Industry News of the Day for May 7, 2019

Industry News:

• US Bets, 5.6.19 – Montana And Beyond: The State Of The States As The Sports Betting Floodgates Are Opening
  • Late in the day on Friday, just as lights were being turned off and office doors were being locked for the weekend, a new state quietly passed a sports betting law. With that John Hancock from Gov. Steve Bullock, a Democrat, Montana became the first state to legalize sports betting in 2019.
• Play USA, 5.6.19 – Montana Governor Signs Sports Betting Legislation, 3 More States Waiting
  • There has been a flurry of activity of late on the sports betting legislation front. Enabling bills in three states are fully passed and winging their way to the desks of the respective governors. Montana was in the same boat until it got its signature on Friday, May 3.

Montana:

• Sports Handle, 5.6.19 – Why Montana’s Governor Vetoed A Sports Betting Bill
  • Montana Senator Mark Blasdel was worried this would happen. As his sports betting bill, SB 330, was making its way through the Montana Legislature alongside a lottery bill and a parimutuel sports betting bill, he voiced concern that Governor Steve Bullock would not support the legislation he set forth.

Maine:

• WABI, 5.6.19 – Sports Betting Legalization In Maine Pushes Forward As Lawmakers Select Bill To Move Ahead With
  • Lawmakers took a big step forward Monday in the push to legalize sports betting in Maine. The Veterans and Legal Affairs (VLA) Committee picked one bill to move ahead with and killed six other bills.
• AP, 5.6.19 – Maine Sports Betting Legislation Faces Further Study
  • Lawmakers said Monday they need more time to decide on a push to allow sports betting in Maine that’s been spurred by a U.S. Supreme Court decision.
• Augusta Press Herald, 5.6.19 – Maine Lawmakers Kill Several Bills On Sports Betting, But One Survives
  • A legislative committee that oversees gambling voted Monday to kill several bills related to legalized sports betting in Maine, leaving alive a single measure that could open the door for wagering on major league sports.

Washington, DC:

• The Athletic, 5.7.19 – Sports Betting In D.C.: For Better Or Worse, It’s About To Be A Thing
  • In May of 2018, when the Supreme Court struck down a 1992 law prohibiting states from legalizing sports betting, a frenzy officially took hold. With projections of untold millions in much-needed state revenue floating about in the year, dozens of states have already rushed to implement their own versions of variously regulated sports wagering industries.

Tennessee:

• Knoxville News Sentinel, 5.6.19 – Five Things To Know About Online Gambling In Tennessee
  • This week, the Tennessee legislature passed a bill to legalize online sports betting. Here are five things to know about the legalization.

Iowa:

• Journal Des Moines Bureau, 5.6.19 – Iowa Groups Push For Gambling Legalization To Extend Online
  • As legislators recently cleared the way for the state’s newest gambling expansion into online-based sports wagering, Sen. Joe Bolkcom waved his smartphone on the Senate floor and hailed the alluring device as Iowans’ new pocket casino.

Puerto Rico:

• Sports Handle, 5.6.19 – Puerto Rico A Unique Sports Betting Challenge
  • In Puerto Rico, gambling happens everywhere from corner bars to corporate-owned casinos to the Hipodrom Camarero. But the island presents an interesting challenge when it comes to legal sports betting. Why? In part, because legal gambling is already part of the fabric of society, and it will be a challenge to determine how to regulate an industry that has mom-and-pop locations as well as highly polished corporate venues.

Overall Industry News:

• ESPN, 5.6.19 – Record $165.5 Million Bet On Kentucky Derby
  • A steady rain and one of the craziest Kentucky Derby finishes of all time didn’t dampen the betting enthusiasm from the public. Per Churchill Downs, the Derby set an all-time record for handle with $165.5 million on wagering from all-sources, up 10 percent from last year’s record handle of $149.9 million.
• Online Poker Report, 5.6.19 – A Big Gambling Conference Comes To Boston: A Guide To ICE North America
  • ICE Totally Gaming is the preeminent trade show/conference in the gambling industry, rivaled only by Global Gaming Expo (G2E). But up until now, G2E has been the US show, with ICE maintaining its European roots and focus.