Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 3-9
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 acquisitions and compliance updates. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Playtech has partnered with Parx Interactive and Gun Lake Casino to launch Play Gun Lake, a new iGaming app for Michigan. The iGaming app will be powered by Playtech’s IMS platform and Player Account Management (PAM) and will feature Playtech proprietary iGaming content.
Wynn Resorts has announced that its two Las Vegas Strip casinos – Wynn and Encore – will return to full capacity, effective immediately. The group said it received the green light to operate at 100% from the Nevada Gaming Control Board after reporting that 88% of its employees had been fully vaccinated against Covid-19.
BetMGM has announced the launch of BetMGM Poker and Borgata Poker in Pennsylvania, giving customers access to benefits tied to Borgata Hotel, Casino & Spa in Atlantic City as well as other MGM Resorts’ casino-resorts nationwide. Pennsylvania is the third state to introduce BetMGM Poker and the second to introduce Borgata Poker, both powered by partypoker US Network.
The Washington State Gambling Commission has reached a tentative agreement with the Suquamish Tribe to amend its Class III gaming compact to add sports wagering. The Tribe operates its III gaming facility located on the Kitsap Peninsula on the Port Madison Indian Reservation. This is the second sports wagering tentative agreement in the state and this amendment establishes the framework for sports wagering at the Tribe’s Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort.
Penn National Gaming has launched Penn Game Studios, an in-house content development team focused on creating exclusive iCasino content for its customers. To fuel this effort, the Company is acquiring HitPoint Studios and its spun-off real money gaming company LuckyPoint. The acquisition is expected to close in the near term, subject to the satisfaction of customary closing conditions.
PointsBet Holdings has announced that its wholly-owned subsidiary PointsBet Michigan has been authorised by the Michigan Gaming Control Board to commence iGaming operations and has launched its proprietary iGaming platform in that state. The launch of PointsBet’s iGaming operations follows the launch of Sports Wagering in Michigan on 22 January 2021. PointsBet plans to launch iGaming in New Jersey in June.
Financial Report
Caesars Entertainment has reported the operating results for the first quarter of 2021. Net revenue is $1.7 billion, an increase of 259.2% on a GAAP basis and a decrease of 16.0% on a same-store basis versus the comparable prior-year period.
New Acquisition
Catena Media has acquired Lineups.com, an online sports affiliation company. The total purchase price amounts to USD 39.6 million, payable in cash in three installments during a two-year period. An additional contingent cash payment of USD 0.5 million is payable if certain requirements are fulfilled within three years of the transaction date.
Compliance Update
Free Bets US is now licensed in New Jersey to market online sportsbooks and casinos with New Jersey Vendor ID 0092299. Being licensed in New Jersey as a vendor allows Free Bets US to generate commissions from online sportsbooks such as BetMGM and Borgata by promoting Free Bets in NJ.
Powered by WPeMatico
executive-moves
Yaspa hires Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales
Yaspa has appointed US fintech and gaming executive Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales, as the company pushes further into North America. The company said Fears will be based in its Atlanta office and will lead strategic commercial growth across the region.
Yaspa said Fears will focus on working with gaming operators to modernise payment experiences using real-time bank payments and transaction intelligence, and will work with its US and global commercial leadership teams to scale partnerships and adoption.
Fears brings more than 18 years of experience across payments, fintech, SaaS, and AML compliance in the gaming sector, according to Yaspa. His previous roles include senior positions at Kinectify, First Data Corporation, Glory Global Solutions, DiTronics Financial Services, NEXGEN Technology, and CASINOMONEY. Yaspa also noted he is a United States Air Force veteran.
James Neville, CEO of Yaspa, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Justin to the team as we accelerate our footprint in the US market. His deep operational understanding of gaming-focused financial infrastructure, compliance technologies, and enterprise sales leadership makes him an incredible asset. Justin’s appointment further strengthens our local team and underscores our commitment to helping North American operators lower costs, reduce fraud, and elevate the player experience through open banking.”
Fears said: “I’m excited to join Yaspa at such an important stage in the company’s growth journey. The combination of open banking, innovative payment solutions, and intelligent transaction data represents a significant opportunity within the US iGaming market, particularly as operators continue to prioritise player experience, fraud reduction, and payment efficiency. Yaspa has built an innovative platform uniquely positioned to support the evolving needs of regulated operators, and I look forward to helping expand the company’s presence and strategic partnerships across the US.”
Yaspa said it was named winner of the Real-Time Payments Innovation award at the 2025 Payments Awards and was included in the CB Insights Top 100 Fintechs list in the past 12 months. The company also referenced a $12m investment round in July led by Discerning Capital, and said it has opened a new Atlanta office and a tech hub in Leeds, UK, in August 2025.
The post Yaspa hires Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
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.
-
iGaming industry6 days agoPragmatic Play Releases its Latest Slot Game “The Big Dog House”
-
Aphrodite Legends of Olympus™6 days agoInspired Expands Portfolio with Three New iGaming Slots: THE GREAT EGGSCAPE™, APHRODITE LEGENDS OF OLYMPUS™, GOLD FEVER MINE ALL MINE™
-
betting market5 days agoBiS Brasília brings together experts and authorities to discuss the future of Brazil’s betting market
-
Altenar7 days agoPhilippine Sportsbook ArenaPlus Selects Altenar as Technology Provider
-
Aviator Studio6 days agoAviator Studio marks another major win in São Paulo court
-
Aviator Studio7 days agoAviator Studio Achieves Major Legal Victory in São Paulo
-
BetGames6 days agoWeekend Reels | Week 21: Slot Drops & Trends
-
AGLC6 days agoAlberta iGaming Corporation Appoints Dan Keene as its CEO



