Industry News of the Day for May 5, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• Play Michigan, 5.4.21: PointsBet’s First Online Casino Launches In Michigan, Becomes State’s 13th 
  • PointsBet confirmed the launch of the company’s first online casino Tuesday afternoon, a few hours after the Michigan Gaming Control Board. announced its approval. 
• Online Poker Report, 5.4.21: Branching Out: PointsBet Makes Its First Foray Into the US Online Casino Space With Michigan Launch 
  • As of this morning, the Australian sportsbook PointsBet has made its first foray into the US iGaming market. It already offers sports betting in six states and has now rolled out an online casino in Michigan. 
• SBC, 5.4.21: FanDuel Group Designated Exclusive Sports Betting Partner Of The Ringer 
  • DFS and sportsbook operator FanDuel Group and sports and pop culture website The Ringer have today announced a new year-long partnership which will run through February 2022. 
• SBC, 5.4.21: PointsBet Launches Proprietary iGaming Platform in Michigan 
  • PointsBet Holdings Limited has announced that its wholly owned subsidiary PointsBet Michigan LLC, having been authorized by the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) to commence igaming operations, has launched its proprietary igaming platform in the state. 
• IGB, 5.4.21: PointsBet Confirms First US iGaming Launch in Michigan 
  • Gambling operator PointsBet has announced its first igaming launch in the US, going live with its proprietary platform in Michigan. Players in the US state will now have access to PointsBet’s selection of online casino games, after the operator secured approval from the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB). 
• SBC, 5.4.21: Catena Media Acquires Sports Betting Affiliate Lineups.com for $39.6m 
  • Affiliate firm Catena Media plc has confirmed the acquisition of 100% of the shares in sports betting affiliate Lineups.com for $39.6m. The deal comprises three cash instalments over a two-year period. 

Overall Industry News: 

• US Bets, 5.4.21: A Wicked Awesome Update On New England Sports Betting 
  • In four of the six states that make up New England, however, sports fans who want to be able to wager on games legally do still have a little something to gripe about 
• Sports Handle, 5.4.21: Gaming Industry Leaders Seek End To Federal Gaming Tax 
  • A wagering excise tax was first passed by Congress in 1951, imposing a 10% tax on sports betting revenue and a $50 “occupational stamp” for each person employed in book operations 
• Sports Handle, 5.4.21: Sports Leagues Continue To Lobby To Force Sportsbooks To Use Their Data 
  • While New York and Florida have been stealing plenty of the “will-they-or-won’t-they-legalize-online- sportsbooks” chatter this year, Ohio legislators have been taking a workman-like approach to the issue, spending nine weeks on hearings from interested parties before crafting a bill. 

Nevada: 

• Online Poker Report, 5.4.21: Nevada Regulators To Consider Authorizing Online Casinos In Public Consultation May 13 
  • The US could soon see one more state with legal online casinos. The remarkable thing is that it won’t require new legislation to happen. 

Louisiana:  

• Legal Sports Report, 5.4.21: Key Representative Lays Out Louisiana Sports Betting Situation 
  • The representative behind a key Louisiana sports betting bill is optimistic it will pass. Rep. John Stefanski told LSR he will spend this week meeting with fellow House members talking about HB 697. He plans to take the bill up on the floor for a third reading next week. 
• The Advocate, 5.4.21: What Will Sports Betting Look Like In Louisiana? These Are The Bills To Watch 
  • The effort to detail how Louisiana residents will wager on sporting events in the future begins in earnest Wednesday when the House votes on the taxes and fees attached with sports betting. 

Ohio: 

• Legal Sports Report, 5.4.21: Long-Awaited Ohio Sports Betting Bill Expected This Week, Sponsor Says 
  • The long-awaited Ohio sports betting bill will be introduced Thursday, according to a key sponsor. Sen. Kirk Schuring told local radio station WHBC he is still working on the bill. 

Michigan: 

• MI Bets, 5.4.21: PointsBet Casino Goes Live In Michigan, Becoming The 13th Online Casino In State 
  • The Michigan online casino world is now a baker’s dozen, as PointsBet and its partner, the Lac Vieux Desert tribe, went live on Tuesday, May 4 at 10 a.m. local time. 
• Play Michigan, 5.4.21: UPDATED: Michigan’s Problem Gambling Calls Have Nearly Doubled. But Is Online Gambling Truly To Blame? 
  • Multiple reports last week stated that calls to the Michigan Problem Gambling Helpline were up sixfold in February, compared with the same month in 2020. 

Virginia: 

• SBC, 5.4.21: Virginia Sportsbooks Exceed Expectations To Pass $300m Milestone in March 
  • Virginia sportsbooks surpassed $300m in March wagers, becoming just the eighth US state, and the earliest, to reach the milestone.