Betting News Archives

February 23, 2023

Massachusetts overturns affiliate ban in regulation

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) has announced that it will overturn the ban on affiliates that was created in the state’s regulation.

In its open meeting today (23 February), the MCG agreed to replace the existing language in its regulation, which currently bans affiliates from the market by prohibiting cost per acquisition (CPA) and revenue share agreements.

The MGC went on to confirm that they have been working on amendments to the regulations of both licensing for sports wagering vendors as well as advertising for sports wagering advertising.

These amendments are currently still a period of consultation and will be voted on during an open meeting on 23 March 2023.

Under regulation 205 CMR 256, subsection 256.01 (3) the law currently reads: “No sports wagering operator may enter into an agreement with a third party to conduct advertising, marketing, or branding on behalf of, or to the benefit of, the licensee when compensation is dependent on, or related to, the volume ..

February 23, 2023

ATG CEO: FY22 results success despite “turbulent and troubled year”

Former Swedish trotting monopoly Aktiebolaget Trav och Galopp (ATG) has reported full-year 2022 revenue of SEK6.04bn (£480.9m/€546.5m), a slight decrease of 1.2% compared to 2021, despite a “turbulent and troubled” 2022.

The total revenue consists of net gaming revenue at SEK5.22bn, agency income of SEK234m and other incomes at SEK584bn.

Hasse Lord Skarplöth, CEO of ATG, said that the operator had delivered good results for the period – particularly in terms of sport and casino – regardless of outside challenges.

“I ended last year’s CEO speech by saying ‘we can look forward to an exciting 2022’,” said Skarplöth. “So, a year later, I can state that I got a little more right than I wanted – but in the wrong way.

“ATG, during such a turbulent and troubled year, succeeding in increasing the net gaming revenue in both sports and casino by 8% and 49%, respectively, is a well-approved result.”

Specifically, Skarplöth was referring to recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, the war in Ukrai..

February 23, 2023

Federal Bill to ban sports betting ads introduced in the US

A bill introduced into the House by Democratic representative, Paul Tonko proposes a wide-reaching ban on sportsbook advertising.

Entitled The Betting on Our Future Act, the bill aims to “prohibit the advertising of sportsbooks on any medium of electronic communication subject to the jurisdiction of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), and for other purposes”.

If passed, sportsbooks would not be permitted to advertise on mediums that fall under the control of the FCC, such as TV, radio or the internet.

the bill would seek to ban all sports betting ads on mediums overseen by the fcc – such as tv, radio and the internet

The act is modelled after the Federal Cigarette Labelling and Advertising Act, that passed in 1965 and banned tobacco advertisements in the US.

Should this act be passed, any violation would therefore be a violation of the Communications Act of 1934.

Whether or not the act goes beyond the House, its proposal reflects the rapid growth of sports betting ac..

February 23, 2023

Louisiana online betting handle reaches record $245.2m in January

Consumers in Louisiana wagered a record $245.2m on sports in January, although revenue in the market declined month-on-month.

The total spent by players was 505.4% up from $40.5m in January 2022, although the state’s legal online betting market only opened towards the end of that month.

The monthly handle was also 12.1% higher than in December 2022 and 4.9% ahead of the previous record of $233.7m set in November.

Read the full story on iGB North America

February 23, 2023

Waterhouse VC: The US wagering experience

In his latest column, Tom Waterhouse of Waterhouse VC discusses the wagering experience in the US, as well as how Flutter is integrating itself into the states.

On a recent trip to the US, we spoke with many US bettors who are incredibly frustrated with both the US online wagering experience and the US taxation system (regarding the treatment of winnings).

Due to KYC/AML requirements, it is very cumbersome to set up and fund an online betting account. We do not envision this changing any time soon – if anything, this initial barrier to entry is likely to become more challenging for consumers.

Furthermore, according to the IRS’ website, wagering winnings are fully taxable and a bettor must report winnings as income on their tax return. Gambling spans lotteries, raffles, horse races, online sports betting and igaming, and land-based sports betting and casinos.

An operator is required to issue bettors with a “Form W-2G, Certain Gambling Winnings” if they receive certain gambling winni..

February 22, 2023

Caesars Sportsbook app goes live in Massachusetts

Caesars Entertainment has announced that the Caesars Sportsbook app is live in Massachusetts from today (22 February), in anticipation of the launch of online sports betting in the state.

On 31 January, retail sports betting became legal in the state of Massachusetts. However, online sports betting is not expected to go live until next month.

In advance of the March launch, the Caesars Sportsbook app has been made available to download. From today, bettors can register and make deposits in order to access early sign-up offers.

Read the full story on iGB North America

February 22, 2023

Betsson launches Betsafe in Ontario following licence approvals

Betsson has announced the launch of its Betsafe brand in Ontario after it secured approval for operator and supplier licences in the Canadian province.

The B2C Betsafe offering in Ontario will include online casino and sports betting, with the brand to run on the Strive Gaming platform, which is part-owned by Betsson.

Players in the province will be able to gamble with Betsafe via native mobile apps and on the ot.betsafe.com local website.

Read the full story on iGB North America

February 22, 2023

Michigan breaks igaming record for fourth consecutive month in January

Michigan reported $187.3m in internet gaming revenue for January, a decrease of 7.1% from December, while also reporting record online gaming gross receipts for the fourth consecutive month.

The internet gaming revenue consists of combined online gaming and sports betting revenues for the month.

December’s total revenue was $201.6m.

Read the full story on iGB North America

February 21, 2023

Mississippi sports betting revenue and handle decline in January

Sports wagering revenue and handle in Mississippi both declined year-on-year in January, amid ongoing efforts to legalise online betting in the state.

Player spending for the month amounted to $57.2m, down 14.0% from $66.5m in the same month last year and also 23.1% behind the $74.4m wagered in December 2022.

Turning to revenue, this reached $5.1m during January, representing a 21.5% decline from $6.5m in the corresponding month in 2022 and a 54.9% drop from $11.3m in the final month of last year.

Read the full story on iGB North America