Gaming Archives

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

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 14, 2023

Australia lower house passes credit card gambling ban bill

The Australia House of Representatives, the lower house of the country’s parliament, has passed a bill that would introduce a blanket ban on using credit cards for online gambling.

The Interactive Gambling Amendment (Credit and Other Measures) Bill 2023 was submitted in September. It seeks to ban credit cards and other credit-related products, as well as digital currencies.

Introducing the bill has led to significant debate in parliament, with several amendments being filed to alter the bill. However, these were ultimately unsuccessful and the bill passed today (14 November) with support from both major parties in Australia.

The bill will now move forward to the Senate, the upper house of parliament in Australia, for further debate.

Breaking down the credit card bill

Aside from the ban on credit products, the bill includes a host of other measures that would come into effect.

These include heavy fines for operators that do not enforce the ban. Licensees in Australia could face..

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 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

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 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 6, 2023

India government orders blocking of 22 betting websites

Indian authorities have issued blocking orders against 22 betting apps and websites it says have been operating illegally.

Full details of those operators blocked by ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) were not disclosed. However, MeitY confirms that both Mahadev Book and Reddyannaprestopro face blocking orders.

MeitY says it is taking action following investigations by the enforcement directorate (ED) against illegal betting app syndicate. The ED also carried out several raids on Mahadev Book in Chhattisgarh, with these revealing unlawful operations.

The investigations have led to the arrest of several individuals. These include Bhim Singh Yadav, who currently works for the Chhattisgarh police. Yadav was arrested under Section 19 of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

Shri Rajeev Chandrasekhar, minister of state for skill development and entrepreneurship as well as electronics and information technology in India, says the local Chhattisgarh govern..

November 1, 2023

How Adam Greenblatt is sharpening BetMGM’s competitive edge

Adam Greenblatt set BetMGM on a path to profitability and the business will be self-sustaining in the second half of 2023. How will he make sure the operator stays ahead in the US sports betting market as new competitors emerge?

July’s update on BetMGM’s first half performance confirmed the operator was on the path to profitability outlined by CEO Adam Greenblatt in June.

The business will be self-sustaining in the second half of the year. There will be no additional equity investment from joint venture partners MGM Resorts and Entain, beyond the $150m committed for 2023.

BetMGM CEO Greenblatt believes a new phase of competition could be imminent in the US

Greenblatt believes that BetMGM could operate as a separate business and stand on its own two feet if necessary.

“It could be a permanent state, absolutely,” he says of BetMGM as a self-sustaining entity. “[But] I think whether or not that is indeed a permanent state depends on how we want to ramp up and how quickly we want t..

October 20, 2023

Eight in ten Spaniards gambled in 2022

An annual report compiled by CeJuego, Spain's Gaming Business Council, found that 83.9% of the Spanish population aged 18-75 participated in gambling in 2022.

The percentage represents 29.5 million people.

The report is based on CeJuego’s Game and Society survey, which studies the gambling habits of adults in Spain. The 2023 edition found that although Spanish adults participate in gambling, they tend to take part in low-risk games that don’t promise a high reward.

The survey found that 23.3 million people played national lotteries, ONCE games or La Quinela.

A total of 17.9% of Spaniards play games offered in casinos, gaming halls and bingo halls, and take part in sports betting. This equates to 6.3 million people. The report emphasised that this is far below, for example, the number who said they go to the theatre in their leisure time – 24.5%.

However, this is higher than those who said they take part in painting at 16.1% and almost double the percentage of people who play..

October 19, 2023

Netherlands’ NGR up 85% in 2022

The Netherlands' licensed gaming market generated €3.4bn (£2.95bn/$3.59bn) in net gaming revenue (NGR) in 2022, according to a report from regulator Kansspelautoriteit (KSA).

The report is based on 2022 only, as it was the first full calendar year for the Netherlands’ online gambling market.

The country’s market officially opened in October 2021, following the passage and ratification of the much-delayed Remote Gambling Act (KOA). This month marks two years since the market became live. NGR comprises of deposits minus prizes paid out.

NGR for 2022 was up by 85.0% from €2.0bn in 2021. KSA noted that this was due to an increase in both online gambling and land-based play, particularly as Covid-19 pandemic restrictions lifted. Land-based venues were closed in the Netherlands until 25 January 2022, with restrictions still applying until 25 February 2022.

Spending on gambling and advertising

Online casino was one of the Netherlands’ smaller markets in 2022, behind lotteries and l..

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Tag: Gaming