Tag: Casino

State of the Union: DraftKings’ missteps, Missouri ballot measure

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.
DraftKings has “no excuse” to consider surcharge “cash grab”
Less than an hour after Flutter’s second-quarter earnings call ended on Tuesday, DraftKings announced that, after hearing customer feedback, it will back off plans to impose a winners’ surcharge. The company announced the idea in early August, only to get swift and negative feedback.

Wall Street reacted positively on Wednesday. DraftKings’ shares were up as high as $33.50 per share before they settled at $32.06, up nearly 2%. While Rush Street Interactive and Penn Entertainment previously said they would not follow DraftKings’ lead, the company was clearly waiting to see how FanDuel would react.

“We have no plans to introduce a surcharge to winners,” CEO Peter Jackson said during the Q&A portion of the call. He then declined to entertain the issue..

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Casino expansions lift US Q2 GGR

US gross gaming revenue (GGR) increased by 8.9% year-on-year to $17.63bn (£13.66bn/€16.04bn) in the second quarter of 2024.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) stated that casino expansions in states such as Illinois, Nebraska and Virginia drove the increase. This led to traditional casino GGR improving by 1.8% to $12.49bn.

However, there were also sharp rises in sports betting and igaming GGR.

Sports betting GGR rocketed by 35.3% year-on-year to $3.16bn in Q2, while igaming GGR increased by 25.2% to $1.97bn.

Q2 record
In total, it was the 14th consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth and the highest-grossing Q2 revenue performance on record. However, the total figure was slightly below the quarterly commercial gaming revenue record of $17.7bn registered in Q1.

Over the first six months of the year, total GGR was up 7.7% to $35.48bn. Traditional casino GGR was up 1.1% to $24.83bn, while sports betting GGR improved by 28.7% to $6.67bn and igaming GGR rose by 25.6% to $3.95bn.

Q..

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Casino expansions lift US Q2 GGR

US gross gaming revenue (GGR) increased by 8.9% year-on-year to $17.63bn (£13.66bn/€16.04bn) in the second quarter of 2024.
The American Gaming Association (AGA) stated that casino expansions in states such as Illinois, Nebraska and Virginia drove the increase. This led to traditional casino GGR improving by 1.8% to $12.49bn.

However, there were also sharp rises in sports betting and igaming GGR.

Sports betting GGR rocketed by 35.3% year-on-year to $3.16bn in Q2, while igaming GGR increased by 25.2% to $1.97bn.

Q2 record
In total, it was the 14th consecutive quarter of year-on-year growth and the highest-grossing Q2 revenue performance on record. However, the total figure was slightly below the quarterly commercial gaming revenue record of $17.7bn registered in Q1.

Over the first six months of the year, total GGR was up 7.7% to $35.48bn. Traditional casino GGR was up 1.1% to $24.83bn, while sports betting GGR improved by 28.7% to $6.67bn and igaming GGR rose by 25.6% to $3.95bn.

Q..

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KTO pulls out of Chile, Peru to narrow focus on Brazil betting market

KTO Group has pulled its sports betting brand from Peru and Chile to focus on the licensed Brazil market once it launches in January 2025.
KTO founder and CEO Andreas Bardun told iGB its LatAm presence had been reduced to just Brazil as the company prioritises growing its market share in the region.

KTO is one of 17 operators to have already applied for a betting licence within the initial 90-day window of preference. This means KTO will be granted a licence within the first wave, in time for the 1 January launch date.

First mover advantage will be crucial in brazil says kto ceo andreas bardun
KTO Brazil was launched in 2018 and Bardun believes the company will benefit from a first-mover advantage in the licensed betting market.

“We entered Brazil maybe four or five years ago now when there wasn’t so much attraction, people couldn’t really see the potential,” Bardun told iGB. “And we realised there wasn’t any kind of localisation of the product.

“We thought this is a good oppor..

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Belgium reports 16.7% rise in 2023 GGR despite tighter regulatory controls

A new report from the Commission des Jeux de Hasard (CJH), the regulator of gambling in Belgium, has revealed the country’s industry saw its gross gaming revenue (GGR) grow by 16.7% over 2023.
Belgium gambling gross revenue total for 2023 was €1.7bn (£1.5bn/$1.9bn), a significant rise from the €1.5bn generated in 2022. Online grew by 18% to a GGR of €944.6m, while offline GGR also increased substantially, with €758m reflecting a 15.2% year-on-year rise.

Growth came despite the Belgian government ratcheting up restrictions on the sector. From 2022 operators had to enforce a €200 weekly loss limit, down from 2020’s €500 limit.

Midway through 2023 they were then forced to halt all advertising. After a last-ditch attempt from a consortium of Belgian sports teams and operators failed to halt the move, a ban on advertising came into force from 1 July 2023.

Restrictions? What restrictions? Belgian gambling market grows in 2023
Casino GGR increased 18.7% year-on-year to €594.9m, powered by..

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State of the Union: Nebraska slow down, Penn eyes Alberta, FanDuel sued

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.
Legal digital wagering stalled in Nebraska
Nebraska lawmakers don’t seem ready to introduce digital sports betting, although the state’s traditionally anti-gambling governor is now supportive. Gambling proceeds are earmarked for property tax relief, which is a priority for lawmakers.

