Gambling in the USA
Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus
Nebraska’s first full-fledged, newly built and state-sanctioned gambling casino is slated to open in Columbus next month, marking a milestone in the state’s rollout of casino gambling.
The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday approved a target opening date of May 13 for Harrah’s Columbus.
“This is a big deal,” commission Chairman Dennis Lee said.
The state’s three other casinos are open, but in temporary facilities. According to construction schedules, all should be open by early next year.
“We’re definitely excited to open the first permanent casino in the state,” said Don Ostert, Harrah’s Columbus general manager.
The 17,000-square-foot casino floor will feature 400 slot machines and 11 live table games, including roulette and craps, Ostert said. It will feature a Brew Brothers restaurant and will offer Caesar’s sportsbook and racebook, Ostert said.
For racing fans, the complex will feature the state’s only 1-mile horse track, though racing isn’t scheduled to begin until August 16. By June, officials hope to have some horses out on the track to test the new surface.
Ostert said officials hope to draw customers from Norfolk and Grand Island, but also from Omaha and Lincoln.
Columbus Mayor James Bulkley said that, from the city’s standpoint, “we are very excited to see it get started and become part of the community.”
The developers incorporated some Columbus history into the casino, he said.
“The location where it is used to be called Wishbones, and it was a venue for years for entertainment, and so people recognize that name, and they have kept that name for the sports bar,” he said.
He expects the casino will draw from Omaha. Although driving to Columbus from downtown Omaha might take close to an hour and a half, the drive from west Omaha is more like an hour, he said.
“I can hit Elkhorn in a short hour today, which is now western Omaha,” he said.
In a few months, Omahans won’t have to leave town to visit a brand-new casino.
At Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Warhorse Gaming officials are aiming to open their new casino in early August. It will open with 900 gaming positions, including table games and a Sweetwater Cafe.
The post Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! 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
International Game Technology PLC announced that it is the first gaming industry supplier to receive the Internet Compliance Assessment Programme (iCAP) Ready accreditation for its iLottery operations from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Based on the original iCAP designed for gaming operators, iCAP Ready is a U.S. accreditation programme designed for gaming suppliers who are committed to upholding responsible gaming standards across their products and services. Supported by the NCPG, iCAP Ready utilises best practices from the Internet Responsible Gambling Standards to ensure suppliers implement and maintain responsible gambling policies, provide effective staff training and offer comprehensive player support tools.
Light & Wonder Inc. has announced Simon Johnson as the new CEO of the Company’s iGaming business. Simon has been with Light & Wonder since 2017 and has been instrumental in driving the international commercial efforts of the Gaming business in his most recent role as Senior Vice President and International Managing Director. As part of his new role, Simon will report directly into Light & Wonder President and CEO Matt Wilson and join the Company’s Executive Leadership Team.
Las Vegas sports betting venture Circa Sports awarded $20,266,000 in prizes to the winners of its professional football contests, Circa Survivor and Circa Million VI. Highlights of the winnings included the largest Circa Survivor pool in contest history of $14.26 million. This was split equally among C3 Picks, DREAM STAKES, MEATBALL BROTHERS, PUMBAPACK9, TY1823, VODKA JOHNNY, WHATEVERYALLWANT and Whiskey Business. The $1 million Circa Million VI prize went to Team BP.
Partnerships
ESPN and PENN Entertainment announced that 10 additional retail sportsbooks at key PENN properties will be rebranded to “ESPN BET Sportsbook” in early 2025 (subject to all regulatory approvals), increasing the total number of ESPN BET branded sportsbooks at PENN properties to 19. The new ESPN BET locations will serve customers across Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana and West Virginia under PENN’s popular Hollywood and Ameristar Casino brands.
The Ottawa Black Bears announced an extensive partnership agreement with PowerPlay Online Sportsbook and Casino that will see the company’s logo featured on the club’s home and away jerseys. In addition to the jersey partnership, PowerPlay will also have branding elements inside the goal crease, behind the bench, on the LED display ring and along the rinkboards for Black Bears home games at Canadian Tire Centre. As part of the deal, PowerPlay also becomes the exclusive sportsbook and online casino partner for the Ottawa Black Bears.
The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, announced a multi-year partnership naming Cloudbet as the official and exclusive Sports Betting and Online Casino Partner of the PFL. This new collaboration will bring crypto-powered betting to PFL events, starting with the highly anticipated Road to Dubai Champions Series on January 25. Cloudbet has been a trusted name in the cryptocurrency world for over a decade. With this partnership, they will bring a whole new way to engage with MMA fans by combining their expertise in crypto sports betting with PFL’s innovative approach to fighting.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 13-19 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Bettors in Arizona wagered approximately $791 million on sports in October of 2024, according to a new report by the Arizona Department of Gaming. This represents an approximate 22% increase when compared to October of 2023.
The state collected approximately $2.35 million in privilege fees in the month.
The post Arizona Department of Gaming Releases October Sports Betting Figures appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Betting Hero
Neosurf & Betting Hero to reveal results of their in-depth study into US online gambling and payment habits in exclusive two-part webinar series
Neosurf, the globally trusted provider of swift and secure cash-to-digital payment solutions, has announced it will be sharing the findings of a recent study into the online betting habits, preferences and frustrations of US players in an exclusive two-part webinar series beginning on January 14th.
Neosurf commissioned the research via Betting Hero – a leading US-based iGaming portal with expertise in casino, sports betting and DFS. The webinars will see Neosurf CEO Americas, Sue Page, Betting Hero’s Co-Founder and President, Jai Maw, and Senior Director of Product and Research, Ernie Ropas, dive into the report’s key findings and discuss what some of the more surprising results could mean for operators.
The survey, which featured respondents from New Jersey, Colorado and North Carolina, aimed to help operators and regulators within the gambling industry better understand the typical US bettor – how and why they bet, what tools they use to manage their budget and what Responsible Gaming means to them. The findings will be revealed in the webinars and used to identify areas where Neosurf’s products can help operators provide a better user experience.
The research highlighted several aspects of payments and responsible gaming that bettors felt could be improved. Problems with payments remain an issue – 52% of respondents said that they’d experienced payment issues in the past year, and with over 50% depositing and withdrawing multiple times each month, there is a significant cost impact to the operators.
Additionally, respondents indicated they’d be in favour of using a service that could share pre-verified ID information with operators, with ease of use for new payment methods and seamless integration across multiple platforms identified as important factors in their choosing and remaining loyal to a single sports betting platform.
Sue Page, Neosurf CEO Americas, said: “It was important to us to gain a more detailed insight into the US sports bettor. We wanted to talk to the players and ask questions that no one else is asking, and through our collaboration with Betting Hero I’m delighted that we now have a comprehensive piece of research.
“Offering valuable insights into player habits – how and why they bet, the ongoing pain points they’re experiencing with payments and their thoughts on Responsible Gaming—we’ll be taking a deep dive into the results of the survey in our two-part webinar series starting at 10:00 ET on January 14th, and we encourage all US-focused operators and regulators to join us.”
The post Neosurf & Betting Hero to reveal results of their in-depth study into US online gambling and payment habits in exclusive two-part webinar series appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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