Industry News of the Day for March 28, 2023

iDEA Growth Member News

  • EGR North America: It’s The Last Week To Enter The ​​​​​​Ifrah Pitch Competition! ​​​​​
    • Ifrah Pitch invites start-ups to submit a 500-word description as well as a short video or PowerPoint presentation about their business or product for the chance to win a cash injection of $5,000, the opportunity for 5 hours of legal consultation with Ifrah Law and a feature in EGR North America. We welcome all types of companies and all verticals from across the gaming market. Click here to enter!

Industry News

  • The New York Times: Senator Seeks Details Of Colleges’ Deals With Betting Companies
    • Pressure is continuing to build upon colleges and universities that have partnerships with sports betting companies. Senator Richard Blumenthal, Democrat of Connecticut, announced on Monday that he sent a letter to 66 of the country’s colleges and universities with the largest athletic budgets, demanding information about their efforts to form partnerships with sports betting companies, as well as what the schools are doing to prevent underage betting and to combat gambling addiction.
  • Sports Handle: Tennessee’s Official League Data Up For Debate And Could Have National Implications
    • An upcoming decision in the Tennessee legislature could alter the relationship between sportsbooks, data providers, and professional sports leagues across the country. Two mobile sports wagering operators, SuperBook Sports and Gamewise (Betly), asked Tennessee’s sports betting regulator for permission to use unofficial league data for NFL wagering prior to the state regulator’s March 1 meeting. 
  • Gambling News: USA Online Sports Betting Expansion May Be Winding Down
    • Leading Deutsche Bank senior analyst Carlo Santarelli recently released a report on DraftKings, maintaining a Hold rating. He justified his decision with the unfavorable USA expansion conditions, reflecting on the political climate across the States. Santarelli predicted a slowdown in states adopting new sports betting legislation as compounding negative factors stifle progress.

District of Columbia

  • SBC Americas: DC Sports Betting Woes Continue With Controversy Around Problem Gambling Funds
    • While many states are introducing legislation that guarantees funding responsible gambling, Washington DC is making the surprising choice to scale back funding for RG efforts in the District. Local NPR Reporter Martin Asutermuhle noted on Twitter that Mayor Muriel Bowser’s budget is seeking to repeal a measure that sets aside the first $200,000 of sports betting-related tax revenue for problem gambling initiatives.

Maryland

  • PlayMaryland: Maryland Online Casino Bill Hits A Snag
    • Senate Bill 267 would have made online casinos legal in Maryland. Unfortunately, “Crossover Day” came and went this week without the measure moving over to the House side of the General Assembly. It could still pass in this session of the General Assembly, but it must get over an additional hurdle before being introduced in the House. Co-sponsor of the measure, Sen. Ron Watson, is confident his measure, also sponsored by Sen. Nancy King, will pass in 2024 if it fails to get through the House by the end of the session, which is April 10.

Massachusetts

  • PlayMA: MA Now Requires Sportsbook Ads Have Specific Responsible Gambling Info
    • In a public meeting on Monday morning, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) voted to continue an exemption that allows affiliate marketers to have revenue-sharing agreements with sports betting operators. The five-person commission also voted to require responsible gambling messaging in all forms of advertising in Massachusetts, including billboards.

Mississippi

  • Legal Sports Report: Online Mississippi Sports Betting Study Bill Signed Into Law By Reeves
    • A Mississippi sports betting task force will review legislative options for expanding gaming beyond casino walls after Gov. Tate Reeves signed a bill into law mandating the study. The MS sports betting bill, HB 606, overwhelmingly cleared the House and Senate in February after some major alterations. It directs 13 state legislators to complete a “comprehensive analysis of all matters related to online sports betting,” by Dec. 15, 2023. The report will be made public.

New Hampshire

  • PlayUSA: Legislator Removes Slots From New Hampshire Online Casino Bill
    • A bill to expand New Hampshire gambling is moving forward. But the biggest revenue generator in iGaming won’t be along for the ride. Online slots were removed from SB 104 in an amendment adopted by the Senate Finance Committee on March 21. Sen. Tim Lang spoke with PlayUSA about why he removed online slots from the New Hampshire online casino bill. Lang expects the Senate to pass the bill Thursday. Thursday is the crossover deadline for Senate bills to advance to the House.

North Carolina

  • NC Sharp: Big Week Ahead For North Carolina Sports Betting Bill
    • The North Carolina House of Representatives is expected to vote by Wednesday on a bill that would legalize mobile sports betting in the state. The bill appears to have plenty of momentum, having gained approval last week by a trio of House committees. The Senate passed its own sports betting bill in 2022, so it’s expected that chamber also would approve the bill. If the bill becomes law, North Carolina sports betting could be up and running by Jan. 1, 2024.

Ohio

  • WCPO-TV: Could Jake Paul Lose His Ohio Sports Betting License Over SEC Violation?
    • Ohio sportsbook investor Jake Paul could face some licensing problems after a run-in with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission. Paul, a social media star and professional boxer, was granted a provisional license in Ohio as a “key sports gaming employee” for Betr, an online sports book he co-founded. This week, Paul agreed to pay $101,887 to settle the SEC’s charge that he violated securities laws by promoting a cryptocurrency investment on Twitter in 2021 without disclosing that he was paid to do so.

Pennsylvania

  • PlayPennsylvania: Problem Gambling Metrics Decrease 7% In Latest PA Online Gambling Report
    • The Research Center at Pennsylvania State University reported findings from the 2022 Pennsylvania Online Gambling Report. The second year of the report, supported by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) and Department of Drug & Alcohol Programs (DDAP), stated that online gambling remained stable as problem gambling decreased. Penn State conducted the study through random phone screenings of Pennsylvanians.

Texas

  • PlayTexas: Reports Says Naskila Gaming Generates $212 Million For Polk County
    • Naskila Gaming casino, owned by the Alabama-Coushatta Tribe of Texas, pumped $212 million into Polk County’s economy in 2022, according to a new report commissioned by the Texas Forest Country Partnership. Polk County has been reaping economic benefits from Naskila Gaming since the venue opened in 2001. With each passing year, the bounty keeps getting bigger. Naskila Gaming is one of three tribal venues that represent the totality of legal casinos in Texas.