Betting News – Page 95

November 20, 2023

GC’s Andrew Rhodes walks the tightrope on affordability checks

Fifty-year UK industry veteran, David Brown, evaluates the tightrope being walked by the Gambling Commission on affordability checks.

During the “largest ever gathering of industry leaders” on 10 November, Andrew Rhodes, the Gambling Commission’s (GC) chief executive, attempted to walk the tightrope on affordability checks.

The story of affordability checks has created the most united front between punter, racing media and bookmaker that the UK has seen.

To his credit, we can certainly say that Rhodes has arguably done more to bring the industry together than anyone ever before.

However, that united front is now against him and the Gambling Commission, especially following his speech on 8 November.

The challenge that the GC now faces is the need to balance player protection while keeping the industry sustainable.

The speech: what went wrong

Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes has a tightrope to walk WITH AFFORDABILITY CHECKS

The GC has a precarious tightrope to walk. Howev..

November 20, 2023

Florida Supreme Court rejects West Flagler motion to block Hard Rock Bet

The Florida State Supreme Court rejected a motion from pari-mutuel betting operator West Flagler Associates to suspend Hard Rock Bet and its online sports betting offering in the state.

West Flagler filed the motion earlier this month to stop Hard Rock Bet from offering sports betting in Florida. The motion requested the court to expedite the exercise of its all writs in the jurisdiction to immediately suspend online sports betting.

West Flagler argued the suspension should last until a final ruling on its petition for writ of quo warranto.

This came after Hard Rock Bet, which is operated by the Seminole tribe, launched in Florida on 7 November. Early access was available to customers who bet previously with the operator and members of Hard Rock’s loyalty scheme.

However, in a blow to West Flagler, Florida’s State Supreme Court on Friday (17 November) rejected this request. The decision was announced in a short notice released by the court.

“The ‘Motion to Expedite Consideration..

November 20, 2023

Pennsylvania sports betting handle hits record $829m in October

Pennsylvania reported a monthly record $829.0m (£664.4m/€759.3m) sports betting handle in October, while the state also noted year-on-year revenue growth across several segments.

Total gambling revenue in Pennsylvania hit $483.0m in October. This was 7.3% higher than $450.2m in October 2022 and 1.4% up from $576.3m in September this year.

Retail slots were responsible for almost 40.0% of all gambling revenue during the month at $192.5m, down 3.3% from last year. Land-based table games revenue edged up 2.0% year-on-year to $81.5m.

Record spending pushes sports betting revenue up

The headline figure for Pennsylvania in October was sports betting handle, which climbed 4.0% from the previous monthly high of $797.1m to reach a new record.

This helped push sports betting revenue up 18.8% year-on-year to $48.2m. Of this total, $43.1m came from online wagering and the remaining $5.1m retail betting.

Hollywood Casino at the Meadows and Barstool edged back into top sport in the market wi..

November 20, 2023

New Jersey gambling revenue up 9.3% year-on-year in October

Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased 9.3% year-on-year in October, driven by growth across the state’s igaming and sports betting market.

Total market revenue in New Jersey reached $487.1m (£390.9m/€446.4m) in October. This was ahead of $445.7m last year but 6.6% behind $521.5m in September this year.

Physical slots, which have long drawn the most gambling revenue in New Jersey, posted a year-on-year decline. Revenue from retail slots dropped 1.9% to $163.0m in October.

However, land-based table games revenue for the month was 19.7% higher at $65.1m. This meant total revenue from the retail casino sector increased 3.4% to $228.1m.

New Jersey igaming markets continues to expand

In contrast to the retail slots decline, the situation was very different for their online cousins in New Jersey. Revenue from authorised online games, including internet slots, increased by 13.4% to $164.4m in October.

Online peer-to-peer poker games revenue also increased by 6.2% to $2.4m. As such, ..

November 17, 2023

Washington DC sports betting market declines year-on-year in October

Caesars Entertainment continued to lead the Washington DC sports betting sector during October, although the market as a whole posted a year-on-year decline in handle and revenue.

Players in Washington DC wagered $16.4m (£13.2m/€15.1m) on sports in October. This was 33.9% lower than $24.8m in the same month last year but 13.1% higher than $14.5m in September 2023.

