Industry News of the Day for March 3, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News

• Bettor Safe, 3.3.21 – Official Launch – Conscious Gaming’s Bettor Safe Consumer Education Campaign
  • “Bettor Safe,” is a new consumer education campaign designed to highlight the risks of illegal betting sites and provide consumers with resources to improve their understanding of online betting.
• PlayUSA, 3.3.21 – New Ad Campaign Educates On Legal Online Betting In US Vs. Offshore (GeoComply)
  • As the coronavirus pandemic placed new limits on casinos and gaming across the country, those looking to gamble have turned to the internet.
• Penn Bets, 3.3.21 – Legal Vs. Illegal Gambling Websites: Confusion Abounds In PA, ‘Bettor Safe’ Program Seeks To Help
  • In Pennsylvania, one of the leading states for legal, regulated mobile sports betting, many residents admit they have struggled to differentiate legal options from illegal. (GeoComply)
• Bloomberg, 3.3.21 – CPP-Backed Sports Gambling Firm In Deal Talks With Boehly SPAC
  • Swiss gambling data company Sportradar AG is in talks to go public through Todd Boehly’s special purpose acquisition company Horizon Acquisition Corp. II, according to people with knowledge of the matter.
• Legal Sports Report, 3.3.21 – Can DraftKings Make TV Betting Work In Deal With DISH?
  • The deal will see a DraftKings application added to the DISH TV Hopper platform. That can be accessed by saying “Launch DraftKings” into the TV remote or from the Apps Menu.

Industry News:

• US Bets, 3.2.21 – Welcome To March, America’s Biggest Sports Betting Month Ever
  • In early April, a handful of overjoyed college basketball players will be cutting down nets in Indiana. The whole month prior, a handful of overjoyed sportsbook operators will be adding up net receipts in Indiana and about 20 other legal sports wagering juridictions.
• US Bets, 3.3.21 – Generation Z Is Ready To Bet On Sports, But Not Necessarily For The Reasons You Think
  • Study after study shows the same thing: Generation Z — that’s people born from the mid-1990s to the mid-2010s — is not following sports at nearly the same rate as every other generation that preceded them.

Overall Industry News:

• SBC Americas, 3.3.21 – Chalkline In Free-To-Play Partnership With USA Today Sports Media Group
  • Chalkline has formed a partnership with USA Today Sports Media Group under the terms of which it will create free-to-play sports betting games that will be distributed and drive audience engagement across the latter’s network of 173 million monthly digital users.

Connecticut:

• ESPN, 3.2.21 – Connecticut, Mohegan Tribe Reach Agreement On Sports Betting, Online Gambling Markets
  • Ned Lamont announced Tuesday that the state had reached an agreement with the Mohegan Tribe that will lead to the launch of sports betting and online gambling markets.
• Hartford Courant, 3.2.21 – Ned Lamont And The Mohegan Tribe Agree On Online Gambling, Opening Connecticut To Commercial Betting. But It’s Not Enough To Avoid A Lawsuit.
  • Ned Lamont and the Mohegan Tribe agreed Tuesday to establish online gambling and sports betting in Connecticut that for the first time allows nontribal gambling operators to compete for bettors.
• Sports Handle, 3.2.21 – Done Deal: Connecticut, Tribe Have A Sports Betting Agreement, Other Tribe Is Close
  • State, Mohegans to announce a deal, while Mashantucket Pequots are “at the goal line.”

Massachusetts:

• The Berkshire Eagle,3.3.21 – Senator Angling To Keep Sports Betting Out Of Casinos
  • For some people, Massachusetts is well behind the pack and cannot legalize sports wagering soon enough. But others say lawmakers should pump the brakes, learn from research conducted in mature gambling markets and take the time to ensure that as many of the unknowns around sports betting are addressed in any bill that moves forward.

New Jersey:

• NJ Online Gambling, 3.2.21 – Another Sports Betting App Hopes To Appeal To Pros And Other Serious NJ Gamblers
  • Last week, Carousel Group, which operates SportsBetting.com, announced a 10-year deal with Caesars Entertainment for the purpose of offering an online sportsbook in New Jersey, Indiana, and Iowa.

New York:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.3.21 – Why PointsBet is Bullish On Open New York Sports Betting Market
  • PointsBet executives believe online New York sports betting is headed toward an open market, though that remains far from certain.

Virginia:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.2.21 – Virginia Bettors Wagered Plenty In First 11 Days Of Trickling Rollout
  • The Virginia Lottery released a first look into the state’s action Monday. In their first 10 days, bettors wagered $58.9 million in the VA sports betting market.
• iGB North America, 3.3.21 – GiG Secures Virginia License For WSN.com
  • Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has secured a vendor registration license in the US state of Virginia for its World Sports network (WSN.com) affiliate site.

Tennessee:

• PlayTenn, 3.2.21 – Reps Want Tennessee Sports Betting Taxes Going To Public Schools
  • School systems in Tennessee and beyond are experiencing substantial budget cuts and ongoing financial strains.

Illinois:

• Sports Handle, 3.2.21 – iGaming En Route? Surveying The Illinois Gaming Legislative Landscape
  • Illinois is starting to see the first prolonged shoots of tax receipts from legalized sports betting, as a close-to-normal sports schedule following the COVID-19 pandemic has seen state coffers receive nearly $19 million as the first anniversary of the first legal wagers placed draws near.
• PlayIllinois, 3.2.21 – Get Down To Brass Tacks: What’s In The Illinois Online Casino Bill
  • Illinois State Rep. Bob Rita introduced an online casino bill in late February, which has since been referred to the Rules Committee.

Ohio:

• MI Bets, 3.2.21 – Like A Broken Record, Ohio Governor Says Sports Betting Is Coming
  • In 2018, Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine said sports betting was inevitable for the Buckeye State. Fast forward to early 2021, and again he’s saying it’s inevitable.
• WSN, 3.3.21 – Legalizing Sports Wagering In Ohio “Inevitable” With Governor Mike DeWine’s Blessing
  • Governor Mike DeWine initiated any question of his position on legalizing sports wagering and the state of Ohio’s current opinion on the subject. Speaking at a press conference this week he said “Sports gambling is already in Ohio. Ohio is just not regulating it.”

Minnesota:

• PlayIA, 3.2.21 – Editorial Calls Out Minnesota Lawmakers For Punting Legal Sports Betting Again
  • The Duluth News Tribune editorial board recently criticized the state’s leadership for not moving on a sports betting legalization bill.

Georgia:

• 11 Alive, 3.2.21 – Georgia Gambling Bills ‘Hostage’ To Bipartisan Strife
  • There are at least 11 gambling bills in the Georgia legislature this year, and most of them have bipartisan support. Yet, none of them has passed the House or Senate and appear stalled.
• The Georgia Recorder, 3.3.21 – Lawmaker’s Horse Racing Play Adds HOPE Scholarship Boost As Carrot
  • Savannah Republican Rep. Ron Stephens is betting on the promise of an infusion of money into the HOPE Scholarship to help his horse racing bill sprint through the House before an important legislative deadline Monday.

North Carolina:

• Gambling.com, 3.2.21 – NC Tribe Closer To Offering Sports Betting After Federal OK
  • Sports betting is one step closer in North Carolina after the federal government approved the gaming compact between the state and the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.

Texas:

• Legal Sports Report, 3.2.21 – Opinion: How Texas Interest In Sports Betting Grew Bigger In 2021
  • In mid-January, Legal Sports Report reported that according to multiple sources, sports betting might be on the legislative agenda in Texas. Lieutenant Governor Dan Patrick, however, says it is not happening.