The past year will be remembered more for its inaction than progress forward when it came to expanding legalized gambling. Legislation, particularly igaming legislation hit a wall. For sports betting, it was somewhat expected now that there are only a dozen states that have not legalized some form of it. However, online casinos are only legal in seven states, yet there is no real rush from other states to follow suit.
The SBC Americas editorial team makes their predictions on whether 2025 will be more of the same and which states to keep an eye on.
Jessica Welman
Perhaps it is because I am writing this at the apex of anti-gambling zeitgeist, but the headwinds for 2025 have me believing we don’t get a new online casino state in 2025. I don’t see a tremendous amount of momentum from 2024 going into 2025. For example, Maryland was a state that had some movement, but the resistance against the efforts were strong and included some new opponents, like unions, that efforts haven’t contended with before.
Until the industry can come up with a better response to how online casinos can add jobs and improve the economy, not just state coffers, I am just not convinced lawmakers are willing to expose themselves to the scrutiny, even in a non-election year.
Justin Byers
The online casino industry may not see a seismic shift in 2025 but there is hope that a number of states will have lawmakers continue discussing the potential authorization of iGaming. I expect lawmakers in Louisiana to continue to educate themselves about iGaming and its potential economic impact making it a market to watch in 2025.
It’s also important to note the states where stakeholders have recently conducted iGaming-related research, including Indiana. Earlier this year, Spectrum Gaming Group and the Indiana Gaming Commission released a study that estimates Indiana iGaming could generate $2 billion in revenue in its first three years. The Hoosier State put a moratorium on casino-related legislation in 2024 after a bribery scandal, but it is unclear if that will continue into 2025.
The abundance of new data concerning iGaming allows stakeholders, lawmakers and other major decisions nationwide to have comprehensive discussions on regulated iGaming. We may not see a new iGaming state in 2025 but the ground work has been laid for the future.
Tom Nightingale
The conversation all feels a bit “bark but no bite” as lawmakers discuss the issue to little avail. To Jessica’s point, iGaming has had a tricky few months, with opposing voices often the loudest. DraftKings CEO Jason Robins expressed optimism that some bills may get “over the hump” in 2025, but when the hump is this big, it’s hard to say with confidence that talking the talk will turn into walking the walk.
But just how long can states can resist the urge to bring in a lucrative source of tax revenue? I’m not expecting any decisive action but if we’re naming states that could be interesting? Florida, given Hard Rock CEO Jim Allen appeared to open the door to trading the company’s online sports betting monopoly for online casino. New York, given New Jersey and Pennsylvania are iGaming behemoth status in addition its own record-breaking sports betting success.
And, while we are focused on iGaming, there is still hope for new legislation on the sports betting front with Minnesota and Mississippi seem to be gearing up for a sustained push.
