Consumers in New York spent $1.17bn betting on sports online in June, the lowest monthly total since August 2022.
June’s handle was 10.5% ahead of $1.05bn in the same month last year but 14.7% behind the $1.36bn spent in May.
It was also the lowest figure since $872.2m was bet last August.
Gross gaming revenue (GGR) from sports betting during the month reached $103.8m. This was up 43.4% from $72.4m last year but 31.7% down from $152.0m in May.
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Caesars Entertainment has become the latest operator to launch online sports betting in the US territory of Puerto Rico.
Consumers in Puerto Rico can place bets on the Caesars Sportsbook mobile betting app or accompanying website.
Online betting will initially only be available to citizens of Puerto Rico. Non-residents visiting the island will have the ability to register for the app later this summer.
The app and website will be integrated with the Caesars Rewards loyalty programme. For every bet placed, users will earn tier credits, which can be exchanged for experiences at Caesars Entertainment destinations.
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Genius Sports has signed a multi-year extension to its strategic partnership with the National Football League (NFL).
The deal runs to the end of the 2027-28 season, with Genius to retain exclusivity over official NFL data and video distribution.
This includes play-by-play statistics, proprietary Next Gen Stats (NGS) data and official sports betting data. Genius will continue to distribute this to media companies and sports betting operators around the world.
Genius began working with the NFL in 2021 and now powers over 98% of the legal US sports betting market with official NFL data.
The deal also covers exclusive rights to distribute NFL Watch & Bet low latency live game video feeds to sportsbooks internationally. From the 2023-24 season, Genius and the NFL have reached a multi-year agreement to distribute Watch & Bet in the US and Canada.
Genius said it would leverage its machine learning and live streaming technologies to power viewing experiences for fans through Watch & Bet…
Online gambling operator Bet365 has agreed to an expanded partnership with mixed martial arts series the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC).
Under the deal, Bet365 will remain the official sportsbook partner of the UFC in the UK and Ireland for at least the next year.
This arrangement will also be extended to cover certain other European territories. These include Bulgaria, Denmark, Germany, Greece, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain and Sweden.
Other aspects of the deal include IMG Arena, an official partner of UFC, providing a range of features for the Bet365 app and website. This covers assets such as the UFC’s official data feed and in-screen live streaming of UFC bouts.
Bet365 users can also now access a “Bet Builder” feature, allowing them to create bespoke bets. Players can select from multiple markets for the same bout and combine them into a single bet.
Ongoing deal
In addition, Bet365 will continue to run the “One on One” dedicated UFC show on its official YouTube channel…
Gaming Innovation Group (GiG) has supported the launch of Boldt Group brand Bplay in the Argentine province of Mendoza.
Bplay initially went live with an igaming offering on GiG’s B2B platform. This will be expanded to also include an online sportsbook in the third quarter.
The launch marks the fifth Argentine jurisdiction in which Boldt Group has partnered with GiG. The two parties were already active in Buenos Aires, Santa Fe, Entre Ríos and the city of Buenos Aires.
“Bplay continues to provide the best gaming experience for our clients in Latin America,” Boldt Group business unit manager José del Pino said. “This leads not only in the launch of new licences, incorporating new and great games and products, but also improving user satisfaction.”
The roll-out also means GiG is regulated in 30 markets worldwide, with a further seven in development.
GiG commercial director David Bonnefous Saavedra added: “Our excellent relationship with the Boldt Group and the continuing expansion ..
Sports data analytics and technology business Sportradar has announced that the continental governing body of South American football, CONMEBOL, has chosen the business as its new betting data rights partner.
The outcome of the competitive bidding process will see Sportradar become CONMEBOL’s exclusive audio visual and betting data rights partner.
The multi-year deal covers the worldwide rights for three CONMEBOL football competitions – the Copa Libertadores, the Recopa Sudamericana and the Copa Sudamericana. Under the terms of the agreement, the rights will run for the next four seasons.
Sportradar and CONMEBOL strengthen relationship
CONMEBOL’s secretary-general, José Astigarraga, said the organisation was “glad” to strengthen its relationship with Sportradar.
