Industry News of the Day for May 21, 2019
iDEA Growth in the News:
- Courthouse News, 5.20.19 – Worries Of Online Gambling Crackdown Spur States To Action (iDEA Growth founder Jeff Ifrah quoted)
- One year after the U.S. Supreme Court legalized sports betting, the Trump administration is digging in for a new showdown with states that want online poker and other forms of internet gambling to also get a green light.
Industry News:
- Legal Sports Report, 5.20.19 – Sports Betting Legislative Lasso: Iowa Gets In; Tennessee Next In Line
- Lo and behold, for the third consecutive week, there’s a new addition to the list of states standing on the doorstep of legal sports betting. You’re up first this week, Iowa.
Nevada:
- Online Poker Report, 5.20.19 – Could PartyPoker Be Coming To Nevada For Online Poker?
- Could a new online poker room come to the Silver State? When it comes to online poker in Nevada, WSOP NV is for practical purposes the only game in town, and has been since 2014, when the first-to-market Ultimate Poker shut down. Today, there is technically speaking an alternative in Real Gaming, but its traffic is almost nonexistent.
Mississippi:
- Sun Herald, 5.20.19 – 7 Ways Sports Betting Is Changing Mississippi Coast Casinos, One Year After Legalization
- Mississippi is the only state in the Southeastern Conference where fans legally can bet on football or basketball, and that’s made wagering at a Coast casino different than in Vegas or New Jersey.
- Sports Handle, 5.20.19 – Like Rest Of Country, Mississippi Sportsbooks Feel Seasonal Pain
- Just like the rest of the states with legal sports betting, Mississippi sportsbooks felt the pain of fewer big events in April, as state-wide handle dropped to $19.19 mm from $32 mm in March, according to the Mississippi Gaming Commission’s latest revenue report. Across the state, sportsbooks had an average hold of nearly 11 percent, resulting in taxable revenue of $2.58 mm.
Tennessee:
- Sports Handle, 5.20.19 – Tennessee Anticipates 3.5 Million Tourists Each Year Will Be Sports Gamblers
- Tennessee is on the cusp of putting the finishing touches on an online-only sports betting bill, which will become law in a matter of days after the governor lets it go on the books without his signature. The state is eyeing a sports betting industry that will generate $254 mm in annual, taxable gaming revenue. That comes from a projection that the state’s 21-and-over population of 4.95 mm and about 3.52 mm of-age tourists will generate, on average, $30 in gross gaming revenue annually.
Montana:
- Montana Sports, 5.19.19 – Montana Lottery Working Through Sports-Betting Process; Legalization Worries UM Athletic Director
- In early May, Governor Steve Bullock signed House Bill 725 into law, legalizing sports wagering in Montana. The Montana Lottery will operate sports wagering, which will be rolled out within 12 months — likely sooner. While no specific dates have been set, the public will likely be able to bet on the 2020 Super Bowl.
Maine:
- Bangor Daily News, 5.20.19 – Maine Is Racing Toward Legal Sports Betting, But A Few Key Questions Still Must Be Resolved
- Maine looks like a good bet to become one of the initial states to allow sports betting after a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision, but lawmakers on a legislative panel still have some thorny issues to sort out before coming to a solution.
Overall Industry News:
- Columbia Journalism Review, 5.20.19 – A Former ESPN Editor’s Big Bet On Sports Gambling
- The casino floor of The Palms, just off The Strip in Las Vegas, is an ecosystem with separate spheres of activity. The pits are filled with tourists jockeying for spots at blackjack, roulette, and craps. Among the clamoring slot machines, patrons wave down cocktail waitresses. But on this Wednesday night, the real action is over in the sportsbook, where a growing line of people wait to place bets on live sports.