As for gross gaming revenue, this amounted to $2.0m. The total was 35.5% behind last year’s $3.1m and only marginally ahead of $1.9m in September.

Caesars holds first place in October

Breaking down performance by each licensed operator, Caesars remained the market leader. Caesars took the lead back in August and continued to hold off competition in Washington DC during October.

In total, Caesars processed $6.0m in bets and posted $964,606 in revenue for the month.

Gambet, run by the DC Lottery and powered by Intralot, was the previous frontrunner in Washington DC. For October, it took $5.7m in bets and generated $663,57..

November 17, 2023

Fanatics continues PointsBet US takeover with West Virginia launch

The Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) subsidiary of Fanatics Holdings has announced the launch of its online sportsbook in West Virginia, with customers in the Mountain State switching over from the existing PointsBet platform.

West Virginia consumers can now download the Fanatics Sportsbook app and begin placing bets.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) will also pilot its new online casino in West Virginia, with this being embedded in the Fanatics Sportsbook app. The product features a range of slot titles and table games such as roulette and blackjack.

The Fanatics Sportsbook replaces the existing PointsBet brand in the state. Players registered with PointsBet in West Virginia will be automatically migrated to the Fanatics Sportsbook.

Existing PointsBet users can login to the Fanatics Sportsbook using their original credentials. The migration includes their username, password, account balance, rewards points and responsible gaming settings.

Fanatics edging closer to full Points..

November 16, 2023

Mississippi sports betting market shrinks in October

The Mississippi Gaming Commission has posted a year-on-year drop in sports betting handle and revenue for October, while the Magnolia State also reported a month-on-month decline.

Betting handle in Mississippi amounted to $49.5m in October. This was 11.9% lower than the $56.2m posted in October 2022 and also 4.1% behind $51.6m in September this year.

In terms of revenue, this reached $7.3m during October. The Commission said this was down 5.2% from $7.7m last year and 9.9% behind September’s $8.1m.

Mississippi players head to the coast

Coastal casinos remained the most popular venues to place sports bets in Mississippi during October. These casinos took the most wagers and also generated the highest amount of revenue in the month.

Players spent a total of $33.8m at coastal casinos in October, with the venues turning $4.5m in revenue for the month.

Elsewhere, central casinos processed $9.7m in sports bets and reported $2.1m in wagering revenue. A further $6.0m was bet at northern ..

November 16, 2023

Arizona sports betting handle hits six-month high in September

Consumers in Arizona spent $610.7m (£492.7m/€563.0m) betting on sports in September, the highest monthly total since March.

The September figure was 13.5% higher than $538.0m last year and 13.3% more than $538.9m in August 2023. It is also the sixth time monthly sports betting handle surpassed $600.0m in Arizona.

Of this total, $605.2m was bet with online operators and $4.0m retail sportsbooks. Players won a total of $550.6m wagering on sports in Arizona in September.

Adjusted gross event wagering receipts before free bets hit $59.7m. This was up 8.2% from September 2022 and almost double the $30.9m reported in August. Online gross receipts amounted to $59.0m and retail just $473,199.

Arizona free bets exceed $27.0m in September

Free bets and promotional credits in September totalled $27.1m, almost all of which came from online operators.

After discounting these free bets, adjusted gross event wagering receipts hit $32.6m. This was 6.2% higher than September 2022 and also 52.3% ..

November 16, 2023

DraftKings smashes more Massachusetts sports betting records in October

DraftKings set new monthly records for sports betting handle and revenue in Massachusetts during October, while the Bay State’s overall market also grew month-on-month.

Players in Massachusetts spent a total of $571.8m (£461.5m/€527.6m) betting on sports in October, up 11.6% from $512.2m in September. It is also the second-highest monthly total since the state launched legal betting in March, just short of the $579.3m bet in April.

Online sports betting spend in October reached $555.7m, with retail wagers at $16.0m.

Massachusetts just misses out on revenue record

Turning to taxable sports betting revenue, this also increased month-on-month following the rise in handle.

Total market revenue amounted to $59.2m, up 18.9% from $49.8m in September. This was also just 3.0% shy of the $61.0m record set in May.

Online betting generated $58.2m in total revenue, with retail’s contribution in October at $979,329.

DraftKings revenue exceeds $300m in October

Breaking down the market by oper..