Betting News – Page 45

June 3, 2024

What if Ippei Mizuhara had started betting with a legal operator in a legal market?

Shohei Ohtani's former interpreter Ippei Mizuhara bet millions with an illegal bookie. His addiction bloomed fast. Could he have been slowed or helped if he'd been wagering with a legal operator?

US operators have many checkpoints in place that may have indicated Mizuhara had or was developing an addiction problem. And none would have extended Mizuhara credit to gamble.

But the short answer, according to a recovering addict turned addiction counselor, is that none of that would have mattered. The best efforts by legal operators are no match for addiction.

“To a (addicted) bettor, none of those are a deterrent,” said Dave Yeager, who overcame a gambling addiction and is now a recovery counsellor. “In the throes of an addiction, when the addiction is at its highest, when the next bet is so all-consuming, then nothing else matters…. There’s just not a whole lot of things that are going to stop you from doing it.”

At its height, addiction is overpowering

Yeager, who works ..

June 3, 2024

England cricketer Carse banned for betting breach

English fast bowler Brydon Carse will serve a ban from playing cricket after breaching betting rules.

The punishment from the Cricket Regulator states 13 months of Carse’s 16-month ban will be suspended.

Brydon’s team Durham says he can train during his ban, which will run until 28 August.

The 28-year-old is charged with placing 303 bets on various matches between 2017 and 2019.

Carse did not place any bets on games in which he played. He accepted the charges and “demonstrated significant remorse”, the Cricket Regulator said.

The Cricket Regulator is responsible for monitoring compliance and enforcement of the game’s regulations in England. It was established in December 2023 and is ring-fenced from the rest of the England and Wales Cricket Board (ECB).

Educational example

“We take these matters extremely seriously and do not condone any form of anti-corruption breach in cricket,” the ECB stated.

“We support the Cricket Regulator’s decision and their consideration of the mitiga..

June 3, 2024

Ohio sports betting revenue hikes 15.8% to $73.9m in April

Sports betting revenue in Ohio reached $73.9m (£58m/€68.1m) in April, a 15.8% month-on-month increase.

The April revenue was a sizeable rise on the $63.8m reported in Ohio in March. The figure also takes Ohio to a year-to-date sports betting revenue of $317.1m.

Online accounted for $72.8m in revenue, 98.5% of the total. Retail, meanwhile, was responsible for $1.1m.

The rise in revenue was despite handle dropping 16.7% to $673.2m from March’s figure of $808.2m. Ohio operators paid out $593.1m in winnings, while $20.1m was attributed to promotions.

Year-on-year, handle was up 29.3% while revenue was 16.7% higher than the same month last year.

FanDuel still on top

FanDuel again led the way in April with online handle and revenue of $226.7m and $34m respectively.

DraftKings, meanwhile, reported April online handle of $216.8m and revenue of $20.8m.

Bet365 was third again for handle with a total of $48.9m, generating $5.1m in revenue. BetMGM and ESPN Bet reported handles of $45.2m an..

June 3, 2024

US April round-up: Betting growth in Virginia, mixed month for Colorado

Analysing the latest monthly sports betting results from across the US, iGB takes a look at year-on-year growth in Virginia during April and a month of mixed fortunes in Colorado.

Virginia reported an increase in both sports betting revenue and handle in April. However, while Colorado saw player spending rise year-on-year, total wagering revenue was lower.

Beginning in Virginia with player spending, this amounted to $563.5m (£442.4m/€519.2m. This represents a year-on-year rise of 32.3% but 11.3% less than March’s $635.5m total.

Bettors spent some $559.3m betting online, plus $4.2m at retail sportsbooks in land-based casinos across Virginia.

As for adjusted gross revenue, this hit $54.6m, which is 40.4% higher than April last year and 28.8% more than $42.4m in March this year.

Of this total, $54.5m came from online betting, while just $110,208 was generated in retail revenue.

Adjusted gross revenue is calculated by taking off player winnings, bonuses and promotion and other ded..

June 3, 2024

BetMakers pens market access deals with Bet365 in New Jersey and Colorado

BetMakers Technology Group has entered into market access agreements with Bet365 to supply the operator with its fixed odds horse racing betting offering in New Jersey and Colorado.

