Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 8-14

Published

5 years ago

March 17, 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, new partnerships and compliance updates. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Allied Esports Entertainment has confirmed that it has received an unsolicited proposal from Bally’s Corporation to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of the Company for a total consideration of $100 million, payable, at the Company’s option, in cash, Bally’s capital stock, or a combination of both. The Bally’s proposal would require the Company to terminate its previously announced agreement with Element Partners to sell all of the equity interests of Club Services, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, for consideration totalling $78,250,000.

PlayUp has launched its online sports betting app in Colorado. The application offers an easy and simple sports betting interface and options aimed at the casual user. Once users set up their account and log in, they are just three clicks away from placing a bet. As part of its entry into the U.S. market, PlayUp is now offering attractive bonus offers. All new players will get a 200% bonus on first bets, whether they win or lose. Also, all newly registered users will get a free $20 bet.

MGM Resorts International and BetMGM have announced a unified commitment to promote responsible gaming. This comes as MGM Resorts and BetMGM join the National Council on Problem Gambling in promoting Problem Gambling Awareness Month throughout March. As part of the new joint-initiative, BetMGM and MGM Resorts’ employees will participate in a weekly educational series provided by EPIC Risk designed to provide employees with unique and diverse perspectives on problem gambling and insight into how operators can play an important role in problem gambling prevention.

Partnerships

Bally’s Corporation has become an Authorised Sports Betting Operator of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The deal represents Bally’s second sports betting partnership with a professional sports league, following its previously announced official sports betting partnership with the National Hockey League. This partnership will provide Bally’s with access to official league data, as well as rights to use official NBA marks and logos across the Company’s expanding portfolio of online sports betting products.

Major League Rugby (MLR) has announced an exclusive official sports betting data and betting streaming partnership with Genius Sports Group (GSG). MLR has granted GSG the exclusive rights to capture, manage and distribute the League’s official data with sportsbooks across North America and worldwide. Through its 24/7 bet monitoring, educational workshops and model rules and regulations, GSG will help provide MLR with a leading integrity programme to help protect the fairness and transparency of its matches.

Esports organisation Gen.G has joined forces with the University of Kentucky to host the “University of Kentucky Esports Invitational.” Auburn University, Mississippi State University, Texas A&M University, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of Mississippi, University of Missouri and University of Tennessee will compete in the invitational. The Invitational is the first time that all of the schools will be competing in the same esports tournament.

Boyd Gaming Corporation and FanDuel Group have announced their plans to launch Stardust-branded online casinos in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, marking the iconic gaming brand’s return to real-money gaming. FanDuel and Boyd Gaming anticipate launching the Stardust casinos in April, pending final regulatory approval from each state. FanDuel plans to rebrand its existing Betfair Casino in New Jersey under Boyd Gaming’s Stardust brand, while launching a Stardust online casino in Pennsylvania.

Compliance Updates

The Georgia Senate has approved a bill that could legalise online sports betting in the state. The full chamber passed Senate Resolution 135, which would ask voters if Georgia should allow online sports wagering in the state. The resolution to amend the state’s Constitution, which needed support from two-thirds of the chamber’s 56 members, passed 41-10. Senators also voted 34-17 to approve Senate Bill 142, which regulates how sports betting would be conducted in the state. SR 135 and SB 142 now go to the House for their consideration.

eInstants

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

Published

8 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

8 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

20 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.