to $1.04bn.

Oregon:

• Gambling Compliance, 3.2.20 – Oregon Lottery Expecting Loss Amid College Betting Ban
  • The Oregon Lottery confirmed Friday that it will lose money on the agency’s mobile sports-betting app for the fiscal year ending June 30, a change from initial predictions that legal wagering would produce a $6.3m profit in its first year.

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 2.28.20 – PA Gaming Board Improves Its Problem Gambling Guidance Through New Website
  • The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board has launched a new problem gambling website with more information and resources for individuals who may be suffering from over-indulging.
• KYW, 3.1.20 – New App From Philly Offers Sports Betting With A Social Media Twist
  • It’s a social network for sports bettors. That’s the premise of a new app that originated in Philadelphia.

Maryland:

• CBS Baltimore, 2.29.20 – Maryland Lawmaker Introduces Bill to Educate Youth On Potential Risks Of Gambling
  • A Maryland bill that would allow lessons on the risks associated with gambling — including addiction prevention — to be added to the high school health curriculum passed in the state Senate on Feb. 21.

West Virginia:

• PlayWV, 2.28.20 – WV Online Sports Betting And The Greenbrier Grabbing The Momentum
  • The West Virginia sports betting market saw figures reduce back down after calculating all of the wagers from Super Bowl LIV. WV sportsbooks totaled just over $8.8 million in betting handle for the week of Feb. 15.