Betting News – Page 10

October 15, 2024

Presidential politics could alter gambling expansion landscape in multiple states including Texas

Three weeks from today, US voters will elect a new president. Whoever the winner is, there's likely to be a change in the gambling political landscape in multiple states.
Should Donald Trump become president, there are at least two states – Arkansas and Texas – that could be most affected when it comes to gambling expansions. And if Kamala Harris wins the election, there are another two states in which change could moderately affect the current gambling climate.

Trump could tap Texas governor Greg Abbott or lieutenant-governor Dan Patrick for his cabinet. Either one of those appointments is a potential game changer in the second-biggest state in the US. And in Arkansas, Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is a former Trump White House press secretary, so it seems possible that she would be on a short list for another appointment.

Harris’ running mate, Tim Walz, is the current governor of Minnesota. Walz has been supportive of an expansion of gambling and that likely wouldn’t chan..

October 15, 2024

US sports betting round-up: Indiana, Iowa and Delaware in September

Rounding up some of the latest monthly sports betting results in the US, iGB takes a look at how Indiana, Iowa and Delaware performed in September. Delaware also reported igaming numbers.
Revenue and handle growth in Indiana
Starting in Indiana, consumers spent $483.8m (£369.5m/€443.5m) betting on sports during September. This is 19.7% more than the same month last year and 57.1% ahead of August this year.

American football drew the most sports bets at $175.4m, driven by the start of the NFL and college football seasons. Baseball ranked second with $54.5m, while parlay bets totalled $164.4m.

The Indiana Gaming Commission also reported taxable adjusted gross revenue (AGR) in September reached $53.0m. This beats last year’s total by 29.0% and August by 65.1%.

As such, Indiana was left with a state-wide hold of 10.95% for the month.

DraftKings remains the market leader. It posted $19.3m in revenue off a $190.3m handle for a hold of 10.14%. FanDuel remains second with $18.2m from $148..

October 14, 2024

New York sports betting revenue slips despite higher September spend

Mobile sports betting gross gaming revenue (GGR) in New York declined year-on-year in September despite the Empire State reporting an increase in handle.
Total sports betting handle in New York during September was $1.80bn (£1.38bn/€1.65bn). This is 2.3% up on last year and 25.0% ahead of August this year.

Data released by the New York State Gaming Commission this week also shows GGR in September amounted to $159.4m. The monthly total is down 3.7% year-on-year but is 27.5% more than August.

This resulted in a state-wide hold of 8.86% for the month.

DraftKings still the one to beat
Looking at individual operators, DraftKings remains some way out in front. For September, DraftKings generated $69.7m in revenue off a $788.3m handle, leaving an 8.84% hold.

Flutter-owned FanDuel was again second, reporting $52.6m in revenue from $511.6m in total bets. Hold was 10.28%.

Caesars was the next closest challenger with $13.0m off a $147.2m handle, leaving an 8.83% hold. BetMGM was next on $10..

October 14, 2024

Tribes acknowledge Oklahoma wagering bill coming but is there a path forward?

At the Global Gaming Expo (G2E) last week Matt Morgan, head of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association (OIGA), said that while tribes are open to discussing the future of sports betting, they'll stand still until Governor Kevin Stitt moves on or changes his position.
Stitt, who became Oklahoma’s governor in 2018, has had a difficult relationship with Indian country. He has been sued by lawmakers over compact negotiations and has alienated the tribes by trying to dictate what legal wagering will look like without considering sovereignty or exclusivity.

Oklahoma is the second biggest tribal market in the US behind California and has a robust land-based casino industry. The state’s 39 tribes operate more than 125 gaming locations, including some that draw customers from neighbouring Texas. But legal sports betting remains elusive.

The tribes have exclusivity for gaming in Oklahoma. Despite that, Stitt last year outlined a legal wagering framework that included tribal and commerci..

October 14, 2024

Weekend Report: Bet365 enters Peru, South Korean celebrities caught up in illegal betting case

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: Bet365 launches in Peru, a Pakistan cricket legend is under fire for new ambassador role and South Korean celebrities are swept up in illegal gambling.
Pakistan cricket legend faces backlash over betting ambassador role
Starting in Asia, Pakistan cricket captain Wasim Akram has come under fire for taking on a new betting ambassador role with Baji.

