Betting News – Page 24

August 21, 2024

ACMA orders blocking of more illegal affiliate websites in Australia

The Australia Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has asked internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to a further four illegal gambling sites.
Casino Australia Online, Pokies.bet, Pokiesman and Smart Pokies were all identified as targeting consumers illegally earlier today (21 August). The four affiliate sites promote illegal online gambling in Australia, in breach of the 2001 Interactive Gambling Act.

The Act bans products such as online casinos, online slots and in-play sports betting.

Websites may also face action for offering online gambling without an operating licence in Australia. ACMA can also block sites publishing adverts for prohibited or unlicensed gambling services.

Ongoing effort to combat illegal online gambling in Australia
ACMA began making blocking requests in November 2019. Since then it has blocked 1,026 illegal gambling and affiliate websites.

In addition to this, 220 services have exited Australia since ACMA began enforcing illegal offshore gam..

August 21, 2024

Michigan online gambling, sports betting AGR up YoY and month over month

Michigan's online gambling industry continues to grow, as July igaming and digital sports betting adjusted gross receipts (AGR) grew a combined 3.2% over June.
In addition, compared to July 2023, online gambling AGR was up 24.7% and sports betting was up 5.2%, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), which released results on Tuesday (20 August).

But the big news was wagering hold. Digital sports betting operators recorded an 11.3% win rate in July, the fourth consecutive month of double-digit hold, according to the Sports Handle revenue database. That’s the second-highest hold since digital operators went live in January 2021.

The operators’ most successful month for hold was September 2022 – the second football season during which digital betting was live. That month, operators kept 13.15% of handle.

Overall, Michigan online gambling commercial and tribal operators reported a combined $220.9m (£169.4m/€198.4m) in gross receipts. Michigan has three land-based ..

August 20, 2024

As SEC considers mandating injury report, a look at how betting has changed college sports

Six years into legal sports betting in many US jurisdictions, changes to sports are apparent. Student-athletes and professional athletes get gambling education, fans heckling players about bets are punished in some locales and the NCAA last spring began asking states to ban college-player prop bets.
But the most recent change heading into the college football season is the injury report. Required in the NFL, injury reports were previously not a part of the college football landscape. The Big Ten last year became the first Power Five conference to mandate them. This year, it appears the Southeastern Conference (SEC) will follow suit. The SEC opens its season on 29 August when Arkansas hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff and No 11 Missouri hosts Murray State.

The broader college football season officially kicks off on Friday (24 August) when No 10 Florida State plays at Georgia Tech.

So far the SEC has not announced that it will require injury reporting. But a decision is expected before the se..

August 20, 2024

Last chance for US gambling expansion in 2024 dies in Nebraska

Seventeen days into its special session, on Tuesday (20 August), the Nebraska legislature adjourned sine die, leaving legal digital sports betting and many other issues unresolved. Governor Jim Pillen called the special session with the goal of addressing property tax relief.
The Nebraska special session likely represented the last opportunity for digital wagering or online casino expansion in the US in 2024. This year marks the first time since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) fell in 2018 that no state has legalised some form of sports betting.

Legal wagering would have played a significant role in cutting back property taxes in Nebraska. Unlike in other US states, property tax proceeds are used to fund public education. Nebraska is among the top 10 states in the US in terms of property-tax burden. Homeowners are charged a median 1.61%. Some 90% of wagering tax revenue in Senator Eliot Bostar’s bill package was earmarked for property tax relief.

Still n..

August 20, 2024

KTO targeting 10% market share in Brazil’s regulated betting market

Speaking to iGB, KTO founder and CEO Andreas Bardun is aiming to capture a 10% market share of the licensed Brazilian betting market. He is confident the group's hard work and prolific localisation strategy will pay off.
KTO has been active in Brazil since 2019, when it initially launched in a single state. Prolific expansion and various regional and national sports sponsorships have helped it gain a foothold in the market.

