Industry News of the Day for May 15, 2023

iDEA Growth Member News

  • SBC Americas: Paysafe Cites US Success As Upgraded Skrill Wallet Goes Live In Ontario
    • Paysafe has pivoted to enhance its offering in the Canadian province of Ontario by launching its upgraded Skrill digital wallet for online betting. The revamped digital wallet has been operational in the US since October 2021, acting as a major upgrade to its previous carnation by instantly funding wagers and smoothing the cash-out process.

Industry News

  • Associated Press: Firm That Helped Expose Alabama Baseball Gambling Scandal Launches Integrity Hotline
    • A sports integrity monitor launched a tool Thursday to help athletes, coaches and staff to anonymously report suspicions about gambling activity to regulators and law enforcement. The tip hotline “Athlete Alert Powered by RealResponse” was announced by U.S. Integrity, a sports data integrity company that played a role in an ongoing investigation into possible wrongdoing involving a University of Alabama baseball game.

Illinois

  • PlayIllinois: Where Online Gambling Bills Stand In The 2023 Illinois Legislative Session
    • A series of online gambling and problem gambling bills are currently working their way through the Illinois Legislature. Some of them are making some progress. Meanwhile, others appear to be dead in the water. Some of the major issues these measures address are legalizing online casinos, attacking problem gambling and deciding if Illinois residents can place bets on local college teams.

Indiana

  • Sports Handle: Indiana Reaches $1 Billion In Total Sports Wagering Revenue
    • Indiana became just the sixth state in the post-PASPA era to reach $1 billion in adjusted sports wagering gross revenue when the state’s gaming commission on Friday reported $29.4 million in AGR for the month of April. The Hoosier State joined New Jersey, New York, Nevada, Illinois, and Pennsylvania in this select circle, having reached the benchmark in 44 months of wagering after accepting its first bets in September 2019.

Iowa

  • PlayIA: Iowa Sports Betting Numbers Dip In April
    • Iowa sports betting revenue dipped in April compared to the previous month. The drop wasn’t unexpected. The men’s and women’s NCAA basketball tournaments took place in March, while the NBA and NHL playoffs had just gotten underway near the end of April. Revenue in April from sports betting was $14.1 million, while March revenue topped out at $19.8 million, a 40% drop in April. Total sports betting handle was $172.6 million in April, down 35% from March’s $232.6 million.

Missouri

  • St. Louis Post-Dispatch: On Final Day, Missouri Legislature Fails In Bid To Approve Sports Betting
    • Missourians hoping to place bets on sporting events will have to wait at least another year after Republican infighting in the Missouri Senate left a handful of high-profile issues unresolved as the Legislature adjourned for the year Friday. Along with a furious, last-minute failed push to tax and regulate wagering on sports, a chaotic final day in the upper chamber meant the demise of a bid to reduce the state’s personal property tax on vehicles.

North Carolina

  • NC Sharp: North Carolina HBCUs To Gain From New Sports Betting Bill
    • North Carolina’s sports betting bill, House Bill 347, plans to allocate $300,000 annually to five in-state Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). The bill currently sits in the Senate Rules and Operations Committee, but with Crossover Day for the North Carolina Legislature in the rearview, the bill should pick up speed in the coming weeks. The Senate has until Aug. 31 to conclude its business for the year.

Rhode Island

  • PlayUSA: Rhode Island Senate Committee Hits Pause On Online Casino Bill
    • The Rhode Island online casino bill (SB948) which lawmakers introduced in April, is currently put on hold. Before moving forward, Senate Special Legislation and Veterans Affairs Committee members voted to wait and get some questions about it answered. In this particular case, SB948 specifies using the Bally Casino app. The app is powered by Bally’s Corporation, which has two retail casinos in the state and pushed for the legislation.

Texas

  • Legal Sports Report: Texas Sports Betting Bill Declared Dead By Lieutenant Governor
    • The people will not have a say on Texas sports betting in 2023 after Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick had his. Patrick tweeted Saturday afternoon that HB 1942 will not receive consideration in the state Senate. The lieutenant governor serves as the president of the Senate in Texas, giving Patrick power beyond what exists for non-voting members of a chamber in most other states.