Betting News Archives

November 21, 2023

Nearly half of German players still using black market, says study

A new study from the University of Leipzig has warned that close to half of all online gambling in Germany still takes place with unlicensed operators.

The study was commissioned by the German Online Casino Association (DOCV) and the German Sports Betting Association (DSWV). It was authored by economist Gunther Schnabl of the University of Leipzig.

The report states that the State Treaty on Gambling, which came into force in July 2021, is missing its key target of ensuring that all online gaming takes place on licensed sites.

As a result, the DOCV and DSWV have called on Germany’s gambling regulator (GGL) to make regulated casinos a more competitive proposition. The GGL came about as a result of the Fourth State Treaty.

The study: in numbers

The study defines an illegal site as being based on several key criteria. The first is that the offer can be reached from a German IP address, without using a VPN. The second is that the offer is available in German and the third is that, wh..

November 21, 2023

Delaware: sports betting grows but igaming declines in October

The Delaware Lottery reported another increase in sports betting handle during October, but igaming wagers in the state fell to a 19-month low.

Delaware consumers spent $10.7m (£8.5m/€9.8m) betting on sports in October. This was up 4.9% from $10.2m in the same month of last year and 40.8% more than $7.6m in September 2023.

As for sports betting revenue, this hit $2.6m in October. The Lottery said this was marginally higher than $2.5m last year and 173.1% ahead of $958,547 in September this year.

Delaware Park was again the sports betting market leader, posting $368,904 in revenue off a $2.5m handle.

Bally’s Dover placed second with revenue of $172,532 from $1.2m in bets during October. The Harrington Raceway followed with $79,437 in revenue and a $554,958 handle.

An additional $2.0m in revenue came from $6.4m in bets placed with retailers in Delaware.

Delaware igaming spend slips to lowest monthly total since February 2022

While the Delaware sports betting market continued to r..

November 20, 2023

Louisiana sets sports betting handle and revenue records in October

Players in Louisiana spent a record $308.6m (£247.1m/€282.2m) on sports wagering during October, while revenue also reached a new, all-time monthly high.

Sports betting handle was 20.8% higher than $255.5m in October 2022 and up 10.2% from $280.1m in September this year. It also beat the existing Louisiana record of $282.3m that was reported in January 2023.

Of this total, $276.2m was spent betting on sports online, while $32.4m was bet at retail sportsbooks in Louisiana.

Revenue narrowly exceeds Louisiana monthly record

Turning to gross revenue, this also hiked 63.5% year-on-year to an all-time high of $43.3m in October. This was marginally ahead of the $43.1m existing record posted in September this year.

Online gross revenue in October amounted to $40.1m, with retail’s share at $3.3m.

As for adjusted revenue, which discounts all promotional betting, total market revenue was $42.5m. The $875,871 deducted from the gross revenue figure was from online promotional bets.

Footbal..

November 20, 2023

GC’s Andrew Rhodes walks the tightrope on affordability checks

Fifty-year UK industry veteran, David Brown, evaluates the tightrope being walked by the Gambling Commission on affordability checks.

During the “largest ever gathering of industry leaders” on 10 November, Andrew Rhodes, the Gambling Commission’s (GC) chief executive, attempted to walk the tightrope on affordability checks.

The story of affordability checks has created the most united front between punter, racing media and bookmaker that the UK has seen.

To his credit, we can certainly say that Rhodes has arguably done more to bring the industry together than anyone ever before.

However, that united front is now against him and the Gambling Commission, especially following his speech on 8 November.

The challenge that the GC now faces is the need to balance player protection while keeping the industry sustainable.

The speech: what went wrong

Gambling Commission CEO Andrew Rhodes has a tightrope to walk WITH AFFORDABILITY CHECKS

The GC has a precarious tightrope to walk. Howev..

November 20, 2023

Florida Supreme Court rejects West Flagler motion to block Hard Rock Bet

The Florida State Supreme Court rejected a motion from pari-mutuel betting operator West Flagler Associates to suspend Hard Rock Bet and its online sports betting offering in the state.

West Flagler filed the motion earlier this month to stop Hard Rock Bet from offering sports betting in Florida. The motion requested the court to expedite the exercise of its all writs in the jurisdiction to immediately suspend online sports betting.