Under the agreements, BetMakers will offer fixed-odds bets on thoroughbred horse racing to Bet365 customers across both states. Both deals run for a period of two years.

Bet365 will be licensed to distribute BetMakers’ thoroughbred racing content to players in New Jersey. The arrangement also covers thoroughbred and harness racing in Colorado.

In New Jersey, Bet365 will pay BetMakers a market access fee. This is based on a percentage of all fixed-odds bets placed in the state on thoroughbred racing events. In addition, Bet365 will pay a content fee based on a percentage of fixed-odds bets placed in both New Jersey and Colorado on applicable BetMakers Global Racing Network content.

BetMakers said the deal marks the entrance of the first major operator to New Jersey’s fixed-odds horse racing market. As ..

May 31, 2024

Illinois’ proposed high sports betting tax rate could backfire on lawmakers

Illinois' general assembly made a money grab earlier this week, but gambling stakeholders say it could backfire. Lawmakers sent a FY2025 budget that includes a progressive tax rate topping out at 40% to Governor JB Pritzker.

On the face of it, raising the sports betting tax rate seems like a good way for any state to bring in more revenue. But stakeholders say Illinois consumers will likely be the recipients of unintended consequences. During the house budget debate, one Republican representative suggested an appropriations line for funds to treat the Democrats’ unchecked “spending addiction”.

The budget bill is now headed to Pritzker’s desk and it seems like a slam dunk that he will sign it. That, stakeholders say, will seal the fate of Illinois bettors.

“Players are probably going to see fewer promotions and that is not good for the consumer,” West Virginia lawmaker and government affairs chief for Play ‘n Go Shawn Fluharty told iGB. “It could impact the lines and that is ano..

May 31, 2024

Key Penn shareholder: Sell ESPN Bet to save face and prop up share prices

The Donerail Group, a shareholder of Penn Entertainment, is calling for the company to sell assets amid strategic interest.

Significant shareholder Donerail sent a letter to the Penn board of directors and board chair David Handler. In the letter, Donerail urged the company to sell assets to generate “meaningful and certain” value creation for investors.

Donerail stated its belief that Penn’s casino assets alone are valued at over double the company’s current market capitalisation.

The hedge fund manager noted heavy criticism of Penn from the investment community over its capital allocation strategy. It highlighted that Penn’s shares are down more than 80% over the last three years.

Donerail said: “The growing pattern of guidance misses, alongside a demonstrated unyielding appetite to continue to invest in the company’s fledgling interactive projects, irrespective of past results and without a clear return framework, has significantly damaged the credibility of this management team..

May 31, 2024

State of the Union: A look back at the week that was in North America

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.

SCOTUS sets conference Florida wagering case date

The US Supreme Court will conference on 13 June to discuss West Flagler Associates (WFA) Ltd vs Deb Haaland. The case could change the course of legal sports betting in Florida. WFA earlier this year filed a writ of certiorari. The focus of the case is whether or not US Department of the Interior Secretary Haaland should have allowed the 2021 compact between the state of Florida and the Seminole tribe to become “deemed approved”.

The compact allows for the Seminoles to offer retail and digital wagering throughout Florida. Bets placed anywhere in Florida that run through a tribal server are considered to have been placed on tribal lands, according to the compact. This scenario is not used anywhere else in the US. WFA argues that the compact violates the Indian..

May 30, 2024

Nevada gambling revenue declines again in April

Total gambling revenue in Nevada amounted to $1.24bn (£977.0m/€1.15bn) during April, an increase on last year but the second consecutive month of decline in the Silver State.

The monthly total was 6.9% ahead of $1.16bn in April last year but 3.9% less than $1.29bn in Nevada in March this year. March was also lower than February’s total, with February having been boosted by Nevada’s hosting of the NFL’s Super Bowl.

Once again, slots proved to be the primary source of revenue for operators, generating a total of $886.8m. This is 5.9% higher than in April last year. Multi-denomination slots drew the most revenue at $586.8m during the month, a rise of 26.4%.

High-stakes slots also saw more revenue, with increases across both $25 (up 137.6%) and $100 machines (up 14.5%). In contrast, revenue from all lower-stakes machines was down year-on-year.

Blackjack and baccarat drive growth

Looking elsewhere in Nevada, revenue from table, counter and card games – including sports betting – climb..