Industry News of the Day for September 25, 2023
Industry News
- Sports Handle: Sportsbooks Ratchet Up Targeted Advertising At Start Of NFL Season
- Shortly after the NFL forged authorized gaming partnerships with a host of leading sportsbooks in the 2021 offseason, operators began flooding the airwaves with a series of humorous spots that featured celebrities hawking their products. Caesars Sportsbook spent lavishly on an ad package starring the Manning Brothers and actor J.B. Smoove as the eponymous emperor.
- Forbes: Caesars And MGM: Cybersecurity Issues Derail Shares Of Casino Names
- It would be a nightmare for any large publicly traded American company but imagine the effects of a cyber attack on the security of major casino/resorts based in Las Vegas. The attackers are reported to have found, for example, credit card information and social security numbers of customers. You have to wonder how much other detailed information might have been discovered such as betting patterns and who might have owed what and how much to the casino company.
California
- PlayUSA: Proposed Draft Rules Would End Blackjack At California Cardrooms
- Draft regulations proposed by the California Bureau of Gambling Control would prohibit blackjack-style games at California cardrooms. The Bureau of Gambling Control (BGC), which operates under California Attorney General Rob Bonta, issued draft language to promulgate regulations concerning blackjack-style games and rotation of the player-dealer position at California cardrooms.
Florida
- The Capitolist: Florida Warns Three Fantasy Sports Betting Apps To Shut Down
- Florida’s ongoing struggle with the legality of sports betting took an ugly turn this week when the Florida Gaming Control Commission sent cease-and-desist letters to three daily fantasy sports operators, but did not single two of the largest players. The letters, targeted at Underdog Sports, PrizePicks, and celebrity-backed Betr, alleged that these companies may be involved in illegal sports betting activities in the state.
Kentucky
- Legal Sports Report: Kentucky Sports Betting Catalog Expands Ahead Of Online Launch
- Bettors will have a few new options to wager on as online Kentucky sports betting kicks off next week. On Thursday, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission Sports Wagering Advisory Council approved five new sporting events for Kentucky sports betting. The additions to the sports wagering catalog come as online sports betting is set to debut September 28. In-person sports betting began September 7. The KHRC approved the initial sports betting catalog in August.
Massachusetts
- PlayMA: MA Regulators Approve Changes For Distribution Of Casino Tax Revenue
- The Massachusetts Gaming Commission changed how certain gaming tax revenues are distributed. At Thursday’s meeting, MGC Chief of Community Affairs Joe Delaney voiced his department’s recommendation to change how the community mitigation fund distributes its money. Delaney wants to offer more block grants. Additionally, he wants to use the money for projects throughout the Bay State. Currently, funds are used only in communities where the tax revenue comes from.
- SBC Americas: Operators Weigh In On MA’s Sportsbooks Data Privacy Policy
- At a roundtable discussion this week with the Massachusetts Gaming Commission, sportsbook operators and other key stakeholders expressed concerns about the group’s data privacy policy. The policy is inspired in part by the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the policy is the most far-reaching set of regulations put on sportsbook operators by a state regulator.
North Carolina
- NC Sharp: North Carolina Passes Budget, Changes Sports Betting Operator Licensing Rules
- The Republican-held North Carolina state legislature finally agreed on a budget that does not include casino expansion but does make substantial changes to the way sports betting operators gain access to the North Carolina market. With this new budget in place, North Carolina pro sports teams, sports venues and both the PGA and NASCAR will gain considerable control over which NC sportsbooks launch in 2024.