Casino & games – Page 9

February 1, 2024

Macau’s January revenue of MOP19.3bn nearly breaks post-Covid record

Macau generated MOP19.3bn (£1.9bn/€2.2bn/$2.4bn) in revenue in January, its second highest figure since reopening following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Only Macau’s October 2023 revenue number of MOP19.5bn surpassed the first month of 2024, a strong start to the year and with the Chinese New Year just around the corner.

January’s GGR was a hefty 67% increase on the same month last year, while it was also a 4.1% hike on December 2023.

Despite the figures, Macau’s January GGR still fell 14.4% behind the MOP22.1bn recorded in the final January before the pandemic started.

Macau’s Covid recovery expected to continue

Macau’s response to the devastating Covid-19 lockdown has been impressive, with 2023’s cumulative gross income of MOP183.1bn a 333.8% year-on-year increase. While that is still just 59.8% of the final full year before Covid, the growth seen since the easing of lockdown restrictions is expected to continue.

macau has flourished since the easing of most lockdown restrictions in ..

February 1, 2024

PointsBet reports record net win of AU$69.9m for Q2 FY24

PointsBet has recorded a record net win quarter of AU$69.9m (£36.2m/€42.5m/$46.1m) for its Q2 financial year 2024.

Total net win for Q2 was AU$59.5m, up 3% on the previous year. PointsBet put this down to continued improvements in promotions efficiency, with marketing expense 33% lower than the previous year.

Having gone live in Ontario when the market launched in April 2022, PointsBet reported a total net win of $10.5m in Canada, again a record quarter.

Total handle across all operations was AU$976.4m, down 4% on the previous year. Gross win also fell to AU$94.4m from Q2 FY23’s figure of AU$97m.

Igaming saw significant growth, with a net win of AU$6.4m, up 119% from the previous Q2’s AU$2.9m. This was attributed to its integration of the platform provider Strive, which it says will “increase game and promotional offerings”.

In its report, PointsBet pointed to Strive’s key benefits. These include “enhanced acquisition of casino-first customers”, which will deliver higher gross win..

January 30, 2024

“It’s showtime!” – BetMGM bets big on the UK

In a heavily saturated UK market, BetMGM’s entry in 2023 certainly made a splash. Sam Behar, BetMGM’s UK director, believes the key to the operator’s early success is bringing that unique Las Vegas experience across the Atlantic.

BetMGM launched in the UK in August in partnership with MGM-owned LeoVegas to much fanfare and, five months on, the results have spoken for themselves.

With a series of flashy sponsorships that have well and truly put BetMGM on the map in the UK, its Las Vegas ties have been put on show for all to see. Despite the high expectations, BetMGM has still managed to surpass Behar’s initial lofty projections.

“It’s been an unbelievable first five months entering the UK – especially given the way we did,” Behar says. “We had a unique ambition to make things work and we’ve certainly made a big splash, which is excellent.

“Of course we always thought it would, but it’s made a much bigger impact than even we could have anticipated and, even though we had high hopes..

January 24, 2024

Road to ICE 2024: White paper opens up opportunities for land-based casinos

On the road to ICE, iGB will prep you for the biggest show of 2024 with this new series covering the latest developments since 2023's show.

In April 2023, the UK government finally released the long-awaited 2005 Gambling Act review white paper. The 260-page document outlined critical updates for the industry, focusing on bringing it into the digital age.

As such, many of the policies in the white paper were based on the public now having 24/7 internet and smartphone access. But it also contained a number of alterations for land-based venues, such as permitting casinos to offer sports betting at their premises.

Specifically, the government said it would allow “casinos of all sizes” to offer sports betting on their premises. Previously, only casinos licensed under the 2005 Gambling Act could offer sports betting.

The white paper put forward policies that would enhance player protection in land-based venues

Land-based stipulations protect players

Generally, the land-based speci..

