• About Us / Contact
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona Sports Betting
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Ohio Sports Betting
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia Sports Betting
    • Massachusetts Sports Betting
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Guide To ‘Risk-Free’ Bets
    • Common Beginner Mistakes
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
    • Partnership Tracker
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona Sports Betting
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Ohio Sports Betting
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia Sports Betting
    • Massachusetts Sports Betting
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Guide To ‘Risk-Free’ Bets
    • Common Beginner Mistakes
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
    • Partnership Tracker
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Get A Grip: The Week In Sports Betting: Florida Fightin’ Words, Ohio Inaction, Canada, And Everywhere, Man!

A lot of the industry news fit to link

Brett Smiley by Brett Smiley
June 25, 2021
in Regulation
florida sports betting

(Shutterstock)

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

It’s information overload everywhere, and there’s not time enough to sleep and eat and stay fully apprised of what’s happening on this crazy blue dot of ours (two out of three ain’t bad). Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, β€œGet a Grip,” recapping the week’s top U.S. sports bettingΒ stories, highlighting some fresh news, and rounding up key stories. Also check outΒ this week’sΒ Wild World of Gambling at US Bets.

DraftKings and FanDuel are Florida’s β€˜champions’

It won’t be an easy lift, but the contest has officially started: DraftKings and FanDuel will be racing to collect nearly a million signatures in order to secure a ballot initiative that would break open the Florida mobile sports betting marketplace that, as currently and tentatively constituted, would be a Seminole Tribe monopoly.

As first reported by Sports Handle on Wednesday and further buttressed by a review of the draft copy of the initiative on Thursday, the Florida Secretary of State website has now published the proposed constitutional amendment, which bears the Serial Number 21-13.

Financially and strategically backed by DraftKings and FanDuel, the political action committee Florida Education Champions will serve as the vessel for the initiative.

The PAC was registered on June 2 and is chaired by David Johnson, a Republican political consultant. Johnson’s wife Christina, president of On 3 Public Relations, is serving as the group’s spokesperson.

β€œYes, those entities [DraftKings and FanDuel] are going to be supportive of this effort,” said Christina Johnson, acknowledging that they are driving the campaign to amend the state Constitution.

Further in a statement published by the Florida Phoenix, she added, β€œThe Florida Education Champions committee is comprised of like-minded individuals invested in increasing public education funding, without raising taxes, in Florida, by expanding sports betting in the state. The committee will be actively fundraising, targeting donors who support our mission to get this pro-education ballot amendment before the voters in November 2022.”

Jill Dorson has the scoop on sports betting legalization in Florida!

Full Gamble On pod with @EricRaskin and @BergenBrennan here: https://t.co/ntvKF0vxEj pic.twitter.com/rFfowHkC71

— US Bets (@US_Bets) June 25, 2021

In a statement to Florida Politics, the group has indicated that it will waste no time in securing the 222,898 votes it will need to meet the judicial and financial impact review threshold, as it climbs uphill to the 891,589 needed (8 percent of the votes cast in the 2020 presidential election) to make the November 2022 ballot.

β€œThe Florida Division of Elections just approved the committee’s request to be assigned an official serial number for ballot placement, so we may immediately begin the petition collection process and thereby initiate efforts to generate substantial revenue that can be directed to Florida’s public education system β€” without raising taxes.”

Indeed, the sports betting (err, education) champions will go toe-to-toe here with the well-funded Seminole Tribe of Florida, which is currently awaiting approval of its newly executed tribal-state compact that Gov. Ron DeSantis brokered.

The compact and the accompanying enabling legislation that arrived during the legislature’s special session in May effectively gives the Seminoles a monopoly on sports betting, or at least any other entity participating will do so on its terms, on its servers, and for a price. The U.S. Department of the Interior, which oversees Indian Gaming affairs, is currently reviewing the compact and considering whether it comports with federal law, namely the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act of 1987.

Before the PAC collected a single signature, on Thursday, the Seminole Tribe via spokesperson Gary Bitner issued the following statement to Sports Handle:

This is a political Hail Mary from out-of-state corporations trying to interfere with the business of the people of Florida.Β  They couldn’t stop Florida’s new Gaming Compact, which passed by an overwhelming 88 percent β€œyes” vote from Florida’s elected legislators and enjoys 3-1 support from Floridians and guarantees $2.5 billion in revenue sharing.Β  The guarantee is the largest commitment by any gaming company in U.S. history.

Perhaps the effort is somewhere between a Hail Mary and a playoff game two-minute drill with no timeouts. The stakes will ratchet up higher once the Department of the Interior weighs in. If it rejects the compact, the mobile betting portion may be severed, which still gives the Seminoles some welcome hotel-casino additions such as more banked casino games, the ability to construct a new casino property, plus the right to offer sports betting on premises.

