Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – October 12-18

Published

5 years ago

October 20, 2020

Reading Time: 3 minutes

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

A new esports organisation named Equinox Esports has been launched in Oklahoma City. Equinox will own professional teams that span multiple video game titles including VALORANT, League of Legends and Super Smash Bros, among others. Equinox will produce unique in-house content in the form of podcasts, broadcasts, tournaments, video content and articles out of its newly-build 6000 square foot facility in north Oklahoma City.

In accordance with the directives from Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak and the Nevada Gaming Control Board, Caesars Entertainment has resumed gaming operations daily and hospitality operations for weekend stays at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino on October 8. The reopening was with great celebration.

Win Systems is achieving huge success with its latest GameStar development, the innovative collectable link feature Rising Link. The new game has been in some of the Mexican gaming venues for many weeks now and has captured the interest of players from the very beginning.

Little River Casino Resort in Manistee, Michigan has been named a possible coronavirus exposure site by the health officials. Anyone who visited the Casino between October 2 and October 4 is asked to self-monitor for COVID-19 symptoms for 14 days from the possible exposure date, according to a news release issued by the District Health Department No. 10, which covers 10 Northern Michigan counties including Manistee.

Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment has announced a major expansion project for its ilani Casino Resort. In partnership with the Cowlitz Tribe, Howard S. Wright, and Friedmutter Group, ilani will feature additions to its exterior and interior designs.

The PGA TOUR has announced that BetMGM will provide betting odds for all four rounds of THE CJ CUP @ SHADOW CREEK in Las Vegas, October 15-18 on the Golf Channel.

New Partnerships

InterDigital, a mobile and video technology research and development company, has announced that it will partner with global innovation and accelerator platform Plug and Play to serve as anchor member for the platform’s Media & Advertising programme. The partnership will also see InterDigital and Plug and Play work towards developing a new gaming vertical within the next year.

InterDigital has announced a new initiative with cloud-gaming specialist Blacknut to develop technologies that will enhance the performance of the existing gaming technology. The new collaboration will leverage InterDigital’s extensive technology expertise alongside Blacknut’s unique knowledge of cloud gaming services.

New Acquisition

Twin River Worldwide Holdings has purchased the iconic Bally’s brand from Caesars Entertainment Inc. Hedge-fund investor Soo Kim, co-founder of Standard General, which owns a 39% stake in Twin River, paid Caesars $20m for the purchase.

New Appointment

Rush Street Interactive has announced the appointment of Kyle Sauers as its new Chief Financial Officer, effective by October 23. He will be based in Chicago and report to Greg Carlin, RSI’s Chief Executive Officer. He will be responsible for all of the Company’s financial and treasury functions, as well as investor relations.

Compliance

Greek gambling regulator Hellenic Gaming Commission has selected Mohegan Gaming & Entertainment to develop the first integrated resort and casino in Greece. The winning bid from MGE, submitted in partnership with GEK TERNA, proposes a state-of-the-art development plan, INSPIRE Athens, that includes a luxury hotel, premier entertainment venues, convention centre, shopping, dining, casino and a comprehensive mix of premium amenities.

Michigan Gaming Control Board has granted a Provisional Internet Gaming Supplier License to Spin Games LLC. The license will enable Spin to deploy its proprietary and third-party i-Gaming content built upon the ROC Remote Gaming Server platform across Michigan’s licensed casino operator online sites once internet gaming goes live.

eInstants

Kansas Lottery Partners with IWG to Expand iLottery with Retail-Inspired eInstants

Published

4 hours ago

January 8, 2026

Wladimir P.

kansas-lottery-partners-with-iwg-to-expand-ilottery-with-retail-inspired-einstants

Kansas Lottery has officially selected Instant Win Gaming (IWG) as its primary partner for eInstant game content, marking a major expansion of the state’s digital lottery program. The agreement, announced on January 8, 2026, will see IWG supply its full portfolio of digital “scratch” games to Kansas players, building on the lottery’s successful iLottery launch in February 2025.

Strategic Milestone for Kansas iLottery

Kansas becomes the 33rd NASPL/WLA member lottery and the 9th in the U.S. to adopt IWG’s digital content. The partnership focuses on “digital transformation”—taking the mechanics players love from physical retail scratchers and reimagining them for the mobile screen.

Retail Synergy: IWG will develop games specifically inspired by Kansas’ top-performing retail tickets, ensuring familiarity for long-time players.
Constant Refresh: Using IWG’s InstantRGS (Remote Game Server), the Kansas Lottery will maintain a consistent roadmap of new titles to keep the digital lobby fresh.
Rapid Onboarding: IWG’s server is already integrated with the Pollard Catalyst platform, which powers the Kansas iLottery system, allowing for a seamless technical rollout.

The “Catalyst” for Growth

The Kansas Lottery’s iLottery program originally went live on February 13, 2025, achieving the record for the fastest full-featured implementation in U.S. history (just 10 months from scoping). By tapping IWG, the Lottery is shifting from its “Loyalty-First” phase into a high-growth “Content-First” phase.

“Their experience transforming retail scratch styles into successful digital formats made this partnership an easy decision,” said Stephen Durrell, Executive Director of the Kansas Lottery. “We’re excited for Kansas players to experience the depth and quality of IWG’s portfolio.”

