Sports betting – Page 35

May 23, 2024

ACMA orders blocking of more illegal gambling websites

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has requested the blocking of a further eight websites it deems to be offering gambling in the country illegally.

ACMA said each of the sites is operating in breach of the Interactive Gambling Act 2001. As such, it is requesting internet service providers (ISPs) to block access to the illegal sites.

Domains flagged include Jogi Casino, Dundee Slots, Lucky Hunter, Lucky Wins, Lukki Casino, Spin Fever, Clubhouse Casino and Winport Casino.

Since the ACMA made its first blocking request in November 2019, some 975 gambling and affiliate websites have been blocked. In addition, over 220 illegal services have pulled out of Australia since the ACMA started enforcing illegal offshore gambling rules.

ACMA committed to protecting players

Website blocking is one several enforcement options to protect consumers against illegal gambling services.

ACMA says it can take such action if a site offers games not covered by Australian law such..

May 22, 2024

Mississippi sports betting revenue drops 8.8% to $3.1m in April

Mississippi reported sports betting revenues of $3.1m (£2.7m/€3.1m) for April, down 8.8% from March’s total.

Sports betting revenue in Mississippi for April fell short of March’s figure of $3.4m, and was 27.9% down on the same month last year, when $4.3m in revenue was reported.

Total handle for the month was $34.3m. This was a 22.9% decrease on the $44.5m in bets taken in March. However, it was 7.9% ahead of April 2023’s figure of $31.8m.

In terms of where bets were placed, Mississippi’s coastal casinos again led the way, reporting $1.5m in revenue and $23.6m in handle.

Central casinos took $6.6m in bets and generated revenue of $1.2m. Northern casinos, meanwhile, reported handle and revenue of $4.1m and $402,880 respectively.

What sports are they betting on in Mississippi?

With the National Football League (NFL) season having ended in February, basketball and baseball were the most popular sports for betting at Mississippi’s coastal casinos over April.

Baseball narrowly led th..

May 22, 2024

Horseracing Betting Levy Board expects record £105m in contributions

The Horserace Betting Levy Board (HBLB) has announced it expects to receive a record £105m (€123m/$134m) in levy payments for 2023-24, with the Betting and Gaming Council (BGC) praising the commitment of its member to the scheme.

This contribution, both the BGC and HBLB say, will be £5m more than the previous financial year. It will also be the third consecutive year levy contributions have increased. This total is set to surpass the £100m paid in 2022-23 and £97m in 2021-22.

The additional funding means the HBLB has been able to increase prize money contributions by £3.2m to £70.5m.

“The trend that was seen towards the end of 2022-23 has continued,,” HBLB chairman Paul Darling said. “Betting turnover is lower and bookmakers’ profits higher than recent norms. In the light of reports and analysis from the HBLB executive during the year, the board had been anticipating income of around the total that is expected.

“The effect of this financial outturn gives the board additional comfor..

May 22, 2024

Operators jilt Massachusetts regulator in discussion about limiting bettors

The biggest news that came out of the Massachusetts Gaming Commission's (MGC) roundtable on limiting players on Tuesday (21 May) was what wasn't said. And who wasn't there. Every live operator in the state declined to participate.

As the MGC begins to learn about why and how operators set bet limits on players, the only operator representative was Justin Black of Bally’s Interactive. That platform is licensed, but not live in the state.

BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Betting & Gaming and FanDuel requested executive session for the roundtable. The Massachusetts regulator declined. Most operators cited confidentiality concerns and were ultimately left out of the conversation.

Commissioners didn’t hide their disappointment and anger. Interim Chair Jordan Maynard said that the Massachusetts regulator is required by an open-meeting law to have discussion in public and that is sometimes “uncomfortable”. He also said that integrity and transpar..

May 21, 2024

West Flagler to SCOTUS: DoJ laid out why you should hear Florida wagering case

On Tuesday (21 May) West Flagler and Associates (WFA) discounted a recent argument by the the US Department of Justice (DoJ) in the Florida sports betting case. The reply from the pari-mutuels suing the federal government is the final piece needed before the US Supreme Court (SCOTUS) considers whether or not it will take the case.

WFA argues that the 2021 Florida-Seminole tribe compact explicitly allows for wagering outside of Indian Country. That allowance, it says, violates the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). Last week, the DoJ wrote that the validity of the compact isn’t a federal issue and it doesn’t violate IGRA. Further, the DoJ argued that the US Department of the Interior’s (DoI) decision to allow the compact to become “deemed approved” does not violate any laws, state or federal.

WFA filed a writ of certiorari with the supreme court in April. At issue in the Florida wagering case is whether the DoI should have approved a compact that gives the Seminoles exclusivity to..

May 21, 2024

Michigan online gaming revenue drops 8.7% to $234.8m in April

Michigan sports betting and igaming operators reported $234.8m (£184.7m/€216.3m) in April revenue, down 8.7% on March’s total.

March’s revenue figure of $257.1m was the highest total in Michigan so far in 2024, although comparably April’s numbers fell short. Nonetheless, April’s revenue total still beat January and February, which produced $229.6m and $218.5m respectively.

Year-on-year, April revenue was 20% ahead of the same month last year, when Michigan’s sports betting and igaming operators reported revenues of $195.7m.

Igaming revenue down but sports betting stable in Michigan

Igaming revenue fell from $215.5m in March, Michigan’s strongest igaming month to date, to $192.9m in April.

Sports betting handle, meanwhile, also dropped significantly. Michigan’s online sports betting operators took $399.1m in bets in April, down from $480.4m in March. However, April sports betting revenue stayed stable at $41.9m.

In terms of monthly adjusted gross receipts (AGR), igaming and sports..

