Industry News of the Day for October 26, 2020

LEAD1 Virtual Summit:

The LEAD1 Virtual Summit kicks off tomorrow! Moderated by Jeff Ifrah, “A Whole New Ballgame: Implications of Legalized Sports Betting for College Athletics,” will debate the surrounding issues with respect to legalized sports gambling including the current legislative landscape, ancillary regulatory issues, mobile betting, sports betting partnerships on campuses, the evolution of professional sports leagues on the issue, the impact of COVID-19, and more. Register now!

iDEA Growth Member News:

• PlayIllinois, 10.23.20 – Unibet Targets Early 2021 Launch; Will It Be The Next Online Sportsbook In Illinois?
  • Who’s going to be the next online sportsbook to launch in Illinois? There’s a good chance it will be Unibet, which plans to go live in early 2021, the senior vice president of Kindred US, Manuel Stan, tells PlayIllinois.

Industry News:

• Sports Handle, 10.23.20 – Get A Grip: The Week In Sports Betting: Tennessee Launch And Circa Sportsbook Set To Debut
  • Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top U.S. sports betting stories, highlighting some fresh news, and rounding up key stories.

Federal News:

• Online Poker Report, 10.23.20 – Should You Vote For Biden Or Trump If You Want Legal Online Poker And Gambling?
  • Let’s say you’re a single-issue American voter, who wants legal online gambling in as many states as possible. Who should you pick for the next President of the United States?

Sports League News:

• 8 News Now, 10.23.20 – NHL Partners With American Gaming Association To Promote Responsible Sports Betting
  • The National Hockey League and the American Gaming Association announced a partnership today to promote responsible gaming activity through the “Have A Game Plan. Bet Responsibly” public service campaign.

New Jersey:

• Associated Press, 10.25.20 – Freehold Looks To Make Up Ground In NJ Sports Betting Race
  • Slow out of the gate as New Jersey sprinted ahead in the nascent U.S. sports betting market, Freehold Raceway is hoping to catch up to the pack as the latest entity in the state to offer it.

Washington, D.C.:

• Bloomberg, 10.23.20 – Intralot’s DC Online Gambling Contract Survives Challenge
  • Washington, D.C., brushed off a challenge to its July 2019 award of a $215 million no-bid contract to Intralot to operate the city’s online sports gambling system after the D.C. Court of Appeals held that the challenger lacks standing to bring the suit.

Virginia:

• PlayVirginia, 10.23.20 – Virginia Lottery Sales Surge 36% With iLotto Boost
  • Virginia Lottery sales surged during the past quarter and continued the agency’s rebound from a temporary retail dip due to the coronavirus.

Maryland:

• The Frederick News-Post, 8.23.20 – Worth The Gamble? Question Of Sports Betting In Maryland Goes To Voters
  • If Question 2 on Maryland ballots passes during the upcoming election, Maryland would join 14 states across the country that have already legalized sports betting, paving the way for legislation to be passed in the General Assembly in Annapolis and licenses to be awarded by the State Lottery and Gaming Control Commission.

Michigan:

• PlayMichigan, 10.26.20 – Michigan Senator Drums Up Support For Historical Horse Racing
  • State Sen. Dan Lauwers felt like he needed to do something to remind people about the Michigan historical horse racing bill.
• PlayMichigan, 10.23.20 – Soaring Eagle Still Flying Solo As Michigan Online Gambling Launch Nears
  • The Michigan online gambling game of musical chairs officially got underway at the stroke of midnight on Jan. 1, 2020.

Colorado:

• Legal Sports Report, 10.23.20 – Robust September In Colorado Sports Betting Pushes National Handle Past $1.5 Billion
  • The first September with legal Colorado sports betting proved as fruitful as expected with more than $200 million wagered.
• PlayColorado, 10.23.20 – Colorado Sports Betting Market Hits $200 Million Home Run
  • When it comes to Colorado sports, the Denver Broncos are the king, president, governor and mayor. As for the Colorado sports betting market, at least in September, baseball is the king.
• iGB North America, 10.26.20 – CO September Betting Revenue Declines Despite Record Handle
  • Colorado sportsbooks took in revenue of $4.2m in September, down 44.6% month-on-month, even as betting handle continued to shoot up beyond $200m, as low margins hit operators in the Centennial State.
• Gambling Compliance, 10.26.20 – Aggressive Bonus War Continues To Eat Into Colorado Tax Revenues (subscription paywall)
  • As sportsbook operators spent record amounts in bonuses in September as part of an ongoing battle to gain market share, states that permit tax deductions for promotional play found themselves in the crossfire.

Oklahoma:

• iGB North America, 10.26.20 – OK Governor To Forgo Appeal Against Tribal Compact Ruling
  • Oklahoma Governor Kevin Stitt has warned that while he will not appeal against a US District Court ruling stating tribal gaming compacts in the state automatically renewed in January this year, the decision will cause difficulties for the state in future.
• Gambling Compliance, 10.26.20 – Oklahoma Governor Abandons Appeal To Renegotiate Tribal Gaming Compacts (subscription paywall)
  • After standing eyeball to eyeball with Oklahoma’s Indian gaming tribes, Republican Governor Kevin Stitt blinked.

Wyoming:

• Com, 10.23.20 – Wyoming Tribe Plans To Introduce Sports Betting At Casinos
  • An initiative from the Northern Arapaho Tribe could bring sports betting to Wyoming.
• WSN, 10.26.20 – Wyoming Tribe Prepares To Launch Sports Wagering Without State Legislation
  • Despite no formal regulatory approved plan or legislation, the Northern Arapaho Tribe announced that they will bring sports wagering to Wyoming.