Betting News – Page 210

July 8, 2022

Betfred partners Long Shot’s for Maryland sports betting launch

Betfred's sports arm, BetFred Sports, has agreed a market access deal in Maryland with off-track betting facility and restaurant Long Shot’s of Frederick.

Under the agreement, Betfred will offer both retail and online sports betting in the state.

A temporary retail sportsbook will open adjacent to the Maryland Jockey Club’s off-track betting within Long Shot’s for the 2022 National Football League season. Due to open in September, the facility will include in-person betting windows and self-serve betting kiosks.

A permanent sportsbook site with a video wall, theatre-style seating and food and beverage facilities is scheduled to open early next year.

Betfred also intends to roll out online sports betting in the state, though remains subject to final regulatory approval.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan signed a bill to legalise both online and retail sports betting in Maryland last year, after voters approved sports betting through a November 2020 referendum.

However, while reta..

July 8, 2022

Delaware betting handle hits lowest point since August 2020

Sports betting handle in Delaware dropped to its lowest point since August 2020 while revenue fell by two thirds year-on-year during June 2022.

During the month ended 26 June, players staked a total of $3.5m, which was 41.1% less than in June of 2021. In addition, this figure was the lowest since August 2020, which was the first full month following the reopening of casinos and racetracks in the state after Covid-19 lockdowns.

The number of wagers placed also reached a new low for the year, at 112,200.

Revenue was also down sharply, by 67.1% year-on-year to $212,768.

Both revenue and handle were down year-on-year at each of the state’s three operators. Delaware Park led the way with almost half of the revenue and handle. Players staked $1.7m, almost exactly half of what they staked in June 2021, while the sportsbook took in $100,914, down 72.7%.

Dover Downs followed, with revenue of $57,411 from stakes of $1.0m, its lowest total since July 2020 when the venue was closed for much o..

July 8, 2022

RSI launches RushBet online casino and sportsbook in Mexico

Rush Street Interactive (RSI) has announced the launch of its RushBet online casino and sportsbook in Mexico in partnership with media conglomerate Grupo Multimedios.

Under the 25-year agreement, RSI will operate both its online casino and sportsbook across the country, utilising an online gambling licence held by a subsidiary of Mexico-based Grupo Multimedios.

The new partnership will also enable RSI to leverage Grupo Multimedios’ media assets and distribution channels for promotional and content integration.

The RushBet.mx website and accompanying RushBet mobile application will allow players over the age of 18 in Mexico to access a selection of online casino games including more than 350 slots and table games.

Players will also be able to place bets on a wide range of leading sporting events such as the Mexican Liga MX top division of club football, as well as North America’s National Football League, Major League Baseball and National Basketball Association.

RSI was the first..

July 8, 2022

Entain shares slide amid concerns online slowdown continues into 2023

Entain’s share price dropped by more than 10% this morning, amid concerns its slowing online performance may continue through the rest of the year and beyond, before a rebound late in the day.

The business reported an 18% year-on-year increase in net gaming revenue for the first half of the year.

However, online revenue was down 7% year-on-year.

Entain said this was due to a weaker macroeconomic environment, leading to customers spending on average 5% less during the period than they had the year before.

“As a business, we are relatively resilient to cyclical macroeconomic effects,” chief executive Jette Nygaard-Andersen said. “However, no business is completely immune.

“We’ve seen some moderation in the rate of spend by customers, resulting in lower underlying growth across many of our markets versus our expectations earlier in the year.”

Chief financial officer Rob Wood noted that online revenue was “ultimately behind our expectations from earlier in the year, due to a couple ..

July 7, 2022

Arizona sports betting handle hits $512.9m in April

Players in Arizona spent $512.9m (£429.3m/€502.8m) on sports betting during April, while gross revenue for the month reached $29.2m.

The state’s handle was the second-highest monthly total since the launch of legal wagering, 25.8% behind the record $691.0m that was wagered in March of this year.

Consumers bet $509.5m online during the month, while the remaining $3.3m was spent at retail sportsbook locations.

Players won $482.4m from sports betting in April, which left $29.2m in gross revenue, 21.5% lower than the $37.2m figure in March.