Market Impact and Roadmap

Feature	Details
Partner	Instant Win Gaming (IWG)
Integration	Pollard Catalyst Cloud-Native Platform
Target Audience	235,000+ “PlayOn” Loyalty Members
Game Strategy	Retail-to-Digital “Scratcher” Mechanics
U.S. Context	9th U.S. State to deploy IWG eInstants

Jason Lisiecki, Executive Vice President at IWG, noted that the Kansas strategy aligns perfectly with IWG’s leadership in the North American space, focusing on scaling engagement through high-performing, proven mechanics.

The post Kansas Lottery Partners with IWG to Expand iLottery with Retail-Inspired eInstants appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

eInstants

Kansas Lottery Taps IWG to Deliver Retail-Inspired eInstants for Growing iLottery Program

Published

4 hours ago

January 8, 2026

GamingAmericas.com

kansas-lottery-taps-iwg-to-deliver-retail-inspired-einstants-for-growing-ilottery-program

Instant Win Gaming (IWG), a leading independent supplier of eInstant games to NASPL and WLA-member lotteries, has further expanded its North American footprint after being selected by the Kansas Lottery to supply a full portfolio of eInstant games as part of a new long-term agreement.

With this contract award, Kansas becomes the 33rd NASPL/WLA lottery to partner with IWG, and notably, the 9th U.S. lottery to deploy IWG’s digital content. As part of the partnership, IWG will deliver a consistent cadence of high-performing eInstants through its InstantRGS (remote game server). A key focus of the roadmap will be reimagining classic retail scratcher mechanics as digital-first experiences—an area where IWG’s deep creative bench and dedicated development team are uniquely positioned to execute at scale.

IWG’s InstantRGS is already fully integrated with the Pollard Catalyst

platform, an effort completed in just a few weeks thanks to Catalyst’s modern, cloud-native architecture and the strong collaboration between both teams. This existing integration ensures a smooth, low-friction technical onboarding for the Kansas Lottery.

Kansas Lottery launched its iLottery program in early 2025, and this agreement marks a pivotal next step in expanding its digital games offering with high-quality third-party content.

“This is another important milestone for IWG as we continue to support the growth of iLottery programs across North America,” said Jason Lisiecki, Executive Vice President, IWG. “Kansas Lottery’s strategic focus on bringing proven scratch mechanics into the digital channel aligns perfectly with our leadership in this space. We look forward to delivering a steady stream of compelling eInstants tailored to Kansas players, and to helping the Lottery scale engagement in the months ahead.”

Stephen Durrell, Executive Director, Kansas Lottery, added: “As we evaluated partners for our long-term eInstant strategy, IWG stood out for their willingness to embrace our specific game requirements and their ability to consistently deliver highly engaging content within the boundaries we set. Their experience transforming retail scratch styles into successful digital formats made this partnership an easy decision. We’re excited for Kansas players to experience the depth and quality of IWG’s portfolio.”

The post Kansas Lottery Taps IWG to Deliver Retail-Inspired eInstants for Growing iLottery Program appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

Arizona Department of Gaming

Arizona Sports Betting Hits New Record: $967 Million Wagered in October 2025

Published

16 hours ago

January 7, 2026

Wladimir P.

arizona-sports-betting-hits-new-record:-$967-million-wagered-in-october-2025

The Arizona Department of Gaming (ADG) has released its sports betting report for October 2025, revealing a record-breaking month for the Grand Canyon State. Total wagers reached approximately $967.1 million, marking a significant 22.2% increase year-over-year and a 13.6% jump from September 2025.

This performance solidified Arizona’s position as a top-tier U.S. betting market, ranking 6th nationally in total handle for the month, just behind Pennsylvania.

October 2025 Performance Breakdown

The surge in betting activity was driven almost entirely by mobile operators, which accounted for 99.4% of the total handle.

Total Handle: $967,141,269 (New State Record)
Mobile Wagers: $961.4 Million
Retail Wagers: $5.7 Million
Gross Revenue: $82.0 Million (Before promotional deductions)
Privilege Fees (Taxes): $5.2 Million collected by the state.

Top Operators by Market Share

The “Big Three” continue to dominate the Arizona landscape, with FanDuel and DraftKings locked in a tight battle for the top spot.

Operator	October Handle	Mobile Handle	Adjusted Revenue
FanDuel	$317.1 Million	$317.1 Million	$13.4 Million
DraftKings	$297.8 Million	$293.7 Million	$22.7 Million
BetMGM	$102.9 Million	$102.0 Million	$5.0 Million
Fanatics	$88.2 Million	$88.2 Million	$4.8 Million
bet365	$55.0 Million	$55.0 Million	—

Note: While FanDuel led in total amount wagered (handle), DraftKings reported the highest adjusted revenue for the month at $22.7 million.

Fiscal Year-to-Date (FY26) Summary

Through the first four months of the 2026 fiscal year (July–October), Arizona has generated substantial revenue for state funds:

Total Privilege Fees: $20.7 Million
Event Wagering Fees: $20.2 Million
Fantasy Sports Fees: $462,576

The ADG also noted its continued focus on player protection, recently launching the “Too Young to Bet AZ” initiative to combat underage gambling and revoking Underdog Fantasy’s license due to concerns over its prediction market offerings.

The post Arizona Sports Betting Hits New Record: $967 Million Wagered in October 2025 appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.