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Sports-Betting Boost Expected With Texas, Oklahoma In SEC

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With the Texas Longhorns and Oklahoma Sooners now in the Southeastern Conference, legal sports betting soon could jump by double digits in the region, says one bookmaker.
Starting this season, Texas and Oklahoma are in position to challenge for the SEC football championship — and championships across all SEC sports — in a collegiate conference loaded with rich traditions and annual national title contenders.
The Longhorns and Sooners joined the SEC in July. Both moved over from the Big 12.
This new conference (alignment) leads to better games for the book and better opportunities for the player,” Casey Lewless, manager of two Louisiana sportsbooks, told Gambling.com.
Legal sportsbooks in Louisiana are popular with bettors from neighboring Texas and nearby Oklahoma. Sports wagering is illegal in Texas and Oklahoma.
Because of this, the Margaritaville Resort Casino in Bossier City, Louisiana, expects to see a bump of about 30% in college wagering, Lewless said. That sportsbook already was anticipating more action because of its recent expansion.
The Margaritaville sportsbook is one of two in Northwest Louisiana that Lewless manages for Penn Entertainment. The other is at the nearby Boomtown Casino Hotel.
Lewless pointed to Texas’ rivalry years ago with the Arkansas Razorbacks in the former Southwest Conference as a matchup that will stir interest now that both are in the SEC. Sports betting is legal in Arkansas.
Also, every clash between the two Texas SEC schools — the Longhorns and Texas A&M Aggies — will stir emotions and boost sports betting in close-by states like Louisiana where wagering is legal, Lewless said.
Sports Betting Illegal In Half Of SEC States
The addition of Oklahoma into the SEC means six of the 12 states with schools in the conference do not have legal sports betting. Texas already had a school in the SEC — Texas A&M.
Those six SEC states make up the largest geographic region in the U.S. without legal sports betting. Combined, the six states have a population of more than 62 million, representing about 19% of the U.S. population.
Nationwide, sports betting is legal in 38 states and Washington, D.C.
The SEC states without legal sports betting are:
  • Texas (Texas Longhorns, Texas A&M Aggies)
  • Oklahoma (Oklahoma Sooners)
  • Missouri (Missouri Tigers)
  • Alabama (Alabama Crimson Tide, Auburn Tigers)
  • Georgia (Georgia Bulldogs)
  • South Carolina (South Carolina Gamecocks)
  • The other six SEC states have either in-person or mobile sports betting — or both. Tennessee is a mobile-only state, while Mississippi has in-person sports betting at casinos but not off-site mobile wagering.
The SEC states with legal sports betting are:
  • Arkansas (Arkansas Razorbacks)
  • Louisiana (LSU Tigers)
  • Kentucky (Kentucky Wildcats)
  • Tennessee (Tennessee Volunteers, Vanderbilt Commodores)
  • Mississippi (Ole Miss Rebels, Mississippi State Bulldogs)
  • Florida (Florida Gators)
College Football Kicks Off In August
The overall college football schedule kicks off Aug. 24, including a matchup overseas between Florida State and Georgia Tech in the Aer Lingus College Football Classic in Dublin, Ireland.
In the SEC, the Oklahoma Sooners, led by head coach Brent Venables, begin their season on Aug. 30 against Temple at OU’s Gaylord Family Memorial Stadium.
The SEC schedule gets fully underway over the Labor Day weekend, highlighted by an Aug. 31 contest between Clemson and Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game at the Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
On that same day, the Steve Sarkisian-coached Texas Longhorns host Colorado State in Darrell K. Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium in Austin.
The next day’s schedule, on Sept. 1, features another SEC school, LSU, in a matchup against Southern California in the Vegas Kickoff Classic at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas.
SEC Divisions Abandoned
The addition of Texas and Oklahoma brings the number of teams in the SEC to 16. This season, the conference football championship will be decided between the top two teams. The 2024 SEC title game is set for Dec. 7 at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.
In previous years, the conference was split into two divisions, with the East and West winners battling it out for for the SEC title.
The 2024 arrangement with no divisions is a departure in the conference structure dating back more than three decades.

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Scientific Games wins 12-year scratchcard supply deal with Hellenic Lotteries

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14 new games launched in May as Hellenic Lotteries begins its new Greek State Lotteries concession.

Scientific Games has signed a new 12-year agreement to supply scratchcard games to Hellenic Lotteries, part of Allwyn Hellas, the companies said on June 8.

Hellenic Lotteries selected Scientific Games through a competitive procurement process. The operator recently secured the exclusive right to run and manage passive lotteries and scratchcard games for the Greek State for 12 years, following an international tender and the end of its previous license.

The partnership begins with 14 new scratchcard games that launched in May. The agreement also includes the option for the parties to explore digital lottery propositions in the future.

