SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.
William Hill Strikes Deal To Become Official Sportsbook Provider For CBS Sports
William Hill US and CBS Sports announced a strategic partnership Monday afternoon that will make the company the official sportsbook and wagering data provider across all CBS Sports platforms.
The deal completes the sportsbook operator’s months-long quest of aligning with a major media company. The two sides reached a deal after reports surfaced in the Times of London over the weekend that William Hill resumed negotiations with the broadcast network.
The partnership will be launched with initial integrations in March on CBS Sports’ digital platforms, with a full rollout planned for the fantasy football season. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Full story here.
Both Virginia Chambers Approve Sports Betting Bills
Virginia lawmakers easily passed legal sports betting measures in both chambers on Monday. The two bills have some minor differences but would legalize statewide mobile and retail sports betting and mandate the use of “official league data” in deciding in-play or live wagers.
The Senate passed SB 384, 27-12, while the House passed HB 896, 69-29. According to the latest versions available online, there are still some minor differences in the bills:
Full story here.
Washington State Could Be First In West To Legalize In 2020
If you take Nevada out of the mix, the West has been slower than the East, Midwest or South to embrace legal sports betting since the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May 2018. In fact, of the seven Western states, only Nevada and Oregon currently have legal sports betting — and Oregon didn’t need to pass a law to do it. But in the last week or two, there’s been plenty of action on sports betting around the West. With the exception of Alaska and Idaho, where it’s been a non-issue, there’s been movement all across.
Full story here.
Unibet Partners With Caesars Casino, Top Retail Sporstsbook In Indiana
On Tuesday, the Kindred Group, owner of the Unibet sports betting brand, announced a market access deal with casino operator Caesars Entertainment.
The linkage will give Unibet access to both the Indiana and Iowa sports wagering markets. Both states currently have regulated online/mobile wagering, each kicking off in the second half of 2019.
The partnership also includes “potentially additional states,” said a presser.
Full story here.
Online Poker, Sports Betting… Is eSports Betting Next Frontier In New Jersey?
Both eSports and sports betting are growing exponentially all over the U.S. — but so far, mostly on parallel tracks.
A New Jersey assemblyman aims to change that with a bill he recently introduced to place eSports on a level playing field with more traditional sports betting.
“It’s clearly the next big thing, and if New Jersey gets in on it early, it can really bring in some revenue,” Democrat Ralph Caputo told NJ Online Gambling Tuesday.
“Throughout the country and the world, video game enthusiasts are flocking to see expert players compete in all kinds of digital games,” Caputo added. “Whether they follow along online or in person, hundreds of millions of people watch eSports each year, and that number is only growing.
Full story here.