After including $12.7m worth of free bets and promotional credits, taxable revenue for the month was $16.5m, down 11.8% from the previous month

The state was also able to collect $1.6m in tax from sports betting during April.

DraftKings again processed the most wagers during March, taking $155.9m in online bets, marginally ahead of FanDuel with $152.5m in combined online and retail wagers. BetMGM followed with $100.6m in online bets.

In terms of ..

July 7, 2022

Portuguese online gambling revenue jumps 23.6% YoY in Q1

Portuguese regulator Serviço Regulação e Inspeção de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ) reported a 23.6% year-on-year increase in online gambling revenue for the first quarter of 2022.

Revenue for the three months to the end of March was €158.6m (£135.3m/$161.7m), up from €128.3m in the corresponding period last year.

Online casino revenue for the quarter amounted to €80.9m, which was 37.6% higher than €58.8m in Q1 of 2021, while online sports betting revenue also increased 11.8% to €77.7m.

Looking at player spending, consumers wagered a total of €2.21bn on online casino during the three-month period, up 37.3% year-on-year, though online sports bets were down by 12.8% to €369.4m.

Breaking down player gambling habits, of the total amount wagered in online casino, 78.1% was on slot games, with 8.8% on French roulette and 5.1% on blackjack.

In terms of sports betting, 69.9% of all online bets placed were on football, with 12.4% each on basketball and tennis, and the remaining 5.3% ..

July 6, 2022

Playmaker Capital acquires World Soccer Talk

Affiliate business Playmaker Capital has acquired US-based soccer media company World Soccer Talk.

Playmaker announced the news in a press release in which it focused on the rising popularity of soccer in North America, emphasising its place as the now the fourth most popular sport in the country after American football, basketball, and baseball.

Playmaker CEO Jordan Gnat commented on the deal: “Soccer is on the rise in the US and Canada, and Playmaker is focused on becoming the preeminent voice for the sport across the Americas, from the top of Canada to the bottom of Argentina.”

“World Soccer Talk founder, Christopher Harris, exudes a true passion for sport that’s shared by the entire Playmaker team, and we’re excited to welcome him and World Soccer Talk into our family and our ecosystem as a core piece of a broader soccer strategy in advance of World Cups 2022, 2023 and 2026.”

World Soccer Talk web, social media and podcast assets will join Playmaker’s existing portfolio of digi..

July 5, 2022

VBet partners with OGC Nice

BetConstruct-operated sports betting and gaming brand VBet has announced a new sponsorship deal with French football club OGC Nice.

The club will be the latest French football team to make a deal with operator, following the announcement of similar deals with AS Monaco in 2020 and Paris FC the previous March. VBet branding will feature on the club’s shorts through to 2025, as well as prominently on its digital platforms.

In return, VBet will broadcast exclusive content for its partner as well as organise events and competitions to win match tickets – in addition to offering other digital content throughout the season.

VBet France president David Ozararat commented on the deal: “Aside from the symbolism of teaming up with the city where I was born and grew up, I’m very happy VBet is becoming one of the official partners of OGC Nice alongside its shareholder INEOS. Today, the club’s potential is at the highest possible level and the ambitions of its president are aligned with our bus..

July 5, 2022

Romanian government publishes plan for 40% tax on withdrawals

The Romanian government has published the country’s new draft Fiscal Code, featuring a tax hike on gambling withdrawals to as much as 40%.

The new code was published by the Ministry of Finance, and contains updates to the country’s tax laws.

Previously, gambling withdrawals in Romania of less than RON66,750 (£11,579/€13,493/$13,980) were taxed at 1%, while withdrawals of up to RON445,000 faced a 16% tax – plus an additional payment of RON667.50 and withdrawals beyond that total were taxed at 25%.

However, now withdrawals of up to RON3,000 will be taxed at 10%. Withdrawals of more than RON3,000 but no more than RON10,000 are taxed at 20%, plus a RON3000 fee. Beyond RON10,000, the tax rate will be 40%, plus a RON1,700 fee.

The tax will be applied with each withdrawal.

When the tax hike was first reported, trade body the Association of Remote Gambling Organisations (AOJND) said that it would push players towards illegal operators.

It estimated that – if the tax comes into effect – ..