Betting News – Page 189

July 25, 2022

Arizona sports betting handle reaches $461.5m in May

Consumers in Arizona spent a total of $461.5m (£385.1m/€452.6m) on sports betting during May, while gross revenue for the month amounted to $55.2m.

The US state’s monthly handle, covering online, retail and limited event wagering operator licensees, was down 10.0% from $512.9m in April and some way off the record $691.0m set in March.

Of this total handle, $456.7m was bet online, while just $4.6m was spent wagering at retail sportsbooks across Arizona.

Players won $405.3m during the month, which left $55.2m in revenue, up 48.4% month-on-month from $37.2m in April.

After including $13.8m in free bets and promotional credits, taxable revenue for the month was $41.4m, a 151.5% improvement from $16.5m in the previous month.

FanDuel claimed top spot in terms of handle, processing a total of $152.4m in wagers, split $148.7m online and $3.6m for retail wagering. DraftKings placed second with $141.1m in online bets, then BetMGM with $84.2m worth of online wagers.

Turning to gross revenue..

July 25, 2022

DIY or third-party: the sportsbook technology debate

The debate over whether operators should build their own technology or use a third-party solution has raged for decades, but it appears to have grown more intense as the US market opens. However, as Daniel O’Boyle reports, it may not be a question with a clear answer

It’s said that if you want something done well, you should do it yourself.

That appears to be an adage many sports betting operators have taken to heart.

Hop on any earnings call for a US operator, and there will no doubt be plenty of mentions of “proprietary sportsbook technology”.

The demand among operators for in-house solutions is backed up by their money. In 2020, DraftKings merged with SBTech, valuing the supplier at $634.1m. Last year, Caesars acquired William Hill for $3.7bn, mostly for its proprietary technology.

Meanwhile, theScore announced a long process to build its own sportsbook technology, which surely played a major part in Penn National Gaming acquiring it for $2bn.

“I don’t want to get distracted b..

July 25, 2022

DIY or third-party: the sportsbook technology debate

The debate over whether operators should build their own technology or use a third-party solution has raged for decades, but it appears to have grown more intense as the US market opens. However, as Daniel O’Boyle reports, it may not be a question with a clear answer

It’s said that if you want something done well, you should do it yourself.

That appears to be an adage many sports betting operators have taken to heart.

Hop on any earnings call for a US operator, and there will no doubt be plenty of mentions of “proprietary sportsbook technology”.

The demand among operators for in-house solutions is backed up by their money. In 2020, DraftKings merged with SBTech, valuing the supplier at $634.1m. Last year, Caesars acquired William Hill for $3.7bn, mostly for its proprietary technology.

Meanwhile, theScore announced a long process to build its own sportsbook technology, which surely played a major part in Penn National Gaming acquiring it for $2bn.

“I don’t want to get distracted b..

July 22, 2022

Internet Vikings goes live in Iowa

Swedish igaming hosting business Internet Vikings has announced the launch of operations in the state of Iowa.

The roll-out means Internet Vikings will now be able to work with licensed operators in the state and support them with their igaming offerings.

Iowa marks the latest US state in which Internet Vikings has launched its igaming hosting operations, with the business also operating data centres in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Further data centre launches are planned in a number of other states including Connecticut, Mississippi and Virginia.

“Our primary goal is to provide the support which others require in order to keep moving in this often-unpredictable industry,” said Internet Vikings founder Rickard Vikström, who was this month appointed as the new chief executive of the business.

“The US is our focal point, and with many customers in other compliant states, we are proud..

July 22, 2022

Internet Vikings goes live in Iowa

Swedish igaming hosting business Internet Vikings has announced the launch of operations in the state of Iowa.

The roll-out means Internet Vikings will now be able to work with licensed operators in the state and support them with their igaming offerings.

Iowa marks the latest US state in which Internet Vikings has launched its igaming hosting operations, with the business also operating data centres in Arizona, Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Tennessee and West Virginia.

Further data centre launches are planned in a number of other states including Connecticut, Mississippi and Virginia.

