Industry News of the Day for September 19, 2022
iDEA Growth and GeoComply present the 2022 Power Lunch Summit – September 20, 21 & 22
In this 3-part online gaming and sports betting webinar series, panelists will discuss the battle against illegal online gambling sites, what states looking to legalize online gaming can learn from states that already have, and what M&A activity may look like for the industry in the year to come.
Industry News of the Day
- Bonus.com, 9.19.22 – Online Gambling Industry Can Rejoice: 2018 Interpretation of Wire Act Dead
- Yesterday’s Wire Act decision from the US District Court District of Rhode Island about the online gambling industry couldn’t have been simpler. The court sided with the industry.
- Bonus.com, 9.16.22 – Lawsuit Alleges Apple, Google, Meta are Complicit in ‘Illegal’ Social Casinos
- The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals will soon consider the question of whether free slots and social casino games equate to illegal Internet gambling. The lawsuit also alleges that companies providing a platform for players to access such games are complicit.
- Sports Handle, 9.16.22 – Nationwide Post-PASPA Sports Wagering Handle Officially Clears $150 Billion
- After needing 44 months to reach $100 billion in nationwide sports wagering handle, it took just eight more to get halfway from there to $200 billion. New Jersey‘s $546.8 million handle reported Friday pushed the overall national total above $150 billion, dating back to the first wagers placed in June 2018 when state-by-state wagering outside Nevada became legal. Back then, it was only New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware taking action. A person can now place a legal wager in nearly two-thirds of the states in the country, and on Sept. 1, Kansas became the 27th jurisdiction (including Washington, D.C.) to launch commercial wagering.
California
- Play CA, 9.16.22 – Big Tribes Pledge That Prop 26 Sports Betting Revenue Will Help Disadvantaged Tribes
- Although it’s not in the proposition language, large California Indian tribes supporting Proposition 26 plan on sharing sports betting revenue with disadvantaged tribes.
- SBC Americas, 9.16.22 – California’s Prop 27 polling at just 34%
- A recent report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) indicates that Proposition 27, the measure to legalize and regulate online sports betting in California, is not resonating with voters. PPIC researchers said, if the election were today, their polling data shows that 34% of people would vote yes, 54% would vote no, and 12% of voters would be undecided.
Illinois
- Play Illinois, 9.19.22 – What, Exactly, Is iGaming?
- It feels like not long ago when Illinois sports betting was first legalized, but, in reality, it’s been over two years. Sports wagering in the Land of Lincoln was passed into legislation in 2019, and the first bet was placed in March 2020 at Rivers Casino.
Louisiana
- Sports Handle, 9.16.22 – Louisiana Sportsbooks Cool Off In August
- Sportsbooks in the Big Easy had a (relatively) hard go of it in August, as a sharp drop in parlay revenue contributed to a steep decline in overall revenue, according to figures released Friday by the Louisiana State Police, which tracks sports wagering figures.
Maryland
- Legal Sports Report, 9.19.22 – Top Regulator Says Maryland Online Sports Betting Could Launch This Year
- The top Maryland gaming regulator is optimistic at least a few online sports betting apps will launch before the new year. Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency Director John Martin told LSR this week that there should be multiple online Maryland sportsbooks operational for Super Bowl betting, if not before. Last week, the Sports Wagering Application Review Commission released applications for operators looking to secure one of 60 online or 30 retail licenses up for competitive bid.
Massachusetts
- Legal Sports Report, 9.19.22 – License Language Snafu Causing Massachusetts Sports Betting Stall
- Sports betting in Massachusetts is rolling out slower than expected because of a wording mistake in the enabling legislation. Fixing that issue could be as simple as a quick legislative fix, though. That is what Rep. Dave Muradian, who helped craft the final MA sports betting bill that cleared the legislature in the dead of night, told LSR Friday.
Minnesota
- Star Tribune, 9.18.22 – Minnesota Poll: 48% support making sports gambling legal
- Nearly half of Minnesota voters say sports gambling should be legalized in the state, a new Star Tribune/MPR News/KARE 11 Minnesota Poll found. Forty-eight percent of Minnesotans said betting on sports should be legal here, while 33% said it should not be. About 1 in 5 Minnesotans were undecided on the issue.
New York
- Legal Sports Report, 9.16.22 – NY Hits $330 Million In Online Sports Betting Handle For NFL Week 1
- New York online sports betting handle from Week 1 of the NFL season did well, but perhaps did not live up to sky-high expectations.