Industry News of the Day for May 28, 2019

iDEA Growth in the News:

Industry News:

Tennessee:

  • AP, 5.24.19 – Tennessee Governor Allows Sports Betting Without Signature
    • Tennessee is about to become the first state in the nation to offer an online-only sportsbook as the governor says he has reluctantly allowed a sports betting proposal to become law without his signature.
  • Legal Sports Report, 5.24.19 – Sports Betting Finally Expands South As Tennessee Bill Becomes Law
    • Legal sports betting is coming to Tennessee. Gov. Bill Lee returned H 1 without a signature on Friday, allowing the bill to become law as expected. His state is the fourth to legalize sports betting this year, joining Montana, Indiana, and Iowa.
  • Local Memphis, 5.24.19 – Mobile-Only Sports Betting Coming To Tennessee July 1
    • Tennessee Governor Bill Lee said Friday he reluctantly allowed the sports betting bill to become law without his signature but only because it did not “pursue casinos,” which he said encourages criminal activity. Starting July 1, Tennessee will become the first state to have mobile-only sports betting.
  • WZTV, 5.24.19 – Lee Remains ‘Philosophically Opposed’ To Sports Betting Bill, Will Allow Passage
    • Bill Lee once again confirmed that he will allow a Tennessee bill which would legalize sports betting to become a law without his signature. Lee addressed House Bill 0001 and noted that although he didn’t philosophically agree with the bill, he decided not to veto it as it “did not pursue casinos,” in an official statement released on Friday.

New Jersey:

  • Play USA, 5.24.19 – New Jersey AG Suing The DOJ Over Wire Act
    • Who knows if the Department Of Justice will ever tell the truth about where its latest Wire Act opinion came? Let’s be thankful there’s still someone willing to push the Department to admit what really happened. That someone is New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal, who filed a lawsuit against the DOJ this month.

Pennsylvania:

  • Online Poker Report, 5.24.19 – SugarHouse Hungry For A Taste Of Pennsylvania Online Gambling
    • Following a successful online casino rollout in New Jersey, the Philadelphia property is ready to challenge for market supremacy in PA. SugarHouse is one of two PA casinos owned and operated by Rush Street Gaming (along with Rivers in Pittsburgh). Both hold Category 2 licenses reserved for standalone casinos without live racing.
  • Play Pennsylvania, 5.24.19 – What’s Holding Up PA Online Sports Betting Launch? The Apple App Store
    • PA online sports betting has seemingly been close to launching in recent months, given the chatter coming from those in the know in and around the state. But as of late May, the wait goes on for online wagering of any type — online casinos as well as sports gambling. That’s more than a year and a half after the initial gaming expansion law took effect, and also more than a year since the fall of the US sports betting ban.

Ohio:

  • Legal Sports Report, 5.24.19 – Who Called Official League Data Mandate A ‘Money Grab’ At Ohio Hearing?
    • One prominent casino company held back little on Thursday in calling out official league data mandates. Eric Schippers, of Penn National Gaming, called sports leagues’ request for state legislatures to mandate the use of official league data by sports betting operators a “money grab” that is “in lieu of not being able to get the integrity fee.

Illinois:

  • Legal Sports Report, 5.24.19 – This New Illinois Sports Betting Bill Is A Real Doozy
    • Illinois is going to consider a sports betting bill unlike any other in the country. Legal Sports Report obtained a copy of the amendment Rep. Mike Zalewski is proposing in the House, and it’s a doozy. Zalewski’s attempt to legalize IL sports betting began with five impractical amendments, none of which garnered support.
  • NPR Illinois, 5.24.19 – One Week To Go: Can Illinois Still Get A Legal Sports Betting Market?
    • With only one week left in the spring legislative session, lawmakers are still trying to piece together a final sports betting proposal, but issues between daily fantasy sports company FanDuel and Rivers Casino chairman Neil Bluhm – could be holding up negotiations.
  • Illinois Public Radio, 5.28.19 – Lawmakers Want Minority Involvement In Sports Betting Industry
    • With only four days left in the Illinois legislative session, some lawmakers say they are ready to move forward with a gambling expansion proposal. But many others have pressing questions about diversity and business opportunities — one of several issues left to be worked out before the end of session May 31.
  • AP, 5.27.19 – The Latest: Casino-Expansion Link To Sports Betting Planned
    • A massive expansion of casino gambling in Illinois — a decade-long but futile legislative pursuit — was back with a boost Monday as a Democratic lawmaker took steps to make it part of a popular plan to legalize sports betting.
  • The DePaulia, 5.28.19 – Sports Betting In Illinois Could Bring In Millions, But Not On Its Own
    • Illinois could become the 10th state to legalize sports betting if it’s able to work through barriers at the legislative level, but with the legislative session closing at the end of this month, it’s unlikely the state will see it this year.