January 23, 2024

Fanatics launches sportsbook and online casino in Pennsylvania

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) has launched its sportsbook and online casino in Pennsylvania, the operator announced on Monday (23 January).

Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino is undergoing a two-day soft launch in Pennsylvania, with supervision from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. However, there will be no restrictions on sign-ups or playtime for customers.

The Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino will be available for those living in and visiting Pennsylvania. It marks the 11th US state in which FBG’s sportsbook is available, while it’s the second for the casino element after West Virginia.

Having been acquired by FBG in August 2023, PointsBet customers were able to migrate their accounts onto the Fanatics Sportsbook app, although only on the day of release.

Headquartered in New York, FBG claims it’s “disrupting the sports betting industry” thanks to its FanCash loyalty scheme, as well as its personalisation and live streaming features.

For casino, meanwhile, FBG highlighted its..

January 19, 2024

Pennsylvania gambling revenue hits record $5.70bn in 2023

Record figures from igaming and sports betting drove gambling revenue in Pennsylvania to an all-time high of $5.70bn (£3.50bn/€5.24bn) in 2023.

The 2023 figure was 9.3% higher than the existing record of $5.21bn, which was set during 2022. Combined revenue in Pennsylvania includes slot machines, table games, sports wagering, igaming, video gaming terminals (VGTs) and fantasy contests.

Physical slots continued to lead the way in terms of revenue in Pennsylvania, with revenue here rising 3.1% to $2.46bn. However, land-based table games revenue slipped 1.9% to $971.7m.

Is igaming closing the gap on land-based gambling in Pennsylvania?

Elsewhere, revenue from igaming in 2023 hit $1.74bn, beating the previous record set in 2022 by 27.7%. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) did not publish a full breakdown of revenue per game type for this market.

However, the PGCB did reveal data on individual igaming operators. As was the case in 2022, Hollywood Casino at Penn National led t..

January 18, 2024

Gamma Intermediate completes sale of 6.4% stake in Lottomatica

Gamma Intermediate has completed the sale of 16 million Lottomatica shares, representing a 6.4% stake in the Italian company.

Despite the sale, worth €152m (£130.5m/$165.5m), Gamma Intermediate retains a majority stake of 65.4% in Lottomatica.

Gamma Intermediate completed the deal at €9.50 per share, with the sale conducted through an accelerated bookbuilding process. The placement was made to institutional investors, with no public offering in any country.

Lottomatica expects the final settlement to be on or around 22 January. Gamma Intermediate has agreed to a 90-day lock-up for its remaining shares in Lottomatica.

Lottomatica plotting growth trajectory with SKS365 purchase

In November, Lottomatica agreed a deal to acquire 100% of the share capital in the Italian-facing operator SKS365. Lottomatica stated the purchase will strengthen its position in the Italian market, while also expanding its brand portfolio.

In november, lottomatica acquired 100% of the italian-facing operato..

January 17, 2024

Massachusetts sets $658.7m sports betting handle record in December

Massachusetts reported a record sports betting handle for the second consecutive month in December, with players wagering a total of $658.7m (£519.3m/€605.6m).

Combined sports betting and casino revenue in Massachusetts in December amounted to $163.6m, up 14.4% from November.

Starting with sports betting, the December handle narrowly beat the existing record of $654.4m set in November. The Bay State launched legal betting in March 2023.

massachusetts launched legal betting in march 2023

Players spent $643.2m betting online during December and $15.5m at retail sportsbooks.

Revenue falls just short of Massachusetts record

Turning to taxable revenue from sports betting, this reached $60.6m in December. This was 23.9% ahead of $48.9m in November and just 0.7% behind May’s $61.0m monthly record.

Online betting accounted for $59.3m of all sports betting revenue in December, with retail’s share at $1.3m.

DraftKings the clear leader in online market

Looking at individual operators, Dr..

January 17, 2024

Tiers and turbulence in US sports betting

The US sports betting sector has grown rapidly, but Paul Girvan sees trouble on the horizon for the early leaders.

