Betting News – Page 9 – FairOdds Network

July 11, 2024

US round-up: Maryland betting grows in first fiscal year of mobile, Tennessee handle jumps 49% in June

Players wagered $5.37bn in Maryland’s first full fiscal year of mobile sports betting, while Tennessee handle jumped 49.7% in June and Detroit’s casinos posted a modest increase in revenue for the month.

Maryland saw both revenue and handle increase year-on-year during the 12 months to 30 June, while Tennessee stakes climbed significantly during the month.

Full-year handle hits $5.37bn in Maryland

Maryland Lottery and Gaming figures show handle for the state’s 2024 fiscal year rise $85.9% to $5.37bn (£4.18bn/€4.96bn). The 12 months which ended on 30 June mark Maryland’s first full fiscal year of mobile betting, after it launched in November 2022.

Of this total, $5.19bn was wagered online, while $180.6m was staked with retail sports books.

Parlay popularity

In terms of handle by sport, pro basketball took top spot with $873.6m in bets, or 16.3% of all wagers placed in FY24. Players spent the most on parlay bets, with these wagers hitting $2.03bn, or 38.2% of handle.

Players won..

July 10, 2024

Ex-NBA player Jontay Porter pleads guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud

On Wednesday (10 July) former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter turned himself in to federal authorities and pleaded guilty to a conspiracy to commit wire fraud in a sports betting scandal that involves four others. Porter entered his plea at the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York.

Federal prosecutors recommended 41-51 months in prison and Porter will have to pay more than $450,000 in fines and fees. According to the New York Post, Porter was released on $250,000 bond put up by his wife and mother.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Porter from the league for life in April, several weeks after news broke that he may have violated league wagering rules. Porter tampered with two games so that his co-conspirators could win “under” prop bets. NBA players are allowed to gamble, but are forbidden from betting on basketball and from fixing games. Porter is the only NBA player to be banned or suspended for betting since PASPA was overturned in 2018.

According to a federal ..

July 10, 2024

Colorado tribe invokes federal Florida decision in suing state for right to offer statewide digital sports betting

On Monday (8 July) Colorado's Southern Ute tribe revealed during an American Indian Affairs interim study committee meeting that it has sued Colorado's governor, Jared Polis, and the state of Colorado. The tribe claims that the state has blocked its ability to offer digital sports betting.

Tribal chairman Melvin J Baker invoked the recent decision by the US Supreme Court not to hear the West Flagler vs the US Deptartment of the Interior case as clearing the way for the lawsuit. Baker said that because that case “held that the Seminole tribe was entitled to engage in statewide sports betting in Florida any legal objection to the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain from engaging in statewide sports betting is gone.”

The tribe filed suit in the US District Court for the District of Colorado on Monday. The court set a 10 October date for a scheduling and planning conference. From there, if the parties have not reached an agreement, the case would move forward in court.

Statewide d..

July 10, 2024

US round-up: Iowa FY24 handle tops $2.6bn, mixed June for Maine

Rounding up the latest US state reports, iGB analyses growth in Iowa sports betting during the state’s 2024 financial year and a mixed June for Maine.

Iowa’s sports betting market closed out its 2024 fiscal year with growth in June, while Maine sports betting operators DraftKings and Caesars reported a decline in handle for the month.

Iowa market up 14% in 2024 fiscal year

Iowa reported year-on-year growth across revenue and handle for the full year to 30 June. Maine, meanwhile, saw sports betting revenue rise month-on-month despite lower spending among consumers.

Starting in Iowa, betting handle for the year hit $2.62bn (£2.05bn/€2.43bn). This is 16.4% higher than the $2.25bn spent in the previous year. Online wagers amounted to $2.41bn while retail spend totalled $207.1m.

In revenue terms, this amounted to $212.3m, an increase of 14.0% from 2023. Of this, $193.5m came from betting over the internet and $18.7m retail sportsbooks.

Looking at individual operators’ performance for..

July 10, 2024

Super Group to withdraw US betting product

Betway parent Super Group has decided to withdraw its US sports betting following an extensive internal review.

The firm said in a statement today (10 July) it would close its sportsbook operations in the nine states where it is currently live, as CEO Neal Menashe said it did not see a long-term path to profitability.

The Betway brand is currently live in Pennsylvania, Iowa, New Jersey, Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Virginia, Ohio and Louisiana.