Massachusetts:

  • WWLP, 5.28.19 – Lawmakers To Discuss Legalization Of Sports Betting
    • Sports betting could soon become a reality in Massachusetts. It’ll be the topic of discussion, among state lawmakers Tuesday at the State House. Massachusetts is among a handful of states that are still considering whether or not to allow adults to legally wager on the outcome of professional sporting events.
  • AP, 5.25.19 – Massachusetts Lawmakers To Hold Hearings On Legalized Sports Betting
    • How best to legalize sports betting in Massachusetts will be the focus of a pair of hearings at the Statehouse this week as lawmakers work to tackle the latest shift in the state’s gambling landscape. The hearings will focus on several bills that aim to regulate betting on sports events, including one filed by Republican Gov. Charlie Baker that could bring in an estimated $35 million in state revenue each year.
  • Sports Handle, 5.24.19 – Mass Slowdown: Bay State Unlikely To Legalize This Year
    • At the start of 2019, it looked like Massachusetts would be among the states to legalize sports betting this year. But nearly six months later with the state’s first sports betting hearing scheduled for Tuesday, it appears Bay State lawmakers are more about listening and learning than acting.
  • Mass Live, 5.27.19 – Massachusetts Casinos Release Sports Betting Wishlist: Legal, Moderately Taxed And Reserved For Them
    • As the Massachusetts legislature prepares to debate the legalization of sports betting, the state’s casino companies are putting their cards on the table. In a joint letter to Beacon Hill lawmakers ahead of Tuesday and Wednesday’s hearing on the issue, the leaders of MGM Springfield, Encore Boston Harbor and Plainridge Park have sketched an outline of their preferred sports betting system.

Louisiana:

  • WWL, 5.28.19 – Will Sports Betting Become Legal In Louisiana?
    • Louisiana lawmakers are getting closer to asking voters if they want to legalize betting on sports? A state Senate approved bill would allow a parish by parish vote on the legalization of sports betting and is set for a hearing today in the House Appropriations Committee.

Maine:

  • Press Herald, 5.24.19 – Committee’s Split Shows Details Will Be Key To Legalizing Sports Betting
    • A legislative committee voted Friday to legalize sports betting in Maine, one year after a U.S. Supreme Court ruling allowed states to expand into the multibillion- dollar sector of the gambling industry.
  • WGME, 5.24.19 – Sports Betting Likely To Advance In Maine After Legislative Panel Strikes Deal
    • Sports betting is likely to advance in Maine in 2019 after a bipartisan group on a legislative panel came to a deal Friday on taxing and regulating the industry, though a split lingers on tying licenses for online and mobile betting sites to Maine-based facilities.
  • Maine Public, 5.24.19 – Maine Moves Closer To Legalizing Sports Betting
    • Maine has moved closer to joining the dozen or so states that have legalized gambling on athletic events. The Legislature’s Veterans And Legal Affairs Committee was divided over two proposals, but both put Maine on track to allow wagering on sporting events about one year after the U.S. Supreme Court allowed states to enter the multibillion-dollar industry.

Sports League News:

  • AFP, 5.25.19 – As US Sports Betting Expands, Leagues Fight For Their Cut
    • One year after the US Supreme Court cleared the way for legalized gambling, the US sports industry is still in pivot mode as betting spreads in fits and starts. The major leagues, which had long fought sports betting, have won sponsorships from gaming companies such as MGM Resorts and Caesars but have had only limited success in other efforts to cash in.

iDEA Growth Member News:

  • Play NJ, 5.24.19 – The Golden Touch: How AC’s Smallest Property Is King Of NJ Online Gambling (Golden Nugget)
    • Golden Nugget is well aware that it’s the smallest of the nine Atlantic City casinos. But while the golden one may not measure up in the size department (a tad over 74,000 square feet of gaming space and 728 total rooms), it’s performing just fine in the overall Atlantic City revenue picture. And much of the success comes as a result of being the NJ online casino revenue market leader.

Overall Industry News: