Betting News – Page 132

June 7, 2023

IBIA signs betting integrity deal with Portuguese regulator

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the Portuguese Online Betting and Gambling Association (APAJO) have entered into a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).

Under the agreement, the IBIA and APAJO will work together on issues related to betting and sports integrity, as well as a safe and sustainable online sports betting environment.

The two associations will discuss areas of cooperation and potential shared projects, with the aim of pooling their expertise on a range of activities.

“APAJO is strongly invested in building and maintaining the most beneficial environment for Portuguese consumers and operators and sports integrity is definitively a very important part of this overarching goal,” APAJO executive committee president Ricardo Domingues said.

“We are pleased to enter into this agreement with IBIA, whose extensive work and knowledge in this domain will surely be extremely valuable. We’ll look forward to making our own contribution at the international lev..

June 7, 2023

Rio’s Loterj issues first sports betting tender in Brazil

The Rio de Janeiro State Lottery (Loterj) has become the first state lottery in Brazil to issue a tender for sports betting.

Awarded to São Paulo-based Rede Loto, the five-year tender permits the operator to offer online sports wagering in the country.

Loterj said that the new tender is worth R$5.0m (£819,520/€952,405/US$1.0m).

“Since I took over the management in July last year, I had the objective of publishing the accreditation notice for sports betting; we achieved more than that,” municipality president Hazenclever Lopes Cançado said.

“We have the first company accredited and ready to operate in our country. I appreciate the unconditional support of the governor, Cláudio Castro, and the secretary of the civil house, Nicola Miccione, who believed in the project.”

Loterj added that the approval should encourage that other interested parties to register and also gain accreditation for sports betting.

Provisional measure

The tender comes ahead of the expected federal regulatio..

June 7, 2023

Adam Greenblatt outlines BetMGM’s path to profitability

The US sports betting and igaming market is maturing and at BetMGM Adam Greenblatt believes product is the battleground where the leaders will be decided for the market’s next phase.

Adam Greenblatt has led BetMGM, the joint venture between Entain and MGM Resorts since its formation in 2018. It is on track to achieve profitability in the second half of the year.

BetMGM is live in 20 states, as well as Washington DC and Puerto Rico and Ontario in Canada. Since 2018, it could be seen as the only business to consistently keep pace with DraftKings and FanDuel.

It didn’t have the database of the legacy daily fantasy giants. But thanks to the MGM Resorts connection (and without M&A along the way), it’s established as a top tier brand in the US.

Other brands with designs on a top tier position such as Caesars, Bally’s, Penn National and 888, have undergone significant change. They’ve acquired to grow, onboarded new tech or sought out new partners.

This may help each business close the..

June 6, 2023

Bet365 launches in Iowa

Bet365 has officially launched in Iowa through a multi-year partnership with Casino Queen Marquette.

This is the latest state launch for the operator, following its entries into Virginia, Ohio, New Jersey and Colorado.

“We are incredibly excited to welcome the Hawkeye State to Bet365,” said a spokesperson from Bet365. “From Sioux City to Marquette and everywhere in between, Iowans will now have access to our market-leading sportsbook product.”

Read the full story on iGB North America

June 6, 2023

Sorare: From pressure point to new regulations

Sorare has updated its operating model in France, and gambling regulator ANJ is yet to confirm whether it meets its regulatory criteria, writes Jake Pollard. However, news that the French government is working to pass new regulations for Web3 “pioneers” shows how important the sector is to the French authorities.

In a statement posted on Medium, Sorare said it had updated its product roadmap as a “temporary solution”.

This decision was taken in accordance with “the French National Gaming Authority [l’Autorité National des Jeux (ANJ)] that creates an optional alternative method of entry for users based in France only”.

Essentially, Sorare has increased free-play access to its fantasy sports leagues for players in France. Even if the French language version of the company’s statement, unlike the English text, mentioned that the new method of entry would be available to players “without blockchain cards”.

A marker of regulatory pressure

Overall, the move by Sorare is a marker of t..

June 5, 2023

Episode 17: More on Brazil plus US sports betting updates

Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden talk about the latest developments in US sports betting legislation, as well as more from Brazil, in episode 17 of the World Series of Politics.

We start by revisiting Brazil sports betting, the focus of our last episode, as the regulatory process undergoes yet more evolutions.

From a provisional measure to a bill in Brazil

Brazil sports betting looked set to pass through a provisional measure (PM) which Hugo Baumgartner outlined in episode 16.

However that PM is likely to be turned into a bill, which sets up even more legislative hurdles. Other forms of gambling such as integrated resorts may be incorporated into the process.

While this could expand the market, it could also result in the bill failing to pass. Brendan says “it’s clear as mud” as to what’s likely to happen now. There’s plenty more to discuss in a future episode of the World Series of Politics.

More pain for Missouri sports betting

Next we pivot to US sports betting, where Misso..

June 5, 2023

Churchill Downs suspends racing amid safety concerns

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has suspended all racing activity at its Churchill Downs Racetrack in Kentucky due to concerns over the safety of horses.

Racing will be halted on 7 June and remain suspended through the remainder of the Spring Meet until 3 July. The remainder of the meet will be relocated to Ellis Park from 10 June.

The suspension comes amid an unusual number of horse injuries over the previous month, resulting in 12 equine fatalities.

An internal review and investigations by the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) and Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) failed to identify a single factor for this increase.

Read the full story on iGB North America

June 5, 2023

Colorado players bet $12.10bn on sports in first three years

Consumers in Colorado wagered $12.10bn on sports during the first full three years of legal betting in the US state.

Colorado launched its regulated market in May 2020, with the total amount spent covering player bets through to the end of April this year.

Of this figure, $11.95bn was wagered online and $146.9m at retail sportsbooks.

Gross gaming revenue for the three-year period amounted to $817.0m. Some $808.9m of this came from online betting, while $8.1m was attributed to land-based wagering.

Read the full story on iGB North America

June 5, 2023

BHA slams “reckless” protests at Epsom Derby

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has blasted the behaviour of protestors at the 2023 Epsom Derby, describing their actions as “reckless and dangerous”.

More than 30 individuals were arrested at the meeting on 3 June, with protest group Animal Rising having staged a series of protests over the event.

One protestor was able to gain access to the track but failed to stop the race, one of the key events on the UK racing calendar, after being tackled by police.

Last month, the Jockey Club, operator of Epsom Downs Racecourse, secured a High Court injunction to prevent protestors disrupting the Derby Festival. This came after protestors delayed the start of the Grand National in April.

The injunction banned people from entering or throwing objects on the track, entering the parade ring and any other action that could disrupt proceedings. Those who breached the injunction were subject to proceedings for contempt of court.

After several individuals still went ahead with protests, B..