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 (or fashionably late) Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top US sports betting stories, highlighting some fresh news, and rounding up key stories. Also check out this week’s Wild World of Gambling at US Bets.
Leading headlines from around our network
Unplanned Outages During Super Bowl Place Damper On Extraordinary Demand For Mobile Sports Betting
Pennsylvania Books Clean Up, Collect $9.4M In Super Bowl Revenue
NJ Bettors Embraced Super Bowl — And Sportsbooks Embraced Big Profits
NHL Makes PointsBet An Official Sports Betting Partner
Texas’ Lt. Governor Dan Patrick Puts Kibosh On Legal Sports Betting
Tennessee Bill Would Prevent Sports Betting At High-Interest Loan Locations
Indiana Again Sets Monthly Highs For Sports Betting Handle And Revenue
Arizona Senate Committee Postpones Sports Betting Hearing
New Georgia Sports Betting Bill Has Low Tax Rate, Would Allow Betting On Most Colleges
5Dimes Launches In Isle Of Man, Needed Step For Possible US Expansion
South Dakota framework coming along
The South Dakota Senate on Tuesday passed SB 44, a bill that lays out some of the framework for retail wagering in Deadwood. The bill was sent to the House where it got a first reading and was referred to the House Commerce and Energy Committee. Last November, South Dakota voters legalized sports betting in the tourist town of Deadwood via referendum. That decision also extends to tribes — once a state legalizes, the opportunity to offer sports wagering also applies to federally recognized tribes in a state, per the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act.
Under the terms of SB 44, wagering on local college teams and college prop bets would be banned. The application fee would be set at $2,000. Once the House approves the bill and it is signed by Gov. Kristi Noem, regulators would begin the rule-making process.
North Dakota Senate shoots down mobile
North Dakota senators voted 46-1 against a bill that would have given exclusivity to federally recognized tribes to offer digital sports betting in the state. The two-page bill would have allowed for remote registration of sports wagering accounts, and would have allowed the state to open compact negotiations to include sports betting under Class III gaming. There are four other sports wagering-related bills circulating around Bismark, and all have been assigned to the Joint Judiciary Committee.
New Mexico expansion effort hits dead end
A bill that would have allowed sports betting at New Mexico horse racetracks failed to get out of committee on Monday, a day after the state attorney general and state gaming commission said the bill would violate the state’s pacts with tribes, according to the Las Cruces Sun News. Violating a compact would mean that the tribes would not have to pay the state gaming revenue. The bill was in the House Education Committee, and two committee members suggested the bill wasn’t filed to help defray education costs, but as a “ploy” to legalize sports betting.
Maverick Gaming to open WA headquarters
Maverick Gaming, owned by Washington State native Eric Persson, announced this week a new corporate headquarters in Kirkland, Wa., according to a company press release. The move is an effort by Maverick Gaming, which is backing a commercial sports betting bill in Washington, to show its commitment to the state.
When lawmakers in Washington legalized in 2020, they did so only for sports wagering on premises at tribal casinos in the state, as tribal leaders did not want to see mobile sportsbooks launch state wide, particularly not by commercial operators from out of state. Legislators generally agreed, citing a successful partnership between the state, the tribes, and their communities around the state.
Maverick Gaming bought 19 card rooms in Washington State in 2019, and since has been pushing lawmakers to allow sports betting at card rooms and horse racetracks in addition to tribal casinos. The latest bill, SB 5212, had a hearing last week, but during a Washington State Gambling Commission meeting Thursday, Legal and Legislative Manager Brian Considine said he didn’t think the bill would get through committee by the next legislative cutoff date, and that the bill language still needs significant work.
According to the Washington State legislative website, the last day to read bills in the originating chamber in most committees is Feb. 15, and Feb. 22 for some fiscal committees. The bill is currently in the Senate Labor, Commerce, and Tribal Affairs Committee. No new hearings or votes are scheduled. The session closes April 25.
More of the most interesting stories
From Kambi earnings call… CEO addresses the technical issues clients experienced during the Super Bowl. Says it was not due to high volumes, but rather to one type of bet they offered, with increased outcomes, that created a 'capacity' backlog. Slide 17 referenced.
¯_(ツ)_/¯ pic.twitter.com/Bu93P2R7bI
— Alfonso Straffon 🇨🇷🇺🇸🇲🇽 (@astraffon) February 11, 2021
Kindred goes west towards California and Arizona https://t.co/g6zL2hyDnj
— Kindred Group (@KindredGroup) February 9, 2021
THE GOAT: Brady support leads to New Hampshire Lottery getting sacked in Super Bowl betting [NH-BR]
AGREED: N.J. crackdown on sportsbooks manipulating gamblers needs teeth [Press of AC]
WAITING: When will sports betting be allowed in Louisiana? It may not happen this year [Advertiser]
TRY, TRY AGAIN: CT governor seeks to add sports betting and iGaming to boost revenues [CDC Gaming]
DATA WARS: Genius Sports sues Sportradar in ‘cat-and-mouse’ dispute over data collection [Sportico]
FOOTBALL HIBERNATES: NFL season is over — what now, sports bettors? [US Bets]
TOUGH SLEDDING: GOP leaders have expressed skepticism about expanding gambling in Texas. But supporters see hope in the long run. [Texas Tribune]
AIRWAVES: Why this radio station is betting on sports gambling [LA Daily News]
Driven by accelerated expansion amid cascading state budget deficits, @BetMGM identified a $13.5 billion opportunity for U.S. sports betting by 2025. At present, BetMGM maintains a 17% sports betting and iGaming mkt share in markets the company is active in, BetMGM said Wed. pic.twitter.com/wXLikT06Bc
— Matt Rybaltowski (@MattRybaltowski) February 10, 2021
