Industry News of the Day for October 29, 2020

iDEA Growth Member News:

• Sports Handle, 10.28.20 – G2E 2020: Jason Robins Welcomes Stiff Competition As DraftKings Navigates Through Coronavirus Challenges
  • Through the COVDI-19 pandemic, DraftKings CEO Jason Robins commended his staff for making a smooth transition to the public markets despite considerable disruptions brought by the global pandemic.
• SBC Americas, 10.28.20 – DraftKings Becomes Primary Sponsor Of UNLV Gaming Innovation Hub
  • DraftKings Inc has formalized a multi-year agreement making it a primary sponsor of the Center for Gaming Innovation, housed within the International Gaming Institute (IGI) at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV).
• PlayPennsylvania, 10.28.20 – PA Regulators Approve BetMGM Licenses For Online Casino, Sports Wagering (GVC Holdings)
  • There may soon be another online casino and online sportsbook in Pennsylvania. There may even be another online poker room, too.
• SBC Americas, 10.29.20 – BetMGM Renews And Expands Partnership With Detroit Red Wings
  • BetMGM, the sports betting and gaming platform joint venture between MGM Resorts International and GVC Holdings, has announced it has renewed and expanded its strategic partnership with the Detroit Red Wings NHL team.
• Associated Press, 10.28.20 – FanDuel To Open Sports Book In Bally’ Atlantic City
  • The online sports betting company FanDuel will open an in-person sports book at Bally’s casino in Atlantic City once the casino’s sale to a Rhode Island company is finalized.
• PlayVirginia, 10.26.20 – Virginia Gets More Competition With FanDuel Sportsbook At DC United Stadium
  • As Virginia prepares for the launch of legal sports betting, DC United and FanDuel Sportsbook have partnered to provide more competition north of the border.
• Gambling.Com, 10.28.20 – Is FanDuel Going To Expand In Illinois With Fairmount Park?
  • FanDuel appears poised to expand its presence in Illinois.

Industry News:

• WTOP, 10.29.20 – Betting On The Future: Where Does All The Money Go?
  • This week, WTOP has been highlighting sports betting around the D.C. area and all the promises that proponents of sports betting have been making about the money it could generate. Now, it’s time to look at where the money actually goes — when there’s actually some to be made.

Overall Industry News:

• Gambling Compliance, 10.29.20 – US Gaming Regulators Warn Of Future Crises Beyond Pandemic (subscription paywall)
  • Coronavirus may be the greatest crisis in the modern gaming era, but regulators already are sounding the alarm about future existential threats likely to follow the pandemic.

Sports League News:

• iGB North America, 10.28.20 – Welcome To The Show
  • There has been a steady flow of announcements of tie-ups between sports teams and betting operators in recent months, as professional sports works out how to engage and profit from this new industry.

New Jersey:

• PlayNJ, 10.28.20 – NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament Games In NJ Could Spur Constitutional Change
  • If everything goes according to plan, there will be NCAA men’s basketball tournament games in New Jersey in 2025. Without a college sports betting amendment to the Garden State’s constitution, however, they may not have the desired local impact.

Pennsylvania:

• Penn Bets, 10.28.20 – PA Continues To Have Just One Online Poker Site, Though Two More Are Licensed To Deal
  • Pennsylvania now has two more online poker sites authorized to start in the state, but there’s no indication when either will launch.

Rhode Island:

• iGB North America, 10.29.20 – RI Retail Betting Continues To Outstrip Mobile In September
  • The Rhode Island Lottery reported a slight year-on-year decline in sports betting revenue – but month-over-month growth – for September, as retail continued to outperform mobile wagering.

West Virginia:

• PlayWV, 10.28.20 – West Virginia Online Casinos Thriving; Sports Betting In WV Hits Odd Lull
  • In total, West Virginia’s two mobile platforms accepted nearly $60 million in bets over the past four weeks. It’s certainly been an impressive launch for WV online casinos.
• WCHS, 10.28.20 – Sports Betting Taking Off In West Virginia, Officials Say It’s Helping State’s Economy
  • Many businesses are on the road to financial recovery more than six months into the pandemic.

Tennessee:

• Sports Handle, 10.28.20 – Operators Looking At Nov. 1 Tennessee Sports Betting Go-Live Date
  • If all goes as planned, when the Tennessee Titans kick off against the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday, Tennesseans will be able to place mobile sports bets on one of four live digital platforms.

Michigan:

• PlayMichigan, 10.28.20 – Michigan Ready To Put All The Pieces Together For Online Gambling
  • It’s been years in the making and now months into the implementation. But online gambling is very nearly a reality for Michigan residents.

Indiana:

• PlayIndiana, 10.28.20 – Here’s The Scoop On Indiana’s Online Casino Legislative Push
  • Indiana is the first state with online casino language for a 2021 legislative push.

South Dakota:

• Legal Sports Report, 10.29.20 – South Dakota Sports Betting Ballot Question: What You Should Know Before You Vote
  • South Dakota’s referendum is a bit different that Maryland and Louisiana. South Dakota is proposing an amendment to the state’s constitution to add sports betting to the games allowed within Deadwood.
• KELO, 10.28.20 – Possibility That Deadwood Sports-Betting Could Reach Throughout South Dakota Via Technology
  • A proposal to rewrite part of the South Dakota Constitution so that sports wagering would be allowed in Deadwood would also make it available in tribal casinos — and possibly throughout South Dakota.

Louisiana:

• US Bets, 10.28.20 – Louisiana Sports Betting On The Verge Of Legalization, Expert Says
  • Louisiana seems to be on the verge of joining the list of U.S. states that authorize regulated sports wagering, according to one expert panelist at the Global Gaming Expo virtual event on Tuesday.
• Shreveport Times, 10.29.20 – Can Sports Betting In Louisiana Revive Shreveport-Bossier City’s Gaming Industry?
  • Casinos in Shreveport and Bossier City have struggled in recent years with competition from WinStar Casino in Oklahoma and the COVID-19 shutdown in the spring.

Colorado:

• The Colorado Sun, 10.29.20 – Coloradoans Continue To Up The Ante On Their Sports Bets. So Why Did Tax Revenues Plummet?
  • The state’s fledgling industry will experience some volatility, experts say, as the deluge of new operators entice customers with virtually risk-free, and non-taxable, bets

Nevada:

• Legal Sports Report, 10.28.20 – Nevada Sports Betting Handle Pushes US To New Monthly Record
  • US sports betting handle officially hit a new record in September after Nevada reported its fourth-highest handle ever.
• US Bets, 10.28.20 – Nevada Sportsbooks’ Handle Grows 5% To $575 Million In September
  • The Nevada sports betting industry handled $575,069,930 in wagers last month, according to figures released Wednesday from the Nevada Gaming Control Board.
• The Action Network, 10.28.20 – Nevada Sports Betting Handle Lags Behind New Jersey Again As Gap Continues To Grow
  • New Jersey scored its second-biggest victory ever over Nevada in September — besting the nation’s (former) sports betting capital by $173 million in handle for the month.
• Online Poker Report, 10.28.20 – Leaving Las Vegas: If Sands Disposes Of US Assets, Adelson’s War On Internet Gambling Could Become Moot
  • Las Vegas Sands Corporation may soon vacate its home town, leaving nothing but the eponymous sands. If that comes to pass, it might prove to be a boon to the online gambling world.