Legal digital sports betting is stalled in Nebraska. The state legislature has been in special session since 25 July. The General Affairs Committee held a hearing on the subject last week. But since then, lawmakers appear divided.

One source said that Governor Jim Pillen, traditionally anti-gaming, now supports an expansion. Pillen previously said that he plans to introduce legislation in January. He appears open to any gambling expansion to increase state tax revenue. Friday is day 10 of the special session, which does not have ..

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Bowyer allegedly had 700+ illegal betting customers, washed money through Las Vegas and California casinos

Court documents reveal that alleged illegal bookmaker Mathew Bowyer had more than 700 customers, washed money through multiple casinos and used Costa-Rican betting websites in his business.
On 1 August, Bowyer was charged on three counts. He is accused of running an illegal bookmaking scheme, laundering money and filing a false tax return. Bowyer, according to court documents, will plead guilty Friday before Judge John W Holcomb at the Ronald Reagan Federal Building and United States Courthouse in Santa Ana, California.

Bowyer’s business was based out of Orange and Los Angeles counties in California and Clark County in Las Vegas. Sports betting is illegal in California.

Bowyer faces a maximum sentence of 18 years in prison and three years of probation. He could be fined $750,000 or two times the “gross gain or gross loss resulting from the offences” – whichever is higher.

Mizuhara, two pro ballplayers linked to Bowyer
According to the court documents, it is unclear when Bowyer sta..

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State of the Union: Olympics betting, Texas legalisation talk, Ontario’s latest idea

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.
Here’s where Olympic betting is highest in US
According to a Forbes report, bettors in Maine, Massachusetts, New York, North Carolina and Pennsylvania have a high interest in betting on the Olympics. Why? Per the story, a heavy interest in basketball – particularly the Celtics in Maine and Massachusetts and college basketball in North Carolina – is one driver.

Another is the number of athletes representing a state in Paris. Of the 592 athletes representing the US at the Olympics, which runs through 11 August, 143 are from California. The state with the next highest is Florida with 50, followed by Texas with 43. Of the three states, only Florida has legal sports betting. There are 31 athletes from New York competing and 20 from Pennsylvania.

Bettors in Massachusetts can bet on the Olympics, but not on judged..

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Waterhouse VC: The rise and rise of Bet365

How has Bet365 maintained a consistent top position in online gambling? Tom Waterhouse reviews its tactics for success.
Becoming the dominant force early in an industry can lead to significant competitive advantages, brand recognition, and customer loyalty. Amazon in ecommerce and Coca-Cola in soft drinks, are examples where early and effective market entry cemented dominant lasting positions. Dominance is maintained through established distribution, economies of scale and a sticky customer base.

In gambling, aside from countries where a pari-mutuel (tote) operator has a monopoly on betting, there is a variety of choice. For example, in Australia, there are around 100 wagering operators and in the UK there are 175 online operators. Before the internet, bookmakers would typically earn and retain market share through physical high street betting shops, which gave the industry a natural barrier to entry.

In the UK, Ladbrokes and William Hill emerged as the initial market leaders among a..

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Bally’s execs tout online growth, Chicago casino progress during second-quarter earnings call

Executives from Bally's Corp. were triumphant on Wednesday (31 July) in their presentation of the company's future prospects in Chicago, Las Vegas and online. The company reported $622m in overall revenue, a year-on-year increase of 3%.
Bally’s second-quarter earnings call on Wednesday featured optimistic presentations from CEO Robeson Reeves, president George Papanier and CFO Marcus Glover. Of its three verticals, two reported year-over-year growth in Q2. Its casino operations and North American digital segments posted gains of 3% and 95%, respectively. Its international interactive division declined 7%.

The big spike in digital was due mainly to the company’s March launch of igaming in Rhode Island. Internationally, Reeves said that its UK performance was strong but lagged elsewhere, mainly Asia, leading to the overall segment decline.

The trio did not comment on or field questions about Bally’s biggest development, last week’s takeover from Standard General. There was..

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Caesars’ Big Brazil and Sportingbet apply for Brazil licences

Sportingbet and Caesars Sportsbook’s Big Brazil have submitted their licence applications in Brazil, becoming the fourth and fifth operators to do so.
Sportingbet applied for a Brazil sports betting and igaming licence on Thursday (25 July). The following day, Caesars Sportsbook’s licensee Big Brazil joined Sportingbet, Betano, Superbet and Rei do Pitaco in submitting its application.

In applying during the initial 90-day window of preference, Sportingbet and Big Brazil have ensured their applications will be prioritised by the ministry of finance’s Secretariat of Prizes and Bets (SPA).

The SPA guarantees that operators who submit their applications by the 20 August deadline will have their applications processed by 1 January 2025, the anticipated launch date of the legal market.

Licences will last for five years and will cost BRL30m (£4.6m/€5.4m/$5.9m) in fees. Those who receive a licence will be able to offer gambling via three skins. Meanwhile, operators who fail to secure a lice..

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