Betting News Archives

April 5, 2024

CNIGA’s Siva loves a good compromise; wants to expand role as tribal leader to IGA

James Siva just wants everyone to get along.

As the man who held together the disparate group of tribes that make up California Nations Indian Gaming Association (CNIGA) when not one, but two commercial groups tried to take the lead on wagering in California, it seems he has a knack for negotiation.

“I think James has a unique ability for being in a leadership position and listening to the different sides of everything, giving tribal leadership a chance to hear both sides and come to a compromise,” Tuolumne Band of Me-Wuk Indians tribal council member Dennis Hendricks said.

Siva said Hendricks was a mentor when he first joined the CNIGA executive committee.

Siva, the current CNIGA chairman, is hoping that is the kind of leadership that the Indian Gaming Association (IGA), which meets beginning Monday (8 April) in Anaheim, is looking for. Siva announced his intent to run for vice-chairman at the Western Indian Gaming Conference in February. He’ll be running against incumbent Dav..

April 5, 2024

Fanatics sportsbook goes live in Arizona

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) is now live in Arizona through a partnership with the Tonto Apache tribe.

Fanatics’ online sportsbook service is available in 18 US states after taking its first wagers in Arizona. The launch came on the same day that Fanatics concluded its $225m (£178.2m/€207.0m) acquisition of PointsBet’s US operations.

The Arizona partnership also includes plans to open a Fanatics Sportsbook retail location inside the Mazatzal Hotel & Casino this summer. The resort is owned and operated by the Tonto Apache.

Ari Borod, FBG’s chief business officer, said: “We are thrilled to partner with the Tonto Apache tribe and Mazatzal Hotel & Casino to bring the Fanatics Sportsbook to Arizona.

“Arizona is a state with tons of options for sports fans, from baseball, to hockey, to golf, to football, to racing, making it the ideal destination for the most rewarding online sportsbook.”

Fanatics joins the big brands in Arizona

Fanatics joins the other major sportsbook providers ..

April 4, 2024

US federal government asks for second extension in Florida wagering case

On Thursday (4 April) US solicitor general, Elizabeth Prelogar, requested a second extension to file its response in the US Supreme Court West Flagler and Associates versus Haaland case that could change the status of legal sports betting in Florida.

In the filing, Prelogar writes that the “extension is necessary because the attorneys with principal responsibility for final preparation of the government’s response have been heavily engaged with the press of other matters before the court.”

Prelogar is requesting an extension in the Florida case until 12 May and notes the attorneys for West Flagler (WFA) do not object to the request. The Department of Justice, on behalf of the US Department of the Interior, was initially ordered to reply to WFA’s filing by 12 February, but filed for an extension until 12 April that SCOTUS granted.

WFA filed its writ of certiorari on 8 February, about seven months after a lower court overturned a previous ruling that allowed the Seminole tribe to go..

April 4, 2024

ESPN Bet can challenge market leaders, Truist report shows

ESPN Bet could soon challenge US market leaders Draftkings and FanDuel according to Truist's nationwide survey focused on consumer preferences.

Data collected by Truist Securities analysts in their 2024 Interactive Gaming Survey shows that Penn Entertainment’s ESPN Bet gaming brand has the potential to take on the big two.

According to Truist, it is ESPN’s position as the primary app for bettors to check scores that could help its branded sports betting platform rival DraftKings and FanDuel.

Some 44% of sports fans surveyed said they checked scores on ESPN and 64% of those said they would have interest in betting integration beyond listed lines.

Of the respondents who both frequent ESPN and showed an interest in betting integration, a majority (52%) stated it was likely that ESPN Bet will become their primary wagering platform. Nearly all others (45%) stated it was possible.

Penn’s prospects of overhauling DraftKings and FanDuel

Reflecting on the results, Truist managing d..

April 4, 2024

Ontario market growing two years on, shifting focus to consumer protections

In the two years since single-event wagering was legalised in Ontario, Canada, one thing has become clear: consumers are sick of gambling ads. The most recent proof of that is a Maru Public Opinion poll, taken 7-8 February, of 1,534 Canadians who are also Maru Public Opinion panelists.

