Gambling in the USA
Indiana Sportsbooks Launch New Year With Record January
Spurred by basketball, bettors pour more than $170 million in bets into Indiana’s online and retail sportsbooks, according to PlayIndiana.com analysts
Indiana retail and online sportsbooks capitalized on basketball to post a record January and continue to firm up the state’s position as the nation’s fourth-largest legal sports betting market. And with the state enjoying its role as the sports betting capital of the Midwest and new online sportsbooks opening in time for the close to the college basketball season, Indiana could begin to put heat on Pennsylvania to become the nation’s third-largest, according to analysts from PlayIndiana.com.
“Indiana has built an impressive infrastructure that continues to maximize the market’s potential,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “That should help keep the state a step ahead of its competition as neighboring states, such as Michigan, prepare for their own launches.”
Indiana’s $170.8 million handle in January was up 9.5% from the then-record $161.8 million in December, according to official reporting released Monday. Adjusted gross revenue from those bets was $12.9 million, up 9.3% from $12 million. That yielded $1.2 million in tax revenue for the state.
Interest in basketball was a catalyst in January, which also featured the NFL Playoffs and college football’s national championship game. Basketball boomed with $59.8 million in bets or 35% of the state’s handle. Football drew $36.7 million.
Online sportsbooks generated $123.4 million in bets in January. Online betting represented 72.2% of January’s handle, up from 69.5% in December. And more growth should come. PointsBet, BetIndiana, and BetMGM are all set for a February launch, bringing Indiana’s number of approved online sportsbook licensees to seven.
Indiana’s embrace of online betting, its near-monopoly of the Midwest, and close proximity to major out-of-state markets such as Chicago, have helped Indiana quickly position itself as the fourth-largest legal sports betting market in the U.S. While still well behind No. 3 Pennsylvania — a much larger state by the population that launched sports betting nearly one year ahead of Indiana — the Hoosier State is well-positioned for more short-term growth.
“Indiana has been remarkably progressive in the way it has managed its sports betting industry, rivaling New Jersey as the most forward-thinking legal jurisdiction,” Gouker said. “Early adoption of online betting, which has been atypical among states with legal sports betting, has been an enormous boost. And innovations such as allowing prop bets for the Super Bowl and opening the door to Oscars betting show Indiana is willing to take risks in opening new markets, which will serve the state well.”
The newcomers have a long way to catch market leader DraftKings, which operates under Ameristar Casino’s license. DraftKings posted a $66 million handle in January, down slightly from $66.7 million in December. That generated $4.6 million in gross receipts, down from $5 million. But FanDuel/Blue Chip Casino inched closer with a $49.5 million handle in January, up from $36 million. That resulted in a $1.9 million win, down from $2.2 million.
The market leaders were followed by:
- BetRivers/French Lick Resort ($7.8 million handle, down from $7.9 million; $590,178 win, down from $528,200)
- BetAmerica/Rising Star Casino ($89,622 handle, up from $2,129; $1,854 win, up from -$1,173)
Horseshoe Hammond’s proximity to Chicago continued to be a winner, leading the retail market with a $13.7 million January handle, up from $13.4 million in December. Those bets generated $1.8 million in gross receipts, up from $1.1 million. Horseshoe Hammond was followed by:
- Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($7.8 million handle in January, down from $8.9 million; $578,993 win, down from $824,235)
- Ameristar Casino ($7 million handle, down from $8.3 million; $1.4 million win, up from $928,211)
- Harrah’s Hoosier Park ($5.4 million handle, down from $5.7 million; $321,785 win, down from $441,112)
- Indiana Grand ($5 million handle, up from $4.6 million; $365,318 win, up from $208,275)
- Blue Chip Casino ($2.7 million handle, down from $4.2 million; $$279,868 win, up from $186,802)
- Tropicana Evansville ($2 million handle, even with December; $210,974 win, up from $185,176)
- Caesars Southern Indiana ($2.4 million handle, up from $1.6 million; $143,966 win, down from $170,884)
- French Lick Resort ($533,634 handle, down from $1.5 million; $14,132 win, up from $13,587)
- Belterra Casino ($934,724 handle, down from $948,810; $8,077 win, down from $151,640)
“Proximity to Chicago is still a critical advantage in the retail market, but that could change when Illinois launches retail betting, which could happen as early as March,” Gouker said. “FanDuel has made progress in the online market, but it can’t quite overcome DraftKings’ head start. But with new operators coming, the online market could be shaken up, too.”
For more revenue information on Indiana sportsbooks, visit PlayIndiana.com/revenue.
Pennsylvania Skill, powered by Pace-O-Matic (POM), applauded the April revenue reports that show the gaming industry in the state made more than $504 million for the third time since April of last year. Pennsylvania gaming grossed nearly $1.7 billion in commercial revenue in just the first three months of 2024, second only to the casino capital of the United States, Nevada.
The funding comes from slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals (VGTs).
As the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) celebrates yet another big financial month, however, casinos continue to falsely claim their revenue is impacted by skill games.
“We want to know what the revenue number is that casinos need to hit, or the next record they need to break before they stop claiming skill games are competition,” said Mike Barley, chief public affairs officer for POM. “Every month, we read about their incredible revenue gains, and then the casino industry turns around and claims they are losing money because of skill games. Their arguments don’t pass the smell test.”
