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.

DraftKings Partnership With Boost Mobile Marks Pit Stop On Roadmap To Hell

I spend an inordinate amount of time in the company of DraftKings.

And now that I’ve typed that and spent a second thinking about it, it’s making me question some of my life choices. Seriously: After “sleeping,” “working,” and “time with family,” DraftKings is coming in a solid fourth for time spent. For me it is mostly DFS lineup creation, but it’s also playing the daily casino specials and checking odds boosts and placing a wager or two or four(teen).

DraftKings has me, my rapt attention, and, most useful for them, my money. 

Full story here.

As Parliament Session Nears End, CFL Commissioner Doubles Down On Legalization Of Single-Event Sports Betting In Canada

Still in financial straits after canceling the entire 2020 season due to COVID-19, the Canadian Football League reiterated calls on Wednesday for the legalization of single-event sports betting in Canada.

The addition of single-event sports betting will allow the CFL to partner with industry leaders in an effort to drive ticket sales and boost television ratings, CFL Commissioner Randy Ambrosie testified Wednesday evening in a hearing before the Senate Standing Committee on Banking, Trade, and Commerce. As with scores of other businesses throughout Canada, the CFL has been dramatically impacted by the global pandemic, Ambrosie told the committee.

Full story here

Arizona Regulator: Sports Betting Go-Live Date Is Sept. 9

On the same day that the NFL released the date of the 2023 Super Bowl in Glendale, Ariz., regulators in that state announced they would share proposed event wagering regulations with an eye toward launching operators Sept. 9, the first day of the NFL season. The Dallas Cowboys play at the defending Super Bowl champion Tampa Bay Buccaneers in a Thursday Night Football game to open the season, while the Arizona Cardinals open Sunday, Sept. 12, at the Tennessee Titans.

Arizona regulators are among those in three states with plans to roll out or approve proposed sports betting rules in the next two weeks — the Wyoming Gaming Commission has rules approval on its June 8 agenda, and the Washington State Gambling Commission on Thursday announced a special meeting, also on June 8, to roll out proposed regulations.

Full story here.

Virginia Is For Bettors: Analyzing The Early Returns For A New Sports Betting State

Virginia, which took its first regulated sports wagers on Jan. 21, is poised when May figures are released to set the record for the fastest state to reach $1 billion in betting handle.

There are an assortment of asterisks making this possible, including when Virginia launched (in 2021, when legal sports betting awareness was far higher than it had been in states that launched in 2018 or 2019) and how it launched (with online wagering first, as compared to other states that banked mediocre retail numbers initially).

Still, Virginia took in $865.2 million in bets in its first three-plus months and is a lock to surpass the billion-dollar mark in its fifth month, breaking a record currently held by Tennessee, which hit 10 digits in its sixth month of regulated action.

Full story here.

Illinois On Verge of Removing Carveout For Sports Betting On In-State Schools

It went to overtime, and then a little longer after that. But bettors in Illinois are close to being able to make legal wagers on games involving in-state teams — with a few conditions.

SB 521 passed in the House Tuesday with a three-fifths majority required since it did not come to a vote prior to midnight. Rep. Bob Rita, who is one of the primary drivers of gaming laws in the state, navigated the bill through three Executive Committee votes Monday and brought the bill to the House floor shortly before 1 a.m. local time after a fourth amendment was approved.

Full story here.