Industry News of the Day for November 16, 2023
Industry News
- Sports Handle: Fantasy Operators Innovate As Regulators Continue To Call Current Contests Illegal
- Pick’em fantasy operators are continuing to fight regulatory agencies across the U.S. that say their games aren’t legal while at the same time developing new games that more clearly stay within the rules. Underdog Fantasy announced Monday a new game called “Pick’em Champions,” in which customers play against each other, rather than the house. The new game launched Monday in Alabama, Mississippi, and Wyoming, and the company has plans to go live with it in Tennessee in the future. Of those four states, only Alabama does not currently offer legal sports betting.
California
- PlayUSA: FanDuel’s New SVP Brings California Tribal Experience To Future Sports Betting Discussions
- A monumental rejection by California voters on the 2022 ballot showed sportsbook operators they need to change their approach if they want to participate in the country’s largest market. What worked to legalize sports betting in other states didn’t work in California, where Indian tribes control the gaming landscape. To help better navigate the nuances of dealing with California tribes, FanDuel hired someone with extensive experience working for one of the tribes that most vehemently opposed Prop 27.
Florida
- PlayFL: Florida Exclusivity Could Give Hard Rock Bet More Power In Other States
- The Seminole Tribe of Florida holds all the cards regarding sports betting in the Sunshine State. When it comes to online sports betting in Florida, the Seminole Tribe is the only option. As a result, the Seminole Tribe’s corporate umbrella, Hard Rock International, could bolster its operations in other states. Until last week, Florida was an untapped market. By population, it’s the third-largest state in the U.S., with more than 22.2 million people. It doesn’t hurt that a large chunk of them are sports fans.
Indiana
- PlayIndiana: Indiana Sportsbooks Ramp Up October Handle To $429 Million
- The return of the NFL season always sparks a massive boost in fall sports betting. Indiana bettors continued that momentum, spending more money in October than they did in September. After taking in $404.1 million in sports wagers in September, Indiana’s total sports betting handle jumped up to $429.6 million in October. That’s a 6.3% increase. October’s taxable adjusted gross revenue was $45.2 million, which generated over $4.2 million in tax dollars for the state.
Maryland
- US Bets: Report Provides Details About Potential For Maryland’s iGaming Market
- A Maryland Lottery iGaming report conducted by The Innovation Group has been completed and shared with the state’s General Assembly. The legislature asked for the report after 2023 efforts to legalize mobile casinos failed. Rather than moving forward with a bill, the legislature agreed that receiving a report with relevant information about how legal online casinos could impact Maryland was worthwhile. The report was completed by the imposed Nov. 15 deadline, and it contains 49 pages of information related to possible online casino legalization in Maryland.
Massachusetts
- SBC Americas: DraftKings Responsible For 57% Of MA Sportsbook Revenue In October
- Depending on who you ask, some might say handle is the better measure of market share. Others, like FanDuel CFO Paul Edgecliffe-Johnson, say revenue is the way to go. DraftKings once again thwarted FanDuel in both categories in its home state of Massachusetts in October. Of the $556 million in handle in the state, DraftKings accounted for nearly $305 million of it, while FanDuel was a distant second with $155.6 million in bets. On the revenue front, DraftKings held higher than FanDuel as well, netting $34.3 million compared to FanDuel’s $15.9 million.
New York
- PlayNY: Bally Bet Makes Its New York Return With Upgraded Tools From New Partners
- Bally Bet Sportsbook is back. Five months since going offline in New York, the sportsbook relaunched in the Empire State this week. Bally Bet made its NY sports betting return after forming strategic partnerships with Kambi for a revitalized sportsbook platform as well as with White Hat Gaming to integrate a new player account management platform. New York – along with Indiana, which also went live this week – becomes the sixth state to reintroduce Bally Bet Sportsbook.
Ohio
- ABC News: Ohio Casinos To Ban Ex-Alabama Baseball Coach Brad Bohannon, Associate
- Former University of Alabama baseball coach Brad Bohannon and an associate will be banned from Ohio sportsbooks, pending an appeal, due to an alleged inside information scheme involving a Crimson Tide baseball game, the Ohio Casino Control Commission said Wednesday. Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC) executive director Matt Schuler said during a public meeting that Indiana businessman Bert Neff Jr. solicited and received non-public information from Bohannon on April 28 “for the purpose of placing a sports wager” and shared the information with one or more individuals.