Sports betting – Page 13

September 17, 2024

Tax Foundation research bears out diverse US wagering tax rates, barriers to entry

On Tuesday (17 September) the Tax Foundation released an interactive map that shows tax rates for every legal US online sports betting jurisdiction. The map reveals the diverse tax structures that exist across the country.
Operators must deal with separate sets of laws, regulations and tax structures in each jurisdiction in which they are licensed.

The map does not include the fees that operators must pay in each state. But according to the press release, high licensing fees are among the “common barriers” to entry. It uses as examples Massachusetts, which has a $5m (£3.8m/€4.5m) initial fee and $5m renewal every five years and Pennsylvania, which has $10m initial fee and $250,000 annual renewal.

New York, which is capped at nine operators, has the highest initial fee at $25m. In part because of that, only major US or global platforms are available in the state.

Cost of business related to survival in a market
The Tax Foundation also pointed to the requirement to be tethered to ..

September 17, 2024

Massachusetts hits lowest sports betting revenue this year in August

Sports betting revenue in Massachusetts fell to a calendar year-low during August, though the state was able to report year-on-year growth across both revenue and handle.
Combined taxable online and retail revenue in August reached $33.3m (£25.2m/€29.9m). This is 51.4% more than in Massachusetts last year but 19.2% behind July – and the lowest monthly figure so far this year.

Online betting accounted for $32.9m of all revenue during the month, with retail’s share at just $381,134.

Handle-wise, the $447.3m spent across online and retail was some 42.1% ahead of last year. It is also 8.6% more than the $411.8m wagered on sports in July this year.

Players spent a total of $439.7m betting online during August, in addition to $7.6m at retail sportsbooks across Massachusetts.

In terms of hold, the overall figure for the state’s market in August was 7.71%. Online hold was slightly above this at 7.74%, with retail lower at 6.12%.

DraftKings still the one to beat in Massachusetts
As for in..

September 17, 2024

FanDuel dominated Washington, DC wagering in August

In the first full month of an open competitive market in Washington, DC, FanDuel was the clear choice for bettors, taking $21.7m in bets. Four operators were live online.
Washington, DC also has four in-person only sportsbooks and the eight combined to take $40.6m in bets, the highest in history according to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) report. The group had a combined $4.5m in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

In June, the DC Council voted to open the market, which during its first three years, only had one digital option available throughout the District and that for just 11 months. GambetDC, a white-label platform provided by lottery provider Intralot, was live.

But issue after issue arose and, in March, the OLG announced that Intralot was preparing to take the platform down and replace it with FanDuel. The wagering giant subcontracted with Intralot, but its run as a monopoly was short-lived. FanDuel went live in April, but on 15 July the market opened and the OLG declined t..

September 17, 2024

New Jersey: Record igaming revenue drives growth in August

Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased 4.4% year-on-year in August, helped by a record performance by the Garden State’s igaming market.
Total revenue for August reached $555.1m (£420.0m/€498.7m). This is ahead of $531.6m in New Jersey last August and also 1.3% more than $547.8m in July this year.

Without doubt, the stand-out figure for New Jersey in August was igaming revenue. Here, revenue jumped 27.8% year-on-year to $198.4m – a new monthly record for the state.

This includes $196.0m in internet slots revenue, an increase of 28.2%. On the other hand, online peer-to-peer remained level at $2.4m for the month.

Golden Nugget was again the leading master licensee in the igaming market. Skins operating via its licence, which in addition to Golden Nugget are FanDuel, Betway and BetRivers, generated $55.0m in revenue.

However, as was the case in July, DraftKings was the leading igaming operator. It posted $43.2m in online casino revenue, ahead of FanDuel on $41.3m. Another brand of n..

September 17, 2024

ICO investigates Sky Bet for unlawfully processing player data

The Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) has reprimanded Bonne Terre Limited, trading as Sky Betting and Gaming, for an outdated cookie policy that players couldn't opt out of.
The ICO found Sky Bet had used cookies to collect player data and share it with various marketing platforms before players were able to provide their consent and opt in or out of advertising cookies.

A complaint from campaign group Clean Up Gambling was submitted to the ICO, sparking an investigation into whether the Flutter business was deliberately misusing personal data to target vulnerable gamblers.

While Sky Bet was found to have processed data in a way that was “not lawful, transparent or fair”, the ICO said it found no evidence of deliberate misuse.

ICO deputy commissioner Stephen Bonner believes the case should be a lesson to gambling operators as she urged them to reconsider how they process player data.

“Our enforcement action against Sky Betting and Gaming is a warning that there will be..

September 16, 2024

Illinois regulator tightens wagering and casino advertising rules

Illinois regulators late last week became the latest to revamp advertising and marketing rules for sports betting and casinos. The move follows a trend in the US that regulators say aims to protect minors and those at-risk from potential harms.
The Illinois Gaming Board (IGB) on Thursday (12 September) voted in more strict measures around wagering, casino advertising and video gaming. The new guidelines mirror those in Massachusetts and Ohio. Those two states are recognised to be the most stringent when it comes to advertising and marketing.

The IGB previously did not have such guidelines for casino and video gaming.

The board voted the same day that two US lawmakers introduced legislation that would, in part, create national gambling advertising guidelines.

The overall document now seeks to consider digital sports betting and advertising. But the rules apply to the physical and digital worlds.

IGB CEO Marcus Fruchter said the new rules were designed to “include additional safeg..