“We are sure that the prestigious CONMEBOL club tournaments, with more than 60 years of history, will be a great showcase to be able to get closer to the true fans of South American football,” he added.
since 2019, sport..
Online gambling operator Soft2Bet is to expand into Romania after securing a new licence in the country.
Issued by national regulator Oficiul National pentru Jocuri de Noroc (ONJN), the licence will cover online casino and sports betting.
Soft2Bet said the licence would support its ongoing expansion into regulated markets across Europe and worldwide.
The operator also recently secured approval in Greece, Ireland, Denmark and Sweden,
“We consider the Romanian market as one of the pivotal markets for establishing our foothold in Eastern Europe,” Soft2Bet’s general counsel, David Yatom said.
“Acquiring a local Romanian operating licence marks an important step in our strategic expansion, building upon Soft2Bet’s success in other European markets.
“Stay tuned for more exciting developments in the near future.”
Azartia Games, the company behind the Golden Park brand, has secured two new online gambling licences in Portugal.
The licences will enable Azartia Games to offer online sports betting and games of chance in the country. Azartia will operate via the Goldenpark.pt website.
Both licences were issued by national regulator Comissão de Jogos do Turismo de Portugal (SRIJ).
Azartia joins a host of other brands in securing approval to offer online gambling in Portugal. Other licensed operators include 888, Betway, Bwin, PokerStars and Betclic.
Another approved operator is Casino Solverde, which this week had its licence renewed.
Casino Solverde can continue to offer online sports betting to players in Portugal, as well as a range of casino games.
The casino games available at Casino Solverde include slots, blackjack and French roulette.
Market growth
The news comes after SRIJ last month announced growth in Portugal’s online betting and gaming market in Q1.
Gross gaming revenue (GGR)..
Ohio governor, Mike DeWine, has raised the state’s sports betting tax rate to 20% in his 2024-25 executive budget.
This means that all licensed sports betting operators in the state will have to pay double the initial agreed tax of 10% on sports betting revenue from 2024 onward.
DeWine is set to sign the raise into the budget this week.
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Sports betting handle in Arizona fell month-on-month during April, although the $535.7m wagered by players was up year-on-year.
The monthly handle was 4.5% ahead of $512.9m in April 2022 but 16.9% less than $644.8m in March of this year.
Of this total, $531.2m was spent betting on sports online, while just $3.7m was wagered at retail sportsbooks across the state.
Consumers won $486.5m from betting, leaving $48.0m in adjusted gross event wagering revenue before free bets. This was 64.4% ahead of $29.2m last year but 10.1% behind $53.4m in March this year.
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Consumer spending on sports wagering in Rhode Island fell to its lowest total in 10 months during May.
Players bet $30.8m on sports, down 25.1% from $41.1m in May 2022 and 17.9% less than $37.5m in April this year. This was also the lowest amount since $27.7m was bet during August last year.
Some $22.4m was wagered online, while $8.4m was spent betting at retail sportsbooks. The latter was split $4.8m at Twin River and $3.5m at the Tiverton Casino.
Revenue for the month amounted to $3.9m, up 69.6% from $2.3m last year and 30.0% more than $3.0m in April 2023.
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Stefano Vaccarino may be FTN Network’s chief operating officer and chief marketing officer, but he first joined the gambling industry via Twitter, as he tells Cole Rush.
But before entering the field of sports betting, he was in a totally different line of work altogether.
“I was working as a medical biller and coder,” Vaccarino says. “A pretty boring 9-5. I always loved sports; I studied sports management in college.”
During Vaccarino’s college years, daily fantasy sports (DFS) was making its way to the mainstream.
“I decided to create a Twitter account and start posting NBA picks and plays during my lunch break or whenever I could spare a minute.”
The Twitter account was anonymous, and it soon gained marginal traction. “Nothing huge,” he says. “Maybe a few thousand followers.”
Then a former classmate started following the anonymous account. Vaccarino messaged the friend and they reconnected. This rekindled connection led to a new job opportunity in the sports betting space.
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