Industry News of the Day for November 30, 2018

iDEA Growth in the news:

• Congressional Quarterly Magazine “Influencers” profile December 3 (J. Ifrah as spokesperson)

 

Industry news of the day:

State updates:

Washington DC:

• iGaming Business, 11.29.18 – Washington DC drops ‘royalty fee” from sports betting bill
  • Washington D.C.’s City Council has advanced a bill to legalise sports betting in the state, but removed an amendment awarding a so-called royalty fee for professional sports leagues.

Connecticut:

• Eyewitness News 3, 11.29.18 – Lawmakers may discuss sports betting in next session
  • Pressure is mounting on Connecticut to get in on sports betting.

West Virginia:

• Legal Sports Report, 11.29.18 – Lottery Director: Countdown Ticking to Mobile in West Virginia Sports Betting
  • Mobile wagering soon will arrive for West Virginia sports betting, according to the state’s lottery director.

New Jersey:

• Burlington County Times, 11.29.18 – Hard Rock casino to start sports betting in early 2019
  • The casino is partnering with Gaming Innovation Group to offer sports betting in the first quarter of 2019. The two companies already work together on internet gambling.
• The Press of Atlantic City, 11.30.18 – Hard Rock to open sports book early 2019
  • Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Atlantic City is expected to open its sports book during the first quarter of 2019.

Pennsylvania:

• Online Poker Report, 11.29.18 – PokerStars Cleared for Launch in Pennsylvania on Early-2019 Timeline
  • The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) signed off on two more interactive gaming petitions during a Wednesday meeting in Harrisburg.
• The Inquirer, 11.29.18 – Philadelphia area sports books closer to opening, Sports betting notes
  • The billboards along the highways and in the casino tout that sports betting at the SugarHouse will open soon. Been that way for a couple weeks, at least.

Virginia:

• Virginia Watchdog, 11.29.18 – Sports betting bills could increase GDP, jobs if fees kept to minimum says nonprofit
  • Proposals that would legalize sports gambling in Virginia could increase the state’s gross domestic product (GDP) and jobs – as long as fees and taxes are kept to a minimum, according to the libertarian-leaning Reason Foundation.

 

Federal updates:

• The National Law Journal, 11.30.18 – Banks, DOJ Opinions Differ on Online Gambling
  • Nearly seven years ago, as American families busily prepared for Christmas, the U.S. Justice Department quietly released a legal opinion reversing 50 years of interpretation of the federal Wire Act. It discarded the position of its own Criminal Division by arguing the law no longer covers internet gambling—as long as the wagers are not on sporting events or contests.

 

Sports league updates:

• PlayNJ, 11.29.18 – Make that Three: MGM Locks in Deals as Official Gaming Partner with MLB
  • The arrangement will allow MGM to market itself across the entire suite of MLB’s public-facing material. MGM logos and signage will appear in both the MLB’s digital media and in its broadcast offerings.
• Legal Sports Report, 11.30.18 – When They Say Integrity Fee, Are Pro Sports Leagues Really Asking for a Private Tax?
  • Since January, some professional sports leagues, most notably the National Basketball Association (NBA) and Major League Baseball (MLB), have sought a payment from states who seek to license sports betting.

 

Member updates:

• Market Insider, 11.28.18 – Caesars Enhances Sportsbook Offering with SG Digital’s Managed Trading Service
  • Scientific Games Corporation announces SG Digital has rolled out its newly-enhanced Managed Trading Service (MTS) with Caesars Entertainment Corporation in New Jersey and Mississippi.

 

Overall industry updates:

• Legal Sports Report, 11.29.18 – MGM Reports CEO ‘Offended by the Concept’ of Integrity Fees, Lauds Data Deal
  • MGM Resorts is “offended by the concept” of an integrity fee being included in state sports betting regulations as proposed by the major sports leagues, according to chief executive Jim Murren.
• Legal Sports Report, 11.29.18 – DraftKings: Sportsbook: Coming Soon to a State Near You?
  • If you’re in New Jersey, you have access to the new DraftKings Sportsbook. Here’s a rundown of where you can find DraftKings for sports betting now and in the future.
• Online Gambling, 11.29.18 – ICE Day 2: DraftKings says Sports Betting by Far its Top Product in New Jersey
  • Nearly 40% of those with active daily fantasy sports accounts at DraftKings in New Jersey have made at least one sports bet on the company’s sister site, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins revealed during the second day of the ICE Sports Betting USA conference in Manhattan on Wednesday.
• Blood Horse, 11.29.18 – Symposium: Getting a Line on Sports Betting
  • Three panels and the keynote address scheduled for the Dec. 3-5 Global Symposium on Racing will cover sports wagering, as the horse racing industry continues to grapple with the potential challenges and opportunities of sports books popping up in racing jurisdictions.