Tag: Sports betting

Bally Bet now live in Bay State

Bally Bet launched in its seventh state on Tuesday (2 July). The operator joins six other national sports betting platforms in Massachusetts.

Seven seems to be the lucky number for the launch – not only did Bally Bet launch in its seventh state, it is the seventh live operator in Massachusetts. The state at one point had eight platforms live, but Betr and WynnBet exited the market earlier this year. That left BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook and FanDuel.

Under Massachusetts law, there can be a maximum of 17 platforms. Operators can partner with existing casinos or horse racetracks, or apply for a stand-alone mobile licence. BetMGM (MGM Springfield) and ESPN Bet (Plainridge Park) are tethered to casinos. WynnBet was tethered to Encore Boston Harbor, but that licence is no longer in use since WynnBet shuttered.

Bally Bet was among the first group of digital wagering platforms to be licensed in Massachusetts. The company decided not participate i..

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DraftKings topples FanDuel in Ohio during May

DraftKings took pole position in Ohio's betting market for May as FanDuel fell to second, while Bet365 continues to follow behind the top two.

Total handle for May topped $611.6m, up 37.0% year-on-year in May. The Cleveland Cavaliers progressed to the NBA Conference semi-finals, losing to the Boston Celtics. Handle, however, was 9.2% down on the $673.2m wagered on Ohio sports betting in April.

Online betting accounted for the vast majority of amounts wagered, contributing $595.2m, with a further $16.4m staked at retail sportsbooks across the state. After customers won $538.3m, gross gaming revenue for the month was up 16.4% to $67.4m – suggesting a market hold of 11.0% – with online accounting for 98% of GGR.

Ohio sportsbooks cannot deduct promotional spend until 2027. The state’s sports betting law allows for 10% of promotional spend to be deducted beginning in 2027 and 20% to be deducted beginning in 2032.

Despite reporting year-on-year growth, revenue was 8.8% behind the ..

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Virginia wagering operators see 24.6% year over year revenue growth in May

Sports betting operators in Virginia had a stunning May, earning $60m in adjusted gross revenue as compared to $42.5m in May 2023. Those betting in the state laid down $505.6m, a 25.2% increase against the same month last year.

Handle and revenue were down for Virginia wagering operators against April, but that is consistent with the US sports calendar. The men’s and women’s NCAA basketball semi-finals and finals were played in April. This year’s women’s basketball tournament fetched more handle than ever before.

May featured the start of the post-season in the NBA and NHL as well as regular-season baseball.

Virginia wagering operators had an 11.9% win rate, continuing a trend of double-digit holds, according to the report. It marked the 21st time that operators had a double-digit hold since the first platforms went live in January 2021.

The state was able to tax $53.6m of the total AGR as operators wrote off just over $6m in promotions and “other deductions”. When sports bettin..

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Weekend Report: PH senator pushes POGO ban, FanDuel’s strong week in NY and more

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB updates you with the stories you may have missed over the last few days. This week we cover POGOs in the Philippines, as well as stopping off in New York, New Hampshire, Thailand and Brazil.

Philippine senator renews call for online gambling ban

Philippines Senator Joel Villanueva is pushing for his 2022 legislation banning Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and all forms of online gambling to progress through the country’s legislature.

First filed in September 2022, Villanueva’s Senate Bill 1281 aims to repeal all legislation granting the power to regulate online gambling and criminalise the vertical. Those found to have placed, received or otherwise unknowingly transmitted a bet or wager online would face either a prison sentence of up to six months or a fine of PHP500,000 (£6,736.74/€7,943.75/8,524.33).

Villanueva urges PAGCOR to intensify investigation on POGOs and other forms of online gamblinghttps://t.co/dDChQ5jZSZ
— DZRH..

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Bally Bet to launch 2 July in Massachusetts; VSC goes live in Maryland

On Monday (1 July) the Massachusetts Gaming Commission announced that Bally Bet has plans to launch Tuesday (2 July). The commission approved Bally's application for its operations certificate, clearing the way for that launch.

The MGC revealed that Bally Bet plans to launch at 11am local time on Tuesday.

Bally Bet has had its temporary licence for about 18 months and is the last of the operators approved for a 2023 launch to do so. After Betr and WynnBet exited Massachusetts earlier this year, Bally Bet will provide a seventh betting option for those in the state.

Bally Bet opted to sit out the universal launch on 10 March 2023 and renewed its temporary licence earlier this year at a cost of $1m.

“Congratulations to Bally’s, thank you for being another legal operator in the market,” MGC chairman Jordan Maynard said. The commission unanimously agreed to issue Bally’s Interactive with its operations certificate.

Bally Bet will join BetMGM, Caesars Spo..

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State of the Union: Big fine in Philly, Caesars NYC plans and more

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.

Live! Philadelphia fined $100,000

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board this week issued a $100,00 fine to Live! Philadelphia for taking sports bets over the phone. At the PGCB meeting, it was revealed that more than $287,000 in wagers were taken by phone. Of the bets, three were taken via text message and lost and the bettor never laid down the funds.

Live! Philadelphia representatives told the PGCB that it had terminated the employees who took a total of 15 bets via phone or text message. In addition, all have also been placed on the involuntary exclusion list. Live! Philadelphia also now bans personal phones for sportsbook employees while at work and lowered its surveillance notification threshold to $10,000.

Caesars proposes Times Square makeover

Caesars Entertainment has plans to plant trees, improve..

