It’s Super Bowl week, so I’ll give you some thoughts on where sports betting is in the US as we close in on one of the biggest gambling events in the country.
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Gambling news roundup
New effort in Georgia to legalize sports betting and online casino (SBC Americas): Senate Resolution 131 is the brainchild of four Republican state senators: Sen. Carden Summers, Sen. Billy Hickman, Sen. Brandon Beach and Sen. Lee Anderson. The bill would amend the state constitution to authorize extensive gaming expansion across the state, including land-based casinos, iGaming and digital sports betting. There was a similar effort by the same lawmakers last year that never gained traction. Under the broad framework that was filed on Feb. 4, a minimum of eight casino gaming licenses would be awarded by a newly established gaming commission, with one skin per license.”
Georgia has a hard time legalizing just sports betting or daily fantasy sports in the past, so an omnibus gambling expansion seems like a big lift.
Sweepstakes face destruction in Connecticut with new bill (SBC Americas): “A group of lawmakers in Connecticut are making a legislative effort to prevent online sweepstakes and lottery ticket couriers from operating in the state. Rather than an individual sponsor, the Connecticut General Law Committee filed Senate Bill 1235, a measure that aims to ban lottery ticket resales and ticket courier services. The bill also proposes a ban on real or simulated online casino gaming or sports wagering for sweepstake operators.”
The lobbying effort against sweeps is very successful in drumming up these types of bills, which also existing in other states. Do they have the juice to get one or more of them passed?
It’s interesting that lottery couriers (think apps like Jackpocket) are in the crosshairs here. While operating in a relatively small cohort of states, they usually haven’t faced that kind of opposition.
VGW (parent company of Chumba Casino and other) previously left the state.
Statement from the Social and Promotional Gaming Association: “The Connecticut bill is yet another unfortunate example of anti-competitive special interests bending lawmakers to their will at the expense of innovation, small businesses, and the millions of American adult consumers who enjoy the safe and engaging mobile games social casinos offer. The bottom line: No legislature should dictate to American adults what they can and can't do on their phones. Outlawing free-to-play mobile games is a shocking overreach that is an insult to the voters of Connecticut. What app will they come for next?”
The public likes the Eagles in the Super Bowl (Twitter): At BetMGM, they are taking more bets on Philly than the Chiefs in every state except for Kansas:
I still find it wild…: …that ESPN puts ESPN Bet lines next to sometimes divergent “analytics” data. The latest example comes from the Super Bowl, where the line has been 1 or 1.5 at every sportsbook for a week and a half, but ESPN Analytics is telling us that the Eagles should be the favorite. Obviously, the Eagles could win, but it’s hard to believe ESPN’s formula has an edge on the most liquid sports betting market that exists.
As states rush to legalize sports betting, Wisconsin takes cautious approach (WPR): “The Forest County Potawatomi is one of six federally recognized tribal nations in the state that had sports betting operations up and running in Wisconsin casinos as of late 2024, according to a new Wisconsin Policy Forum report. While most states have legalized sports betting, Wisconsin has taken a cautious approach, only allowing sports gambling on tribal lands.”
Gambling newsletter roundup
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