Of those surveyed, 59 percent said they favour a total ban on wagering advertising. Most also believe that operators are not acting responsibly and that there should be more government regulation.

While polls are often designed and taken to get a certain result, and a significant percentage of those polled by Maru were in the over-55 category, the sentiment matches the hue and cry that has been echoing through Canada since wagering went live on 4 April 2022. Since its launch, televised hockey games were flooded with advertisements for sportsbooks and have been since.

There is similar sentiment in some parts of the US. In 2023, for example, Senator Paul Tonko proposed a federal wagering advertising ..

April 4, 2024

Betano set for UK launch through BVGroup

Betano is to launch in the UK market through a partnership between the brand’s owner, Kaizen Gaming and technology provider BVGroup.

Kaizen said the collaboration combines Betano’s global brand recognition with BetVictor owner BVGroup’s proprietary technology and experience as a UK operator. Betano’s entry into the UK market follows its establishment in Europe, Africa and the Americas.

Betano’s move into the UK comes during a year in which it has become an official sponsor of both Uefa Euro 2024 and the CONMEBOL Copa America 2024. The UK site features the Euro 2024 logo, indicating the brand will launch in time for this summer’s European Championships in Germany.

“It is a challenge to enter one of the largest regulated online gaming markets in the world,” said Julio Iglesias Hernando, Kaizen’s chief commercial officer.

“To ensure a successful entry, you need excellent partners. A bit like competing in the Premier League. Finding the right partner has been a top priority for us. Thi..

April 4, 2024

OpenBet owner Endeavor taken private in $13bn deal

Technology investment company Silver Lake has agreed to take OpenBet owner Endeavor private in a deal worth $13bn (£10.2bn/€13bn).

Silver Lake will acquire 100% of the outstanding shares in Endeavor that it does not already own. This is with the exception of rolled interests.

Shareholders in Endeavor will receive $27.50 in cash per share. This is a premium of 55% compared to the $17.72 per share seen at market close on 25 October 2023.

On October 26, Endeavor announced that it had initiated a strategic review. This was to examine the potential of taking the business private. Silver Lake expressed its interest in taking Endeavor private at this time.

The deal’s $13bn equity value combined with the consolidation of TKO’s total value brings the total enterprise value to $25bn.

According to Silver Lake, this makes the acquisition the biggest private equity privatisation investment deal in more than a decade. It is also “the largest ever in the media and entertainment sector”.

When ..

April 3, 2024

Tracks and tribes key sticking points in Minnesota wagering debate

Minnesota representative, Zack Stephenson, brought his legal online sports betting bill to the House Commerce Finance and Policy Committee on 3 April, but was met with pushback from committee members.

Committee members pushed back on issues including horse racetracks and how to structure a deal for the state’s 11 tribes.

There was no vote, and HF 2000 is currently sitting in the House Taxes Committee awaiting a vote there. But Stephenson, who is the chair of the Commerce Finance and Policy Committee, said he wanted to have an informational session about Minnesota wagering legislation with his committee as the bill moves forward.

Stephenson’s bill, which was carried over from last session, has been heavily amended, including doubling the tax rate and adding in daily fantasy sports regulation. Stephenson also brokered a deal between the state’s charitable gaming foundations and the tribes that is reflected in the latest version of the bill.

But Commerce Finance and Policy Committe..

April 3, 2024

Botafogo owner reported to Brazilian federal police over match-fixing claims

Senator Jorge Kajuru has requested Brazil's federal police to investigate John Textor, the owner of football club Botafogo de Futebol e Regatas, after Textor made match-fixing allegations against the São Paulo and Palmeiras football teams.

Kajuru – a senator for the Brazilian state of Goiás – confirmed the report during a senate plenary meeting yesterday (2 April). He said he had outlined his concerns to the federal police in the form of a letter, which he encouraged others in the session to sign.

During the meeting Kajuru outlined Textor’s allegations. Textor had alleged that five players from the São Paulo football club had received bribes from Palmeiras in regards to the Brazilian Championship Series A game, where Palmeiras beat São Paulo 5-0. He also claimed to have evidence to support this.

Kajuru added that one month prior, Textor said he had a recording of a referee that had been collecting bribes.

Kajuru said that he had sent the claims to Andrei Rodrigues, director of..