Industry News of the Day for May 6, 2019

By iDEA | May 6, 2019

Industry News:

Montana:

  • AP, 5.3.19 – Montana Governor Signs Sports Betting Bill
    • Montana became the first state to legalize sports betting this year after Gov. Steve Bullock signed a bill Friday for the state lottery to oversee a system of wagering through kiosks and mobile applications that could be running by fall.
  • Legal Sports Report, 5.3.19 – Montana Sports Betting Improbably First To The Finish Line In 2019
    • Montana sports betting officially became legal Friday when Gov. Steve Bullock signed one of two passed bills on the topic. The Associated Press reports that H 725 received Bullock’s signature and made Montana the ninth state with a US sports betting operation.

Colorado:

  • KOAA News, 5.3.19 – Colorado Voters Could Decide On Allowing Sports Betting In Casinos
    • In the final day of the 2019 Colorado General Assembly, lawmakers have given final approval to asking voters if they’ll allow licensed casinos in Colorado the ability to take wagers on sporting events. The measure will head to Governor Jared Polis for approval.
  • Legal Sports Report, 5.5.19 – Rocky Mountain Aye: Colorado Sports Betting Bill Approved By Senate
    • Voters will decide the fate of Colorado sports betting this fall if Gov. Jared Polis signs a bill passed Friday by the state Senate. The Senate approved H 1327, a sports betting bill referring to matter to the fall ballot on a 27-8 vote. The House must still concur to the Senate’s one minor amendment.
  • Colorado Public Radio, 5.3.19 – A Bill Legalizing Sports Betting In Colorado Cleared The Capitol, But There Are More Hurdles Ahead
    • Sports betting cleared the state Senate in the waning moments of the legislative session, and now awaits Gov. Jared Polis’ signature. Polis has indicated he supports the bill. But even with his approval, the measure would still face many tests in the months ahead.
  • Sports Handle, 5.3.19 – Colorado Senate Passes Sports Betting Bill, Poised To Send To Governor
    • Colorado is poised to become the fifth state to send a sports betting bill to its governor after the Senate passed HB 1327 late Thursday night. The bill would ultimately send the decision to legalize sports betting to the voters, and would allow for mobile sports betting.

Illinois:

  • Chicago Tribune, 5.2.19 – Gambling Expansion, Sports Betting On Collision Course As End Of Illinois’ Legislative Session Nears
    • The smart money says that if Illinois lawmakers are going to legalize sports betting this spring, it’s going to be part of a larger gambling expansion deal that also includes new casino licenses and expanded betting options at horse tracks.
  • Heart of Illinois ABC, 5.2.19 – Illinois Sports Betting Bill Expected Next Week
    • Illinois’ sports betting bill could be ready next week, Rep. Mike Zalewski (D, Riverside) said. This comes as the legislative session ticks towards its conclusion May 31. Zalewski has been working on HB 3308 since February, and says that they have held several hearings to get input from different stakeholders.

North Carolina:

Michigan:

  • Online Poker Report, 5.3.19 – Michigan Online Gambling Bill Needs More Work To Get Past Governor
    • Despite passing expanded gambling legislation last year, lawmakers in Michigan seem to be further from the finish line than they were to begin the 2019 session. A package of associated bills, including one aimed at legalized online gambling, ran into opposition during a House hearing on Thursday morning.

New York:

  • AP, 5.4.19 – Sports Betting On Agenda, More Incivility
    • New York lawmakers are considering legislation that would allow wagering on sports on mobile devices, an issue that’s also being debated in other states. The Senate Standing Committee on Racing, Gaming and Wagering will hear testimony Wednesday in Albany.
  • US Bets, 5.3.19 – Revisions To Proposed New York State Sports Betting Law Make Bill “Cleaner”
    • Proposed sports wagering at Resorts World Casino at Aqueduct Racetrack in Queens, off-track betting outlets, and professional sports stadiums has been eliminated from the latest version of New York’s proposed enabling legislation.