While other online sports betting operators certainly stand the benefit from nationwide market-share leaders DK and FD, that tandem isn’t giving everyone a free ride: the ballot initiative contains a clause that would limit (at least for the first 20 months) eligible online sportsbooks in the state to those already operating in least 10 U.S. jurisdictions already. Currently that class includes only the two leading the charge, plus William Hill and BetMGM.

More of the top stories from our network

COLORADO:@SuperBookSports (@SuperBookCO) will debut first brick-and-mortar book outside Nevada.

The 7,000-square foot space will have betting windows, kiosks, and more.https://t.co/6QHLLiC5UG

— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) June 24, 2021

Sports Illustrated Picks Colorado For Company’s First Sportsbook

Ohio Sports Betting Bill Has To Wait Until At Least Autumn, Says House Speaker

NJ Voters Will Decide This Fall On Wagering On NJ College Sporting Events

Cashless Transactions Will Be A Hallmark Of New Resorts World Vegas

DOJ Declines To Appeal Wire Act Decision, Potentially Boosting Poker, Lotteries

Michigan Woman Suing BetMGM Over $3 Million Roulette Win

It’s Official! Louisiana Governor Signs Off On Sports Betting

Buzzer Beater: Historic Canadian Bill On Single-Event Sports Betting Passes

Feature story of the week:

COVID-19 And Betting On Death: Valuable Info Or Purely Vile?

Washington market taking shape

As Washington State regulators continue developing sports betting rules, just who will be in the market is beginning to become clear. While the state legalized tribal-only, retail-only wagering, major operators clearly want to get a foothold. So far, BetFred, BetMGM, Caesars (through American Wagering), and Rush Street Interactive have filed β€œpre-licensing investigation applications” ahead of the actual application process.

Washington State has 29 tribal casinos, and so far, 15 of the tribes that run casinos have signed new compacts to include sports betting with the state.

Also on the list of those filling out pre-licensing packets are suppliers and vendorsΒ  including geofencing company GeoComply, data provider Sportradar, platform providers IGT and Scientific Games, and integrity monitoring shop U.S. Integrity.

The WSGC next meets July 8, and it opened its draft rules for public comment on June 23.

— Jill R. Dorson

First phase of Wyoming rules near completion

The Wyoming Gaming Commission on Wednesday filed a β€œNotice of Intent to Adopt Rules” for its new sports betting regulations. The commission, which has held several stakeholder meetings on the proposed rules, is set to approve the rules at its July 9 regular meeting. Wyoming lawmakers and regulators have been pointing to a football-season launch of operators.

The first package of proposed rules does not include the application process, but regulators say they will do their best to streamline that process for operators.

Wyoming lawmakers legalized sports betting on April 5. Should the state be able to launch operators by the first day of the NFL season, Sept. 9, it would mark only the third time a state has been able to go from legal to live in about five months or less. For comparison, it took Tennessee regulators nearly 16 months from legal to live.

— Jill R. Dorson

Two picked for MD sports wagering commission

Maryland House Speaker Adrienne Jones appointed two members to a new state panel on sports betting Wednesday, ahead of the July 15 Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission meeting when draft regulations on sports wagering could be rolled out.

Jones filled two spots on the seven-member Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) when she appointed Cassandra Stevenson and Frank Turner to the panel. Stevenson, a graduate of Morgan State University in Baltimore, currently serves as senior vice president for Corporate Tax at Raymond James. Turner, a longtime member of the Maryland House of Delegates, did not seek re-election in 2018. The six-term delegate is responsible for championing several gaming-related bills during his tenure, including the legalization of Maryland casinos in 2007.

The commission is in charge of approving sports wagering licensees in the coming months, while ensuring fairness in reviewing the applications of female-owned and minority owned businesses, according to the state’s gaming regulatory agency.

— Matt Rybaltowski

More of the most important, interesting stories

Internet gambling operator 888 Holdings has obtained exclusive rights to the Sports Illustrated brand for sports and casino wagers online https://t.co/LoVdmfTySv

— Bloomberg (@business) June 24, 2021

New Hampshire lawmakers have reached an agreement on legislation that will permit in-play sports betting at retail sportsbook locations operated by DraftKings on behalf of the state lottery. @GamblingComp https://t.co/yFgjWU3liv pic.twitter.com/YJX7a24VcS

— Chris Sieroty (@sierotyfeatures) June 21, 2021

MAKING PROGRESS: SD regulators prepare to adopt sports betting regulations. [Keloland]

AHEAD OF THE GAME: Sports betting not yet legal in Kansas, but Bally’s partners with Boot Hill Casino [iGB]

CONFERENCE CALL: ACC eyeing potential impact of legalized sports gambling [Richmond Times Dispatch]

ENTIRELY FORESEEABLE: D.C. Council stunned at GamBetDC’s shockingly low revenue. [WTOP]

EYES ON 2022: North Bay tribes in California back sports betting initiative [Press Dem]

NAME, LIKENESS AND IMAGE: SCOTUS rules against NCAA on compensation [ESPN]

CAPITAL: Sporttrade Inc. raises $36 million to fuel its betting exchange platform [PRN]

INVESTMENT: JP Morgan buys a stake in Robert Kraft’s data company [WSJ]

MLB getting what it deserves … https://t.co/n9NRl5ywri

— Jeff Blair (@SNJeffBlair) June 23, 2021

Have a good weekend, folks!

