Gambling in the USA
Indiana Sportsbooks End Year With $160 Million Month
Sportsbooks close 2019 with more than $430 million in bets, giving industry momentum heading into 2020, according to PlayIndiana.com analysts
Indiana retail and online sportsbooks capped their inaugural year in the state by surpassing $160 million in bets in a month for the first time. Indiana’s record handle in December pushed the state to more than $430 million in bets since the first wager was accepted in September, a staggering pace that has set the stage for a momentous 2020, according to analysts from PlayIndiana.
“Indiana’s ascent to one of the largest sports betting markets in the country has been impressive by most any measure,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana. “The question for 2020 is whether Indiana can sustain its rate of expansion, especially as neighboring states become more likely to legalize sports betting. That has already happened in Michigan, which could take a bite out of the handle at some of northern Indiana’s retail sportsbooks.”
In December, the state’s retail and online sportsbooks generated a combined $161.8 million in bets, up 10% from November’s $147.3 million handle, according to official reporting released Friday. December’s handle produced $12 million in adjusted gross revenue, up 29% from $9.3 million in November. The “win” yielded $1.1 million in tax revenue for the state.
Indiana sportsbooks have now generated $433.4 million in bets and $42.7 million in revenue since launch, and is easily the fourth-largest sports betting marketing in the country, trailing only Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. To put Indiana’s growth into perspective, it took Pennsylvania, the No. 3 market in the U.S., 10 months to surpass $400 million in lifetime handle. Indiana surpassed $400 million in its fourth month.
A boost could come in January. Football betting has accounted for $178.6 million since launch and $59.1 million in bets in December, and that will likely surge with the NFL Playoffs and college football’s national championship in January. In addition, basketball, which has accounted for $82.2 million since launch and $42.3 million in December, should grow as college basketball enters conference season and the NBA season heats up.
“With the NFL Playoffs at hand and college basketball in full swing, it is possible that Indiana will surpass $1 billion in bets by March, making Indiana one of the quickest legal U.S. jurisdictions to reach that mark,” Gouker said.
The relatively rapid growth of Indiana, which launched online sportsbooks in October, can be attributed to the adoption of online sports betting far earlier than states such as Pennsylvania. In Indiana, $110.6 million of December’s bets were made online representing 69.5% of the state’s total handle, up from 65% of the November handle.
Online sports betting is also growing in the number of sportsbooks. BetAmerica, operating under the Rising Star Casino license, became Indiana’s fourth online sportsbook when it launched in late December.
Still, DraftKings, which operates under the Ameristar Casino license, led the online market once again. In December, DraftKings attracted $66.7 million in bets, up from $64.1 million in November. That generated $5 million in gross receipts, up from $4.3 million. DraftKings was followed by:
FanDuel/Blue Chip Casino ($36 million handle in December, up from $23.7 million; $2.2 million win, up from $1.7 million)
BetRivers/French Lick Resort ($7.9 million handle, down from $8.4 million; $528,200 win, up from $476,284)
BetAmerica/Rising Star Casino ($2,129 handle; -$1,173 win)
Once again, the top retail sportsbooks were those closest to large out-of-state markets. The top retail sportsbook in Indiana continues to be Horseshoe Hammond, near Chicago. The market leader generated $13.4 million in December, up from $13 million in November. Those bets generated $1.1 million in gross receipts, up from $800,208. Horseshoe Hammond was followed by:
Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($8.9 million handle, up from $8.8 million in November; $824,235 win, down from $1.1 million)
Ameristar Casino ($8.3 million handle, up from $8 million in November; $928,211 win, up from $735,103)
Harrah’s Hoosier Park ($5.7 million handle, down from $7 million; $441,112 win, down from $557,764)
Indiana Grand ($4.6 million handle, up from $4.2 million; $208,275 win, up from $171,205)
Blue Chip Casino ($4.2 million handle, down from $4.5 million; $186,802 win, down from $310,955)
Tropicana Evansville ($2 million handle, even with November; $185,176 win, up from $174,841)
Caesars Southern Indiana ($1.6 million handle, up from $1.4 million; $170,884 win, down from $106,081)
French Lick Resort ($1.5 million handle, up from $1.2 million; $13,587 win, down from $45,357)
Belterra Casino ($948,810 handle, up from $920,344; $151,640 win, up from $92,233)
“Indiana’s strong start is unquestionably tied to the state’s relatively early launch of online sports betting,” Gouker said. “Online sports betting should make up an increasing share of the state’s handle, too. That will help steady Indiana’s sports betting industry, even as increasing competition from neighboring states affect retail sportsbooks, which is inevitable.”
For more revenue information on Indiana sportsbooks, visit PlayIndiana.com/revenue.
Bettor Capital leads the round as Xpoint accelerates product development and global deployment
Xpoint, a leading geolocation and compliance technology partner to the online real‑money gaming industry, today announced a fresh investment round led by existing investor Bettor Capital.
The capital will fast‑track Xpoint’s R&D roadmap and expand its product and engineering teams, accelerating delivery of next‑generation capabilities to operators worldwide.