The group’s online gambling offering in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will remain, with a focus on two brands from its Spin portfolio, including its Jackpot City brand.

“The vast majority of Super Group’s revenue is generated in igaming and, in line with that strategy, we will continue to offer our leading casino product in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. We are open to expanding our US footprint if the right investment or strategic opportunities arise,” Menashe said.

The firm expects to incur the costs from shuttering these operations in its Q2 ..

July 10, 2024

Illinois betting handle exceeds $1bn for ninth consecutive month in May

Sports betting handle in Illinois exceeded $1.00bn (£781.9m/€924.5m) for the ninth straight month in May, although the Prairie state reported a slight month-on-month decline in stakes.

Total handle for May reached $1.02bn, 21.9% ahead of $821.7m staked last year. However, the figure is down 8.9% from the $1.10bn bet in Illinois during April.

Of all wagers placed in May, $985.7m was spent online through the state’s eight approved internet operators according to the Illinois Gaming Board figures. Players also wagered $31.0m at licensed retail locations across Illinois.

Professional sports accounted for $1.01bn of all bets in May, with $980.7m wagered online and $30.9m via retail sportsbooks. Players staked a further $3.7m on college sports, including $3.6m online and $62,935 at retail locations. A further $1.4m was wagered on motor racing.

Illinois revenue jumps 13.4% year-on-year

Adjusted gross revenue hit $100.9m in May. The total is 13.4% up on last year and also 9.7% higher tha..

July 9, 2024

Survey reveals Betano as most recognisable brand in Brazil

Kaizen Gaming-owned Betano is the most recognisable and trusted betting brand in Brazil, a survey by Env Media has revealed.

Env Media centred its survey on the 20 most popular brands in Brazil, including the likes of Betano, Bet365 and Betfair. The study aimed to establish what operators held the greatest share of voice in Brazil by looking at their visibility and market shares.

This is ahead of the regulated market going live following the December approval of Bill 3,626/2023, legalising sports betting and igaming.

The survey asked 500 active adult bettors which operators they were both aware of and trusted. Betano led the way with 73.4% of respondents stating they recognised and trusted the operator. Bet365, meanwhile, was second, selected by 67.2% of those surveyed.

Brazilian operator Pixbet was third, recognised and trusted by 54.7% of respondents, while Sportingbet and Betnacional were selected by 42.6% and 41.6% respectively.

Betano also held the advantage in Env Media’s s..

July 9, 2024

NJ DGE slaps DraftKings with $100,000 fine, stern words

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) has smacked DraftKings with a six-figure fine and a verbal undressing for reporting inaccurate sports wagering numbers over several months, the Associated Press reported on Monday (8 July).

In a letter sent to DraftKings on 16 June, DGE’s acting director Mary Jo Flaherty wrote, “These types of gross errors and failures cannot be tolerated in the New Jersey gaming regulatory system.” Flaherty, not mincing words, described DraftKings’ conduct as “unacceptable”.

The DGE levied a $100,000 fine against the company for the offence, wrote the AP.

Every month, each of New Jersey’s 16 licensed mobile sportsbooks has to report its financials in a number of categories. Included are handle (amount wagered) and revenue, broken down by sport, with multi-leg parlay bets separated out. According to the DGE, the Boston-based company over-reported the amount wagered on parlays and under-reported in other categories.

The company has consistently bee..

July 8, 2024

Handle and hold dip in North Carolina’s third full month of sports betting

In its fourth month of operation, North Carolina recorded $398m in mobile betting handle, the lowest amount since its launch in March.

According to the report released on Monday (8 July) by the North Carolina State Lottery Commission, revenue dipped almost 26% in the Tar Heel state between May and June. Such a dip isn’t unusual, as the US moves into a slower summer sports calendar. New York experienced a similar shift with amount wagered on mobile dropping 34% in June against May.

Bets made via promotions in North Carolina came in at $16.5m, while gross gaming revenue (GGR) hit $40.3m. Operators cannot deduct promotional play in North Carolina.

Operators maintained a 10% hold, which was 2% lower than in May. GGR is taxed at 18%.

Player winnings paid out in June totalled $354.7m, according to the report. Operators cancelled $3.2m in bets, or almost 1% of the state’s overall handle.

Since its launch, North Carolina has taken $2.2bn in handle and $275m in GGR.

Its biggest month s..