Betting News – Page 124 – FairOdds Network

January 11, 2023

Free-to-play comes out of real-money betting’s shadow

When online gambling expansion is brought up, discussions are usually limited to sports betting and occasionally online casino. Yet free-to-play games are becoming a key part of the ecosystem, as more than an addendum to real-money betting.

It’s easy to look at the broad spectrum of online gambling expansion and see only sports betting.

After all, it’s the dominant force as far as rapid growth goes, and it’s coming to new states every few months. Maryland launched in November, Ohio on 1 January, and Massachusetts is making real progress.

Meanwhile, daily fantasy sports, fee-to-play sportsbooks, and prediction platforms are firmly nestled in the conversation but often buried by talk of real-money sports betting.

Apps like those offered by Tally Technologies and OddFlex—we’ll hear from representatives of both shortly—can offer things a traditional sportsbook cannot. In turn these platforms fill a gap hitherto left gaping by the light-speed spread of real-money betting across US ma..

January 11, 2023

South Carolina amendment would let legislature legalise betting and igaming

A South Carolina Representative has put forward a bill that would amend the state constitution, allowing the legislature to legalise varying forms of gambling – including sports betting.

The passage of the amendment would not legalise forms of gambling itself. Instead, it would permit the South Carolina legislature to do so.

Titled the South Carolina House Joint Resolution 3095, the bill was introduced in the state House yesterday (10 January) and referred to the House Committee on Judiciary. It is sponsored by Representative Todd Rutherford.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

January 11, 2023

Number of players on Malta-licensed sites hits record high in H1 2022

The number of players gambling with Malta-licensed operators hit a new high in the first half of 2022, after declines in the previous year.

The number of active player accounts with Malta-licensed operators rose by 8.7% year-on-year after a decline in 2021, to 19.3 million. This exceeded the previous high of 19.0 million recorded in the last six months of 2020.

The rise was mostly due to a record 8.9 million new accounts being created.

Much of the rise was due to higher numbers of younger players, with the portion of players aged between 18 and 24 rising to almost 25% of the total player base. In addition, the Malta gaming sector was found to have contributed €573m in gross value added for the half-year, or 8.0% of the Maltese economy. The gross value added total was up 12.4% from the first half of 2021.

The sector also employed 10,861 people as of June 2022, almost 600 more than a year earlier.

“The resilience of the Malta gaming industry during these trying times is largely att..

January 10, 2023

Bet365 to enter Pennsylvania with CDI deal

Bet365 is set to expand into Pennsylvania, having entered an online sports betting and igaming market access deal with Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) subsidiary Presque Isle Downs & Casino.

The agreement, CDI said, is consistent with its strategy to exit the online sports and casino business, with the operator seeking to monetise its online sports and igaming market access rights and focus on growing the TwinSpires online horse racing wagering business.

CDI revealed in February last year that it was to switch its approach to operations in the online casino sector but would retain retail sportsbook operations in its casinos.

Read the full story on iGB North America

January 9, 2023

Kambi and Rush Street Interactive extend sports betting deal

Kambi Group has signed an extension to its North America-facing partnership with online sports betting and casino operator and Rush Street Interactive (RSI).

Under the deal, Kambi will continue to provide its sportsbook engine to RSI in 15 states across the US, as well as in Canada, Colombia and Mexico.

Kambi initially partnered with RSI in 2018 following the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in the US and has supported the operator with its expansion across a range of markets.

Read the full story on iGB North America

January 9, 2023

Gaming bill filed as Texas gears up for 2023 legislative session

The Texas legislature will consider a bill that would amend the state’s constitution to legalise casinos at a limited number of locations and set the stage to permit sports betting.

The proposed law – Senate Joint Resolution 17 – would devise the framework for a new body named the Texas Gaming Commission, which would supervise legalised gambling in Texas.

Casino gambling would be authorised at a “limited number of destination resorts and facilities” with the proceeds going towards tax relief and funding for education and public safety.

The amendment’s author is Houston-based state senator Carol Alvarado, a Democrat who initially pre-filed the bill on 14 November 2022.

Read full story on iGB North America

January 9, 2023

Blaze and Parimatch score Brazilian football sponsorship deals

Blaze and Parimatch have agreed to sponsorships with Brazilian football clubs Atlético Clube Goianiense and Botafogo, after the collapse of efforts to introduce a locally regulated sports betting market in the country.

Campeonato Brasileiro Série B side, Atlético Clube Goianiense, announced the sponsorship with Blaze, a sportsbook online provider. Blaze will feature on the club’s kits as the main sponsor.

The length of the deal is currently undisclosed.

Meanwhile, Campeonato Brasileiro Série A team Botafogo agreed a two-year deal for online sports provider Parimatch to become its main shirt sponsor.

Nick van Gorsel, director of operations at Blaze, said that the company is proud to be the new sponsor of Atlético Clube Goianiense.

“The club has a passionate and loyal fan base that will complement our growth. It is a great honour for everyone at Blaze to be part of the ACG family and we will do our part in supporting the club.”

Adson Batista, president of the club, added that the c..

January 9, 2023

Iowa sports betting revenue bounces back in December despite handle drop

Sports betting revenue in Iowa rocketed 251.7% month-on-month in December despite a decline in player spending, while the state also reported year-on-year declines in handle.

Revenue for the month reached $20.4m (£16.8m/€19.1m), which was 52.2% up from $13.4m in December of 2021. This was also comfortably higher than $5.8m in November 2022 when Iowa suffered a sharp decline following multi-million-dollar winning bet payouts to US businessman Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale.

Figures published by the Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission (IRGC) showed that of total revenue posted in December, $17.6m came from online sports betting, while a further $3.1m was attributed to retail sportsbook activity.

Read the full story on iGB North America

January 9, 2023

Elys secures sports betting proprietor licence in Ohio

Elys Game Technology has become one of the latest gambling businesses to secure a licence in Ohio’s newly launched legal sports betting market.

Issued by the Ohio Casino Control Commission (OCCC), the Type C sports gaming proprietor licence will enable Elys to roll out its sports betting technology in the state, which opened its regulated market on 1 January this year.

Incidentally, Elys’ licence will run for a period of five years, beginning on 1 January.

Read the full story on iGB North America