Industry News of the Day for May 18, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• Legal Sports Report, 5.17.21: DraftKings, FanDuel Start Pitching Florida Sports Betting Inclusion [DraftKings, FanDuel mentioned] 
  • Sports betting in Florida could become a monopoly, but DraftKings and FanDuel are working hard to make sure that does not happen. 

Overall Industry News: 

• US Bets, 5.17.21: It All Adds Up: NCAA Tournament Leads To Record $4.6B Handle In March [DraftKings, FanDuel mentioned]
  
  • There was little surprise March delivered a record sports betting handle for the seventh time in the last eight months as bettors across states that generate large handles were able to wager on NCAA tournament games for the first time — including four in the Midwest that missed out on the chance to do so last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Florida: 

• IGB, 5.18.21: Online Casino Negotiation Clause Removed From Florida Compact 
  • The compact allowing Florida’s Seminole Tribe to offer sports betting in the state has been approved by two House committees, but only after a new amendment removing a pathway for the tribe to offer online casino gaming in the future. 
• Play USA, 5.17.21: Seminole Tribe Seeks To Strengthen Grip on Florida Gambling Empire 
  • A multinational corporation with Native sovereignty, owner of the iconic Hard Rock International hotel and resort brand, the Seminoles wield a virtual monopoly in a legal Florida gambling market that – through shrewdness and patience – is about to become even more lucrative. 
• Legal Sports Report, 5.18.21: Analysis: Still More Questions Than Answers For Mobile Sports Betting In Florida 
  • The Florida Legislature posted a question-and-answer document regarding the compact to its website. 
• Sports Handle, 5.17.21: iGaming Stripped From Florida Compact As Sports Betting Bills Move [DraftKings, FanDuel mentioned]
  
  • Before the first vote could happen on legal sports betting during Florida‘s special session on Monday, the chains were moved, eliminating a key revenue driver for both the state and the Seminole Indian Tribe, which will have a near monopoly on gaming if its compact is approved. 
• Sports Handle, 5.17.21: What’s On Tap: The Week Ahead In Sports Betting: Florida Special Session, NBA Play-In Tourney, And NHL Playoffs 
  • The sports gambling world will be laser focused on developments in Tallahassee, where the Florida Legislature will begin a special session related to the implementation of a recent gaming compact signed last month between the Seminole Tribe of Florida and the state of Florida. 
• Online Poker Report, 5.17.21: Promise To Negotiate Online Gambling Removed From Florida Sports Betting Compact 
  • The Sunshine State is in the process of negotiating a new compact with the Seminole Tribe. The main purpose of the changes is to allow the tribe and its iconic Hard Rock Hotel & Casino to conduct sports betting. 
• Tampa Bay Times, 5.17.21: Florida races toward mobile sports betting, but where are data privacy safeguards? 
  • As the Florida Legislature convened this week for a special session to legalize mobile sports betting in Florida, one issue essential to the growth of the industry has been left out of drafts of the 18 bills filed in the House and Senate: How the gambling industry harvests and handles consumers’ data 

Michigan: 

• IGB, 5.18.21: Michigan Gaming Control Board Confirms Williams As New Executive Director 
  • The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) has formally announced Henry Williams as its new executive director following approval from the state’s Senate. 
• MI Bets, 5.17.21: Michigan Gaming Control Board Names Henry Williams As Executive Director 
  • The Michigan Gaming Control Board named Henry Williams as its new executive director on Monday, several days after Williams received confirmation from the Michigan Senate. 
• Play Michigan, 5.17.21: Henry Williams Takes Over As Michigan Gaming Control Board Executive Director 
  • Henry Williams, who served as a deputy director under the departing Richard Kalm, was confirmed last week by the Michigan Senate and officially assumed the position on Monday. 

North Carolina:  

• Star News Online, 5.18.21: Can A Pair Of Legislators Get North Carolina To Bet On Legal Sports Gambling [FanDuel and DraftKings mentioned] 
  • Sen. Jim Perry (R-Lenoir) and Sen. Paul Lowe (D-Forsyth) met for dinner, as they often do, to discuss politics. The topic of conversation? How, as North Carolinians, they need to follow the state motto and begin to face reality. 

Missouri: 

• IGB, 5.17.21: Missouri Betting Bills Advance To Emerging Issues Committee 
  • Four bills that seek to authorize and regulate sports betting in the state of Missouri have all advanced to the Missouri House of Representatives Emerging Issues Committee.