Industry News of the Day for May 13, 2024

Industry News

• Legal Sports Report: Business By The Books: FanDuel Leads Last Week Of Q1 Sports Betting Calls
  • Sports betting conference calls finish up this week with FanDuel and Sportradar at the center of the schedule. FanDuel‘s parent company, Flutter, will report its first earnings since shareholders approved Its US listing as the primary listing. The call used to be quite early in the morning considering it was overseas, but Tuesday‘s call is scheduled for a 6:30 am Eastern start. Following FanDuel is IGT, where all ears will be open to hear more about any plans for the merger with Everi, at 8 am. Sportradar, meanwhile, kicks off at 8:30 am Wednesday. The company announced last week it signed an agreement with UTR Pro Tennis Tour to “transform fan and bettor engagement” beginning next January.

• PlayUSA: Time Has Come For US Online Gambling Licensees To Identify ‘True Villains’
  • When you’re unfairly cast as a scapegoat for a societal ill, one of the most efficient ways to escape that situation is to give the accusers the party truly responsible for the malady. When it comes to the occurrence of people struggling with problem gambling, online gambling licensees are often assigned the black hat in the United States. As that characterization depends on a simple narrative, the best way to counter it is with another equally simple narrative: offer up the real villain. In this context, that’s the unlicensed online casinos taking action in the US illegally.

• Gaming Today: FanDuel TV Launches New Free Streaming Channel
  • FanDuel is steadfast in its mission to dazzle its users with a steady diet of innovative features. This is evident as the television network of the operator, FanDuel TV, launched a new channel, “FanDuel TV Extra.” FanDuel TV Extra is a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST). With the launch of FanDuel TV and the latest-generation OTT platform, FanDuel TV+, in Sept. 2022, FanDuel Group ushered in a new era in sports entertainment. Together, these strong pairs provide viewers with an unmatched experience and have established themselves as the premier destination for live sports action, offering an extensive lineup of content ranging from exciting horse racing coverage to elite professional basketball games and unique original series.

New York

• PlayNy: Sportsbooks See Biggest April Since 2022 Launch, Fueled By March Madness Finish
  • The Final Four and NCAA tournament championship fueled the strongest April that New York has seen since launching in early 2022. As UConn made its way to the first NCAA men’s back-to-back championship in 17 years, NY sports betting saw some $1.96 billion in bets placed – the industry’s highest handle since December. As a result, online sportsbooks in New York reported a combined $183.79 million in gross gaming revenue, the highest total since January, which resulted in $93.73 million in state tax revenue.

Massachusetts

• SBC Americas: How Massachusetts Is Using Research To Rewrite The Gaming Playbook
  • In Massachusetts, like in many states, things are changing fast in gaming. The state launched digital sports betting in March 2023 and experienced an immediate influx of sports betting products, services and advertising. To say Bay Staters took to online sports wagering enthusiastically would be an understatement. With more than 1.6 million sportsbook accounts active in Massachusetts since March 2023, the state has emerged as one of America’s fastest-growing gaming markets. It generated $594.9 million in gross gaming revenue in its first full year, with total tax revenue reaching $118.5 million. That latter figure is double what the state had expected pre-launch.

Indiana

• iGB: Indiana Sports Betting Handle And Revenue Up In April
  • Indiana reported a year-on-year increase in both handle and revenue for its regulated sports betting market in April, although the state also posted month-on-month declines. Total handle in Indiana in April amounted to $393.9m (£314.4m/€365.7m). This is 22.6% ahead of $321.4m last year but 21.4% short of March’s $500.8m figure. Basketball was once again the sport of choice for bettors in the state, attracting $121.5m in total wagers. Indiana is home to NBA franchise the Indiana Pacers and Indiana Fever of the WNBA, as well as a raft of college teams.