Industry News of the Day for May 24, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News 

• Sports Handle, 5.21.21: Legal Sports Betting Could Kill Daily Fantasy — At Least Temporarily — In Connecticut (DraftKings, FanDuel, PointsBet mentioned) 
  • For the second time this week, the future of daily fantasy sports is at risk in a state contemplating legal sports betting. When the Connecticut House late Thursday passed HB 6451, a bill that would legalize statewide mobile sports betting operated nearly exclusively by the state’s two tribes, it also put in peril the future of DFS companies operating in the state. 
• Boston Herald, 5.21.21: Connecticut moves closer to legalizing sports betting while Massachusetts remains at a standstill (DraftKings and Jason Robins mentioned) 
  • Connecticut sports betting drew closer to becoming legal after House lawmakers passed a gambling bill by a 122-21 vote Thursday night, increasing the odds that Massachusetts will be one of the only New England states to not legalize it for the NFL season. 
• SBC, 5.24.21: DraftKings Commits To ICRG Fund To Support Research On Sports Wagering 
  • Sportsbook and DFS operator DraftKings Inc has made a financial commitment to a new initiative launched by the International Center for Responsible Gaming which will focus on promoting responsible gaming in the sports betting sector. 
• SBC, 5.24.21: DraftKings Teams With NASCAR’s 23XI Racing and Bubba Wallace 
  • DraftKings Inc will become the first Official Daily Fantasy Sports, iGaming and Sports Betting Partner of 23XI Racing and its driver, Bubba Wallace, pending regulatory approval in applicable jurisdictions. 
• SBC, 5.24.21: PointsBet Becomes Authorized Gaming Operator of WNBA 
  • Global sportsbook operator PointsBet and the Women’s National Basketball Association (WNBA) have agreed a new partnership making PointsBet an Authorized Gaming Operator of the WNBA. 

Overall Industry News: 

• News Gazette, 5.24.21: What to Expect from the Sports Betting Industry 
  • Sports betting was soaring to never-before-seen heights in 2019. The Supreme Court allowed individual states to implement sports betting in 2018. This was because the court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was unconstitutional in a 6-3 decision. 

West Virginia: 

• Play WV, 5.21.21: West Virginia Sports Betting Figures Plummet, Reach Only $28 Million In April Handle 
  • The West Virginia sports betting market endured its worst showing in a long time. Mountain State sportsbooks accepted just $28 million in wagers during the month of April. This is a significant drop-off of around $15 million from March. 

Ohio: 

• Gaming Today, 5.21.21: Not Everyone Likes The Ohio Sports Betting Bill, Now What? 
  • As 2021 unfolded, week after week, the Ohio Senate Select Committee on Gaming heard testimony as it worked to craft legislation to bring sports betting to Ohio 

Connecticut: 

• AP News, 5.20.21: Connecticut House Approves Sports Betting Deal With Tribes 
  • The state House of Representatives approved a long-awaited gambling agreement Thursday that Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont reached in March with the state’s two federally recognized Native American tribes, moving the state closer to legalizing sports and online gambling. 

Maryland: 

• Southern Maryland Chronicle, 5.21.21: Impact of Sports Betting Bill Already Seen in Maryland 
  • It has been just one day since Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signed HB 940 into law, and we are already seeing the effects this legislation is having in Southern Maryland and across the entire state. 

Washington:  

• MyNorthwest, 5.22.21: More Washington Tribes Inch Closer To Sports Betting As New Concerns Arise 
  • The battle to get legal sports betting in Washington state has been a constant since a 2018 U.S. Supreme Court decision that scrapped a law that had made it illegal in most states. The 2020 legislative session brought dueling bills – some in favor of only allowing sports wagers on tribal lands at casinos, and others pushing to expand that to existing card rooms and race tracks. 

Colorado: 

• Play CO, 5.24.21: Colorado Is The Least Responsible In Sports Betting Legislation, Study Finds 
  • Colorado does a lot right when it comes to gaming and sports betting. But there is one area that must improve, and that’s responsible gambling. The state does not do enough or put as much of an emphasis on the issue as it should. And that needs to change.