Betting News – Page 70 – FairOdds Network

September 11, 2023

IBIA pens betting integrity deal with Buenos Aires regulator

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) has entered into a partnership with the Lotería de la Ciudad, the public entity that regulates sports betting in the Argentine capital of Buenos Aires.

Under the memorandum of understanding, IBIA will support Lotería de la Ciudad with sports betting integrity in its regulated market.

The two parties will exchange technical knowledge and information related to the integrity of sports and betting. This will be used to improve fraud control and prevention in the city’s market.

Buenos Aires opened its legal internet sports betting market in December 2021. The city also launched legal online gambling at the same time.

“IBIA is delighted to have reached an agreement with the Lotería de la Ciudad to work collaboratively to protect sports, consumers and the regulated betting market from match-fixing,” IBIA CEO Khalid Ali said.

“The association and its members will analyse the betting on their global markets. We will also work closely ..

September 11, 2023

NY online sports betting revenue slips to 13-month low in August

Online sports betting revenue in New York reached $98.5m (£78.6m/€91.7m) in August, the lowest monthly total since July 2022, although handle improved month-on-month and year-on-year.

Gross gaming revenue (GGR) edged down 1.1% from $99.6m in August 2022, The monthly total was also 6.3% lower than $105.1m in New York in July this year.

In terms of handle, this made for better reading. New York consumers wagered a total of $1.11bn online during August, a 27.6% increase from $872.2m in the same month last year.

The figure was also 15.7% higher than $962.1m in July of this year.

FanDuel pulls clear of DraftKings in New York

Looking at individual operators, Flutter Entertainment-owned FanDuel moved further clear of DraftKings in GGR terms. This came after DraftKings last month significantly narrowed the gap on its long-time rival.

FanDuel posted $41.1m in revenue for August off a handle of $384.6m. GGR at DraftKings hit $35.5m but the operator reported a higher handle than FanDuel at ..

September 8, 2023

Iowa athletes plead guilty to reduced charges

Five current or former Iowa State athletes have submitted guilty pleas to underage gambling as part of a state investigation into sports betting.

The pleas by quarterback Hunter Dekkers and offensive lineman Jake Remsburg, plus former players Dodge Sauser and Aaron Blom and ex-ISU baseball player Gehrig Christensen, were to reduced charges of underage gambling.

The original charge collectively dropped for the quintet – tampering with records – would have carried a maximum penalty of two years in prison. However, each athlete will now pay a $645 fine. None will face further criminal action.

Reduced charges

“The original records tampering charge against these young men never fit this case, either legally or factually,” attorney Mark Weinhardt, who represents Dekkers, Remsburg and Sauser, said in a statement.

“Hunter, Jake and Dodge are not and never were guilty of that charge. The charge has nothing to do with gambling. Other than the fact that Hunter, Jake and Dodge placed some bet..

September 8, 2023

Kansas sports betting wagers reach $94.4m in August

Player spending on sports betting in Kansas increased month-on-month in August to $94.4m (£75.6m/€88.1m), although revenue in the state declined.

Monthly handle was 18.4% higher than the $79.7m reported in July. Of this total, $90.6m came from online betting and $3.8m retail wagering in Kansas.

However, revenue for the month declined to $4.8m. This was 29.4% lower than the $6.8m posted in the previous month.

Online wagering accounted for $4.5m of all revenue in August, with retail’s share amounting to $359,216.

Boot Hill Casino and DraftKings take the lead in August

Breaking down monthly performance by operator, Boot Hill Casino and partner DraftKings led the way in the online segment. The partnership heralded $1.8m in online revenue from $42.9m in bets.

Kansas Star Casino and FanDuel ranked second with $1.6m in revenue and a $27.0m handle. Kansas Crossing Casino and BetMGM rounded off the top three with revenue of $564,204 and $8.0m in player wagers.

In terms of retail, Hollywo..

September 8, 2023

LeoVegas breaks ground with BetMGM UK

The news that BetMGM would be launching in the UK gave its gambling market a much-needed shake. But it was the fact that LeoVegas, not Entain, would be MGM’s launch partner that really set the conversation alight. Gustaf Hagman, CEO of LeoVegas, believes his company is more than ready to take on the challenge.

