Industry News of the Day for May 6, 2020
Industry News:
- Betting News, 5.5.20 – More States Could Legalize Online Gaming, Sports Betting Because Of Pandemic
- Too many brick-and-mortar casinos and sportsbooks are finding out difficult it is to have a business that may have already been dying. With the advent of online gaming and mobile sportsbook websites, people are opting for the easier route if it is available.
- Sports Handle, 5.5.20 – Will Betting On Elections Happen In U.S.? Experts Weigh In
- The title of a panel at the SBC Digital Summit last week — broadcast remotely, of course — was “Alternatives For Sports Betting When Traditional Sports Are Shut Down.”
- Gambling Compliance, 5.6.20 – eSports Betting Interest Could Last Beyond Return Of Sports, Experts Say (subscription paywall)
- Bets continue to roll in worldwide on obscure professional sports, esports, and virtual sports products, but experts from several different companies say that although some genres may disappear from the sports betting consciousness when major sports return, the interest in others may not be temporary.
- Sports Handle, 5.6.20 – Coronavirus Pandemic Slams Brakes On Sports Betting M&A Activity, But Advisors Remain Confident In Long Game
- The frenetic pace of dealmaking in the nascent U.S. legal sports betting market has predictably slowed during the spread of COVID-19, dampening the mergers-and-acquisitions environment across the industry as several proposed mega-mergers near completion.
- PlayUSA, 5.5.20 – PlayUSA Rewind: Online Poker Championships Flourish In Pennsylvania, New Jersey
- While we’re not out of the woods yet, states across the country are beginning to ease restrictions surrounding the coronavirus pandemic.
- The Line, 5.5.20 – Coronavirus And The Multi-Tier Effect On The Sports Betting Landscape
- Sports was one of the industries that arguably suffered some of the earliest damage from the COVID-19 crisis.
Overall Industry News:
- Online Poker Report, 5.5.20 – Unbound By Shutdown Mandates, US Tribal Casinos Slowly Start To Reopen
- According to the American Gaming Association (AGA), there are 989 brick-and-mortar casinos in the US. At the moment, 986 of them are closed due to the coronavirus outbreak.
Louisiana:
- Sports Handle, 5.5.20 – Betting On The Bayou? Louisiana Lawmakers Move Sports Betting
- A Louisiana Senate committee approved three amended sports betting bills, at least two of which will now go to the Finance Committee.
- Gambling Compliance, 5.6.20 – Louisiana Lawmakers Move Sports-Betting Bills, Voter Approval Still In Limbo (subscription paywall)
- Louisiana lawmakers on Tuesday voted three sports-betting bills out of committee, but any effort to legalize wagering on professional and collegiate sports could be delayed even if voters overwhelmingly approve a bill in November.
- US Bets, 5.5.20 – Louisiana Moves Closer To Sports Betting, If Legislature Can Avoid Another Fumble
- Louisianans could vote in November on a parish-by-parish basis on whether to allow sports betting.
- The Advocate, 5.5.20 – Sports Gambling Bills Are Off To A Good Start With Louisiana Legislative Committee
- The steady push to expand gambling in Louisiana continued Tuesday when a state Senate committee approved two measures that would give voters the right to legalize betting on college and professional sports.
New Jersey:
- PlayNJ, 5.5.20 – Closing The Deal: What The Caesars-Eldorado Merger Could Mean For Atlantic City
- The Caesars-Eldorado merger reaching the finish line is taking longer than planned.
Pennsylvania:
- PlayPennsylvania, 5.5.20 – Wind Creek Casino Seeks Retail Sportsbook Approval As Reopening Preps Continue
- Business will be different at Wind Creek Bethlehem once COVID-19 restrictions ease, and not just with continuing distancing, sanitizing precautions, and limits on crowding, which will be commonplace across all of the state’s one dozen casinos.
Virginia:
- WSET, 5.5.20 – Virginia Lottery Launches Site For Information On Casinos And Sports Betting
- The Virginia Lottery has launched an online microsite that provides key information on rulemaking and key timelines for Virginia consumers.
Michigan:
- PlayMichigan, 5.5.20 – After U.P. Casino Balks, What Michigan Casino Will Be The First To Reopen
- After the Upper Peninsula’s Island Resort and Casino decided to change course and not open this week, what Michigan casino will be the first one to open?
Illinois:
- PlayIllinois, 5.6.20 – PointsBet Eyeing Month Of July For Retail Launch In Illinois
- While Illinois bettors don’t have much more than table tennis and South Korean baseball, a unique sportsbook is positioning itself to join the state’s betting landscape.
Minnesota:
- Minneapolis Star-Tribune, 5.6.20 – All In-State Bets Are Off For Canterbury Park, Running Aces Fans Forced To Stay Home
- A bill authored by state Reps. Brad Tabke (DFL-Shakopee) and Tony Albright (R-Prior Lake) would have allowed state residents to bet online or by phone on races held in Minnesota through 2021. That provision has been stripped out of an amended version that will be heard Wednesday by the House Commerce Committee.
Colorado:
- Colorado Politics, 5.6.20 – The Plan For Sports Wagering To Be A Salvation Is Thrown A Curve (subscription paywall)
- The proposition was supposed to be simple: legalize and tax sports betting, fund the state water plan and solve a critical growth problem for Colorado.
- KDVR, 5.5.20 – Table Tennis Dominates Early Colorado Sports Betting Numbers
- Sports betting has been legal in Colorado for less than a week, but it’s already producing some interesting results.
Oklahoma:
- Legal Sports Report, 5.5.20 – Oklahoma AG: Governor ‘Lacks Authority’ To Allow Tribal Sports Betting
- Attorney General Mike Hunter made his opinion on Oklahoma sports betting official: the governor cannot contradict state gaming law in tribal compacts.
Nevada:
- PlayNevada, 5.5.20 – Casinos Getting Health And Safety Plans Ready For Opening
- Nevada casino operators are already sharing health and safety plans for when Gov. Steve Sisolak allows them to reopen.
- News 3 LV, 5.5.20 – South Point To Open Drive-Thru Sports Betting Station
- As sports start to inch toward their return this month, South Point Hotel Casino is getting back into betting action.