Built for gaming from the ground up, Xpoint’s adaptable platform combines fast, accurate precision geofencing with advanced fraud detection to stop spoofing, block unauthorized wagers, and surface suspicious activity in real time, helping operators launch and scale confidently in online real-money gaming markets.
With flexible integration and rapid deployment tailored to sportsbook, iCasino, lottery, DFS, and sweepstakes use cases, Xpoint provides audit ready compliance automation across multi state and international markets. The platform also offers unique, patent-pending algorithms at jurisdictional borders to protect revenues and reduce player friction and drop off.
Xpoint’s recent momentum includes successful active and pending deployments with leading brands such as bet365 and PrizePicks in North America, with more to be announced soon. Xpoint is also live with clients in Brazil and the UAE, including the UAE Lottery and Play971, the first regulated online gaming and sports betting entity in the region.
“This new funding lands at the perfect time for our growth,” said Manu Gambhir, CEO of Xpoint. “We’re scaling up our teams to ship a wave of new capabilities that help operators defeat location spoofing, streamline compliance, and convert more good users—without compromising on precision, scale, or speed.”
“We are delighted to significantly increase our commitment to Xpoint to accelerate product development and deployment”, added David VanEgmond, Founder and Managing Partner at Bettor Capital, “In this industry, robust regulatory and compliance technology is absolutely essential, and Xpoint has proven to consistently deliver substantial value to a growing roster of real-money online gaming operators.”
New Jersey–based Bettor Capital is a venture capital firm specializing in early‑stage investments in technology companies within the real‑money online gaming ecosystem. Bettor Capital was among Xpoint’s first institutional backers and has increased its investment over time.
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Andrzej Hyla Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan
Wazdan strengthens US footprint with launch on Caesars Entertainment’s online casino platforms in West Virginia
Wazdan today announced it has strengthened its North American presence with a new launch in West Virginia across Caesars Entertainment’s marquee online casino platforms, including Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino.
Facilitated by the Light & Wonder aggregation platform, the collaboration sees Wazdan titles go live on Caesars’ online gaming platforms serving players across the Mountain State.
West Virginia players can now access a selection of Wazdan’s top-performing releases, including 9 Coins
Grand Gold Edition, Magic Spins and Hot Slot: 777 Crown, alongside the supplier’s signature engagement-boosting mechanics such as Cash Infinity, Hold the Jackpot and Sticky to Infinity, with each designed to elevate entertainment and deliver measurable growth for operators.
The latest expansion marks another key step for Wazdan in North America, following successful deployments across Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and earlier entries into West Virginia.
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “Launching with Caesars Entertainment in West Virginia is a fantastic achievement for our team and a pivotal moment in our US strategy.
“Caesars is one of the most recognisable names in gaming and bringing our top titles to their online casino brands, via Light & Wonder, allows us to further broaden our reach while delivering the innovative experiences players have come to expect from Wazdan.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Introducing Wazdan’s popular slot titles to our online casino players in West Virginia furthers our continued commitment to providing the best possible user experience.
“This addition expands our library of premium titles, which we look forward to offering across our online casino platforms in the Mountain State.”
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Partnership sees leading branded content and popular Jackpot Royale integrated into Delaware North’s Betly online casino in the Mountain State
White Hat Studios, the “House of Brands” provider to the United States iGaming market, has partnered with Delaware North to launch on its Betly mobile sportsbook and casino in West Virginia.
The leading provider aims to build its online casino offering with the addition of the industry’s top-performing games.
Betly players in West Virginia will now have access to White Hat Studios’ acclaimed portfolio of premium branded titles, including Ted, The Goonies, and the award-winning 7s Fire Blitz series.
Also included in the rollout are the popular Jackpot Royale and Jackpot Royale Express progressive jackpot networks, currently live across more than 40 titles, and the first Betly-branded iCasino game – Betly Player’s Choice Blackjack.
Designed to elevate player engagement and boost retention, the addition of these promotional tools adds another layer of excitement to the Betly casino offering.
White Hat Studios has made significant strides in its U.S. growth trajectory since launching in 2021, consistently delivering high-performing content across multiple states. West Virginia remains a key market for the provider, following its remarkable success in all seven regulated U.S. iGaming states.
The collaboration represents another major step in White Hat Studios’ expansion across regulated U.S. states and reinforces its reputation as a go-to content partner for forward-thinking operators.
Daniel Lechner, SVP Sales and Marketing at White Hat Studios, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Delaware North on the Betly online casino app in West Virginia.
“This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering top-tier content quickly and seamlessly to operators across the U.S. With our portfolio of fan-favorite branded titles and innovative features like Jackpot Royale, we’re confident we’ll make an immediate impact for Betly and its players.”
Bob Akeret, General Manager for Betly, added: “We’re excited to welcome White Hat Studios onto our Betly platform in West Virginia. Their reputation for delivering engaging, high-quality games, especially branded content, makes them an ideal partner as we continue to elevate our casino experience.”
The post White Hat Studios launches with Betly mobile sportsbook and casino in West Virginia appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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