Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 18-24
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. Last week, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris sworn in as the new President and Vice President of the US.
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 poker site Americas Cardroom is heating up winter with the next installment of its OSS Cub3d tournament series. The tournament series will kick off on February 7 and lasts for 5 weeks. There is $13 million in total guarantees, including two $1 million tourneys, a $500,000 tourney and a special Valentine’s Day $300,000 PKO event.
Cher-Ae Heights Casino has installed Konami Gaming’s SYNKROS casino management system. Konami’s award-winning casino management system brings a strong mix of marketing solutions to engage guests at Cher-Ae Heights Casino—including floor-wide bonusing events, random drawings, personalised rewards, offers and more.
Online sports betting and casino games have started in Michigan on January 22. Nine casinos and their operators, including the three commercial casinos in Detroit, got approval to start taking bets. Additional operator and platform provider licenses are expected to be approved in the coming weeks.
In Illinois, anyone who makes over $600 in sports bets will now need to report their winnings to the state. These earnings will be taxed at 15%. Nicholas Royer, a financial advisor of MRFC, said sports betting is a business for some people and the state saw it as an opportunity to earn from it as well.
The deputy secretary of prizes and draws at the Brazilian Ministry of Economy’s Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy and Lottery (Secap-ME) has given some hope that sports betting regulation could arrive this year. According to Waldir Eustáquio Marques Jr, regulation of the sector could be forthcoming in July.
Partnerships
Sirplay and Oddin have entered into a partnership to deliver an engaging esports betting solution to multiple bookmakers with a focus on Latin America. Sirplay is a sports betting software expert specialised in developing markets. By integrating Oddin’s iFrame solution, they will now be able to deliver their Latin American clients a truly engaging esports experience.
Passport Technology Inc. and Automated Systems America Inc. have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals. The transaction creates the premier payments technology company in the largest and most attractive gaming financial technology markets worldwide.
Online gambling firm 888 Holdings has announced that it has agreed to a multi-year extension of its exclusive B2B poker partnership with Caesars Interactive Entertainment. Through the partnership, 888 will continue to provide its turnkey poker platform and services to Caesars in the US including bringing the WSOP’s online poker rooms to players’ mobiles and desktops.
Appointment
Bragg Gaming Group has appointed Canadian publishing magnate and former Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp Chair Paul Godfrey to its Board of Directors. Godfrey’s experience in the Canadian gaming industry will prove valuable as the Canadian government moves forward with their recently announced proposed federal legalisation of single-event sports betting.
Compliance
A bill that would legalise sports betting in Georgia has been introduced to the state’s House of Representatives. House Bill 86, also known as the Georgia Lottery Mobile Sports Wagering Integrity Act, would amend Chapter 27 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia by adding a section on sports betting.
Lawmakers in New Mexico have filed a bill that would bring retail and online sportsbooks to its racetracks. House Bill 101 would convert the state’s racinos into fully functioning casinos, but without electronic and online table games. At present, New Mexico has five racetracks, all of which have casinos attached but with a limited selection of slot machines and video games.
Powered by WPeMatico
Compliance Updates
Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence
Incentive Games has been granted an interim gaming licence in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, effective immediately. The approval allows the B2B supplier to offer its real-money gaming products to licensed operators in the state.
The Pennsylvania approval follows Incentive Games’ licensing in Michigan in 2025, as the company continues to expand across regulated North American markets.
Incentive Games said the Pennsylvania licence gives it access to one of the most established and competitive US iGaming markets, where compliance and player protection requirements are tightly enforced.
Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games, said, “Being granted an interim licence in Pennsylvania is a huge achievement for our business and a strong endorsement of our regulatory approach. It strengthens our position in North America and supports our ambition to grow through trusted partnerships in regulated markets. We look forward to working with operators in Pennsylvania to deliver high-quality real-money gaming experiences to their players.”
The post Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Detroit casinos
Detroit Casinos Report $118.87M in April Revenue
Detroit’s three commercial casinos reported $118.87 million in aggregate revenue (AGR) for April 2026. Table games and slots generated $118.03 million, while retail sports betting produced $837,397 in qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR).
