Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 11-17
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! It was again an eventful week in the USA, despite the still-active virus attack.
Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news, new partnerships and new appointments. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Online casino content provider Pragmatic Play has expanded its presence in Latin America through the launch of its slots and live casino products with Boldt’s Bplay brands in Argentina and Paraguay. Players registered at Bplay.com.ar and Bplay.com.py, are now able to enjoy leading slot titles such as Wolf Gold and Sweet Bonanza, as well as all Live Casino offering including its latest Game Show release – Mega Wheel.
Boyd Gaming Corporation has announced that it awarded more than $145,000 to non-profit organisations across the country in the Company’s annual holiday competition “Wreaths of Hope.” More than 135 non-profit organisations participated in the 2020 competition, decorating wreaths that were displayed online and at Boyd Gaming properties nationwide. Winners were decided directly by Boyd Gaming customers, who were invited to vote for their favourite charities online and in-person at select participating properties.
Partnerships
Shift4 Payments and Sightline Payments have entered into a strategic partnership to power online gaming and sports betting for casinos and sports venues. This partnership between the two leading fintech companies will deliver a seamless payment experience for patrons of hospitality, online/mobile gaming, on-premise gaming and sports betting venues. Sightline’s online/mobile gaming and betting solutions complement Shift4’s end-to-end payments offering to deliver an all-inclusive payment ecosystem for casinos, sports venues and other hospitality businesses.
BetRivers.com has entered into an exclusive content deal with former NBA coach George Karl. The new partnership makes George Karl an exclusive sports betting endorser of the BetRivers brand. Coach Karl will serve as the company’s brand ambassador and spokesperson and will be engaged in great upcoming promotions and events on BetRivers platforms.
Global esports organisation Gen.G has partnered with McDonald’s Southern California franchisees to organise a series of esports initiatives focused around Los Angeles, San Diego and Palm Springs. Specific events will include a multi-week play-in tournament for employees only and a three-day NBA 2K21 All-Star tournament to determine the best young players in Southern California.
Scientific Games Corporation has extended its existing seven-year instant games and hybrid lottery games contracts with Loto-Québec through 31 January 2022. Scientific Games is a trusted supplier to Loto-Québec for more than five decades, recently celebrating the Lottery’s 50th Anniversary and employing generations of workers from the east Montreal area of Québec. Scientific Games, creates and produces games for Loto-Québec and four Canadian provincial lotteries from its Montreal, Quebec manufacturing facility.
Appointment
Gaming and Leisure Properties Inc. has promoted Steven Ladany to the role of senior vice president and chief development officer. In his new role, Steven will lead the Company’s ongoing merger, acquisition and development efforts. Steven joined GLPI in September 2014 as Vice President, Finance and served in that role until March 2019, when he was promoted to Senior Vice President, Finance.
Compliance
Churchill Downs has secured approval for sports betting in Tennessee. Churchill Downs drew approval from the Tennessee Lottery’s Sports Wagering Committee, joining FanDuel, BetMGM, DraftKings and Tennessee Action 24/7. Churchill Downs’ sportsbook, BetAmerica, is rebranding as TwinSpires. BetAmerica is live in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Indiana.
Australian operator PlayUp has expanded its footprint across the US by acquiring a sports betting license in New Jersey. This is the second market access agreement that PlayUp has announced after the recent acquisition of their Colorado license. To gain the license, PlayUp entered into a multi-year deal with FR Park Racing (FRP) which is the sports wagering certificate holder and operator of the Freehold Racetrack. FRP is owned by Pennwood Racing, and the ultimate 50/50 partners of Pennwood are Greenwood Racing, Penn National Gaming, and Parx Casino.
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Gambling in the USA
IGT Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Wheel of Fortune Slots
IGT, a global gaming leader, announced the 30th anniversary of the wildly popular Wheel of Fortune Slots game. Famous for awarding players $1 million-plus life-changing jackpots and the familiar “WHEEL-OF-FORTUNE!” chant that can be heard across a casino floor, Wheel of Fortune Slots is credited for changing the casino experience as the gaming industry’s first licensed slots game.
