SportsHandle: That was the week that was in US sports betting

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

NFL Makes Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel Official Sports Betting Partners

The National Football League completed its 180-degree turn in regard to sports betting Thursday, signing multi-year partnerships with Caesars Entertainment, FanDuel, and DraftKings that make the trio official sports betting partners with the league.

Terms of the deals were not announced, but they are reported to be worth $1 billion over five years. The three sportsbooks will have the ability to “integrate relevant sports betting content” directly to NFL Media properties, which include the league’s official website and mobile app. All three sportsbooks will also utilize the league’s official data feed.

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There’s A Lesson For U.S. Sports Betting Industry From Crackdowns In Europe On Advertising

In Italy, all gambling advertising has been banned since 2019.

In Spain, new restrictions are being imposed that will bar gaming operators’ brands from appearing on soccer teams’ shirts or as part of stadium names.

Sports betting firms and broadcasters in the United Kingdom operate with a “whistle-to-whistle” ban on TV ads for gambling firms that would otherwise appear while live sports are on the air, with children watching.

Those are the types of restrictions that have occurred already in Europe and might serve as a warning to U.S. gaming operators — particularly those in the fast-growing legalized sports betting industry — about crackdowns that could emerge if they irresponsibly and excessively promote their offerings.

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Handicapping The Race To Become A Sports Betting Platform Provider In New York

Much like a seasoned tax attorney forced to re-read a perplexing change to the federal tax code numerous times to comprehend the complexities, a host of sports betting experts did a double take last week when New York released the details of a byzantine competitive bidding process for gaining access to the state’s mobile sports betting marketplace.

After years of inaction on legislation pertaining to online sports wagering, New York leaders brokered a deal for mobile sports betting April 6 during intense, 11th-hour negotiations. Now, comes the messy part. The agreement paves the way for the New York State Gaming Commission to select two sports betting platform providers to partner with the state to offer mobile sports betting. At the same time, no less than four additional mobile sports operators will be licensed to begin offering the activity statewide. The hybrid model is largely viewed as a compromise between the limited operator proposal favored by Gov. Andrew Cuomo and scuttled plans for an open market preferred by the New York Legislature.

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Alabama Senate Approves Gaming Bill With Mobile Sports Betting And 20% Tax

A revamped gaming bill that will allow for statewide mobile sports betting in Alabama passed the state senate Tuesday night, and now heads to the House for approval. The constitutional amendment, which is similar to one that narrowly failed to pass the Senate earlier this session, would allow for nine casinos and sportsbooks, including three operated by the Poarch Band of Creek Indians. Casinos would be located in Greene, Houston, Jefferson, Macon, and Mobile counties. An additional casino could be located in either DeKalb or Jackson counties.

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Which Books Will Be In Arizona? Bet On BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, And William Hill

With sports betting nearly legal in Arizona — we’re all really just waiting for Gov. Doug Ducey, who authored the legislation to sign the bill — one of the pressing questions is this: Which operators will find access into the state? At this point, it appears four national companies — BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, and William Hill — have already secured deals for market access through either tribal deals or commercial partners.

The new law will allow for a maximum of 20 retail/mobile licenses tethered to either professional sports facilities or tribal casinos, as well as an additional 10 retail licenses for racetracks. Of the 20 retail/mobile licenses, it is possible that only 17 will immediately be used — 10 for tribal casinos, and one each for the NFL Arizona Cardinals, NBA Phoenix Suns, MLB Arizona Diamondbacks, NHL Phoenix Coyotes, NASCAR’s Phoenix Raceway, the PGA Tour’s TPC Scottsdale, and possibly the Phoenix Rising, should the team meet its goal to join Major League Soccer.

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Pete Rose, Now Leaning Into His Connection To Sports Betting, Partners With Pick Service

For many years following his suspension from Major League Baseball in 1989, Pete Rose did everything he could to publicly distance himself from sports betting.

Those days are over for the all-time hit king.

Celebrating his 80th birthday Wednesday, Rose announced a partnership with UPickTrade.com, the sports recommendation service that made headlines in February with a short-lived deal with the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights. Rose will make daily picks — not just for baseball games, but for other sports as well — for subscribers to the Guadalajara, Mexico-based service. Rose-signed merchandise also plays into the partnership, with longer-term UPickTrade subscribers receiving baseballs and bats autographed by the retired baseball great.

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Indiana Tops $3 Billion In Sports Betting Handle With Strong March

Indiana joined a select club in sports betting handle Monday, becoming the fourth state to clear $3 billion in the post-PASPA era after the Indiana Gaming Commission released its figures for March.

The $316.7 million wagered was the second-highest monthly total in the Hoosier State’s history since accepting its first bets in September 2019. It was a 15.6% improvement from February’s $273.9 million, but well off January’s record-setting handle of $348.2 million.

Overall, Indiana has accepted more than $3.1 billion worth of wagers, joining Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania as the only states to clear $3 billion. Illinois will also be part of the club when that state’s Gaming Board releases its numbers for March.

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