Industry News of the Day for May 9, 2019

By iDEA | May 9, 2019

Indiana:

New York:

  • Legal Sports Report, 5.8.19 – Comprehensive Sports Betting Hearing Wraps Up In New York (Several iDEA Growth members mentioned in article)
    • Gambling stakeholders gathered in the New York capitol Wednesday morning for a public hearing on legal sports betting. Sen. Joseph Addabbo presided over the discussion, acting as the chair of the Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee and the captain of an effort to legalize online betting. He was joined in the spotlight by his equal and co-sponsor in the lower chamber, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow.
  • Sports Handle, 5.8.19 – Mobile Sports Betting Debate Dominates Closely Watched New York Hearing
    • Joseph Addabbo wasted little time addressing the 10,000 pound Elephant In The Room. Less than three minutes into Addabbo’s opening statement Wednesday morning, the Queens Democrat expressed frustration at a continuing trend of New York residents crossing into New Jersey to place legal sports bets on a mobile device.
  • New York Upstate, 5.8.19 – Sports Betting By Smartphone? It Could Be Coming Soon To NY State
    • State legislation newly tweaked by its sponsors would specifically authorize the Seneca Nation and two other tribes in New York with casinos to offer mobile sports betting to consumers anywhere within the borders of the state.

Illinois:

  • Legal Sports Report, 5.8.19 – Fees Reach Unprecedented Level In New Illinois Sports Betting Proposals
    • Michael Zalewski filed two amendments to Illinois sports betting legislation ahead of Wednesday’s subcommittee hearing. The amendments, which replace the five proposals previously discussed in the state, would establish licensing and tax fees unprecedented in the US sports betting market.
  • Sports Handle, 5.8.19 – Stakeholders To Illinois: We Can’t Show You That Much Money
    • It would likely be fair to say that the only people who left Wednesday’s Illinois sports betting hearing truly happy were representatives of the professional sports leagues. And even they wanted more. Three hours before the subcommittee hearing was set to start, torch-bearer Mike Zalewski (D-District 23) filed two amendments — both with a 25 percent tax rate on operator gross sports wagering revenue, and one decidedly professional league-friendly.

Wisconsin:

  • CBS 58, 5.7.19 – Special Report: Could Sports Betting Become Legal In Wisconsin?
    • It’s a great time to be a Wisconsin sports fan — The Bucks are making a historic playoff run and the Brewers and Packers are led by MVPs. But, Wisconsin is behind when it comes to legislating sports gambling. The American Gaming Association estimates illegal sports gambling is a $150 billion dollar industry.

Tennessee:

Connecticut:

Iowa:

  • WSN, 5.8.19 – Iowa Pressured To Add Online Gambling To Wagering Expansion Bill
    • With several states already adding millions to their revenue totals with online gaming, Iowa is poised to become the next state to adopt the online option. But several lawmakers in the state are vehemently opposed to the expansion of online sports betting that is included in the state’s gaming expansion bill.

Rhode Island:

Federal News:

  • Bloomberg, 5.7.19 – New Jersey Sues U.S. For Adelson Link To Online Gambling Crackdown
    • New Jersey sued the U.S. Justice Department, claiming it failed to respond to the state’s demand for documents linking a recent crackdown on legal online gambling to lobbying efforts by casino magnate and Republican mega-donor Sheldon Adelson.
  • Philadelphia Inquirer, 5.7.19 – New Jersey Sues Over Big GOP Donor’s Role In Federal Crackdown On Online Gambling
    • New Jersey has sued the U.S. Department of Justice for failing to respond to a Freedom of Information Act request for any documents linking the lobbying efforts of casino magnate Sheldon Adelson, a major Republican donor, to the federal government’s recent threats against state-sanctioned online gambling.
  • AP, 5.7.19 – New Jersey Attorney General Sues DOJ Over Gaming Opinion
    • New Jersey’s attorney general has sued the U.S. Department of Justice to get documents related to the department’s recent legal opinion that could criminalize some online gambling.
  • New Jersey Globe, 5.7.19 – Grewal Sues DOJ Over Online Gambling
    • New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal filed a lawsuit against the U.S. Department of Justice Tuesday, seeking to force the federal agency to turn over records related to its crackdown on state-sanctioned online gambling.
  • US Bets, 5.7.19 – NJ Sues DOJ For Potential Online Poker Ban Communications With Sheldon Adelson
    • The state of New Jersey has raised the stakes in its effort to protect its growing online casino gambling industry, which generates tens of millions of dollars annually for state coffers. On Tuesday, the Garden State’s Attorney General announced a lawsuit over a Freedom of Information Act Request that the Department of Justice has so far ignored.
  • EGR (subscription paywall), 5.8.19 – NJ Attorney General Sues DOJ Over Secrecy Surrounding Wire Act Revision
    • New Jersey Attorney General (AG) Gurbir Grewal yesterday filed a lawsuit against the Department of Justice (DOJ) for violating the Freedom of Information Act in relation to the revised Wire Act interpretation. Grewal said the DOJ refused to answer questions on the link between casino investor Sheldon Adelson’s lobbying efforts against online gambling.

iDEA Growth Member News:

  • Bloomberg, 5.8.19 – Fox Buys $236 Million Stars Group Stake To Enter Betting Market
    • Fox Corp. is buying 4.99 percent of gaming giant Stars Group Inc. and starting its own sports wagering platform — by far the biggest media investment yet in the burgeoning U.S. sports-betting market.
  • SportsBusiness Daily, 5.8.19 – Fox Sports Launching U.S. App For Betting In The Fall
    • In the boldest step taken by a U.S. media company in the sports gambling space, Fox Sports will unveil an app this fall that will allow some domestic consumers to place wagers on sporting events. The move to launch Fox Bet comes as part of a wide-ranging deal Fox signed with The Stars Group that was announced after the market closed today.
  • ESPN, 5.8.19 – Fox Sports Partnering To Launch Gambling App
    • Fox Sports will become the first major U.S. media company to put its brand on a sports betting operator. Fox Corp., the parent corporation of Fox Sports, announced Wednesday that it has purchased a 4.99 percent stake in online gambling company The Stars Group for approximately $236 million, according to a news release.
  • Legal Sports Report, 5.8.19 – The Stars Group, FOX Sports To Launch FOX Bet: Questions, Answers And Analysis
    • The integration of US sports media and legal sports betting appears ready to take a major step forward. The Stars Group (TSG) and Fox Sports announced Wednesday a partnership called FOX Bet that will create apps for both real-money sports wagering and free-to-play contests. Fox will pay $236 million for a stake of just less than 5% in TSG.
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