November 2023

November 13, 2023

ESPN BET launch: everything you need to know

Like any Disney fairytale, we’re ready for the hero to dash in and save the day. So, what kind of fairytale do we have concocted for tomorrow’s (14 November) ESPN BET launch?

First up, let’s do some background.

ESPN BET launch: has Penn Met its sports betting match?

We all know Penn Entertainment was billed as one of the pandemic success stories. At the time, few investors thought it had a big part to play in our Disney fairytale with its acquisition of Barstool Sports.

However, unlike our Disney tale of true love, Barstool and Penn was just never meant to be.

At the start of 2023, Penn sold Barstool back to Dave Portnoy for a single paltry dollar. This was mere months after completing the $500 million purchase. A poisoned apple, some might say.

Instead, enter the prince of our tale – Disney-owned ESPN.

This where our tale of true love begins and the story of ESPN BET.

A match made in heaven for ESPN and Penn

Following ESPN’s $1.5bn licensing partnership with Penn Entertainme..

November 13, 2023

Kansas sets new sports betting handle and revenue records in October

Kansas broke its sports betting handle record for the second straight month in October, with players wagering $249.7m (£203.9m/€233.8m), while revenue also reached a new high.

The monthly handle beat the previous record of $219.3m in September by 13.9%. It was also 31.5% ahead of $189.9m in Kansas in October 2022.

Of all wagers placed in Kansas during the month, $240.9m were with online operators and $8.8m at retail sportsbooks.

As for revenue, this amounted to $14.4m across online and retail, representing a new record for Kansas.

In total, some $13.1m of revenue came from online betting and $1.2m retail.

Boot Hill Casino and DraftKings lead online in Kansas

Boot Hill Casino and DraftKings remain the clear online leaders in the Kansas market. The partnership generated $6.3m in online revenue from $114.3m in bets.

Kansas Star Casino and FanDuel followed with revenue of $4.8m off $67.4m. Kansas Crossing Casino and BetMGM complete the top three with $1.6m in revenue and a $20.8m h..

November 13, 2023

Kenya Gambling Control Bill 2023 proposes new regulator and sweeping reform

Kenya has introduce a Gambling Control Bill in an effort to establish a new Gambling Regulatory Authority.

The Gambling Control Bill 2023, currently before parliament, establishes a new Gambling Regulatory Authority. Once approved, it will replace the current Betting, Control and Licensing Board (BCLB).

KENyA GAMBLING CONTROL BILL 2023 TO INTRODUCE NEW AUTHORITY

Incorporating the board’s present mandate, the new Authority will also be responsible for both licensing and regulation.

“The bill seeks to regulate betting, casinos and other forms of gambling, including the authorisation of prize competitions, public lotteries and media promotions,” the bill states.

The state-backed Gambling Control Bill is sponsored by National Assembly Majority leader Kimani Ichung’wah.

Cracking down on unlicensed and underage gambling

The newly-introduced Gambling Control Bill is designed to greatly enhance the board’s original mandate.

This follows previous statements in 2022 that the majorit..

November 13, 2023

ITIA bans seven Belgian tennis players for match-fixing

The International Tennis Integrity Agency (ITIA) has issued bans to seven Belgian players after a court ruled they were involved with a match-fixing syndicate in the country.

All seven players were found in breach of the ITIA Tennis Anti-Corruption Programme (TACP). As a result of their involvement in tennis match-fixing, they will serve bans of various lengths.

The players in question are Arnaud Graisse, Arthur de Greef, Julien Dubail, Romain Barbosa, Maxime Authom, Omar Salman and Alec Witmeur. All were convicted by a criminal court in Belgium and agreed sanctions with the ITIA.

The case relates to a Belgian match-fixing syndicate led by Grigor Sargsyan. The recent criminal case led to the conviction of Sargsyan, who was handed a five-year custodial sentence.

Described by the Washington Post as “the man who built the biggest match-fixing ring in tennis”, Sargsyan had traversed the globe since 2018 to build a network of more than 180 professional players across five continents.
..

November 13, 2023

New York sets US-first with $2bn online sports betting handle in October

New York in October became the first US state to process over $2.00bn (£1.64bn/€1.87bn) in online sports bets during a single month, while revenue also hit a new high in the market.

Players in New York wagered a total of $2.01bn online and via mobile in October. This is the highest ever for a state in the US offering legal sports betting to consumers.

The October total was 30.5% ahead of $1.54bn reported in the same month of last year. This figure was also 14.2% up from $1.76bn in September this year.

Monthly revenue in New York also reached a new high of $166.3m. This was marginally up from the previous record of $165.5m set in September and 14.1% higher than $145.7m last year. Mobile betting has been available in New York since January 2022.

FanDuel remains the market leader in New York

Turning to individual operators, Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel continues to lead the New York market. In October, Flutter posted $83.1m in revenue from $891.9m in internet-based wagers.

Dr..

November 10, 2023

Affordability checks: GC chief dismisses black market fears

GC chief executive Andrew Rhodes again dismissed arguments that “intrusive” affordability checks would drive customers towards the black market.

In a bid to quell the gathering storm around affordability checks, Andrew Rhodes, the Gambling Commission’s (GC) chief executive, addressed the largest-ever gathering of industry leaders on the 10 November.

Amid conflicts with stakeholders across the UK betting landscape, Rhodes looked to outline the challenges the industry faces with the implementation of the government’s Gambling Act Review white paper.

Affordability polarisation

Acknowledging the increasing polarisation within the industry, Rhodes looked to re-iterate the Commission’s impartiality as an independent regulator.

“We have clear statutory objectives and responsibilities. We don’t have a commercial interest in what happens, but that doesn’t mean we ignore commercial realities,” he said.