Instead of battling skill games, Barley said casinos should support legislation sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Danilo Burgos that will regulate and tax skill games. There is bipartisan backing for the legislation that will place guardrails around skill game operations and provide as much as $250 million in skill game state tax revenue in just the first year. Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to see skill game tax revenue as part of his 2024-25 state budget.
Given the casino industry revenue gains so far this year, it is hard to understand why they are crying wolf. “It’s difficult to see how skill games are causing hardship for a billion-dollar industry,” Barley said, adding that there is room for both gambling and skill games in the Commonwealth. Since skill games entered the marketplace, gambling revenue has increased and broken records.
Several courts have ruled Pennsylvania Skill games are legal, including a unanimous Commonwealth Court last year. In addition to providing supplemental income to small businesses, many Pennsylvania Skill games are manufactured in Williamsport, and over 90 percent of the income they generate stays within the local economy and the state.
The baseless accusations, Barley explained, are an assault on small businesses, veterans groups, volunteer fire companies and other fraternal clubs across the state that count on legal skill games to make ends meet. Small business owners with skill games in their establishments are saying the revenue has saved their businesses.
Many of these locations rely on income from skill games to offer competitive wages and benefits to their employees, who are often heads of households supporting their families. This is what struggling families need right now, not another roadblock, Barley explained.
The proposed legislation limits the number of skill games per establishment to no more than five in LCB and lottery-licensed locations and up to ten at fraternal clubs.
Skill game distributors, operators and locations will be licensed and regulated through the Department of Revenue. The Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control & Enforcement and local law enforcement in counties of the first class would be responsible for policing the skill game industry, helping to crack down on illegal games encroaching on communities across the Commonwealth.
“Backing this legislation means speaking up for the little guy – volunteer fire companies, VFW posts, mom-and-pop shops, fraternal clubs, small businesses and their employees. I believe Pennsylvanians can sleep comfortably knowing that the big internationally owned casinos will continue to survive on their record profits.” Barley said.
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
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Pragmatic Play is set to participate in CGS Santiago this month, as the provider seeks further inroads across the continent. The provider is also the standalone Diamond Sponsor at the event, which takes place at Espacio Riesco in the country’s capital, Santiago, on May 29 and 30.
Circa Sports has expanded its operations into Kentucky with the launch of its popular mobile betting app. Debuting via a licensing agreement with ECL Corbin LLC at its Cumberland Run harness track, the brand will take the highest betting limits in the industry along with offering tight money line splits, transparent odds, exceptional customer service and more.
Partnerships
Motorsport Games Inc. announced the launch of RaceControl.gg, a new dedicated platform designed to enhance player engagement with the latest news, updates, tips and tricks its most recent game, Le Mans Ultimate. As part of this exciting initiative, Motorsport Games has partnered with Coach Dave Academy to manage the content and development of RaceControl.gg. Under this partnership, Coach Dave Academy (CDA), renowned for their expertise in creating car setups in racing simulations, will curate and manage the content on RaceControl.gg, ensuring fans and players have access to the most relevant and useful information.
NetBet has announced that it will expand NetBet Mexico’s library of games with the addition of IGT PlayDigital titles. While there will be many exciting games from IGT PlayDigital that will be made available for NetBet Mexico customers, the library of new titles will be led by omnichannel player-favourite IGT PlayDigital games such as Cleopatra, DaVinci Diamonds and Golden Goddess.
Brazilian football club Vasco da Gama and Betfair, one of the largest online sports betting companies in the world, announced the biggest sponsorship agreement in the club’s history. The contract is valid until December 31, 2025, with the possibility of renewal for two more seasons. The company’s brand will be displayed in the men’s team’s master property, and includes the inclusion of Betfair on the shoulder blade of the women’s team’s shirts, in addition to exclusive official digital content from Legítimo Clube do Povo.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 13-19 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The three Detroit casinos reported $109.44 million in monthly aggregate revenue (AGR) for the month of April 2024, of which $107.87 million was generated from table games and slots, and $1.57 million from retail sports betting.
The April market shares were:
- MGM, 46%
- MotorCity, 30%
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 24%
Monthly Table Games, Slot Revenue, and Taxes
The casinos’ revenue for table games and slots for the month of April 2024 decreased 1.6% when compared to the same month last year. April’s monthly revenue was 11.8% lower when compared to the previous month, March 2024. From Jan. 1 through April 30, the Detroit casinos’ table games and slots revenue decreased by 1.6% compared to the same period last year.
The casinos’ monthly gaming revenue results were mixed compared to April of last year:
- MGM, down 0.7% to $49.86 million
- MotorCity, down 4.5% to $32.68 million
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown, up 0.6% to $25.33 million
In April 2024, the three Detroit casinos paid $8.74 million in gaming taxes to the State of Michigan. They paid $8.88 million for the same month last year. The casinos also reported submitting $12.8 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit in April.
Monthly Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes
The three Detroit casinos reported $15.28 million in total retail sports betting handle, and total gross receipts were $1.57 million for the month of April. Retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) were up by $1.5 million in April when compared to the same month last year. Compared to March 2024, April QAGR was down by 1.7%.
April QAGR by casino was:
- MGM: $475,492
- MotorCity: $516,812
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $578,131
During April, the casinos paid $59,362 in gaming taxes to the state and reported submitting $72,554 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on their retail sports betting revenue.
Fantasy Contests
For March 2024, fantasy contest operators reported total adjusted revenues of $494,162 and paid taxes of $41,510.
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