“Our primary goal is to provide the support which others require in order to keep moving in this often-unpredictable industry,” said Internet Vikings founder Rickard Vikström, who was this month appointed as the new chief executive of the business.

“The US is our focal point, and with many customers in other compliant states, we are proud..

July 22, 2022

Mississippi betting handle declines for third consecutive month in June

Consumers in Mississippi wagered a total of $25.1m (£21.0m/€24.6m) on sports betting during June, a drop on last year and also the third consecutive month of decline in the US state.

Handle for the month was 41.8% lower than $43.1m in June 2021, while the total was also down 14.0% from $29.2m in May of this year.

Revenue for the month reached $2.1m, a 34.4% drop from $3.2m in June of last year and down 47.5% from $4.0m in May 2022, marking the second straight month of decline.

Coastal casinos remained by far the venues of choice for players in the state, with bettors wagering a total of $17.3m on sports during the month, while the casinos were able to generate $1.3m in revenue.

Player spending at central casinos reached $4.5m in June, with revenue at these venues hitting $464,667, while northern casino handle was $3.3m and revenue $339,142.

Baseball was the most popular sport to bet on across all venues in the month, with coastal casino customers wagering $8.8m, central casino pla..

July 21, 2022

LatAm now Betsson’s largest market amid European decline in Q2

Betsson disclosed revenue of €186.3m (£158.9m/$189.5m) from its second quarter results, which saw Latin America become its largest market – while revenue in western Europe fell by almost 40%..

Pontus Lindwall, CEO at Betsson [pictured above] said the business saw progress in most areas throughout the quarter, and spoke highly of its sportsbook progress.

“Betsson’s second quarter featured continued good growth with all-time high revenue and further investments to support our expansion,” said Lindwall. “The group’s organic growth was 13%, mainly driven by Latin America, Central and Eastern Europe and Central Asia, where we see long-term growth potential as these markets still have a low share of online gaming.”

“The sportsbook business showed a strong development in the quarter – gross turnover increased by 20% and the margin was 8.3% (8.5%) – leading to all-time high revenue.”

Latin America is now Betsson’s largest market. In Q2, it accumulated revenue of €45.7m, up significantly by..

July 21, 2022

Belgium to introduce €200 weekly deposit limit

Belgium’s government is to introduce a new deposit limit for online gambling, with players able to deposit up to €200 (£171/$204) a week per licensed website.

The Royal Decree, published in the Belgian Official Gazette, will come into effect from 20 October, with the deposit limit to apply to all players across all verticals.

Each week will be calculated on the last seven days of activity and will move continuously, the decree said, with all players’ limits to be reset to €200 when the decree enters into force in October.

However, the decree also set out a provision for players to request an increased deposit limit. The operator in question must first notify Belgium’s Gaming Commission (BGC), which will then check with the National Bank of Belgium whether the player is listed in the Central Individual Credit Register of the National Bank of Belgium as being in default of payment.

If the player is not listed, the deposit limit may be removed three days after the request was made, me..

July 21, 2022

New Hampshire sports betting handle hits $861.1m in FY22

Players in New Hampshire staked $861.1m (£718.1m/€842.8m) on sports betting during the state’s 2022 financial year, while DraftKings generated revenue of $51.6m.

Handle for the 12 months to the end of June 2022 was 65.4% higher than $520.6m in FY21, the first full financial year of legal sports betting in the state following the launch of its regulated market in December 2019.

Of this total, $670.3m was wagered via DraftKings’ online offering and $190.8m at retail sportsbooks across New Hampshire. The operator secured exclusive rights to offer sports betting via the New Hampshire state lottery in November 2019.

Turning to gross gaming revenue and for the 12-month period reached $51.6m, up 32.3% from $39.0m in FY21.

Some $44.0m of total yearly revenue was generated through online sports wagering and the remaining $7.6m came from retail activity.

The NH Lottery reported that the state recouped $23.9m in taxes from sports betting during the 2022 financial year, $20.6m of which was f..