Industry News of the Day for November 21, 2023

Industry News

• PlayUSA: Does The United States Have A Gambling Problem?
  • It’s time to admit America has a gambling problem. This month marks 10 years since New Jersey launched regulated online casinos. Online sports betting has spread faster than online slots and table games. Nevertheless, the NJ casino launch — on Nov. 21, 2013 — is a significant date in the story of the United States’ gambling problem. It marks the beginning of an experiment featuring both policy failures and funding successes along the way. It’s easier than ever to find regulated gambling products. So, more Americans than ever are being exposed to a potentially dangerous pastime. However, states that have expanded online gambling are far ahead in combating problem gambling than states without it.

• TheLines: AGA Argues Prop Style Fantasy Games Undermine Marketplace Integrity
  • Across the industry, multiple jurisdictions have either passed or introduced regulations to ban prop-style and pick’em-style fantasy games. Legislators argue the game modes are too similar to prop betting at online sportsbooks. Several markets have sent cease and desist letters, issued fines, and added legislation to their lawbooks to outlaw the popular fantasy sports games. Operators, conversely, argue these new rules have created an uncooperative and unfair process between themselves and regulators. What does the future hold for these popular games?

California

• Sports Handle: Amendments Coming To California Wagering Initiative Proposal, Sponsor Says
  • Kasey Thompson, one of the sponsors of the latest California sports betting initiative proposals, told Sports Handle Sunday that he’s received tribal amendments that will be incorporated into his group’s proposals by the Dec. 1. deadline. Thompson filed a pair of proposals Oct. 27 that would allow for legal, statewide digital wagering with the tribes in charge. The proposals would be on the November 2024 ballot. “The tribes have been very diligent about sending some [amendments] over and we’re trying to incorporate all of those,” Thompson said Sunday night.

Florida

• Gaming Today: West Flagler Asks SCOTUS For Extension in Florida Sports Betting Bid
  • West Flagler Associates on Monday asked the US Supreme Court to extend its deadline for filing a petition seeking to stop sports betting in Florida until Feb. 9. A request for the court to take up the plea to shut down the Florida sports betting operation run by the Seminole Tribe of Florida is officially due on Dec. 11. But West Flagler, in conjunction with another parimutuel outlet and former greyhound track, Bonita Springs Poker Room, promised the Supreme Court on Oct. 6 to deliver the so-called writ of certiorari by today. Meanwhile, the Seminoles’ Hard Rock Bet app accepts sports bets in the most populous state with an active legal market.

Indiana

• Legal Sports Report: Indiana Sports Betting Feels Pinch From New Wager Neighbors
  • Indiana sports betting suffered losses in October, with neighboring states including Kentucky and Ohio likely the biggest culprits. The latest state report showed handle reached $429.7 million, down 4% from October 2022. Revenue for Indiana sportsbooks took a hit, too, landing at $45.2 million last month. That is down from $46.9 million during the same month the previous year. The Buckeye State has already chewed into handle for the Hoosiers since its January launch. Indiana sports betting handle for 2023 through October is down about 7.5%compared to the same period last year.

New York

• US Bets: New York Launches Voluntary Self-Exclusion Support Program
  • New Yorkers who think they might have a gambling problem and want to voluntarily prohibit themselves from using retail and online betting platforms should have an easier time doing so, using a new initiative announced Monday by the New York Council on Problem Gambling. Launched in partnership with the New York State Office of Addiction Services and Support (OASAS) and the New York State Gaming Commission, the free Voluntary Self-Exclusion Support Program (VSE) will connect people who seek to stop themselves from gambling with an NYCPG staff member.

North Carolina

• NC Sharp: What Does The New NCGaming.gov Website Have To Offer?
  • The North Carolina Lottery Commission has launched a new website to provide public information on the legal gambling industry and also serve as a hub for industry members to submit their documentation. The new site, ncgaming.gov, supplements the NC Lottery’s current sports betting page and gives the NCLC a larger repository for all the state’s legal gaming information. The website opened during the North Carolina online sports betting rule-making process, currently in its second round. NCSharp took a tour of the new site, and we provide our overview below.

Pennsylvania

• PlayPennsylvania: 2 Smaller PA Online Casino Operators See October Revenue Surge
  • Every time the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) reports online casino revenue, there’s always anticipation. Online casinos broke a US revenue record in September, generating $187.3 million, and then almost topped that in October. The state recorded an impressive $186.9 million last month. The big operators, of course, are carrying a lot of the load for PA online casinos. Those gaming providers often get plenty of recognition. However, there are several smaller platforms in the Keystone State that have made jumps in recent months and have contributed to Pennsylvania being the top online casino market in the country.