April market shares were:
• MGM, 49%
• MotorCity, 29%
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 22%
Table Games and Slot Revenue
April 2026 table games and slot revenue increased 7.8% compared with April 2025 and 5.8% from March 2026. For the period January 1 through April 30, revenue was up by 1.4% year-over-year.
Casino-level results compared with April 2025 were:
• MGM: up 14.3% to $58.42 million
• MotorCity: up 3.2% to $34.13 million
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: up 0.8% to $25.48 million
The casinos paid $9.6 million in state gaming taxes in April, compared with $8.9 million in April 2025. They also reported submitting $14.0 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit.
Retail Sports Betting Revenue
Detroit casinos reported $8.74 million in total retail sports betting handle for April. Total gross receipts were $868,546. QAGR increased by $520,859 from April 2025 and 3.3% from March 2026.
April QAGR by casino:
• MGM: $78,681
• MotorCity: $234,997
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $523,719
The casinos paid $31,654 in state taxes and submitted $38,688 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on April retail sports betting activity.
Fantasy Contests
For March 2026, fantasy contest operators reported $448,069 in adjusted revenues and paid $37,638 in taxes.
The post Detroit Casinos Report $118.87M in April Revenue appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
AGS
AGS hires three executives to expand slot sales strategy team
AGS has appointed three gaming executives to expand its commercial slot sales strategy and operations team. John McColl joins as Senior Director of Slot Sales Strategy, Mark Morton as Vice President of Slot Sales Strategy, and Loren Rosenberg as Vice President of Commercial Slot Strategy & Operations.
“These hires represent a significant step forward in building a best-in-class commercial organization,” said Jackosn Floyd, Vice President of Slots at AGS. “John, Mark, and Loren have each demonstrated an ability to translate strategy into measurable results, and their leadership will help the team sharpen our focus on performance, efficiency, and delivering greater value across our slot portfolio.”
McColl will lead sales strategy and commercial opportunity, with a focus on expanding market share and driving revenue growth. AGS said he will build a data-driven approach to mapping the company’s total addressable market (TAM) to identify new opportunities. McColl has more than 30 years of experience across casino operations, gaming technology, and enterprise B2B sales, including roles at Gaming Analytics, Scientific Games / Bally Technologies, and Harrah’s Entertainment.
Morton will focus on customer synergy and strategic alignment, streamlining internal sales processes, and expanding enterprise sales opportunities, according to the company. He previously served as Senior Vice President at Marker Trax and Koin, where AGS said he led commercial strategy, pricing, and enterprise contract execution with operators including Boyd Gaming, Golden Entertainment, and Penn National.
Rosenberg will oversee commercial strategy and operations, with responsibility for maximizing value across AGS’ product portfolio and supporting commercial expansion. He brings nearly 20 years of experience across product, commercial and enterprise strategy roles, including senior leadership positions at Aristocrat and Everi. Rosenberg began his career at WMS, later acquired by Scientific Games, and has held roles across operations, strategy and commercial functions.
The post AGS hires three executives to expand slot sales strategy team appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
-
Apple7 days agoIBJR hails App Store approval as a milestone in the fight against illegal betting in Brazil
-
Brazil7 days agoEsportes da Sorte campaign celebrates fans’ resilience in support of Brazil
-
apuestas deportivas7 days ago¿Por qué Pix es central en la lucha contra el mercado ilegal de apuestas?
-
Black Label7 days agoPragmatic Play signs Latam Agreement with Black Label
-
AI6 days agoMGA Launches Consultation on AI Gaming Charter
-
Brasil7 days agoNo próximo ciclo do iGaming regulado, contexto será tão importante quanto tecnologia”
-
Brazil6 days agoIBJR: Crackdown on Illegal Betting Critical to Success of Desenrola 2.0
-
Latest News4 days agoStake releases Zoo casino game: a fast, multiplayer Stake Original where players bet on the wild side