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

This came after Hard Rock Bet, which is operated by the Seminole tribe, launched in Florida on 7 November. Early access was available to customers who bet previously with the operator and members of Hard Rock’s loyalty scheme.

However, in a blow to West Flagler, Florida’s State Supreme Court on Friday (17 November) rejected this request. The decision was announced in a short notice released by the court.

“The ‘Motion to Expedite Consideration..

November 20, 2023

Pennsylvania sports betting handle hits record $829m in October

Pennsylvania reported a monthly record $829.0m (£664.4m/€759.3m) sports betting handle in October, while the state also noted year-on-year revenue growth across several segments.

Total gambling revenue in Pennsylvania hit $483.0m in October. This was 7.3% higher than $450.2m in October 2022 and 1.4% up from $576.3m in September this year.

Retail slots were responsible for almost 40.0% of all gambling revenue during the month at $192.5m, down 3.3% from last year. Land-based table games revenue edged up 2.0% year-on-year to $81.5m.

Record spending pushes sports betting revenue up

The headline figure for Pennsylvania in October was sports betting handle, which climbed 4.0% from the previous monthly high of $797.1m to reach a new record.

This helped push sports betting revenue up 18.8% year-on-year to $48.2m. Of this total, $43.1m came from online wagering and the remaining $5.1m retail betting.

Hollywood Casino at the Meadows and Barstool edged back into top sport in the market wi..

November 20, 2023

New Jersey gambling revenue up 9.3% year-on-year in October

Gambling revenue in New Jersey increased 9.3% year-on-year in October, driven by growth across the state’s igaming and sports betting market.

Total market revenue in New Jersey reached $487.1m (£390.9m/€446.4m) in October. This was ahead of $445.7m last year but 6.6% behind $521.5m in September this year.

Physical slots, which have long drawn the most gambling revenue in New Jersey, posted a year-on-year decline. Revenue from retail slots dropped 1.9% to $163.0m in October.

However, land-based table games revenue for the month was 19.7% higher at $65.1m. This meant total revenue from the retail casino sector increased 3.4% to $228.1m.

New Jersey igaming markets continues to expand

In contrast to the retail slots decline, the situation was very different for their online cousins in New Jersey. Revenue from authorised online games, including internet slots, increased by 13.4% to $164.4m in October.

Online peer-to-peer poker games revenue also increased by 6.2% to $2.4m. As such, ..

November 17, 2023

Washington DC sports betting market declines year-on-year in October

Caesars Entertainment continued to lead the Washington DC sports betting sector during October, although the market as a whole posted a year-on-year decline in handle and revenue.

Players in Washington DC wagered $16.4m (£13.2m/€15.1m) on sports in October. This was 33.9% lower than $24.8m in the same month last year but 13.1% higher than $14.5m in September 2023.

As for gross gaming revenue, this amounted to $2.0m. The total was 35.5% behind last year’s $3.1m and only marginally ahead of $1.9m in September.

Caesars holds first place in October

Breaking down performance by each licensed operator, Caesars remained the market leader. Caesars took the lead back in August and continued to hold off competition in Washington DC during October.

In total, Caesars processed $6.0m in bets and posted $964,606 in revenue for the month.

Gambet, run by the DC Lottery and powered by Intralot, was the previous frontrunner in Washington DC. For October, it took $5.7m in bets and generated $663,57..

November 17, 2023

Fanatics continues PointsBet US takeover with West Virginia launch

The Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) subsidiary of Fanatics Holdings has announced the launch of its online sportsbook in West Virginia, with customers in the Mountain State switching over from the existing PointsBet platform.

West Virginia consumers can now download the Fanatics Sportsbook app and begin placing bets.

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) will also pilot its new online casino in West Virginia, with this being embedded in the Fanatics Sportsbook app. The product features a range of slot titles and table games such as roulette and blackjack.

The Fanatics Sportsbook replaces the existing PointsBet brand in the state. Players registered with PointsBet in West Virginia will be automatically migrated to the Fanatics Sportsbook.

Existing PointsBet users can login to the Fanatics Sportsbook using their original credentials. The migration includes their username, password, account balance, rewards points and responsible gaming settings.

Fanatics edging closer to full Points..