Rhode Island:

  • NBC Boston, 5.2.19 – GOP Activist Sues Rhode Island Over Launch of Sports Betting
    • A Republican activist is suing over sports betting in Rhode Island, saying the state should have sought voter approval before legalizing and launching it. Daniel Harrop said Thursday sports betting should stop pending a statewide referendum. Former Rhode Island Republican Party Chairman Brandon Bell and attorney Joe Larisa filed a lawsuit against state lottery officials Wednesday on behalf of Harrop, a member of the party’s central committee.

Maine:

  • WSN, 5.2.19 – Maine Debates Two New Sports Betting Bills
    • Two new sports betting bills were introduced in committee as Maine continues to craft legislation that would bring legalized wagering to the state. Senate President Troy Jackson has introduced two new sports betting bills for committee approval bringing the total proposed wagering measures during the current session to seven.

Sports League News:

  • Las Vegas Review-Journal, 5.3.19 – NCAA Ends Ban, Paves Way For Las Vegas To Host Title Events
    • Las Vegas took one step closer Friday to landing major college postseason events such as the Final Four men’s basketball tournament and the College Football Playoff National Championship.
  • Legal Sports Report, 5.3.19 – Las Vegas Primed To Host College National Championships After NCAA Dumps Archaic Policy
    • The NCAA finished the job this week that it started last year by permanently axing its policy banning championship games from states with legal sports betting. The move clears the way for Las Vegas and similar prime tourist destinations to host national title games in the post-PASPA world. This could include the College Football Playoff, Final Four, Frozen Four, and other crown-jewel events for the NCAA.
  • AP, 5.3.19 – NCAA Rescinds Ban On Events In States With Legal Gambling
    • The NCAA has rescinded its policy prohibiting championship events from being held in states that have legalized sports gambling. The expected move was announced Friday. After last year’s Supreme Court decision that opened the door for states to sponsor legalize sports betting, the NCAA indefinitely suspended the policy that previously had kept events such as the men’s basketball tournament out of Nevada.
  • NJ Online Gambling, 5.3.19 – NCAA Reality Check: Sports Betting States Can Host Tournament Games
    • In 2013, the NCAA laid down the hammer on New Jersey colleges and universities over the state’s temerity to challenge a federal law passed in 1992 that effectively banned sports betting outside of Nevada. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court vacated that law in siding with New Jersey and against the NCAA and the four major U.S. professional sports leagues.
  • NJ Gambling Sites, 5.3.19 – NCAA Ends Ban On Championship Events For States With Sports Betting, NJ Included
    • NCAA championship-level events — including March Madness — could be coming back to New Jersey, despite the organization’s desire to see sports wagering bans across the US.

iDEA Growth Member News:

Overall Industry News:

  • Play USA, 5.2.19 – Why States Should Embrace Online Casinos Along With Sports Betting
    • Perhaps one of the industry’s biggest mysteries is that no state has taken the plunge with online casino gaming in the five-plus years since New Jersey first flipped the switch on its regulated iGaming market. As things stand, legal online casino gaming is still only available in New Jersey and Delaware. The only other online gaming state, Nevada, allows internet poker.
  • PR Newswire, 5.6.19 – Gambling.com Announces the American Gambling Awards Finalists
    • The American Gambling Awards have announced more than 50 unique finalists across 14 categories for the inaugural edition of the awards. Gambling.com will present the winners with the Golden Eagle trophy on June 18th, 2019 at the All-American Sports Betting Summit.
  • Reuters, 5.6.19 – Sinclair CEO Sees Possible Deals With Amazon And Others Seeking Live Sports
    • Sinclair Broadcast Group Inc would consider teaming up with Amazon.com Inc and other tech giants to offer live sports, its chief told Reuters, fresh from announcing a $9.6 billion deal to buy Disney’s regional sports networks.
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