September 2024 – Page 3

September 20, 2024

State of the Union: Status of ESPN Bet in NY, North Caroline retail, OK bill coming?

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.
ESPN Bet about to get closer to NY launch?
The New York State Gaming Commission Monday (23 September) will consider Penn Entertainment’s application to take over the WynnBet New York licence. The plan has been in the works since WynnBet exited the New York market earlier this year. Should Penn get approval, it will be able to launch its ESPN Bet platform in the biggest competitive market in the US. New York law caps the number of platforms at nine. Licences only come available if a company exits the state.

Penn executives on the company’s second-quarter earnings call pointed to a September launch, potentially by the start of football season. Should the regulator approve the licence transfer, Penn will still have a few steps to take before it could launch ESPN Bet.

Every major US operator is live in New Yor..

September 19, 2024

US sports betting round-up: Kansas, Connecticut and Delaware in August

Rounding up some of the latest monthly sports betting results, iGB analyses how Kansas, Connecticut and Delaware performed during August.
Handle growth drives revenue up in Kansas
Starting in Kansas, total revenue from online and retail sports betting in August hit $6.6m (£5.0m/€5.9m). This is 37.5% ahead of August last year, but 28.3% less than in July.

Online betting drew $6.5m of all revenue in August, with retail’s share at just $123,489.

Spending-wise, total handle for August topped $147.0m. This is some 55.7% ahead of last year and 20.5% higher than July.

As for hold, total hold for the Kansas market in August was 4.5%. Online hold also hit 4.5%, with retail at 3.0%.

DraftKings remains the one to beat in Kansas
Looking to operators in Kansas, DraftKings continues to lead the online market. Partnered with Boot Hill Casino, DraftKings posted $3.0m in revenue off $67.7m in bets, a 4.4% hold.

FanDuel again placed second with $2.6m off $43.8m in handle via its partnership with Ka..

September 19, 2024

Pennsylvania igaming revenue falls just short of monthly record in August

Pennsylvania reported a year-on-year and month-on-month increase in gambling revenue in August, driven by a near-record performance from the state’s igaming market.
Total gambling revenue in Pennsylvania in August hit $525.5m (£397.1m/€472.1m). This is 14.9% ahead of last year and 4.9% more than July’s total for this year.

Ongoing igaming growth in Pennsylvania

The stand-out figure in August was igaming revenue, which amounted to $183.7m. Not only is this 29% more than last year but also the second-highest monthly total on record, just short of March 2024’s $191.1m haul.

Breaking this down, online slots generated $138.3m of all igaming revenue in August. Table games drew $43.2m, with poker revenue topping $2.2m for the month.

As has been the case for some time, Hollywood Casino at Penn National Race Course is still the market leader here. For August, it posted $72.1m in online casino revenue. Valley Forge Casino Resort remains second with $46.0m, then Rivers Casino Philadelphia on..

September 19, 2024

New balls please: Tennis goes micro

The launch of micro betting on ATP tennis will offer operators the chance to go beyond point-by-point, writes Scott Longley.
DraftKings’ recent acquisition of the 85% slug of provider Simplebet it didn’t already own for up to $195m threw the spotlight once again on the emergence of micro betting as a form of in-play that has been gathering strength in the US.

The success of the format – sometimes micro markets – has been ascribed to the nature of certain key sports in the US market.

Notably, the stop-start characteristics of both American football and baseball are often seen as being particularly useful from the perspective of breaking games down into more bet-able moments.

Indeed, in announcing the Simplebet acquisition, Corey Gottlieb, DraftKings’ chief product officer was quoted as saying the proposed acquisition would “allow DraftKings to leverage Simplebet’s proprietary technology to create an in-play wagering experience that moves at the speed of sports.”

Such is the enthusi..

September 18, 2024

Michigan: Igaming growth drives online gambling revenue increase in August

The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) reported a year-on-year and month-on-month increase in online gambling revenue in August, driven by growth within the igaming sector.
Igaming gross receipts and gross online sports betting receipts from commercial and tribal operators in August amounted to $224.0m (£170.2m/€201.5m). This is 27.7% more than last year in Michigan and 1.4% higher than in July this year.

Data, published by the MGCB on Tuesday (17 September) shows igaming accounted for $196.7m of all revenue during August, up 29.2% year-on-year. Gross sports betting receipts were also 18.1% higher for the month at $27.4m.

The MGCB also sets out adjusted gross receipts (AGR), which account for promotional spending in Michigan. For August, the total for the state’s online gambling market was $193.2m, a rise of 26.2% on last year’s total.

Of this, $176.9m came from igaming, a year-on-year rise of 30.9%. In terms of sports betting, AGR reached $16.3m, up 2.5% from the previous year.

September 17, 2024

MLBPI slaps four US operators with name, image and likeness suit for using players in apps, social media

MLB Players Inc (MLBPI), the corporate arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has filed lawsuits against DraftKings, Bet365, FanDuel and Underdog Fantasy for unlawfully using the name, image and likeness of several players on their apps and social media accounts.
The suits were filed on Monday (16 September). The DraftKings-Bet365 suit was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the FanDuel-Underdog suit was filed in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. Both allege that the bookmakers have used “hundreds” of MLB players’ names and images without proper consent.

The alleged violations apply to bets and promotions on the bookmakers’ apps and posts from their social media accounts. The union described the two companies’ conduct as “outrageous, malicious, and in wilful violation of MLBPI’s rights”.

