Industry News of the Day for March 24, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• SBC News, 3.24.20 – Paul Buck: EPIC – US Stakeholders Require A Vital Catch-Up On Gambling Risks (GVC Holdings)
  • Leading the directive supported by GVC’s US Foundation, SBC speaks to Paul Buck CEO of EPIC Risk Management on transferring gambling harm learnings to the US’ fragmented health and civic networks.
• PlayNJ, 3.23.20 – DraftKings Casino Sees Spike In Active Players Amid Coronavirus Health Crisis
  • DraftKings Casino is experiencing a spike in play. With Atlantic City casinos closed for the foreseeable future, this trend is likely going to continue.

Industry News:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.23.20 – The Week In Sports Betting News: Coronavirus Not Stopping These Launch Plans
  • Reduced sports betting news seems like it will continue for the foreseeable future, but LSR will always be here to round up the prior week’s happenings.
• Legal Sports Report, 3.23.20 – LSR Q+A: Unikrn CEO On Esports Betting In A World Without Sports
  • The sudden lack of sports around the globe has not been kind to US sportsbook operators.
• Online Poker Report, 3.23.20 – WSOP Online Super Circuit Going Gangbusters With Few Alternatives For Housebound Players
  • The WSOP Online Super Circuit Series is into the second week of its 18-day run, and turnouts so far have been utterly remarkable.
• Gambling Compliance, 3.24.20 – Lotteries Reeling From Coronavirus, Reluctant To Rush Online (subscription paywall)
  • While lotteries continue to operate in many U.S. states where casinos have shut down, the impact of the coronavirus response has already begun to show itself in decreased sales and extra steps to keep America’s largest multi-state lottery games running.

Sports League News:

• PlayPennsylvania, 3.23.20 – Can The NBA Save Its Season? And Some Sports Betting Too?
  • A few NBA players tested positive for the coronavirus, and the basketball season disappeared almost immediately. Shortly thereafter, the rest of the sports world seemed to vanish, too.

New Jersey:

• NJ Online Gambling, 3.24.20 – Aqueduct Racetrack Joins Coronavirus Shutdown, But Not Before One Last Stretch Of Heavy Betting
  • Aqueduct Racetrack was an oasis of sorts for fans of horse racing in the tri-state area — for about a week.
• PlayNJ, 3.23.20 – Tropicana And Virgin Online Casinos Ready To Pick Up Closed AC Casino Business
  • The lights are out at Tropicana Atlantic City, along with all Atlantic City casinos, and don’t expect them to come on as long as COVID-19 cases in New Jersey continue to increase.

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 3.23.20 – Some Sites In PA See Surge Already In Online Casino Play During Coronavirus Shutdown
  • The two largest casinos in Pennsylvania have been closed for a week by the COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic. Their online sportsbooks continue operating, but with a fraction of the normal action due to mass cancellations of major sporting events.

Illinois:

• Sports Handle, 3.23.20 – Illinois Gaming Board Extends Casino Closures Until April 8
  • The Illinois Gaming Board extended the closure of all casinos and video gaming terminals in the state through April 8, a move done to sync up with Governor J.B. Pritzker’s “stay-at-home” executive order for the state Friday due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Indiana:

• PlayIndiana, 3.23.20 – Rugby, Aussie Rules Football Among Last Sports Left For Indiana Sportsbooks
  • With sports across the country grinding to a halt over COVID-19 concerns, gamblers are running out of options.

Tennessee:

• TN Bets, 3.23.20 – Tennessee Lottery Temporarily Closes Claims Centers Amid Coronavirus Outbreak
  • The COVID-19 crisis has shuttered a wide range of businesses and even agencies of state government. On Monday, the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation announced via its website that it was closing its claims centers, following the same decision by other states.

South Dakota:

• US Bets, 3.23.20 – South Dakota Casino: ‘[We] Don’t Plan On Closing Unless Something Major Happens’
  • Casinos across the country closed last week amid a public health crisis, but on Monday some remained open for gamblers, notably in Deadwood, South Dakota.