To recognize this monumental milestone, IGT kicked off a multi-month celebration that includes new product launches, coast-to-coast in-casino celebrations, contests run via Instagram and Facebook, slots influencer collaborations, a new creative campaign, a week of integrations to be featured on “Wheel of Fortune,” and more.
“For three decades, IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Slots have captivated slots players around the world and earned a reputation for delivering world-class entertainment combined with huge jackpots in casinos and online. Through our relationship with Sony Pictures Television and Carnival Cruise Line, IGT created a robust campaign for 2026 that honors the legacy of Wheel of Fortune Slots, while rewarding players and delivering value to our customers worldwide,” said Hector Fernandez, Incoming CEO of IGT.
A highly anticipated element of the campaign is IGT’s “Spin and Sail Cruise”. Presented in partnership with Carnival Cruise Line, IGT’s Spin and Sail Cruise empowers select casinos across the US to reward players with eight-day cruises aboard the Carnival Jubilee, where travelers will compete in a slot tournament with a $1 million prize pool. Players also have the chance to win a seat aboard the November Spin and Sail Cruise via contests run on the IGT Jackpots Facebook and IGT Gaming North America Instagram pages.
“Our longstanding relationship with IGT has been a remarkable success, and we’re thrilled to continue building on that momentum as we celebrate the 30th anniversary of IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Slots. Much like our Wheel of Fortune game show, IGT’s Wheel of Fortune Slots is a category leader that resonates with a wide audience, and we value IGT’s enduring commitment to the franchise,” said Suzanne Prete, President of Game Shows at Sony Pictures Television.
IGT licenses the exclusive rights to the legendary Wheel of Fortune brand across gaming, lottery, iGaming and iLottery, and non-exclusive rights to distribute Wheel of Fortune content for free-to-play social casinos, from Sony Pictures Television, which owns and produces the long-running television program.
The post IGT Celebrates 30th Anniversary of Wheel of Fortune Slots appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
betting app engagement
Inside NFL Stadiums: How Fans Are Driving Record Sports Betting Engagement During Live Games
During the latest NFL season, one of the most valuable arenas for sports betting engagement wasn’t online or at home—it was inside the stadium itself. Using insights from GeoComply Edge
Stadium Data, analysts examined how fans interacted with betting apps while attending live NFL games, revealing a powerful convergence of fandom, technology, and real-time wagering.
From the season opener at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia to the final Wildcard Weekend matchup at Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh on January 12, GeoComply analyzed in-stadium activity across every NFL venue located in US states with legal sports betting. The findings provide a clear, data-driven picture of how live attendance influences digital betting behavior.
The result is a uniquely detailed view into in-stadium engagement, customer acquisition, and long-term bettor value, offering operators critical insight into where and when fans are most likely to engage.
GeoComply Edge Stadium Data: Visibility Others Don’t Have
GeoComply Edge is purpose-built to measure fan acquisition and betting engagement within precise stadium-level geofences. This advanced location intelligence allows sportsbooks and operators to identify which teams, games, and venues generate the strongest engagement, turning live events into actionable growth opportunities.
Rather than tracking generic app usage, GeoComply Edge delivers insights into:
- Which NFL games drive the highest in-stadium betting activity
- How frequently fans check betting apps during live action
- Where new sportsbook accounts are created inside stadiums
- How engagement varies by venue, team performance, and market maturity
This season-long data view highlights how in-person fandom directly translates into digital wagering behavior, offering a deeper understanding of the customer journey.
Growth Leaders: Stadiums Where Betting Engagement Is Accelerating
Five NFL stadiums stood out for year-over-year growth in geolocation checks and active betting accounts—two strong indicators of in-stadium betting engagement.