As a result, the union is seeking an injunction to stop the use of player images as well as compensatory and punitive dam..

September 17, 2024

Tax Foundation research bears out diverse US wagering tax rates, barriers to entry

On Tuesday (17 September) the Tax Foundation released an interactive map that shows tax rates for every legal US online sports betting jurisdiction. The map reveals the diverse tax structures that exist across the country.
Operators must deal with separate sets of laws, regulations and tax structures in each jurisdiction in which they are licensed.

The map does not include the fees that operators must pay in each state. But according to the press release, high licensing fees are among the “common barriers” to entry. It uses as examples Massachusetts, which has a $5m (£3.8m/€4.5m) initial fee and $5m renewal every five years and Pennsylvania, which has $10m initial fee and $250,000 annual renewal.

New York, which is capped at nine operators, has the highest initial fee at $25m. In part because of that, only major US or global platforms are available in the state.

Cost of business related to survival in a market
The Tax Foundation also pointed to the requirement to be tethered to ..

September 17, 2024

Massachusetts hits lowest sports betting revenue this year in August

Sports betting revenue in Massachusetts fell to a calendar year-low during August, though the state was able to report year-on-year growth across both revenue and handle.
Combined taxable online and retail revenue in August reached $33.3m (£25.2m/€29.9m). This is 51.4% more than in Massachusetts last year but 19.2% behind July – and the lowest monthly figure so far this year.

Online betting accounted for $32.9m of all revenue during the month, with retail’s share at just $381,134.

Handle-wise, the $447.3m spent across online and retail was some 42.1% ahead of last year. It is also 8.6% more than the $411.8m wagered on sports in July this year.

Players spent a total of $439.7m betting online during August, in addition to $7.6m at retail sportsbooks across Massachusetts.

In terms of hold, the overall figure for the state’s market in August was 7.71%. Online hold was slightly above this at 7.74%, with retail lower at 6.12%.

DraftKings still the one to beat in Massachusetts
As for in..

September 17, 2024

CFTC: Lower court made several errors in allowing Kalshi’s US political futures

Last week, two federal court rulings allowed then subsequently disallowed Kalshi from offering futures contracts on the outcome of congressional elections. Over the weekend, federal regulators said it should have never been allowed in the first place.
On 12 September, Judge Jia Cobb from the US District Court for the District of Columbia Circuit ruled that the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) “exceeded its statutory authority” when it halted the contracts last year. But hours later, the CFTC appealed to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit. That court granted a stay, meaning Kalshi cannot offer futures until the appeals court rules. Kalshi and the CFTC are scheduled to give oral arguments for the case on Thursday (19 September).

Kalshi and the CFTC will face off in court- again- on Thursday, to debate the commission's argument that election betting should be frozen pending its appeal pic.twitter.com/GEPbuc5I2D
— Alexander Osipovich (@aosipovic..

September 17, 2024

FanDuel dominated Washington, DC wagering in August

In the first full month of an open competitive market in Washington, DC, FanDuel was the clear choice for bettors, taking $21.7m in bets. Four operators were live online.
Washington, DC also has four in-person only sportsbooks and the eight combined to take $40.6m in bets, the highest in history according to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) report. The group had a combined $4.5m in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

In June, the DC Council voted to open the market, which during its first three years, only had one digital option available throughout the District and that for just 11 months. GambetDC, a white-label platform provided by lottery provider Intralot, was live.

But issue after issue arose and, in March, the OLG announced that Intralot was preparing to take the platform down and replace it with FanDuel. The wagering giant subcontracted with Intralot, but its run as a monopoly was short-lived. FanDuel went live in April, but on 15 July the market opened and the OLG declined t..

September 17, 2024

New Jersey: Record igaming revenue drives growth in August

Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased 4.4% year-on-year in August, helped by a record performance by the Garden State’s igaming market.
Total revenue for August reached $555.1m (£420.0m/€498.7m). This is ahead of $531.6m in New Jersey last August and also 1.3% more than $547.8m in July this year.

Without doubt, the stand-out figure for New Jersey in August was igaming revenue. Here, revenue jumped 27.8% year-on-year to $198.4m – a new monthly record for the state.

This includes $196.0m in internet slots revenue, an increase of 28.2%. On the other hand, online peer-to-peer remained level at $2.4m for the month.

Golden Nugget was again the leading master licensee in the igaming market. Skins operating via its licence, which in addition to Golden Nugget are FanDuel, Betway and BetRivers, generated $55.0m in revenue.

However, as was the case in July, DraftKings was the leading igaming operator. It posted $43.2m in online casino revenue, ahead of FanDuel on $41.3m. Another brand of n..

September 17, 2024

ICO investigates Sky Bet for unlawfully processing player data

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reprimanded Bonne Terre Limited, trading as Sky Betting and Gaming, for an outdated cookie policy that players couldn't opt out of.
The ICO found Sky Bet had used cookies to collect player data and share it with various marketing platforms before players were able to provide their consent and opt in or out of advertising cookies.

A complaint from campaign group Clean Up Gambling was submitted to the ICO, sparking an investigation into whether the Flutter business was deliberately misusing personal data to target vulnerable gamblers.

While Sky Bet was found to have processed data in a way that was “not lawful, transparent or fair”, the ICO said it found no evidence of deliberate misuse.

ICO deputy commissioner Stephen Bonner believes the case should be a lesson to gambling operators as she urged them to reconsider how they process player data.

“Our enforcement action against Sky Betting and Gaming is a warning that there will be..

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