Sports Betting Beat - May 20, 2021
This is your sports betting industry news for Thursday May 20, 2021.
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BetAnySports
The site has been "Under Maintenance" for the better part of two weeks now. BetAnySports had been using the 5Dimes software and 5Dimes late last year pulled out of the US market. While betting is still available, gamblers have expressed concern that the company could be eliminated their popular reduced juice option. They also appear to be breaking away from using 5Dimes lines per SBR Forum users.
Draftkings
DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) announced it will become the first Official Daily Fantasy Sports, iGaming and Sports Betting Partner of 23XI Racing and its esteemed driver, Bubba Wallace, pending regulatory approval in applicable jurisdictions.
Florida
Legal sports betting could be headed to Florida soon with the Legislature ratifying a sweeping gambling deal Wednesday between Gov. Ron DeSantis and the Seminole Tribe of Florida. The Florida House voted 97-17 in favor of the 30-year gambling deal that will bring at least $500 million a year in new revenue to the state. Legal hurdles remain as to whether the Seminoles could offer sports betting beyond the reservation land and there remains a strong likelihood that this portion of the compact could be shot down at the state and federal level, more specifically the United States Department of the Interior. If not, legal action is looming as a referendum was previously successful that gives voters the authority to approve any gambling expansion.
Illinois
Chicago is allowing Wrigley Field and Guaranteed Rate Field to host fans at 60% starting May 28 and that number is expected to grow to 100% by July. Might the novelty of online gambling wear thin for those fans who are no longer forced to watch the game from their couch?
Though it might seem like a nominal figure in the grand scheme, culling 30,000 potential bettors from the herd on a daily basis could put a dent in those massive wagers. Of course, the addition of a sportsbook and betting kiosks on Wrigley’s campus likely means the total pool of money handled will remain the same or increase as the manner in which place those bets shifts. Sports betting has become so mainstream that it’s not likely to drop off even as fans return en masse.
The State of Illinois will be happy with that, as state tax revenue from sports wagers has averaged nearly $6.5 million per month over the last six months. That’s up from less than $1 million on average from July through September, according to Sports Betting Dime. Add in the tax on legal marijuana and Illinois is seeing quite the windfall from what were once considered taboo vices. - Source: CubsInsider.
LeoVegas
LeoVegas completed its acquisition of Expekt on Wednesday. One of the world's largest casino players will now branch out into the sports betting space.
LeoVegas' Group CEO Gustaf Hagman, said: "It's incredibly exciting for us as we launch the new Expekt today. The timing couldn't be better with the eventful years in a sport that we have in front of us. By running Expekt on our technical platform starting from today, customers will be able to partake in our award-winning gaming experience, both for sports betting and casino. Expekt will once again be a leading sports betting brand in Sweden and the Nordic countries, and that work starts today."
Louisiana
SB247, sponsored by Senate President Page Cortez, R-Lafayette, allows for 20 licenses to go to casinos on riverboats, at racetracks, and Harrah’s in New Orleans. Sports betting would be allowed on smartphones, casinos, at kiosks in bars and restaurants that serve liquor.
Bills to set up a framework for legal sports wagering have been moving along nicely throughout this legislative session but any mobile options would have to get around the nine parishes that voted against sports betting, and that could be tough. Geofencing technology must ensure bets are not accepted from parishes where it isn’t legal.
Single player prop bets would be prohibited and those placing bets must be 21 or older.
PointsBet
PointsBet Holdings Limited (ASX: PBH) today announced that Kosha Gada - a seasoned executive with expertise at the nexus of media, technology, and digital business models - has been appointed by the Board as an independent Non-Executive Director.
South Dakota
(AP) - The South Dakota Commission on Gaming has adopted a revised set of rules for sports gambling in Deadwood beginning in July.
Voters approved a constitutional amendment last November which authorized the Legislature to enact a law allowing sports wagering in Deadwood. Gov. Kristi Noem signed the sports betting into law in March.
The Commission on Gaming on Tuesday amended gaming rules to include a $5,000 application fee for sports wagering service providers.
Other amendments added language for inspecting records for sports wagering equipment, prohibiting suppliers of the equipment from gambling on the sports betting equipment, or from manufacturing slot machines, the Rapid City Journal reported.
The rules also added sports betting to the list of gaming allowed in Deadwood.
The commission will send the revised rules to the state Legislature’s Interim Rules Review Committee for approval.
- Chris Costigan, Gambling911.com Publisher