“The debate on gambling has been exceptionally hard to engage in during the past year. ..

November 10, 2023

IGT enters Puerto Rico online sports betting market with Ponce Plaza

International Game Technology (IGT) has partnered with Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino to launch online and retail sports betting in Puerto Rico.

Under the technology and services agreement, IGT will use its PlaySports solutions to power the Ponce Plaza sports betting offering. Ponce Plaza is located in the city of Ponce on the Puerto Rico southern coast.

IGT and Ponce Plaza will jointly launch Puerto Rico’s first casino brand-led retail and mobile sportsbook. Sports betting will be delivered as ‘PlayBets by Ponce Plaza’.

The agreement expands on an existing partnership between the two parties. IGT has been providing gaming equipment to Puerto Rico’s Ponce Plaza for a number of years.

“Ponce Plaza Hotel & Casino has been serving the local community since 2008,” Ponce Plaza general manager Ramon Muñoz said. “We could not be prouder to be the first casino operator in Puerto Rico to run and operate its own sportsbook and to give sports fans an amazing betting experience backed by a local ..

November 10, 2023

Lithuania revenue up to €161m in first nine months after online growth

Gross gambling revenue (GGR) in Lithuania increased by 15.2% year-on-year to €161.0m (£140.8m/$172.1m) during the nine months to 30 September, driven by growth within the remote gambling sector.

Revenue was comfortably higher than the $139.8m reported in the same period last year. The Gaming Control Authority, which regulates gambling in Lithuania, recorded growth across both the online and land-based markets.

Remote gambling led the way with €107.0m in GGR, up 24.4% from €86.0m last year. Land-based gambling GGR also edged up 0.4% to €54.0m for the period.

Lithuania online slots revenue exceeds €72m

Online slot machines generated the most revenue during the nine-month period. GGR from Category A online slots reached $69.5m, up 33.7%, while Category B slots GGR increased 18.2% to €2.6m.

Total GGR from online slot machines for the reporting period amounted to €72.1m.

As for other online revenue, sports betting revenue fell 1.1% to €26.1m but table games GGR climbed 63.0% to €8.8m…

November 10, 2023

NCAA football payouts cost Colorado in September

Colorado sportsbooks welcomed the return of the National Football League (NFL) in September, but NCAA football cost them dear.

Handle in Colorado was up 14% year-on-year to $512.8m. The monthly sports betting spend surpassed the $306.1m wagered in August this year by 67%.

However, gross gaming revenue (GGR) of $45.3m was down on the $51.3m generated in September 2022. This was due in the main to unfavourable results in NCAA football, which barely broke even after payouts to players. Sportsbooks were up around $4m from NCAA football during the same month last year.

Total win percentage of 8.8% during the month was well down on the 11.4% of September 2022.

A total of $507.9m was bet online during September, with the remaining $4.9m wagered via retail sportsbooks. Online betting was up 14% year-on-year.

NFL football was the most popular sport to wager on in the home state of the Denver Broncos, accounting for around 30% of the total. The $157.4m it drew in bets was up on the $145m wa..

November 9, 2023

Stake acquires Betfair Colombia

Cryptocurrency betting and gaming operator Stake.com has acquired Betfair Colombia, which sees the brand enter the market via the acquisition of Betfair's licence.

The licensing approval, granted by ColJuegos, the Colombia regulator, lasts until 2025.

“Expanding into the Colombia market is a strategic decision that aligns perfectly with our vision for growth and innovation,” said Brais Pena, chief strategy officer at Easygo, the founder of Stake.com.

“Colombia’s position as the first regulated market in Latin America makes it an ideal destination for Stake’s expansion, with the intention of being one of the dominant players in the market in two years.”

Plans beyond Colombia

With Stake acquiring Betfair Colombia, the operator plans for Colombia to serve as its base for growth throughout Latin America, with its current licence approved until 2025. This follows Betfair’s initial launch on the market in Latin America’s second-largest market in 2020.

In total, Coljuegos has i..

November 8, 2023

West Flagler files motion to suspend Hard Rock Bet in Florida

Pari-mutuel betting operator West Flagler Associates has filed a motion in Florida's Supreme Court to suspend Hard Rock Bet and its online sports betting offering in the state.

Hard Rock Bet, which is operated by the Seminole tribe, launched in Florida yesterday (7 November). Early access is available to players who bet previously with the operator and members of Hard Rock’s loyalty scheme.

However, the launch has been met with a legal challenge by West Flagler. A motion filed with the Florida Supreme Court requests it to expedite the exercise of its all writs jurisdiction to immediately suspend online sports betting.

West Flagler says the suspension should last until a final ruling on its petition for writ of quo warranto.

West Flagler: suspension the “only remedy”

“This launch was not previously announced and came as a surprise,” West Flager said. “On 1 November, the tribe announced that commencing 7 December it was commencing the games authorised by the 2021 compact at its..

November 8, 2023

Elys set for US mobile sports betting debut with Caesars in Colorado

Elys Game Technology has struck a market access agreement with Caesars Entertainment in Colorado, in a deal that will mark its entrance into the North American mobile sports betting market.

Under the arrangement with Caesars, Elys will launch in Colorado via its new SportBet.com brand. Elys has not stated when it intends to go live in the state.

SportBet.com will run in Colorado using 5D by Elys technology and offer players access to a range of betting options. The Colorado launch remains subject to regulatory approvals in the state.

Elys plans to build on this initial roll out by launching the SportBet.com brand in other US states. This will also be done through market access partnerships, but Elys did not state which markets it could target.

Elys expects rapid adoption of new sports betting product

“We are focused on converting recent investments in technology and infrastructure into revenue-generating business in the US,” Elys executive chairman Mike Ciavarella said.

“Our me..

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