To say the journey to the launch of BetMGM UK has been complex would be an understatement.

To the uninitiated, an established US-facing brand – a joint venture of two industry giants – has managed to implant itself into the UK market.

But peeling back the layers reveals a different story. BetMGM’s US offering is a joint venture shared between MGM and Entain. But the launch of BetMGM UK doesn’t include Entain at all.

Instead LeoVegas, which was acquired by MGM Resorts last year for $604m, will power BetMGM’s new UK platform. This means that BetMGM UK will be competing directly against Entain’s UK brands, which include the likes of Ladbrokes, Coral and Gala.

Despite the enormi..

September 8, 2023

BetMGM rolls out revamped sports betting app as NFL season kicks off

BetMGM, the joint venture between MGM Resorts International and Entain, has launched an updated version of its sports betting app to coincide with the start of the new NFL season.

The 2023-24 NFL campaign kicked off yesterday (7 September), with the Detroit Lions seeing off the Kansas City Chiefs 21-20. The revamped BetMGM app went live ahead of the game, with users having access to a number of new features.

These include a free-to-enter Survivor Pool, where customers pick a team to win each week of the season. Once a team is selected, they cannot be picked again. The last player standing will win the $100,000 (£80,085/€93,352) jackpot.

Players can also access a Same-Game Parlay+ feature, allowing BetMGM sports betting app users to connect two different same-game parlays into a single bet.

Users travelling across different states where online sports betting is legal can access their BetMGM account. In addition, customers will have access to a range of special offers such as a 50% l..

September 7, 2023

Turnover is vanity, profit is sanity

The NFL is a difficult sport for oddsmakers and sportsbooks to navigate. But along with its headaches and complexities comes the promise of high rewards for operators, writes Simon Trim, launch consultant to 10star.

The weekend that follows the first Monday in September is always a red-letter event for US sportsbooks, as the NFL season makes its annual return.

The NFL season consists of 272 games, as opposed to the 2,430 that comprise the regular Major League Baseball season. But the impact on turnover, and potentially profit, that the NFL has in comparison is vast.

The NFL isn’t just America’s game either. It is a high-tariff sport throughout the global sports betting landscape. For UK sportsbooks, the NFL games held in London across three consecutive weekends in October are huge business drivers.

SIMON TRIM, LAUNCH CONSULTANT TO 10STAR

While the NFL is undoubtedly the main event in terms of generating turnover and revenue, the number of US sportsbooks that have translated this ..

September 7, 2023

Kentucky launches legal retail sports betting

Kentucky will today (7 September) open its legal retail sports wagering market, ahead of launching online betting later this month.

The market opens after governor Andy Beshear signed off on House Bill 551 in April. The bill makes nine Kentucky racetracks eligible to offer on-site retail betting.

Each racetrack is also able to partner with up to three online operators, meaning 27 licences are up for grabs in the state. Online will not launch until 28 September as part of a staggered start to regulation, although pre-registration is now open.

Online tax rate is set at 14.25% of gross gambling revenue and retail 9.75%. A licence will cost a racetrack $500,000 and an online operator $50,000 to partner.

Retail licensees confirmed in Kentucky

Last month, the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) approved sports betting licences for a number of operators. These covered both online and retail activities.

In terms of retail, licences were also approved for a number of racetracks and t..

September 7, 2023

NCAA demands help in the wake of soaring college gambling problems

One in four leading US college sports programmes have been notified of student-athletes being harassed by someone with gambling interests in the last 12 months, according to a new study published by the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).

The body that runs college sports has demanded help from sportsbooks and regulators in the wake of issues identified in its Survey of Senior Compliance Administrators on Sports Wagering Issues.

The study found that 27% of schools from the so-called Power Five conferences had dealt with a sports wagering problem among their athletes or staff within the past year. This is compared to just 3% when the same question was asked in 2019.

There was also a sharp rise within all Division I schools, from 4% to 13%. Division II and Division III athletic departments actually saw a fall in reports of problem gambling between 2019 to 2023.

Another statistic shows a quarter of Power Five schools were aware of student-athletes being harassed by someon..