“At Allwyn Hellas and Hellenic Lotteries, we put players at the center of everything we do, emphasizing their entertainment experience. Therefore, we’re delighted to collaborate with Scientific Games as our instant game provider to deliver exciting scratchcard games to players in Greece,” said Matthaios Mattaiou, Chief Sales & Marketing PLAY Stores/HL and Operations Officer at Allwyn Hellas. “Beginning with new games launched in May, we look forward to engaging players with fresh propositions.”

Scientific Games said it will produce Greek scratchcards at its European Center of Game Production Excellence in the UK and provide a sales support team for delivery. “Our instant game innovators will continue to apply Scientific Games’ 53 years of analytics and game design best practices working to provide a portfolio of innovative scratchcards that drives responsible growth in Greece,” said Matthias Müller, Senior Vice President, International Sales for Scientific Games.

The post Scientific Games wins 12-year scratchcard supply deal with Hellenic Lotteries appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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ELA Games reports Romanian growth as bet counts rise 239.74%

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Studio says classic-styled slots with modern mechanics drove a 244.52% jump in active users led by Joker Winpot.

ELA Games says it has expanded in Romania after leaning into classic slot aesthetics while adding modern features, reporting a 244.52% increase in active users and a 239.74% rise in bet counts in the market.

The supplier positioned Joker Winpot as a key title for the approach, aiming to keep a traditional look while introducing feature-led mechanics.

Managing Director Marharyta Yerina said: “It is great to see how Romanian players are enjoying the way we combine classic symbols with modern features. Joker Winpot works well for those who love the traditional look but actually want more excitement from their play. We also see that once players feel comfortable with these mechanics, they are happy to explore our other top titles which have proved to be successful in Romania like Cash of Gods and Flames Fruit Frenzy. It proves that respecting what players like is the best way to introduce new ideas to the market.”

ELA Games also reported a 160.62% increase in turnover and a 33.71% boost in GGR across the region, naming Joker Winpot and Cash of Gods as top-performing titles. The company said Flames Fruit Frenzy also contributed to performance in Romania.

The studio framed the results as evidence that Romanian players are responding to modernised classic formats, including high-volatility gameplay and expanding reels. ELA Games said the mix is helping operators retain traditional audiences while introducing newer mechanics through familiar presentations.

igaming, game-suppliers, romania, slots, content-strategy

The post ELA Games reports Romanian growth as bet counts rise 239.74% appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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Scientific Games and Hellenic Lotteries Partner to Provide World-Class Scratchcard Entertainment Experiences to Greek Players

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New Games Launch as Part of Hellenic Lotteries’ New Concession of Greek State Lotteries

Scientific Games, the world’s largest lottery games company, and Hellenic Lotteries, part of Allwyn Hellas, the leading gaming group in Greece, are partnering to bring entertaining instant scratchcard games to Greek players through a new 12-year agreement.

Hellenic Lotteries selected Scientific Games as a supplier of scratchcards through a competitive procurement process. Recently, Hellenic Lotteries was awarded the exclusive right to operate and manage passive lotteries and scratchcard games by the Greek State for a period of 12 years, following a relevant international tender and the conclusion of its previous license.

As part of the partnership, 14 new scratchcard games launched in May, kicking off Hellenic Lotteries’ new license with a splash. The agreement with Scientific Games also provides the possibility to explore digital lottery propositions in the future.

“At Allwyn Hellas and Hellenic Lotteries, we put players at the center of everything we do, emphasizing their entertainment experience. Therefore, we’re delighted to collaborate with Scientific Games as our instant game provider to deliver exciting scratchcard games to players in Greece,” said Matthaios Mattaiou, Chief Sales & Marketing PLAY Stores/HL and Operations Officer at Allwyn Hellas. “Beginning with new games launched in May, we look forward to engaging players with fresh propositions.”

Scientific Games creates and produces the Greek scratchcards at its European Center of Game Production Excellence in the UK, that serves more than 40 lotteries in EMEA. Under the new agreement in Greece, the company also provides an expert sales support team that ensures all games are delivered efficiently and securely.

“Our instant game innovators will continue to apply Scientific Games’ 53 years of analytics and game design best practices working to provide a portfolio of innovative scratchcards that drives responsible growth in Greece,” said Matthias Müller, Senior Vice President, International Sales for Scientific Games.

With products that generate more than 70% of global instant game retail sales, Scientific Games is the primary provider to nine of the Top 10 performing instant game lotteries in the world (La Fleur’s 2026 World Lottery Almanac). The company provides games, technologies, analytics and services to 150 lotteries in 50 countries worldwide.

© 2026 Scientific Games, LLC. All Rights Reserved.

The post Scientific Games and Hellenic Lotteries Partner to Provide World-Class Scratchcard Entertainment Experiences to Greek Players appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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