Gambling in the USA

Indiana Sportsbooks End Year With $160 Million Month

Published

4 years ago

January 13, 2020

Sportsbooks close 2019 with more than $430 million in bets, giving industry momentum heading into 2020, according to PlayIndiana.com analysts

Indiana retail and online sportsbooks capped their inaugural year in the state by surpassing $160 million in bets in a month for the first time. Indiana’s record handle in December pushed the state to more than $430 million in bets since the first wager was accepted in September, a staggering pace that has set the stage for a momentous 2020, according to analysts from PlayIndiana.

“Indiana’s ascent to one of the largest sports betting markets in the country has been impressive by most any measure,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana. “The question for 2020 is whether Indiana can sustain its rate of expansion, especially as neighboring states become more likely to legalize sports betting. That has already happened in Michigan, which could take a bite out of the handle at some of northern Indiana’s retail sportsbooks.”

In December, the state’s retail and online sportsbooks generated a combined $161.8 million in bets, up 10% from November’s $147.3 million handle, according to official reporting released Friday. December’s handle produced $12 million in adjusted gross revenue, up 29% from $9.3 million in November. The “win” yielded $1.1 million in tax revenue for the state.

Indiana sportsbooks have now generated $433.4 million in bets and $42.7 million in revenue since launch, and is easily the fourth-largest sports betting marketing in the country, trailing only Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. To put Indiana’s growth into perspective, it took Pennsylvania, the No. 3 market in the U.S., 10 months to surpass $400 million in lifetime handle. Indiana surpassed $400 million in its fourth month.

A boost could come in January. Football betting has accounted for $178.6 million since launch and $59.1 million in bets in December, and that will likely surge with the NFL Playoffs and college football’s national championship in January. In addition, basketball, which has accounted for $82.2 million since launch and $42.3 million in December, should grow as college basketball enters conference season and the NBA season heats up.

“With the NFL Playoffs at hand and college basketball in full swing, it is possible that Indiana will surpass $1 billion in bets by March, making Indiana one of the quickest legal U.S. jurisdictions to reach that mark,” Gouker said.

The relatively rapid growth of Indiana, which launched online sportsbooks in October, can be attributed to the adoption of online sports betting far earlier than states such as Pennsylvania. In Indiana, $110.6 million of December’s bets were made online representing 69.5% of the state’s total handle, up from 65% of the November handle.

Online sports betting is also growing in the number of sportsbooks. BetAmerica, operating under the Rising Star Casino license, became Indiana’s fourth online sportsbook when it launched in late December.

Still, DraftKings, which operates under the Ameristar Casino license, led the online market once again. In December, DraftKings attracted $66.7 million in bets, up from $64.1 million in November. That generated $5 million in gross receipts, up from $4.3 million. DraftKings was followed by:

FanDuel/Blue Chip Casino ($36 million handle in December, up from $23.7 million; $2.2 million win, up from $1.7 million)
BetRivers/French Lick Resort ($7.9 million handle, down from $8.4 million; $528,200 win, up from $476,284)
BetAmerica/Rising Star Casino ($2,129 handle; -$1,173 win)
Once again, the top retail sportsbooks were those closest to large out-of-state markets. The top retail sportsbook in Indiana continues to be Horseshoe Hammond, near Chicago. The market leader generated $13.4 million in December, up from $13 million in November. Those bets generated $1.1 million in gross receipts, up from $800,208. Horseshoe Hammond was followed by:

Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($8.9 million handle, up from $8.8 million in November; $824,235 win, down from $1.1 million)
Ameristar Casino ($8.3 million handle, up from $8 million in November; $928,211 win, up from $735,103)
Harrah’s Hoosier Park ($5.7 million handle, down from $7 million; $441,112 win, down from $557,764)
Indiana Grand ($4.6 million handle, up from $4.2 million; $208,275 win, up from $171,205)
Blue Chip Casino ($4.2 million handle, down from $4.5 million; $186,802 win, down from $310,955)
Tropicana Evansville ($2 million handle, even with November; $185,176 win, up from $174,841)
Caesars Southern Indiana ($1.6 million handle, up from $1.4 million; $170,884 win, down from $106,081)
French Lick Resort ($1.5 million handle, up from $1.2 million; $13,587 win, down from $45,357)
Belterra Casino ($948,810 handle, up from $920,344; $151,640 win, up from $92,233)
“Indiana’s strong start is unquestionably tied to the state’s relatively early launch of online sports betting,” Gouker said. “Online sports betting should make up an increasing share of the state’s handle, too. That will help steady Indiana’s sports betting industry, even as increasing competition from neighboring states affect retail sportsbooks, which is inevitable.”

For more revenue information on Indiana sportsbooks, visit PlayIndiana.com/revenue.

Erik Nyman President EveryMatrix Americas

Golden Nugget live with EveryMatrix content in Michigan and New Jersey

Published

1 hour ago

May 21, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

golden-nugget-live-with-everymatrix-content-in-michigan-and-new-jersey

Golden Nugget Online Gaming is live with EveryMatrix casino content in Michigan and New Jersey.

EveryMatrix will provide Golden Nugget Online Gaming with content from its in-house game development studio Armadillo Studios, via direct integration with its SlotMatrix iGaming aggregation solution, the industry’s largest aggregation offering with more games and third-party vendors than any other.

EveryMatrix has licences in six North American states and provinces including New Jersey, Michigan, West Virginia, Connecticut, Ontario in Canada and most recently Pennsylvania.

Earlier this month EveryMatrix went live with its first aggregation agreement with exclusive partner studio Supremeland via DraftKings in New Jersey.

