Industry News of the Day for March 29, 2021

iDEA Growth in the News:

  • Play Maryland, 3.25.21 – SPORTS BETTING HEARING DEBATES IF MARYLAND NEEDS MORE SPORTSBOOK LICENSES
    • If Maryland wants to reach its goal of minority inclusion in sports betting licensees, some argue the state needs to increase the number of available mobile wagering licenses. The Maryland Senate Budget and Taxation Committee took its first crack Thursday at H 940, the sports betting bill passed by the House two weeks ago.
  • Legal Sports Report, 3.26.21 – COME ONE, COME ALL FOR CHANGES AT MD SPORTS BETTING SENATE HEARING
    • Plenty of people testified in support of a proposed MD sports betting bill – as long as it’s changed how they want. HB 940 had its first hearing in the Senate before the Budget and Taxation Committee Thursday afternoon. No one was directly against the bill but many wanted to make sure their needs were met before passage.

iDEA Growth Member News:

  • SBC Americas, 3.29.21 – DraftKings appointed Official WWE Gaming Partner subject to approval
    • DraftKings is all set to become an Official Gaming Partner of WWE subject to regulatory approval in all applicable jurisdictions as part of a collaboration centering on its free-to-play pools product. The partnership will launch with an inaugural free-to-play pool at WWE’s two-night pop culture extravaganza, WrestleMania, on April 10 and 11.
  • SBC Americas, 3.29.21 – SBC Leaders: Regulatory blindspots and the industry’s COVID bounceback
    • The US sports wagering sector features strongly again in the latest issue of SBC Leaders, with Scott McClintic, SVP iGaming Product & Strategy at Paysafe, picking up on pandemic-induced changes as he looks at its impact on the US sports betting industry.
  • SBC Americas, 3.29.21 – PointsBet and Penn National Gaming extend online gaming agreement
    • PointsBet USA Inc and Penn National Gaming Inc have agreed to extend their existing online gaming services framework agreement dated 31, July 2019, to provide PointsBet with online sports betting and igaming market access in Pennsylvania and Mississippi.

Georgia:

  • Sports Handle, 3.29.21 – Georgia Sports Betting Bills Are True Political Footballs
    • Georgia lawmakers are set to meet in a conference committee on Monday to hash out details of a sports betting proposal, but whether or not they do — or if the either chamber will ultimately approve it — is more a question of politics than whether or not legal sports betting has support, according to multiple sources.

Tennessee:

  • Sports Handle, 3.26.21 – Tennessee Action 24/7 Back In Business After Court Rules In Its Favor
    • Sportsbook Tennessee Action 24/7 on Friday won an injunction against the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp., and will have its license reinstated immediately, according to a decision from the Chancery Court for the State of Tennessee, 20th Judicial Circuit, Davidson County. Chancellor Patricia Head Moskal called the TELC’s decision to suspend the license “erroneous, or arbitrary and capricious under the Act and Rules,” and further wrote that the TELC “short-circuited” the process by which to handle disputes.

Connecticut: