Casino & games Archives

February 16, 2024

Massachusetts smashes sports betting revenue record in January

Massachusetts recorded $71.1m (£56.5m/€66m) in taxable sports betting revenue for January, smashing the previous record of $61m.

Massachusetts’ January revenue was a remarkable 17% increase on the previous highest month, set back in May 2023.

Handle fell just 1.1% short of December’s $658.7m record, still accumulating $651.7m in what was another strong month for Massachusetts’ sports betting industry. Tax collected was $5.8m, also 9.4% down on December.

Massachusetts has shown very encouraging growth since sports betting went live on the last day of January 2023. Online continues to perform very strongly, with online wagers accounting for 99.4% of January’s handle.

In terms of casino, Massachusetts produced $93.5m in gross gaming revenue (GGR) for January, 10.1% short of December’s figure of $103m. Encore Boston Harbor continues to lead the way, accumulating $60.9m in table and slot GGR.

DraftKings still the leader in Massachusetts

While DraftKings’ handle of $315.9m was $4.5m sh..

February 15, 2024

Connecticut report says 1.8% of state residents suffer from problem gambling

A study has found 67.8% of Connecticut residents consider the current availability of gambling in the state to be “fine”.

The study, carried out by the Connecticut Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services, revealed a general ambivalence towards gambling in the state, with 93.5% rating the recreational activity as “not at all” or “not very” important.

Over two-thirds (67.2%) of the over 5,000 residents surveyed believe the risk of gambling harm outweighs the benefits. Meanwhile, 69.2% pointed to addiction as the biggest risk of legalised gambling in Connecticut.

However, 70.8% believe the responsibility for minimising gambling harms falls between gamblers and providers, while 68.7% have no opinion over the integrity and fairness of how gambling is offered in Connecticut. Just 17.3% are dissatisfied with the Connecticut government’s ability to minimise gambling harms.

Of the positives of legalised gambling, employment and increased government revenue led the way with 21.6% ..

February 14, 2024

Detroit casino revenue down 8.8% year-on-year

Detroit, Michigan's three casinos recorded $94.4m (£75.2m/ €88.0m) in revenue for January.

This marked a dip of 8.8% from January 2023. In total, $93.9m came from table games and slots, while $500,221 was generated by retail sports betting.

The overall revenue also fell month-on-month, trickling down by 18.8% from Detroit’s December report.

In terms of market share, MGM held 48% in January. MotorCity held 30%, while Hollywood Casino at Greektown took up 22%.

Table games and slots revenue

Looking at revenue from table games and slots specifically, it fell by 9.1% compared to January 2023 and 15.7% from December 2023.

Detroit’s casinos also recorded drops in gaming revenue year-on-year. Revenue at MGM decreased by 11.3% compared to January 2023, while revenue at MotorCity dipped 10.4% to $27.1m. Hollywood Casino at Greektown recorded a dip of 2.0% to $22.2m.

Things were similar when looking at the month-on-month comparisons. MGM gaming revenue fell 11.8% and MotorCity gaming ..

February 6, 2024

Nevada gambling revenue hits record $15.52bn in 2023

Gambling revenue in Nevada reached an all-time high of $15.52bn (£12.37bn/€14.46bn) in 2023, surpassing the previous annual record by 4.6%.

The 2023 total was comfortably ahead of the existing Nevada record of $14.84bn, which was set in 2022.

Breaking down the past year, land-based slots were the primary source of revenue. The $10.28bn generated in 2023 was 2.8% higher than in the previous year. Some $5.97bn of all slot revenue came from multi-denomination games, while penny slots drew $3.15bn.

Baccarat revenue falls just short of $1.50bn in 2023

Elsewhere, table, counter and card games revenue, which also includes sports betting, hit $5.24bn. This was 8.5% ahead of the $4.83bn posted in 2022.

Baccarat was responsible for $1.49bn of table, counter and card games revenue in Nevada in 2023. This was 28.2% higher year-on-year.

A further $1.33bn came from blackjack, up 0.8%, while craps revenue increased 4.6% to $467.5m and roulette 1.8% to $460.3m.

Nevada mobile sports betting reve..

February 1, 2024

Macau’s January revenue of MOP19.3bn nearly breaks post-Covid record

Macau generated MOP19.3bn (£1.9bn/€2.2bn/$2.4bn) in revenue in January, its second highest figure since reopening following the Covid-19 pandemic.

Only Macau’s October 2023 revenue number of MOP19.5bn surpassed the first month of 2024, a strong start to the year and with the Chinese New Year just around the corner.

January’s GGR was a hefty 67% increase on the same month last year, while it was also a 4.1% hike on December 2023.

Despite the figures, Macau’s January GGR still fell 14.4% behind the MOP22.1bn recorded in the final January before the pandemic started.

Macau’s Covid recovery expected to continue

Macau’s response to the devastating Covid-19 lockdown has been impressive, with 2023’s cumulative gross income of MOP183.1bn a 333.8% year-on-year increase. While that is still just 59.8% of the final full year before Covid, the growth seen since the easing of lockdown restrictions is expected to continue.

macau has flourished since the easing of most lockdown restrictions in ..

February 1, 2024

PointsBet reports record net win of AU$69.9m for Q2 FY24

PointsBet has recorded a record net win quarter of AU$69.9m (£36.2m/€42.5m/$46.1m) for its Q2 financial year 2024.

Total net win for Q2 was AU$59.5m, up 3% on the previous year. PointsBet put this down to continued improvements in promotions efficiency, with marketing expense 33% lower than the previous year.

Having gone live in Ontario when the market launched in April 2022, PointsBet reported a total net win of $10.5m in Canada, again a record quarter.

Total handle across all operations was AU$976.4m, down 4% on the previous year. Gross win also fell to AU$94.4m from Q2 FY23’s figure of AU$97m.

Igaming saw significant growth, with a net win of AU$6.4m, up 119% from the previous Q2’s AU$2.9m. This was attributed to its integration of the platform provider Strive, which it says will “increase game and promotional offerings”.

In its report, PointsBet pointed to Strive’s key benefits. These include “enhanced acquisition of casino-first customers”, which will deliver higher gross win..

January 30, 2024

“It’s showtime!” – BetMGM bets big on the UK

In a heavily saturated UK market, BetMGM’s entry in 2023 certainly made a splash. Sam Behar, BetMGM’s UK director, believes the key to the operator’s early success is bringing that unique Las Vegas experience across the Atlantic.

BetMGM launched in the UK in August in partnership with MGM-owned LeoVegas to much fanfare and, five months on, the results have spoken for themselves.

With a series of flashy sponsorships that have well and truly put BetMGM on the map in the UK, its Las Vegas ties have been put on show for all to see. Despite the high expectations, BetMGM has still managed to surpass Behar’s initial lofty projections.

“It’s been an unbelievable first five months entering the UK – especially given the way we did,” Behar says. “We had a unique ambition to make things work and we’ve certainly made a big splash, which is excellent.

“Of course we always thought it would, but it’s made a much bigger impact than even we could have anticipated and, even though we had high hopes..

January 24, 2024

Road to ICE 2024: White paper opens up opportunities for land-based casinos

On the road to ICE, iGB will prep you for the biggest show of 2024 with this new series covering the latest developments since 2023's show.

In April 2023, the UK government finally released the long-awaited 2005 Gambling Act review white paper. The 260-page document outlined critical updates for the industry, focusing on bringing it into the digital age.

As such, many of the policies in the white paper were based on the public now having 24/7 internet and smartphone access. But it also contained a number of alterations for land-based venues, such as permitting casinos to offer sports betting at their premises.

Specifically, the government said it would allow “casinos of all sizes” to offer sports betting on their premises. Previously, only casinos licensed under the 2005 Gambling Act could offer sports betting.

The white paper put forward policies that would enhance player protection in land-based venues

Land-based stipulations protect players

Generally, the land-based speci..

January 23, 2024

Fanatics launches sportsbook and online casino in Pennsylvania

Fanatics Betting and Gaming (FBG) has launched its sportsbook and online casino in Pennsylvania, the operator announced on Monday (23 January).

Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino is undergoing a two-day soft launch in Pennsylvania, with supervision from the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board. However, there will be no restrictions on sign-ups or playtime for customers.

The Fanatics Sportsbook and Casino will be available for those living in and visiting Pennsylvania. It marks the 11th US state in which FBG’s sportsbook is available, while it’s the second for the casino element after West Virginia.

Having been acquired by FBG in August 2023, PointsBet customers were able to migrate their accounts onto the Fanatics Sportsbook app, although only on the day of release.

Headquartered in New York, FBG claims it’s “disrupting the sports betting industry” thanks to its FanCash loyalty scheme, as well as its personalisation and live streaming features.

For casino, meanwhile, FBG highlighted its..

January 19, 2024

Pennsylvania gambling revenue hits record $5.70bn in 2023

Record figures from igaming and sports betting drove gambling revenue in Pennsylvania to an all-time high of $5.70bn (£3.50bn/€5.24bn) in 2023.

The 2023 figure was 9.3% higher than the existing record of $5.21bn, which was set during 2022. Combined revenue in Pennsylvania includes slot machines, table games, sports wagering, igaming, video gaming terminals (VGTs) and fantasy contests.

Physical slots continued to lead the way in terms of revenue in Pennsylvania, with revenue here rising 3.1% to $2.46bn. However, land-based table games revenue slipped 1.9% to $971.7m.

Is igaming closing the gap on land-based gambling in Pennsylvania?

Elsewhere, revenue from igaming in 2023 hit $1.74bn, beating the previous record set in 2022 by 27.7%. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) did not publish a full breakdown of revenue per game type for this market.

However, the PGCB did reveal data on individual igaming operators. As was the case in 2022, Hollywood Casino at Penn National led t..

January 18, 2024

Gamma Intermediate completes sale of 6.4% stake in Lottomatica

Gamma Intermediate has completed the sale of 16 million Lottomatica shares, representing a 6.4% stake in the Italian company.

Despite the sale, worth €152m (£130.5m/$165.5m), Gamma Intermediate retains a majority stake of 65.4% in Lottomatica.

Gamma Intermediate completed the deal at €9.50 per share, with the sale conducted through an accelerated bookbuilding process. The placement was made to institutional investors, with no public offering in any country.

Lottomatica expects the final settlement to be on or around 22 January. Gamma Intermediate has agreed to a 90-day lock-up for its remaining shares in Lottomatica.

Lottomatica plotting growth trajectory with SKS365 purchase

In November, Lottomatica agreed a deal to acquire 100% of the share capital in the Italian-facing operator SKS365. Lottomatica stated the purchase will strengthen its position in the Italian market, while also expanding its brand portfolio.

In november, lottomatica acquired 100% of the italian-facing operato..

January 17, 2024

Massachusetts sets $658.7m sports betting handle record in December

Massachusetts reported a record sports betting handle for the second consecutive month in December, with players wagering a total of $658.7m (£519.3m/€605.6m).

Combined sports betting and casino revenue in Massachusetts in December amounted to $163.6m, up 14.4% from November.

Starting with sports betting, the December handle narrowly beat the existing record of $654.4m set in November. The Bay State launched legal betting in March 2023.

massachusetts launched legal betting in march 2023

Players spent $643.2m betting online during December and $15.5m at retail sportsbooks.

Revenue falls just short of Massachusetts record

Turning to taxable revenue from sports betting, this reached $60.6m in December. This was 23.9% ahead of $48.9m in November and just 0.7% behind May’s $61.0m monthly record.

Online betting accounted for $59.3m of all sports betting revenue in December, with retail’s share at $1.3m.

DraftKings the clear leader in online market

Looking at individual operators, Dr..

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Tag: Casino & games