SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.

DraftKings’ Play For Connecticut Sports Betting Good for DraftKings, But Not Necessarily You

On its mission to gain access to as many states as possible, at the expense of most other things, DraftKings on Monday announced a sports betting partnership with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation in Connecticut to offer online sports betting in the state — pending state legalization and approvals.

The move makes a lot of sense for the DFS operator-turned-bookmaker, but what’s good for DraftKings here does not quite serve the best interests of those looking to bet on sports legally in Connecticut.

Full story here.

BetMGM CEO: US Online Poker Will Again ‘Have Period In Sunshine’

The US expansion of online gambling is still in the early innings, a panel of CEOs of some of the sports betting industry’s leading firms said last week during the Betting on Sports America Digital conference.

The focus these days is on traditional sports wagering, a lucrative opportunity on its own. But sports betting has relatively low margins for an operator — its primary attractiveness comes by providing betting firms a foothold to offer more lucrative product verticals like online slots and table games in U.S. states, which all regulate gaming within their respective borders independently. To put it another way, casinos hold far less of the sports betting handle in the form of winnings than they typically do for other gambling offerings. One can see why sportsbooks have been viewed as an amenity for a casino.

Full story here.

Online Sportsbooks, Casinos Now Set To Launch In Michigan In Mid-January

The launch of online sportsbooks and casinos in Michigan is now expected to happen in mid-January, according to the spokesperson for the Michigan Gaming Control Board.

While a four-to-six week timetable was laid out earlier this week – with Dec. 2 being the date from where that timeline began – the guidance today puts the launch on the far end of the range.

“Based on what we know at this point, we expect to authorize launch by mid-January,” Mary Kay Bean, spokesperson for the MGCB, told MI Bets.

Full story here.

Ohio Sports Betting Legislation Still Alive In 2020 As End Of Session Nears

The shot clock is ticking down on Ohio’s sports betting chances this year, but there’s still time.

Earlier this week, the Ohio Senate General Government and Agency Review Committee accepted a substitute version of SB 111, that chamber’s version of the sports betting plan. A House version, markedly different from the Senate bill, cleared a full House vote in May.

No vote was held on the bill this week.

Policymakers appear to be close to finally hashing out items such as the tax rate, the number of online/mobile skins (or brands) each casino and racino would have for digital sports wagering, and licensing fees. Under the latest proposal, each gambling facility eligible for sports wagering could have just one online/mobile skin. In neighboring Indiana, each casino can have up to three such skins.

Full story here.

Indiana Sets Record Monthly Sports Betting Handle (Again) At $251.4M

The Hoosier State continued to show itself as a serious player in the sports betting arena, generating a record handle for the third consecutive month after the Indiana Gaming Commission reported on Thursday that $251.4 million was wagered in November.

It was the third straight month the IGC reported a handle of at least $200 million, with November’s handle 8.87% higher than October’s mark of $230.9 million and 17.48% better than September’s total of $207.5 million. The three-month surge has put Indiana sportsbooks in position to pass $2 billion in cumulative handle with December’s report, provided sports schedules are not disrupted due to COVID-19.

Full story here.

Sports Betting Comes To Smashville: Nashville Predators Ink Multi-year Agreement With DraftKings

Weeks after the company’s mobile launch in Tennessee, DraftKings announced Thursday that it has come to terms on a multi-year agreement with the Nashville Predators.

Under the deal, DraftKings becomes the official sports betting operator and the official daily fantasy sports provider of the Predators. Per the agreement, DraftKings’ branding and content will be integrated throughout Bridgestone Arena including dasher boards and virtual signage visible on television for all regionally broadcast Predators games.

Full story here.