Industry News of the Day for May 21, 2024
Industry News
- SBC Americas: Protecting Integrity In Sports And Betting Means Educating All Parties
- Behind the scenes, attempts to ensure integrity in sports and sports betting are constantly ongoing. But with the issue under the microscope due to a number of high-profile incidents, more people are asking what can be done. Monitoring for suspicious betting activity or potential match-fixing isn’t easy. It requires high-volume, high-commitment efforts from a range of stakeholders. Bodies such as Integrity Compliance 360 and the International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) play a leading role in attempting to identify these instances, naturally. But leagues, athletes and the general public are important pieces of the puzzle.
Massachusetts
- PlayUSA: Massachusetts To Study The Impact Of Online Casinos, AI On Public Health
- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) is looking to conduct a study on the impact of iGaming on public health. The gaming regulators are also looking for research on how Artificial Intelligence (AI) will affect the gaming industry. Both studies are part of annual research by the MGC. The gaming regulators set a budget of up to $75,000 for each study. The final results of the studies will be due a year after a research organization is selected, although some data could be released sooner.
New York
- Bonus: Addabbo Polls Constituents About Legalizing Online Casinos, Prostitution
- If New Yorkers thought online casino legalization advocacy was all they would hear about from state Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr., they found out just how wrong they were on May 17. That’s the day that the legislator emailed his constituents a poll asking about their thoughts on four pieces of legislation. One bill was about iGaming and iLottery, but the others were about legalizing prostitution, self-administered euthanasia, and adding a subway extension vs. parkland.
Pennsylvania
- PlayPennsylvania: PA Sportsbook Handle Decreases To $646 Million In April, But Up 13% From 2023
- With the NFL and March Madness in the rearview, sports betting declined in April in the Keystone State. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board reported $646.1 million in total bets and $59.1 million in revenue for the state in April. PA online sportsbook handle decreased 19.3% month-over-month, which was to be expected. However, online sportsbooks experienced a 12.9% year-over-year increase. Despite Pennsylvania being a mature sports betting state, handle keeps improving from year to year.
Michigan
- PlayMichigan: SI Casino And Sportsbook Targeting Q4 Exit Of Michigan Market
- Evoke, formerly 888 Holdings, told PlayMichigan on Monday that it plans to pull Sports Illustrated out of the Michigan gambling market at the end of 2024. Sports Illustrated operated an online casino and a sportsbook in the Great Lakes State. However, the operator lacked success in the Michigan market. With Evoke cutting ties with the media company in March, there didn’t appear to be a path forward. Sports Illustrated’s exit would reduce Michigan to 14 online casinos, leaving a spot open for another operator.