SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.
FanDuel Officially Licensed For Event Wagering, DFS In Arizona
Wave the checkered flag, the race for legal sports betting in Arizona is finished. On April 12th, 2021, the Arizona state senate passed HB 2772 by a 23-6 margin, approving both online and retail sports betting in the state. There was a lot of uncertainty in the build up, but ultimately it all came together pretty quickly. An ally of the effort, Gov. Doug Ducey put pen to paper just a few days later on April 15th. Legal, regulated online sports betting is on the way to Arizona and is scheduled to arrive on September 9th, the proposed ‘go live’ date.
Full story here.
Hey Yo DraftKings: It’s Time To Fix Your NFT Marketplace, Or Shelve It Until You Do
And now, an open letter to DraftKings …
Dearest DraftKings,
Love you guys. Really do. Not only do I love to play DFS — and I’m long-term profitable, thank you very much — but my DFS play also led, somewhat directly, to my gig here. Story for another day, but still: Love ya, DK.
Which is why I stand before you today to wave my arms frantically and scream as loud as I can for you to stop selling NFTs until you figure out how people are gaming the system.
Not only are you cheapening the newly launched DraftKings Marketplace, but with it, cheapening everything you do.
Full story here.
Penn National Becomes Latest Seeking To Reduce Slots At Pennsylvania Casinos
(Note: This article has been updated to include a pending application from Mount Airy Casino Resort.)
Two months after Harrah’s Philadelphia won state approval to remove 563 slot machines from its gaming floor, Penn National Gaming wants to get rid of more than 500 combined at its two biggest Pennsylvania casinos.
Penn National, which just opened its Hollywood Casino York mini-casino Aug. 12, filed applications with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board this month to remove 317 slot machines from the Meadows Racetrack & Casino and 191 from its main Hollywood Casino in Dauphin County.
Full story here.
Louisiana Sports Betting, Daily Fantasy Applications Available
Approved Thursday, Louisiana‘s emergency sports betting rules go into effect today, and forms needed for operators to apply are available on the Louisiana State Police website. The state police will act as the clearinghouse for applications — not only posting them, but accepting applications, which can be hand-delivered to the office in Baton Rouge as early as today. The goal is for brick-and-mortar locations to be accepting wagers sometime in September. Applications for prospective daily fantasy operators are also available.
Full story here.
NPR ‘Death, Sex & Money’ Podcast Shines Light On Online Gambling Addiction
“It really satisfied something in me for a short time. Until it didn’t.”
The popular NPR podcast Death, Sex & Money this month aired a three-part series exploring the financial and emotional damage a relatively brief online gambling addiction inflicted upon a young married couple. They chose not to use their real names and instead went by “Cora” and “Garrett.” It was Garrett who uttered the above quote in reflecting upon how he accumulated $18,000 of online gambling debts while out of work during the early days of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Full story here.
Nevada Clears $1 Billion In Post-PASPA Sportsbook Revenue With Strong July
Nevada in July became the second state to clear $1 billion in sports betting operator revenue in the post-PASPA era, as the state’s Gaming Control Board on Thursday reported revenue totaling nearly $33.3 million for the month.
New Jersey, which passed Nevada for all-time post-PASPA handle in April, also reached the $1 billion revenue benchmark that month. The good news for the Silver State was July’s revenue figure was a 14% month-over-month increase from June’s total of close to $29.2 million despite a 24.9% drop in handle to nearly $409.9 million.
Full story here.