India-facing Baji offers online sports betting and casino and has enlisted several celebrities to help promote its services. Akram is among those to come on board despite Pakistan having placed restrictions on promoting gambling.

Fans took to social media to criticise Akram after he shared a promotional video on social media. Questions were also raised as to why Akram is working with an operator that is not licensed in Pakistan.

Bet365 makes Peru move
Meanwhile, in South America, Bet365 has announced the launc..

October 12, 2024

G2E: Let’s make a deal! Minnesota stakeholders have “framework” but politics still in play

Buried under the news that California tribes could bring a sports betting initiative as soon as 2026 is this: Minnesota's stakeholders have brokered a deal.
Minnesota Indian Gaming Association (MIGA) executive director Andy Platto was among the panelists who joined California Nations Indian Chairman James Siva on Tuesday (8 October) on a Global Gaming Expo (G2E) panel entitled ‘Tribal Sovereignty and Sports Betting: A Delicate Balance’.

Minnesota lawmakers have been trying for multiple sessions to legalise retail and digital sports betting. It never got a vote this year, but did get through the house in 2022.

Platto, who heads up the state’s tribal alliance, has been the face and voice of Indian Country. Over time, that has meant managing relationships with charitable gaming folks, horse racetracks and, more recently, professional sports teams. The tribes in Minnesota have exclusivity for gaming in the state and already operate land-based casinos.

But legal wagering, partic..

October 11, 2024

State of the Union: Missouri campaign donations approach $50m, Florida opportunity?

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.
More money in Missouri
Casino and online gambling companies continue to pour money into campaigns for and against Amendment 2 in Missouri. The proposal, which will be on the November ballot, would legalise statewide mobile and retail sports betting.

Caesars Entertainment, which operates three casinos in the state, added another $3.3m (£2.5m/€3m) to Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment on Monday (7 October). So far, the company is the only one funding the campaign and has staked it with with $14.2m to date. The Monday donation came via Caesars’ Tropicana St Louis property.

Under Amendment 2, Missouri casino companies would be entitled to one digital skin. When the issue was being considered in the state legislature, casino companies would have been able to get one skin per physical loc..

October 11, 2024

US sports betting round-up: Maryland and Kansas September

Rounding up some of the latest monthly sports betting results in the US, iGB takes a look at how Maryland and Kansas fared during September.
Maryland handle hits $532.9m
Focusing first on Maryland, taxable revenue during September hit $62.5m (£47.9m/€57.2m). This is 190.7% more than the same month last year and 68.0% more than August this year, but not quite a new record.

Data from Maryland Lottery and Gaming shows mobile betting accounted for $60.7m of all revenue in September. Retail sportsbooks generated the remaining $1.9m.

Handle-wise, players spent $532.9m, the fifth-highest total since wagering went live in December 2021. The total beat last year’s figure by 20.4% and is also 41.2% ahead of August. Overall spend on mobile during September was $518.9m, with retail’s handle at $14.0m.

In terms of hold, for the state as a whole, this reached 11.73%. For online, hold was 11.70% and retail 13.57%. As for tax, the state collected a record $9.4m from betting operators. Wagering oper..

October 11, 2024

“Simply put, if a student-athlete is inclined to gamble, they’re going to do it”

What do NCAA athletes, coaches and administrators really think of the proliferation of gambling? One college professor sought to find out.
Early in this college football season, Michigan State quarterback Aidan Chiles made national headlines when he was talking to media members about the Spartans’ upcoming game against Florida Atlantic.

Rather than predict a high-scoring contest, Chiles put it in different terms that caught many off-guard.

“If you bet, take the over,” said Chiles.

A starting QB making a blatant sports betting reference in front of the media generated a storyline that those within the walls of the NCAA offices would rather not deal with.

Chiles’ remarks are just another example of how much sports betting has become a mainstream topic. Such is the case when promotions from the national sportsbooks have become ubiquitous during game time.

As for the impact of these advertisements on those actually participating in the games, the NCAA and its member schools have taken..