Industry News of the Day for September 16, 2021

iDEA Growth Member News: 

• SBC, 9.16.21: Pointsbet Becomes Founding Partner Of MLS’ Austin FC 
  • Global sportsbook operator PointsBet has agreed to a partnership with Austin FC of Major League Soccer (MLS) that will grant the firm rights as a Founding Partner of the club. 
• SBC, 9.15.21: Greentube Makes US Market Debut Via Golden Nugget Online Gaming 
  • NOVOMATIC Interactive brand Greentube has partnered with Golden Nugget Online Gaming to make its debut in the US market. 
• MI Bets, 9.16.21: DraftKings Overtakes FanDuel As Michigan’s Top Sportsbook 
  • For the first time since launch, FanDuel has ceded the No. 1 position when it comes to total handle in the Michigan online sportsbook world. 

Overall Industry News: 

• Legal Sports Report, 9.15.21: Why It Matters That Facebook Is Testing Waters Around Sports Betting 
  • Facebook is dipping its toe into fantasy sports with the launch of Facebook Fantasy Games. 
• Sports Handle, 9.15.21: Massachusetts, Ohio Still At Crossroads When It Comes To Sports Betting 
  • In late spring, lawmakers in Massachusetts and Ohio punted on sports betting. 
• Action Network, 9.15.21: Fanatics Closes in on Acquiring a Sports Betting Company 
  • Fanatics, the $18 billion conglomerate that is the leader in sports merchandise, licensing and recently trading cards, is expected to soon close on a deal to buy a sportsbook operation. 
• New York Times, 9.15.21: The N.F.L.’s New Play: Embrace Betting Ads, Watch the Money Pour In 
  • Betting has long been a part of the National Football League’s DNA. Two of its founding fathers, Art Rooney and Tim Mara, were gamblers. 
• Financial Times, 9.15.21: Rise Of Sports Betting Fuels Demand For Data Gatekeepers 
  • The legalisation of US sports betting is driving new demand for statistics on players, games, teams and performance. A pair of sports data companies have installed themselves as the gatekeepers to this information trove. 

Connecticut: 

• Play USA, 9.15.21: PlayUSA Rewind: Connecticut Aims To Launch Sports Betting In October 
  • NFL week 1 is in the book and wow, what a week it was. Football aside, the week was also filled with some major gambling news. 

Maryland: 

• Legal Sports Report, 9.16.21: First Maryland Sports Betting License Applications Are Now Open 
  • The Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission opened license applications Tuesday for the 17 locations named in Maryland sports betting legislation. 

Ohio:  

• Play Ohio, 9.15.21: Ohio Legislature Returns To Action But Sports Betting Bill Will Have To Wait 
  • The Ohio legislature fully returns to session today, but sports betting won’t be at the front of its agenda. 

Washington:  

• SBC, 9.16.21: Three More Washington State Tribes Approved To Launch Sports Betting 
  • A further three Washington State tribes have received approval from the US Department of the Interior for revised gaming compacts this week. 

California: 

• Sports Handle, 9.16.21: For Latest California Sports Betting Proposal, Silence May Be Golden 
  • When a group of sports wagering operators in August submitted paperwork in California for a 2022 ballot initiative that would legalize digital betting, the response was oddly quiet. 

Tennessee: 

• Play Tenn, 9.15.21: What Five Things You Should Know About Football Betting In Tennessee 
  • Football season is heating up in Tennessee. And since sports betting launched in the state last November, this is the first full season Tennesseans will be able to bet on football.