The rapid development of US sports betting has been astounding. Currently some 32 states have legalised some form of sports betting and, of this number, 28 provide either mobile or online access.

Within the 32, there are five states where tribal operators provide the only betting option. To date the markets have been characterised by a hierarchy of operators that have gained access primarily via partnerships with land-based casino operators, both tribal and commercial.

A further eight states are considering the issue and could pass legislation in the coming year. Beyond these is a disparate group of states that have been resistant to passing sports betting legislation – although some have been actively considering the issue.

Among these are three powerhouses of tribal gaming; Minnesota, Oklahoma (with its proximity to Texas) and the behemoth of California. Trouble, ho..

January 17, 2024

All-time high in New Jersey as 2023 revenue hits $5.78bn

Gambling revenue in New Jersey reached an all-time high of $5.78bn (£4.59bn/€5.32bn) in 2023, driven by record performances across igaming and sports betting.

Total revenue in 2023 was up 10.9% from $5.21bn in the previous year. The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) noted growth across all three core markets.

Land-based casinos remain the primary source of gambling revenue in New Jersey. These accounted for $2.85bn of all revenue, a year-on-year rise of 2.2%.

Retail slots revenue was 3.3% higher at $2.11bn but table games revenue slipped 0.7% to $736.2m. Incidentally, table games was the only subsection of the market to report lower revenue in 2023.

New Jersey igaming revenue nears $2.00bn

As for igaming, revenue here reached $1.92bn – a new record and 15.7% higher than in 2022.

Online slots revenue jumped 15.9% to $1.89bn, while peer-to-peer poker increased 5.6% to $28.9m.

Golden Nugget took top spot in the igaming market with $524.8m in revenue for the year. R..

January 11, 2024

Sports Betting Alliance opposes California sports betting ballots

The Sports Betting Alliance (SBA), a group of leading US gambling operators, has declared its opposition to two sports betting ballots in California, saying it will not financially support either initiative.

Both ballots would give tribes exclusive rights to offer retail and online sports betting in California. They were filed with the state’s attorney-general in October 2023.

CALIFORNIA’S SPORTS BETTING BALLOTS WERE FILED WITH THE STATE’S ATTORNEY-GENERAL IN OCTOBER 2023

The two ballots name Reeve Collins, co-founder and CEO of Pala Interactive, as the contact for media inquiries. Pala Interactive was founded by the Pala Band of Mission Indians in 2013. It was acquired by Boyd Gaming in November 2022.

Authors of the ballots have been seeking financial support for signature gathering from sports betting operators. However, SBA members – BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and Fanatics Sportsbooks – have said they will not provide funding.

SBA blasts proposed ballots

SBA spokesperson Nat..

January 9, 2024

Maine sports betting handle exceeds $44.0m in December

Players in Maine spent $44.0m (£34.5m/€40.2m) betting on sports in December, while the Pine Tree State’s two licensed operators – DraftKings and Caesars – generated $4.4m in adjusted gross receipts.

Total handle for December amounted to $44.5m. This was 18.4% higher than the $37.6m spent in Maine during November, the state’s first month of legal betting.

Maine launched its regulated market on 3 November 2023, with December being the first full month of legal sports wagering.

maine launched its regulated market in november 2023

Bettors won $39.9m from betting in December. After discounting these winnings, $107,478 in federal excise and $132,376 worth of voided and cancelled bets, adjusted gross receipts of $4.4m were left. This was 4.4% lower than $4.6m in the opening month.

The State of Maine Gambling Control Unit added that legal betting generated $437,884 in tax. Both DraftKings and Caesars pay tax at a rate of 10% of adjusted gross receipts.

DraftKings the Maine player

So fa..

January 2025
Mon	Tue	Wed	Thu	Fri	Sat	Sun
		1	2	3	4	5
6	7	8	9	10	11	12
13	14	15	16	17	18	19
20	21	22	23	24	25	26
27	28	29	30	31

Tag: Casino & games