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US May round-up: Strong month for NV; CO handle up 16.2%; Icasino shines in CT

Analysing some of the latest US monthly state reports, iGB takes a closer look at how Nevada, Colorado, Connecticut and South Dakota performed during May.

Sports betting revenue for May in Nevada topped $36m, up 19.8% on last year. Online betting (up 23%) accounted for 63.4% of all sports wagering revenue. Overall handle dipped 2.3% on the previous year.

Of this, $17.2m in revenue came from basketball wagering with the NBA Conference semi-finals and finals playing out during the month. A further $11.2m in revenue came from baseball, as the MLB season takes place, and $3.4m from ice hockey. A further $7.8m was generated across other sports.

Nevada saw overall revenue climb 2.3% to $1.32bn (£1.04bn/€1.23bn).

Gaming revenue in Nevada edged ahead of $1.29bn last year, with May halting two consecutive months of year-on-year decline.

With regards to land-based gaming, slots drew the most revenue at $886.1m, up by 1.0% year-on-year. Multi-denomination slots accounted for $599.1m of rev..

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BetMGM enhances Newcastle United partnership as UK betting push continues

BetMGM has announced an enhancement to its existing partnership with Premier League side Newcastle United, becoming an official betting partner of the club.

Newcastle and BetMGM initially entered into a partnership in September 2023 as the operator sought to boost the marketing push for its UK launch.

In its role as a new official betting partner, BetMGM’s brand will feature on screens across Newcastle’s home ground of St James’ Park. BetMGM will also look to offer activations to fans, such as giveaways and unique experiences.

Sam Behar, UK director of BetMGM, said he believes the partnership with Newcastle aligns with the operator’s own values.

“Our BetMGM partnership with Newcastle United has been a success and we are delighted to continue building on this fruitful collaboration,” Behar said. “I can’t wait to get this season started and see Newcastle United continue on their journey.”

Newcastle’s chief commercial officer Peter Silverstone added: “We have helped BetMGM to drive b..

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Would a 1988 Congress have included digital betting in IGRA? Without a doubt.

Two weeks ago, the US Supreme Court decided to let be the status quo with regard to Florida sports betting. Since then, many in and around the online gambling world are pointing to a sea change and the expectation that tribes across the US will fast and furiously expand or change their offerings. But the view from inside Indian Country? Not so fast.

The US Supreme Court met on 13 June to decide whether to hear West Flagler Associates v. Haaland. The justices decided to pass, meaning a lower-court decision to allow the 2021 Florida-Seminole tribe compact will stand. That compact allows for what could be considered an expansion of the reach of the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA).

It allows for bets to be considered placed where they are received. In simple terms, any bet placed in the state of Florida is considered to be a bet placed on tribal lands if the bet runs through a server on tribal lands.

IGRA changed life for many tribes

IGRA was passed in 1988 and, at its core, gav..

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MGCB’s try at examining legal vs illegal activity causing consternation

A new six-page, six-question attestation form issued by the Michigan Gaming Control Board in late April has left some licensed igaming and sports betting suppliers in a corner, unsure how to respond to the open-ended inquiry that the board itself has revealed is more about “information gathering” at this point.

The “Illegal Gaming Attestation Internet Game Content Providers” form may be well-intentioned to stamp out support for illegal actors siphoning business and taxable revenue from Michigan’s legal market, but many stakeholders are concerned. Relationships and involvement in areas where the legal versus illegal activity of igaming is not cut and dried is common. Those operating globally are especially alarmed by some unclear questions and undefined terms. They believe unintended consequences may follow from the Michigan regulators’ methods.

“The form does not define every single relevant term, such as what constitutes ‘illegal gambling’,” said gaming lawyer Susan Hensel of Hense..

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Betr awarded Maryland wagering licence

Microbetting wagering platform Betr was awarded its Maryland licence at a Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) meeting on Wednesday (26 June) morning. However the company must still go through a controlled demonstration before launch.

Betr is live in two other states – Ohio and Virginia – after it exited Massachusetts earlier this year. Betr also has a temporary licence in Indiana but has not launched there yet.

Owned by YouTube star and boxer Jake Paul and Joey Levy, Betr is among a handful of smaller betting companies that have been able to find success in crowded markets.

Maryland’s lottery commission in May signed off on Betr’s Maryland wagering licence. But in Maryland, SWARC is the only group that has the authority to issue a licence.

Betr will enter Maryland just as BetFred, which gave up its Maryland wagering licence, is exiting. At the same time, Veterans Services Corporation (VSC) is set to launch. VSC is pointing to a 1 July launch. It is a British-ba..

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Betsson secures betting and igaming licences in Peru

Online gambling operator Betsson today said it has secured a licence to operate the Betsafe and Bettson brands in the newly regulated Peru market.

The licences cover online casino and sports betting for both brands and Betsson expects to also soon obtain approval for its Peru-facing Inkabet business.

Betsson has had a presence in Peru since 2008. In 2019, it expanded its reach in the country by launching its Betsafe brand. Two years later, it also acquired locally-licensed online betting and sports brand Inkabet for $25m.

Regulation of the Peru market earlier this year meant Betsson had to secure full licence approval to continue operating in the country. Law no 31557, which regulates online gaming and sports betting, went into effect on 9 February.

Operators had until 10 March to apply for a licence. Peru’s ministry of foreign trade and tourism received 145 requests for operator licences from both national and international operators.

“We have really looked forward to Peru introd..

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