September 16, 2024

US betting revenue round-up: New Illinois tax structure, Indiana, Iowa, West Virginia

Analysing some of the latest monthly sports betting reports in the US, iGB looks at how Illinois, Indiana, Iowa and West Virginia performed in July and August.
Starting in Illinois, July was the first month of new tax rules in Illinois. The previous 15% flat AGR rate was replaced by a sliding scale, ranging from 20% to 40%, depending on handle. Despite handle being down against June, operators paid $14.3m (£10.8m/€12.9m) in the state in taxes on $71.1m in adjusted gross revenue (AGR), as compared to $13.8m on $84.6m AGR.

Total player spending in July amounted to $774.1m. This is 8.7% lower than June but 26.7% ahead of July last year, according to the Illinois Gaming Board.

Online betting accounted for $753.6m of the total, with retail’s share at $20.5m for July.

Professional sports drew $769.6m of bets across online and retail during the month. Motor racing bets topped $1.4m, college sports $927,015 during the summer break and other events $1.8m.

Revenue-wise, for the entire state..

September 16, 2024

Weekend Report: Caesars launches retail betting in Maine; talk of Newfoundland casino

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week, we cover Caesars launching in-person betting in Maine, reports of a new casino in Newfoundland and the start of SkyCity’s temporary closure in Auckland.
Caesars first to launch retail sports betting in Maine
First off, Caesars has become the first to operator to roll out retail sports betting in the state of Maine. The Portland-based Oddfellahs sportsbook officially opened on 13 September and is operating in partnership with First Tracks Investments.

Portland mayor Mark Dion placed the first ceremonial first bet at the site, which features self-service betting kiosks and a ticket window on-site. Cash deposits and withdrawals for Caesars Sportsbook mobile accounts is also available.

Online sports wagering with Caesars has been available in Maine since November of 2023.

Local mayor proposes new casino in Newfoundland
North of the border, reports of a poten..

September 15, 2024

Caesars contributes $4m to campaign against legal Missouri sports betting

Caesars Entertainment made $4m (£3m/€3.6m) in contributions to a campaign that aims to convince voters to say no to the Missouri legal wagering initiative backed by the state's professional sports teams.
The ‘Missourians Against the Deceptive Online Gambling Amendment’ political committee was formed on 10 September. And, according to records on the Missouri ethics commission (MEC) website, the casino giant funded the campaign on 13 September. The company made three separate contributions under the names of its casinos.

Tropicana St Louis, which is now the Horseshoe Casino, and the Isle of Capri Casino Booneville each donated $1.3m. Harrah’s North Kansas City contributed $1.4m.

Caesars so far is the only casino company in the state to take a clear stance on the issue of legal Missouri sports betting.

The initiative, which will be listed as Amendment 2 on the November ballot, survived a legal challenge last week. It would legalise statewide digital sports betting with platforms..

September 13, 2024

State of the Union: Fox’s FanDuel play, bettors want cash from athletes, questionable political donation

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.
Fox aiming to secure stake in FanDuel
The Fox Corporation this week confirmed plans to attempt to buy into FanDuel at a deeply discounted rate. How discounted? About $2.2bn below market value in the current conditions.

When Flutter Entertainment bought The Stars Group in 2020, it created a situation that would allow Fox Corp to buy up to an 18.6% stake in FanDuel. Earlier this week, at the Goldman Sachs Communacopia and Technology Conference, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch confirmed that his company is now moving forward with that option, reports Sportico.

According to Murdoch, analysts value FanDuel at $35bn. At that valuation, the 18.6% stake would be worth $6.5bn on the open market. Fox could buy it for about $4.3bn under the terms of the agreement. Fox, which previously had wagering platforms in several states,..

September 12, 2024

US lawmakers decry sports betting practices while introducing SAFE Bet Act

New York representative Paul Tonko and Connecticut senator Richard Blumenthal lambasted the practices of US sports betting operators on Thursday (12 September) as they introduced the SAFE Bet Act, which would establish a rigorous federal framework around digital sports wagering.
Legal sports betting became a states’ rights issue in 2018, when the US Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA). Since then, nearly 40 US states and jurisdictions have legalised some form of wagering.

Tonko and Blumenthal outlined the parameters of the bill, which was first announced in March, at a press conference in Washington on Thursday. They were joined by three other speakers.

Mark Gottlieb and Harry Levant, executive director and gambling policy adviser for the Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at the Northeastern University School of Law, talked about the public health impacts of sports betting. Gordon Douglas gave an emotional account of his son And..

September 12, 2024

Fanatics Sportsbook goes live in Washington, DC

Washington, DC bettors now have a fifth choice for digital wagering, as Fanatics Sportsbook has launched in the nation's capital.
The Fanatics Sportsbook announcement on Thursday (12 September) was the second major one in the US capital this week. On Tuesday, Caesars Sportsbook shared that it will take over the GambetDC kiosks at 53 small-business locations in the District.

Since the DC Council in June decided to open the betting market, Caesars and BetMGM were able to effectively take off the geofences that limited their platforms to special zones and DraftKings and FanDuel have both gone live.

During hearings as the council considered creating a competitive market, Fanatics testified that it was interested in entering the market. The platform is live in neighbouring Maryland and Virginia and Fanatics now has a retail sportsbook at Commanders Field, home of the NFL’s Washington Commanders.

Fanatics’ first deal with a women’s pro team
Fanatics Sportsbook got market access t..

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Tag: Sports betting