Industry News of the Day for September 23, 2022

iDEA Growth Member News

• iGB, 9.23.22 – PointsBet launches in Louisiana with Penn National Gaming
  • Online gambling operator PointsBet Holdings has launched online sports betting in the US state of Louisiana via its partnership with Penn National Gaming (PNG). PointsBet’s online sportsbook is now active in the state and taking bets after the operator secured approval from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board. PointsBet US chief executive Johnny Aitken is quoted in this story.

Industry News

• SBC Americas, 9.23.22 – Online operators come together in support of RGEM with 12 Point Plan
  • Six of the biggest online sports betting and igaming operators have come together to produce a set of industry-led responsible gambling standards named the 12 Point Plan. Martin Lycka, Entain’s Senior Vice-president for American Regulatory Affairs and Responsible Gambling, is quoted in this story.
• Legal Sports Report, 9.22.22 – Will New MLB Rules On Pitch Clocks Hurt Microbetting Markets?
  • On Tuesday, microbetting provider Simplebet announced a partnership with The new agreement with bet365 is similar to its pre-existing partnership with DraftKings. With MLB, college football and NFL betting seasons occurring simultaneously, the B2B provider has facilitated sports betting operators offering pitch-level markets and drive/play-level markets. Those markets, combined with increased visibility in online sports betting apps, have led to increases in handle.

Sports League News

• SBC Americas, 9.23.22 – Ohio sports teams approved for sportsbook licenses
  • The Ohio Casino Control Commission has conditionally approved several sportsbook licenses ahead of the market’s launch in January next year, including licenses for several sports teams. The Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, FC Cincinnati, Cleveland Guardians, Columbus Blue Jackets, and the Cleveland Cavaliers have been conditionally approved by the state commission for either an online sportsbook (Type A) and/or a retail sports betting (Type B) license.

California

• Sports Handle, 9.23.22 – Top Sportsbooks Pivot On Prop 27 Ad Strategy In California
  • Earlier this week, the countdown to election night moved under the 50-day mark as leading sports betting operators continue to monitor polling data on California‘s Proposition 27 closely. FanDuel CEO Amy Howe is mentioned in this story.
• California Casinos, 9.22.22 – Gambling Expert: ‘We Don’t Think Prop 26 or 27 Passes’ in California
  • On Wednesday, an independent gambling expert said he believes Prop 26 and Prop 27 both won’t pass this November. That would delay legalization of sports betting in California to 2024 at the earliest.
• Play CA, 9.22.22 – California Responsible Gambling Audit Uncovers Ample Uncertainty
  • The California gambling market could see rapid expansion if sports betting is legalized at the ballot box this November. A new audit, however, questions if the Golden State’s responsible gambling efforts can keep up.
• Play CA, 9.22.22 – First No On Prop 26 Commercial From Cardrooms Focuses On Exposing Kids To Sports Betting
  • Californians have been inundated with sports betting commercials over Proposition 27 leading up to the November election. Finally, there is one commercial on Proposition 26.

Illinois

• Play Illinois, 9.22.22 – Fact Or Fiction: Illinois Online Casinos Will Cannibalize Retail Casinos
  • Online casino gambling hasn’t yet made it to Illinois. But when they are introduced, will they cannibalize the retail casino market? It’s a fair question to ask.

Maryland

• Sports Handle, 9.22.22 – Maryland Wagering Commission Takes Step Toward Possible Fall Mobile Launch
  • When will legal mobile sportsbooks go live in Maryland? That’s the question every sports bettor in the state wants to know the answer to, and the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Commission shared some insights into a possible launch date at its Thursday meeting.

Massachusetts

• Legal Sports Report, 9.23.22 – Still No MA Sports Betting Timeline After Latest Commission Meeting
  • A timeline for legal sports betting launch in MA remains unclear after the Massachusetts Gaming Commission heard from several operators Thursday during a 2.5-hour meeting.
• Sports Handle, 9.22.22 – Operators Favor Universal Start Date, Limiting Temporary Licenses In Massachusetts
  • The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) may not have gotten the clarity it was hoping for Thursday, as more than 20 sports betting operators offered up thoughts on how to go live and how to handle the temporary licensing conundrum created by the legislature. Not all operators were in agreement on what launch should look like, though most do favor a universal start date.
• Gaming Today, 9.22.22 – Sportsbooks Push for Universal Launch Date for Massachusetts Sports Betting
  • Top sportsbooks and casinos vying for spots in the Massachusetts sports betting market seem to want two things: a universal launch date for all operators, and a limit on the number of temporary licenses ultimately issued to mobile sportsbooks.

Mississippi

• iGB, 9.23.22 – Mississippi player spending reaches $21.2m in August
  • Consumers in Mississippi spent $21.2m wagering on sports in August, halting a four-month consecutive decline in the US state. Sports betting handle for the month was 15.9% higher than $18.3m in July, but 0.9% down from $21.4m in August of last year.

Nevada

• Play Nevada, 9.22.22 – Nevada Sports Betting Faces Potential Competition From Cali
  • Nevada was once the only home to legal sports betting in the US. That’s no longer the case. States around the country started to legalize sports betting after the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was repealed in 2018.

Ohio

• Legal Sports Report, 9.22.22 – Which Sportsbook Partners Received Ohio Sports Betting Licenses To Start Jan. 1?
  • The Ohio Casino Control Commission approved 10 Ohio sports betting proprietor licenses at its Thursday meeting. There are still plenty of approvals to go before Ohio sportsbooks can launch at midnight on Jan. 1.
• Play Ohio, 9.22.22 – 100 Lingering Questions 100 Days Before Ohio’s Sports Betting Launch
  • Friday marks 100 days until the start of sports betting in Ohio. Jan. 1, 2023, will be the biggest single-day launch of sports betting anywhere in the U.S., as the nation’s seventh-largest state will add online, retail and kiosk sports betting throughout the state.

Washington, D.C.

• iGB, 9.23.22 – DC sports betting bounces back in August as handle reaches $13.1m
  • Washington DC recorded its first month-on-month rise in sports wagering handle for two months in August, while gross gaming revenue also increased. Player spending for the month amounted to $13.1m, which was 15.9% higher than $11.3m in July and also 5.7% up from $12.4m in August of last year.