Industry News of the Day for May 11, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Legal Sports Report, 5.11.20 – Analysis: After DraftKings Goes Public, Which Sports Betting Company Could Be Next?
  • US investors appear to have some pent-up demand for online gambling companies. Over the last couple of weeks, both DraftKings and GAN enjoyed quite successful public listings.
• Online Poker Report, 5.8.20 – PokerStars Donates $1M For Saturday’s ‘Stars CALL For Action’ Celebrity Charity Event
  • On Saturday, PokerStars hosted a celebrity-filled online poker tournament, the STARS Call For Action. The event is designed to raise money for multiple charitable organizations, including CARE International.
• SBC News, 5.11.20 – Betinvest Boosts Sportradar Coverage With Table Tennis Solutions
  • Betinvest will supply Sportradar with of a range of classic sports coverage including the inaugural WIN CUP table tennis competition.

Industry News:

• Axios, 5.8.20 – The Growth Of Mobile Sports Betting
  • Sports betting has long been associated with bookies and casinos, but those days are coming to an end. Now, sportsbooks’ target customer is closer to your average sports fan — and the best way to reach the vast majority of them is through their phones.
• Yahoo! Sports, 5.8.20 – BetMGM Expecting Record Digital Numbers For UFC 249, As Live Mainstream Sports Betting Finally Returns
  • UFC 249 took place Saturday in Jacksonville, marking the first mainstream American live sporting event on the schedule since mid-March, not counting horse racing.

Overall Industry News:

• Legal Sports Report, 5.8.20 – LSR Q+A: ICE North America Director On Bringing The New Orleans Experience Online
  • ICE North America will take place online from May 11-15, with more than 1,500 participants set to attend.

Maryland:

• Gaming Intelligence, 5.11.20 – Maryland Governor Allows Sports Betting Proposal To Pass Without Signature (subscription paywall)
  • The question of expanding gambling to include sports and event wagering will be subject to a referendum in November after Governor Larry Hogan allowed the proposal to pass into law without his signature on May 7.
• Ballotpedia, 5.11.20 – Maryland Sports Betting Expansion Measure Wil Appear On November Ballots
  • The Maryland Sports Betting Expansion Measure, a legislatively referred state statute, was certified for the ballot on May 7. The ballot measure would authorize sports and events wagering at certain licensed facilities.

Virginia:

• Virginia Mercury, 5.11.20 – Casinos Are Shuttered Across America. But Gaming Interests Say They’re Still Coming To Virginia.
  • With at least four cities set to vote on casinos in Virginia this November, the industry players who want to build them say they’re still on track to proceed.
• JD Supra, 5.8.20 – Virginia Legislature Passes Casino Gaming And Sports Betting Bills
  • As the saying goes, “Virginia is for Lovers”, but as of late April 2020, Virginia is also for casino gaming and sports betting.

Michigan:

• PlayMichigan, 5.8.20 – Report: Michigan AG Threatens Penalties As Tribes Look To Open Casinos
  • There seems to be no contention that Michigan tribal casinos are free to open, despite Gov. Gretchen Whitmer declaring a statewide stay-home order through May 28.

Illinois:

• PlayIllinois, 5.11.20 – Illinois Casinos Have Lost An Estimated $100 Million Since Mid-March
  • All Illinois gambling operations have been suspended since March 16 and will remain suspended “until further notice” in accordance with Gov. J.B. Pritzker’s guidelines.
• Law360, 5.8.20 – Daily Fantasy Sports Ruling Is A Win For Operators, Players (subscription paywall)
  • The Illinois Supreme Court recently held in Dew-Becker v. Wu that head-to-head daily fantasy sports contests are not gambling within the meaning of a section of the Illinois Criminal Code.

Iowa:

• The Gazette, 5.10.20 – Iowa Casinos Roll Snake Eyes In April: With Sports Bets Idle, Debate Turns To eSports
  • The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission’s revenue report for April from the 19 state-licensed casinos is littered with zeros.

South Dakota:

• PlayIA, 5.9.20 – Many South Dakota Casinos In And Around Deadwood Starting To Reopen
  • Deadwood, South Dakota became the first commercial casino market in the US to reopen on Thursday, May 7, after receiving the go ahead from city commissioners earlier this week.

Colorado:

• PlayColorado, 5.8.20 – Colorado Sports Betting Has Strong First Week
  • The sports betting launch wasn’t exactly what most pictured for Colorado five months ago. Yet the first week was still a successful one given the challenging circumstances.
• SBC Americas, 5.11.20 – Colorado Division Of Gaming Gives Green Light For Carousel Group
  • iGaming holding company Carousel Group has been given licensing approval from the Colorado Division of Gaming to offer legal online sports betting in the state.