Erik Nyman, President EveryMatrix Americas, said: “We’re delighted to work with such an established brand as Golden Nugget Online Gaming. We look forward to our continued work together in the future as we provide premier content alongside our leading aggregation services.”

Caesars Entertainment

Caesars Entertainment Celebrates Grand Opening of Company’s First Nebraska Property, Harrah’s Columbus Nebraska Racing and Casino

Published

2 hours ago

May 21, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

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Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino, Caesars Entertainment’s first venture into the Cornhusker State, opened its doors to guests for the first time. Caesars, Columbus Exposition and Racing and the Columbus community celebrated the momentous occasion with a ribbon cutting, giveaways and more.

Opening day guests received commemorative Harrah’s shirts before making the property’s historical first spins on the slots, table game wagers and first bets at the Caesars Race & Sportsbook. The first jackpot was hit at 10:14 a.m. with a lucky guest winning $1,876 on Power Push.

“We’re so proud to open the doors to Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino for the first time today,” said Todd Connelly, Regional President of Caesars Entertainment. “Harrah’s is an iconic brand that our guests have come to know and love across the country. We’re so happy to be here with our partners and friends as we celebrate what is sure to be a bright future in Nebraska.”

The new destination features a 17,000-square-foot casino with 400 slot machines, 11 table games and a Caesars Race & Sportsbook featuring a 2,100-square-foot sports and simulcast betting area conveniently located on the casino floor. The area contains 17 viewing screens, including a massive 163-inch video wall for the ultimate sports viewing experience. The opening of Caesars Race & Sportsbook at Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino marks the first time Caesars Sportsbook has accepted sports wagers in the Cornhusker State.

Harrah’s Columbus, NE Racing & Casino is also home to the award-winning restaurant Brew Brothers, founded by the Carano family in 1995, and a bar called Wishbones. A Marriott Fairfield Inn and Townplace Suites is under construction next door and will connect directly to the casino once complete later this year.

In partnership with Columbus Exposition and Racing, Harrah’s Columbus Nebraska will be home to a one-mile racetrack, the longest track in the state. The track will host 15 live races every Friday – Sunday from Aug. 16 to Sept. 15, as well as one on Labor Day. Each date will offer all-ages Grandstand seating, along with 21+ in-person and kiosk betting.

Harrah’s Columbus NE, Racing & Casino is also part of Caesars Entertainment’s expansive Caesars Rewards® network. Guests who play at the new destination can earn and redeem Reward Credits at any of Caesars Entertainment’s 50+ properties in North America.

Gambling in the USA

Pennsylvania Skill Congratulates Casinos on $504 Million in April Revenue

Published

13 hours ago

May 20, 2024

GamingAmericas.com

pennsylvania-skill-congratulates-casinos-on-$504-million-in-april-revenue

Pennsylvania Skill, powered by Pace-O-Matic (POM), applauded the April revenue reports that show the gaming industry in the state made more than $504 million for the third time since April of last year. Pennsylvania gaming grossed nearly $1.7 billion in commercial revenue in just the first three months of 2024, second only to the casino capital of the United States, Nevada.

The funding comes from slot machines, table games, internet gaming, sports wagering, fantasy contests and video gaming terminals (VGTs).

As the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) celebrates yet another big financial month, however, casinos continue to falsely claim their revenue is impacted by skill games.

“We want to know what the revenue number is that casinos need to hit, or the next record they need to break before they stop claiming skill games are competition,” said Mike Barley, chief public affairs officer for POM. “Every month, we read about their incredible revenue gains, and then the casino industry turns around and claims they are losing money because of skill games. Their arguments don’t pass the smell test.”

Instead of battling skill games, Barley said casinos should support legislation sponsored by Sen. Gene Yaw and Rep. Danilo Burgos that will regulate and tax skill games. There is bipartisan backing for the legislation that will place guardrails around skill game operations and provide as much as $250 million in skill game state tax revenue in just the first year. Gov. Josh Shapiro wants to see skill game tax revenue as part of his 2024-25 state budget.

Given the casino industry revenue gains so far this year, it is hard to understand why they are crying wolf. “It’s difficult to see how skill games are causing hardship for a billion-dollar industry,” Barley said, adding that there is room for both gambling and skill games in the Commonwealth. Since skill games entered the marketplace, gambling revenue has increased and broken records.

Several courts have ruled Pennsylvania Skill games are legal, including a unanimous Commonwealth Court last year. In addition to providing supplemental income to small businesses, many Pennsylvania Skill games are manufactured in Williamsport, and over 90 percent of the income they generate stays within the local economy and the state.

The baseless accusations, Barley explained, are an assault on small businesses, veterans groups, volunteer fire companies and other fraternal clubs across the state that count on legal skill games to make ends meet. Small business owners with skill games in their establishments are saying the revenue has saved their businesses.

Many of these locations rely on income from skill games to offer competitive wages and benefits to their employees, who are often heads of households supporting their families. This is what struggling families need right now, not another roadblock, Barley explained.

The proposed legislation limits the number of skill games per establishment to no more than five in LCB and lottery-licensed locations and up to ten at fraternal clubs.

Skill game distributors, operators and locations will be licensed and regulated through the Department of Revenue. The Pennsylvania State Police Bureau of Liquor Control & Enforcement and local law enforcement in counties of the first class would be responsible for policing the skill game industry, helping to crack down on illegal games encroaching on communities across the Commonwealth.

“Backing this legislation means speaking up for the little guy – volunteer fire companies, VFW posts, mom-and-pop shops, fraternal clubs, small businesses and their employees. I believe Pennsylvanians can sleep comfortably knowing that the big internationally owned casinos will continue to survive on their record profits.” Barley said.