Gambling in the USA
Legal Sportsbooks Set To Spend Another Night At The Movies With Odds On 92nd Academy Awards

Sportsbooks in New Jersey are the first offering movie buffs the opportunity to join their favorite actors, actresses, and directors as big winners from the 92nd Academy Awards. A year after New Jersey’s retail and online sportsbooks broke new ground in the United States by offering legal betting on the Academy Awards for the first time, the Garden State is once again offering odds on the Oscars, which is set for Sunday, Feb. 9.
To prepare for the movie industry’s star-studded night, PlayUSA has created a complete rundown of the Oscars at www.playusa.com/sports-betting/oscars, including odds on every major category, a pick sheet, what sites are accepting bets, and analysis on the races.
“Oscars betting was a hit in its first year in New Jersey, and we suspect that interest will only grow,” said Jessica Welman, betting analyst for PlayUSA.com and a movie historian who earned a degree in Cinema-TV Critical Studies from the University of Southern California, and a master’s in Film and Media Studies from Indiana University Bloomington. “We saw last year that bettors were less motivated by the favorites and more interested in backing their favorite films and movie stars. This year’s field of nominees has star power in front of and behind the camera, so that should help drive interest.”
New Jersey sportsbooks accepted an estimated $1 million in bets in the first year that it was offered, according to PlayUSA. And the Garden State is the only legal jurisdiction so far offering odds in 2020.
DraftKings became the first sportsbook to post the Oscars, followed by FOX Bet, and more are expected soon. DraftKings is offering odds on all 24 categories at the Academy Awards. In 2019, most books limited action to the six major Oscars categories, including best picture, director, actor, actress, supporting actor, and supporting actress.
“The top categories will undoubtedly draw the most interest,” Welman said. “This year, in particular, is shaping up to be a controversial one. Again, critics can point to a lack of diversity in nominations and some films, such as Joker, have received polarized audience reactions. But instead of fighting with friends about a movie’s merits, New Jersey movie buffs can quietly put their money where their mouth is.”
The four major acting categories all feature prohibitive favorites. Joaquin Phoenix (-1,667), for Joker, and Renee Zellweger (-1,000), for Judy, are the clear frontrunners for Best Actor and Best Actress, respectively. Brad Pitt (-1,000), for Once Upon a Time in Hollywood, and Laura Dern (-1,000), for Marriage Story, are the favorites for Best Supporting Actor and Best Supporting Actress, respectively. Sam Mendes (-134), for 1917, and Bong Joon Hoo (+225), for Parasite, are leading a tight race for Best Director.
The closest major race appears to be for Best Picture, led by Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (+160) and 1917 (+200).
“Best Picture seems like a two-horse race between the two Golden Globe picture winners, 1917 and Once Upon a Time in Hollywood,” Welman said. “While no one is arguing that Once Upon a Time in Hollywood is Quentin Tarantino’s best film, the Academy is typically concerned with ensuring deserving nominees get rewarded. This could be the Academy’s last chance to give Tarantino the top prize, and that often carries a lot of weight.”
For more information and analysis on regulated online gaming in New Jersey, visit PlayUSA.com/news. For more Oscars information, visit www.playusa.com/sports-betting/oscars.
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – June 2-8

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
Merkur Gaming is going to participate in this year’s Peru Gaming Show, taking place from June 18 to 19 at the Centro de Convenciones Jockey Plaza in Lima. Representatives from the company’s German headquarters and its local subsidiary, Merkur Gaming Peru, will be on site to present the latest product innovations and engage with customers and visitors alike. The main attraction at the Merkur Gaming stand will be the linked progressive jackpot system Clash Link. This system stands out for its wealth of unique jackpot mechanics, which keep the excitement level consistently high.
PENN Entertainment has launched a new PGA TOUR-branded Blackjack game in New Jersey and Ontario. PGA TOUR Blackjack, now available via online Hollywood Casino in New Jersey and theScore Casino in Ontario, is the first iCasino game featuring PGA TOUR branding across any platform. PGA TOUR Blackjack, created by PENN’s in-house game development studio, PENN Game Studios, offers classic blackjack gameplay, plus poker and pairs side bets. The golf-themed table features official PGA TOUR logos, custom playing cards, chips and golf-themed celebrations. The new title is available on the standalone Hollywood Casino and theScore Casino platforms and is also accessible through ESPN BET in New Jersey and theScore BET in Ontario.
International Game Technology PLC announced the launch of IGT PlayDigital’s MEGA VAULT offering – a new innovation on its player engagement solution. Powered by the IGT PlayDigital Engagement Platform, a customisable suite of player engagement tools, MEGA VAULT brings together its industry-renowned engagement tools—Prize Drops, Leaderboards, Marketing Jackpots and more—into a single promotional experience. Designed to maximise excitement, engagement and rewards, MEGA VAULT aims to deliver seamless high-impact campaigns that captivate players and drive long-term retention.
Partnerships
Zitro has installed its revolutionary CONCEPT cabinets at the Casino La Cima in Mérida, Yucatán. The CONCEPT cabinets feature the Magic Lighting system, which syncs lights and sound with gameplay for a fully immersive experience, and the largest Screen Deck button panel on the market, offering unmatched comfort and ease of use for players and operators. This launch is backed by some of Zitro’s most successful titles — Fortune Legacy, Legendary Sword and King Fu Frog — all proven crowd favourites known for their engaging mechanics and strong performance.
Aristocrat Interactive, under NeoGames US, signed a six-year contract with the Michigan Lottery to provide its full solution of iLottery product offerings, reaffirming its leadership in the U.S. iLottery industry. Under the contract, from July 2026, Aristocrat Interactive will provide services to the Michigan Lottery for six years, with six additional one-year extension opportunities. The relationship with the Michigan Lottery began in 2014 with the launch of its iLottery programme using NeoGames’ iLottery platform and games. This new deal will provide the Michigan Lottery with eInstant games, draw-based games and add-on offerings produced by Aristocrat Interactive’s NeoGames Studio, along with continuing to leverage the company’s iLottery technology. Aristocrat Interactive will also provide the Michigan Lottery with a new website and mobile application services with Gambyt – a software company specialising in the lottery, casino and sports betting industries.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – June 2-8 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 19-25