May 21, 2024

US April round-up: growth in Louisiana but New Hampshire declines

Casting an eye over the latest monthly US state results, iGB analyses sports betting growth in Louisiana during April and a decline in revenue and handle in New Hampshire.

Players spent more on sports betting in Louisiana, which led to a rise in revenue. However, it was very much the opposite in New Hampshire in April, where the market shrank year-on-year.

Starting in Louisiana, handle amounted to $283.0m (£222.5m/€250.4m), up 34.8% from last year but down 19.1% from March’s $350.0m total. Players spent $263.2m betting on sports online during April, in addition to $19.8m at retail sportsbooks.

As for revenue, this amounted to $33.0m in April. The monthly total is 49.3% ahead of last year and only 2.4% behind $33.8m in March this year.

The state collected $5.4m in tax during the month, with almost all of this coming from the online market.

As for the financial year to date, total player spending in the 10 months to the end of April was $2.86bn. Of this, $2.61bn was bet online, wit..

May 21, 2024

High regulatory costs driving potential for M&A “boom” in Brazil

Economist Adam Patterson believes high regulatory costs will drive an M&A “boom” for Brazil's sports betting market.

Brazil passed Bill 3,626/2023 to regulate sports betting and igaming on 21 December. President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva then signed the bill into law later that month.

The country is currently in the process of rolling out its regulations. Licence fees are expected to cost BRL30m (£4.6m/€5.4m/$5.9m) for up to three brands.

Normative Ordinance No 722 outlined regulations on the technology and security requirements of betting systems. Operators must gain certification of their systems from accreditation entities recognised by the ministry of finance. They must also keep their systems constantly updated to maintain compliance.

With operational fees expected to be costly, smaller companies could face obstacles if they are to operate in Brazil.

Patterson is an economist and partner at Redirection International, which specialises in M&A and has a team working in Bra..

May 20, 2024

Weekend report: NY casino hurry-up bill, NCAA harassment report, new places to bet

IGB takes a look at what happened in gambling news over the weekend.

NY casino process: Let’s get a move on!

New York State Senator Joe Addabbo and Assemblyman Gary Pretlow dropped a bill that would speed up the current NY casino timeline. Regulators earlier this year said they would award licences for three downstate casinos by 31 December 2025. The bill would require bids to be filed by 31 July and the New York State Gaming Commission to award licences by 31 March 2025. The bill outlines 17 areas applicants must address from capital expenditure to proposed partnerships to workforce training, demographic plan and “harmony”.

The New York Post reported that a shortened timeline could help out certain parties and hurt others. Addabbo’s district borders Aqueduct, which is the location for the Resorts World bid. Pretlow’s district is near the Yonkers race track.

On the flip side, Steve Cohen’s Citi Field NY casino proposal would benefit from a longer runway. That project needs legisl..

May 20, 2024

Report: MLB opening betting investigation into ex-Angels infielder

As the federal investigation into the Wayne Nix illegal gambling ring expands, Major League Baseball is opening its first investigation. The league so far has declined to do its own investigation into Shohei Ohtani or his ex-interpreter Ippei Mizuhara.

But ESPN Friday (17 May) linked former Angels infielder David Fletcher and ex-minor leaguer Cody Shultz to the Southern California illegal betting ring. Monday morning, ESPN reported that MLB is opening a betting investigation into Fletcher, now in the Atlanta Braves farm system.

Fletcher reportedly bet with Mathew Bowyer, the same illegal bookmaker Mizuhara used. Fletcher did not bet on baseball, according to ESPN.

His high school friend, Shultz, reportedly did, though, including on Angels games in which Fletcher played. According to ESPN, Schultz is the person identified as “Bookmaker 3” in the Mizuhara complaint.

Major League Baseball has not officially acknowledged an investigation. It previously declined to open one on Ohtani..

May 20, 2024

Minnesota sports betting bill dead at end of chaotic, marathon day

A chaotic marathon legislative session ended on Sunday (19 May) in Minnesota without legal sports betting being considered. Before the calendar turned to 2024, Minnesota was among four US states that stakeholders believed had a real shot to legalise.

Instead, Minnesota’s session has been marred by the arrest of a state senator and mired in partisan politics. Although the house voted to convene on Monday (20 May) at 10am, the senate is adjourned for the session. In the final days, the DFL and Republicans called each other names, had shouting matches on the floor,and filibustered. Both chambers met in extended sessions – some going as late as 5am – beginning last week.

Over the weekend, an omnibus bill was created and included many key issues in an effort to get a vote on some issues. Sports betting is not believed to be in the bill, although lawmakers were unsure.

“Why don’t you go through it?” asked Minority Leader Mark Johnson during end-of-session media availability. “Why don’t ..

May 17, 2024

In first full month, bettors wager $649m in North Carolina

On Friday (17 May) the North Carolina State Lottery issued its first full-month legal online sports betting report. Bettors in the state wagered nearly $649m in April and gross gaming revenue (GGR) was $105.3m.

Operators went live in North Carolina on 11 March, ahead of the NCAA men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. Consumers wagered $659.3m during the three-week span in the opening month. But during that time, three North Carolina teams – Duke, NC State and UNC – were all playing in March Madness. Across the US, sports betting handle often dips in April, after the NCAA’s marquee event comes to a close.

Operators had a higher hold in April versus March, paying out $538.4m in winnings on the $649m handle versus $590.8m on $659.3m handle in March. North Carolina taxes digital operators at 18% of GGR, but the state did not release a number for tax revenue.

Promos down

Promotional betting dropped significantly in April, according to the report. Operators wrote off $79.7m in promo..

November 2024
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

Tag: Sports betting