In many cases, increased engagement closely followed on-field success. Teams such as the Denver Broncos, Pittsburgh Steelers, New England Patriots, and Carolina Panthers returned to playoff contention after turnaround seasons, reigniting fan excitement and digital interaction.
The Las Vegas Raiders emerged as a notable outlier. Allegiant Stadium continues to function as a destination venue, attracting traveling fans from across the country and creating a uniquely strong in-stadium betting environment, independent of team performance.
Engagement Rate Leaders: Quality Over Volume
While total geolocation volume remains important, the most telling metric this season was engagement rate—the percentage of fans inside the stadium actively using betting apps during games.
Top-performing venues recorded 10% to 13% engagement, meaning nearly one in every eight fans accessed a sports betting app at least once while attending a live NFL game. This highlights the growing normalization of in-game wagering as part of the live sports experience.
New User Acquisition: Stadiums as Sportsbook Growth Engines
One of the most compelling insights from GeoComply Edge data is the consistent creation of brand-new betting customers inside NFL stadiums.
Leading venues generated new sportsbook sign-ups at rates between 0.2% and 0.7% of total attendance per game. For a typical 65,000-seat stadium, that translates to 130 to 450 new accounts per game.
GEHA Field, home of the Kansas City Chiefs, led all venues in new customer creation, benefiting from Missouri’s launch of mobile sports betting on December 1, 2025, during the Chiefs’ final three home games.
Reducing Friction with Compliant Onboarding
GeoComply supports operators at every stage of the customer journey. Through IDComply®, the company enables a fully compliant KYC process that delivers 95%+ onboarding success rates, while GeoComply Edge pinpoints where and when these high-value acquisition moments occur.
This dual approach allows sportsbooks to engage fans in a way that is timely, targeted, and non-intrusive, enhancing both compliance and customer experience.
Doing More With “Where” at Live Sporting Events
NFL stadiums have evolved into digital engagement hubs, where live entertainment, mobile technology, and sports betting intersect in real time.
GeoComply Edge Stadium Data brings clarity to this intersection by providing:
- Actionable insights into in-stadium betting behavior
- Clear visibility into acquisition and engagement trends
- A season-long perspective beyond single-game analysis
As the NFL continues to grow and fan experiences become increasingly digital, one conclusion is unmistakable: the future of sports betting is already unfolding inside the stadium.
The post Inside NFL Stadiums: How Fans Are Driving Record Sports Betting Engagement During Live Games appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Gambling in the USA
The Plaza Hotel & Casino brings back the only All-Inclusive Hotel Room Package in Las Vegas this summer
Given its popularity for the past two summers, the Plaza Hotel & Casino is again offering Las Vegas’ only all-inclusive hotel room package starting at $104 per person per night for stays this summer.
The Plaza was the first Las Vegas property to introduce an all-inclusive hotel room package in the summer of 2024. It was so well received by guests that the iconic downtown Las Vegas property has offered it every summer since.
“We always want our guests to have a great time and feel that they are getting the best value for their vacation dollars,” said Jonathan Jossel, CEO of the Plaza Hotel & Casino. “Our all-inclusive hotel package has been created based on our guests’ feedback and offers waived resort fees, meals, bottomless drinks, and other perks to ensure they have a memorable experience.”
The Plaza’ all-inclusive hotel room package waives all resort fees, but guests still can enjoy free access to the fitness center, self-parking, and rooftop pool. The package also includes free early check-in, free bottled water, bottomless drinks from the Omaha Bar and Sports Book Bar on the casino floor, and breakfast and dinner from various dining outlets. Guests also receive a 25% discount on cocktails at the rooftop pool, because there is no better way to enjoy a summer vacation than sipping a chilled beverage poolside.
The Plaza’s all-inclusive hotel room package is available for booking online for stays June 1 through August 31 at plazahotelcasino.com/las-vegas-all-inclusive-room-package/.
The post The Plaza Hotel & Casino brings back the only All-Inclusive Hotel Room Package in Las Vegas this summer appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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