ShareTweetShare
Brett Smiley

Brett Smiley

Brett Smiley is editor-in-chief and co-founder of Sports Handle, which joined forces with the US Bets team in November 2018. He focuses on the sports betting industry and legislation. He's a recreational sports bettor and DFS player himself, focusing on the NFL. In a past life, Smiley practiced commercial litigation in New York City and previously wrote for FOX Sports and SI.com. He lives in New Jersey with his family.

Related Posts

Get a Grip
Industry

Get A Grip β€” The Week In Sports Betting: All Eyes On Fanatics

June 24, 2022
fanatics-website-screenshot
Industry

Fanatics Begins Process Of Entering Maryland Betting Market

June 23, 2022
Load More

Top Sportsbooks In Your State

1
WynnBET Sportsbook
Review / 4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
FanDuel Sportsbook
Review / 4.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
WynnBET Sportsbook
Review / 4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
WynnBET Sportsbook
Review / 4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
FanDuel Sportsbook
Review / 4.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
SugarHouse Sportsbook
Review / 4.2
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
FanDuel Sportsbook
Review / 4.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
bet365 Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
BetRivers Sportsbook
Review / 4.2
BET NOW
T&Cs ApplyOnly 1x Wager Applies
2
FOX Bet Sportsbook
Review / 4.3
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
WynnBET Sportsbook
Review / 4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
FanDuel Sportsbook
Review / 4.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
FanDuel Sportsbook
Review / 4.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
SI Sportsbook
Review / 4.1
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
SuperBook Sports
Review / 4.3
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
BetRivers Sportsbook
Review / 4.2
BET NOW
T&Cs ApplyOnly 1x Wager Applies
1
SI Sportsbook
Review / 4.1
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
WynnBET Sportsbook
Review / 4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
BetMGM Sportsbook
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
FanDuel Sportsbook
Review / 4.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Caesars Sportsbook
Review / 4.4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
WynnBET Sportsbook
Review / 4
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
Betfred Sportsbook
Review / 3.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
BetRivers Sportsbook Ontario
Review / 4.3
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
BetMGM Sportsbook Ontario
Review / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
NorthStar Bets Sportsbook
Review / 4.6
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Bet99 Sportsbook
Review / 4.7
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
Sports Interaction Ontario
Review / 4.2
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
3
PowerPlay Sportsbook
Rating / 3.8
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
1
Monkey Knife Fight
Rating / 4.5
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.
2
PrizePicks
Rating / 4.2
BET NOW
T&Cs Apply21+. Eligibility restrictions apply. See website for details.

State Sports Betting Guides

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
June 27, 2022

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
March 21, 2021

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 22, 2022

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
March 18, 2022

Most Read Stories

mattress mack betting charade

Will Everyone Please Stop Calling β€˜Mattress Mack’ A Sports Bettor?

April 27, 2022
Photo: Jasen Vinlove/USA TODAY

Dave Portnoy Says, ‘F**k That Guy,’ To Which Bettor And Gambling Twitter Seriously Object

May 16, 2022
map-missouri

Missouri Sports Betting Bill Draws Debate, Backlash In Senate

May 5, 2022
golden-gate-bridge-san-francisco

California Tribes Won’t Try For Mobile Proposal On 2022 Ballot

May 10, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

gambling therapy
ncpg
igaming ontario
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem, crisis counseling and referral services can be accessed by calling 1-800-GAMBLER (1-800-426-2537) (IL). Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ/WV/PA/MI), 1-800-9-WITH-IT (IN),Β 1-800-522-4700Β (CO), 1-800-BETS OFF (IA),Β 1-888-532-3500Β (VA) or call/text TN REDLINEΒ 1-800-889-9789Β (TN).
19+. Please play responsibly. Terms and conditions apply.Β 
Individuals must be 19 years of age or older to participate in igaming in Ontario. Gambling can be addictive, please play responsibly. If you, or someone you know, has a gambling problem in Ontario and wants help, please visit ConnexOntario or call their helpline at 1-866-531-2600. Operators on this website operate pursuant to an Operating Agreement with iGaming Ontario.

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona Sports Betting
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New York
    • Ohio Sports Betting
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia Sports Betting
    • Massachusetts Sports Betting
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Guide To ‘Risk-Free’ Bets
    • Common Beginner Mistakes
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
    • Partnership Tracker
  • News

Please share your location to continue.

Check our help guide for more info.

share your location