Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – February 8-14

Published

5 years ago

February 16, 2021

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 and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

The Argentine game and platform developer Vibra Gaming has announced that it has received the approval of its RNG by Gaming Laboratories International. This certification is a vital step for Vibra Gaming’s games to be made available for distribution by operators and in jurisdictions requiring this level of technical standards and compliance.

American poker legend Chris Moneymaker has signed with online poker site Americas Cardroom. The new ACR Team Pro made the announcement during the live stream of the $8 Million Venom, which saw its prize pool reach $9,435,000. The Venom is the biggest online poker tournament for U.S. players and consistently smashes records with each incarnation.

Detroit’s three casinos, MGM Grand Detroit, MotorCity Casino and Greektown Casino, have reported $90.84 million in monthly aggregate revenue in January, the first full month the venues were open since shuttering in November under state orders tied to the Covid-19 pandemic. According to a report released by the Michigan Gaming Control Board, table games and slots collectively generated $86.78 million in revenue last month. Retail sports betting generated a total of $4.06 million in revenue.

Pollard Banknote Limited has announced that Ms.PAC-MAN, the iconic pop-culture powerhouse, has re-joined its portfolio of licensed properties. Under license from BANDAI NAMCO Entertainment America Inc., Ms.PAC-MAN fits seamlessly into Pollard Banknote’s Retro Collection – an ever-growing and diversified selection of recognisable retro brands including PAC-MAN, GALAGA and DIG DUG.

INTRALOT has announced that it has reached a binding agreement with Nexus Group in Peru to sell its entire stake of 20% in Intralot de Peru SA, an associate of INTRALOT Group, for a cash consideration of US$21million. The Company also signed a three-year extension of its current contract with Intralot de Peru SA through 2024, to continue to provide its gaming technology and support services.

Connecticut Lawmakers are planning to legalise online gambling to help fund the state’s Pledge to Advance Connecticut (PACT) programme. A group of Democratic legislators unveiled plans to legalise additional forms of gambling. The new tax revenue that it would derive should be allocated to the state’s PACT programme, they say.

Plans for a casino in Hawaii are not moving forward after a recent proposal was rejected by lawmakers. The members of the House Economic Development Committee voted to reject a proposal to bring a casino to Kapolei. The plans were submitted by the Department of Hawaiian Home Lands (DHHL) and would have created a gambling venue to support the state agency in charge of placing Native Hawaiians on homestead property.

Bud Smith, former chairman of the British Colombia Lottery Corporation, has told a public inquiry that he warned cabinet ministers about the risks of high-end gaming. Smith told the inquiry into money laundering that he had warned finance minister Mike de Jong and New Democrat Attorney General David Eby about the risks of gaming where bet limits reached $100,000 or over.

Partnership

The Canadian Gaming Association has entered into a partnership with the iGaming Academy to launch a full online training solution, including up-to-date compliance and skills training courses and a robust Learning Management System (LMS), all specialised for the gaming industry. This new partnership will ensure that the gaming companies in Canada are able to easily access high quality, regulator-approved training content year-round.

WynnBET, the online gaming division of Wynn Resorts, has announced a marketing collaboration with the Memphis Grizzlies. The announcement comes less than two weeks after WynnBET was approved as an operator in Tennessee by the Sports Wagering Committee of the Tennessee Education Lottery Corp.

Online sportsbook PointsBet has become an official sports betting partner of the National Hockey League (NHL). The long-term agreement between PointsBet and the NHL spans across both the US and Australia. As part of the partnership, PointsBet receives rights to use NHL marks and logos, as well as a variety of NHL sponsorship and promotional opportunities for its brand across various linear, digital and social media assets.

DraftKings Inc. and the National Football League (NFL) have signed into an agreement to expand their current daily fantasy sports (DFS) and content partnership to Canada. The new deal further deepens the relationship between the two organisations and enhances the DFS fan experience in Canada as the NFL season approaches the Super Bowl.

Compliance

Coljuegos, the gambling regulator in Colombia, has awarded a five-year igaming license to sports betting exchange Betfair. The license will allow Betfair to operate betting on real sporting and non-sporting events, online slots, roulette and blackjack.

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.