“I believe anyone should aim to have at least 10% market share in Brazil long term and we aim to be a market leader,” Bardun explains. “To be considered among the top brands, I think you need to have at least 10%.

“To be considered among the top brands, I think you need to have at least 10% [market share],” says KTO CEO ANdreas bardun
“We know we’re probably far off that at the moment, but if you consider pound for pound what we have done in Brazil because we are coming from very humble backgrounds with very small investment into the company and to be able ..

August 20, 2024

Thirteen Nebraska lawmakers speak out against legalising online sports betting

Last week, a proposal to legalise online sports betting in Nebraska withstood rigorous examination by the Unicameral General Affairs Committee and is now poised for a decisive vote by all state lawmakers. The outcome of this vote remains uncertain, however, as a faction of Nebraska lawmakers is determined to thwart the initiative’s progress.
Thirteen senators banded together and made their stance clear through a statement issued on Friday (16 August). They voiced their staunch opposition to the measure. Their primary concern is the potential exacerbation of problem gambling issues that could arise from the legalisation of online sports betting.

These senators also express skepticism regarding the financial benefits of such legislation. They challenged the optimistic revenue projections that proponents have cited based on successes in other states. Senators John Lowe, Ray Aguilar, Joni Albrecht, Robert Clements, Robert Dover, Steve Erdman, Steve Halloran, Brian Hardin, Rick Holdcroft, ..

August 20, 2024

Episode 33: Momentum building for Missouri sports betting?

Last week Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft confirmed voters would have the final say on Missouri sports betting, potentially breaking an impasse that has seen legalisation efforts run into a brick wall in the statehouse.

Path to legal betting isn’t fully cleared
The ballot measure, which tethers online sportsbooks to sports venues, was put forward by Missouri’s professional sports teams with backing from FanDuel and DraftKings but no buy-in from the state’s casinos.

Listen on Apple Podcasts

And early polling suggests voters are not yet on side. A Remington poll in May showed 60% were opposed to legal sports betting. However more recent numbers from Emerson suggest differently; their figures show 38% in favour and 35% against, with a lot of undecideds.

There’s also a highly contentious abortion measure on the ballot, which may drive voter turnout. Could that be beneficial for Missouri sports betting?

August 20, 2024

Revamped product and customer personalisation key to Evoke growth plans

Evoke plc is banking on automation and AI as it embarks on a “total transformation” of the business, says chief executive Per Widerström following disappointing first half results.
Following a profit warning in July, Evoke reported a 2% decline revenue to £862m last week, with adjusted EBITDA falling 26% year-on-year.

“We understand exactly what went wrong and we have taken corrective actions to address the problems,” Per Widerström says of evoke’s h1 results
Widerström did not shy away from acknowledging the operator’s underperformance on Evoke’s H1 earnings call. “[These] results are disappointing and are not acceptable. We understand exactly what went wrong and we have taken corrective actions to address the problems.”

He outlined a range of product improvements, changes to customer lifecycle management and new ways of communicating the overall value proposition for customers in particular.

Product underpins growth plans for Evoke
The product proposition is enhanced by a revamp..

August 20, 2024

Stake.com continues regulated market push with Peru online gaming launch

Crypto gaming specialist Stake.com is expanding its regulated footprint, securing casino and sportsbook licences to launch in the Peru online gaming market.
The rollout of Stake.pe marks the operator’s second regulated LatAm market, after it acquired Betfair Colombia in November last year. This push is going global, as shown by this month’s acquisition of Idealbet, a licensed Italian operator.

“We are delighted to bring Stake to Peru, a country that has a lot of potential for digital growth, which has been evident in recent years,” said Stake’s general manager for Latin America Diana Otalora. “This shows our ambition to provide world-class entertainment to Peruvian customers and to expand our reach in LatAm.”

Boylesports and Inkabet veteran joins for Peru igaming market push
Jennyfer Escobar joins as country manager to lead Stake’s Peru online gaming push. She joins after a short stint at Boylesports, where she served as growth manager, and also spent over six years at Inkabet, acq..