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
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions. With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.” Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
The Missouri Gaming Commission has announced that it has officially begun accepting applications for sports betting license. The Commission made the announcement following the unanimous approval of a resolution drafted Tuesday that approved the licensing process. The resolution passed after Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office reviewed it. The licensing period opens roughly six months after Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment legalising sports betting. The measure passed by less than half a percentage point, with a margin of less than 7500 votes.
Underdog Fantasy has relaunched its draft-style daily fantasy sports (DFS) games in New York, nearly two months after it withdrew all of its DFS competitions from the Empire State. The decision to withdraw all DFS contests from New York in March came after a ruling from the New York State Gaming Commission in which the commission determined Underdog was not in line with the state’s current DFS law. An Underdog Fantasy spokesperson confirmed the company is still working under a temporary license. The New York State Gaming Commission agreed to allow the company to offer its draft DFS games with the temporary license. Most DFS companies in New York operate with a temporary license.
New Partnerships
Pollard Banknote Limited has congratulated the West Virginia Lottery on the successful launch of Royal Court Riches, its first eInstant game from the Pollard Digital Games Studio. Royal Court Riches has already demonstrated strong performance in multiple markets—in its first international launch, it achieved that jurisdiction’s highest tickets sold, total sales and gross gaming revenue within its first 30 days of release. Royal Court Riches is the first in a series of games from the Pollard Digital Games Studio slated to launch in West Virginia this year.
SYNOT Games has announced a new partnership with Caliente, one of Mexico’s top gaming platforms. This collaboration marks an exciting expansion for SYNOT Games, as it brings its acclaimed portfolio of gaming content to the Mexican market. It enhances Caliente’s offerings with an extensive array of high-quality slot games such as Respin Joker, Book of Secrets, Realm of Lions and Forest Maiden, designed to captivate players and boost engagement. Caliente with its strong presence in Latin America, is the perfect partner for SYNOT Games’ expansion into the region. The partnership aims to deliver an exceptional gaming experience, combining SYNOT’s visually rich, innovative games with Caliente’s extensive reach and reputation.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 19-25 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 12-18

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
Scientific Games was recognised with three prestigious honours in the 23rd Annual American Business Awards. The global lottery company won two Gold ABA awards for its retail technology, SciQ and PlayCentral Powered by SciQ, in the Operations Management Solutions and Emerging Technology categories, respectively. Scientific Games’ recently retired VP, Instant Game Production, Joe Bennett, earned a Silver ABA Award for Achievement in Management—Manufacturing, recognising his career contributions in secure lottery instant game production. This year, more than 3700 nominations from organisations of all sizes and industries were submitted to the ABAs. Winners were scored by more than 300 professionals worldwide during a rigorous judging process evaluating innovation, integrity, effectiveness, creativity and growth.
MGM Resorts has announced that it has reached a new employment agreement with CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle through December 31, 2028. As part of his new employment contract, the Company has also agreed to offer Hornbuckle an advisory agreement at the end of the term to assist with its integrated resort project in Osaka, Japan until its opening. As CEO, Hornbuckle oversees all aspects of MGM Resorts’ strategy, operations and hospitality and gaming development projects. He leads the company’s global development efforts and its digital gaming strategy.
Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC) has released new insights into the tightening regulatory landscape for sweepstakes-based gaming in the US. Recent moves by lawmakers in New York, Louisiana, and Montana suggest a coordinated push to eliminate or restrict these alternative online gambling models. In New York, Senate Bill 5935, introduced by Sen. Joseph Addabbo, has advanced through the legislative process and targets the operation and supply of sweepstakes-style platforms. The bill specifically addresses platforms that use two forms of digital currency — one of which can be redeemed for real-world prizes — a setup now under scrutiny by state regulators.
New Partnerships
Rush Street Interactive (RSI), in partnership with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), has launched a new initiative called Gaming Literacy Aiding Decisions (GLAD), an innovative programme designed to assist educators in enhancing high school student gaming literacy and promoting that cohort’s responsible relationship with this ever more socially prevalent activity. The GLAD curriculum will initially launch in New Jersey and Delaware where, this spring, RSI and IC360 have been working with educational districts on a speaker series and educator curriculum delivery. These initial efforts will help define success metrics and gather feedback to shape the programme’s future, which will ultimately be available to educators more broadly to curate the content that resonates best with students.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has selected Caesars Entertainment as the Service Provider in the Windsor Casino procurement process. This is the final procurement process in the OLG’s land-based gaming modernisation initiative. Caesars Entertainment and its predecessor companies have partnered with the OLG to operate Caesars Windsor (fka. Casino Windsor) since the opening of the temporary facility in 1994. Caesars Entertainment will assume responsibility for gaming and non-gaming operations of the Windsor casino on behalf of the OLG under a 20-year operating agreement, which is expected to begin in 2026.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 12-18 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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