Gambling in the USA
LEGAL SPORTSBOOKS IN INDIANA TO JOIN NEW JERSEY AT THE MOVIES WITH ODDS ON 92ND ACADEMY AWARDS
Indiana Gaming Commission opens door for sportsbooks to bank on Oscars interest, according to PlayUSA.com
Sportsbooks in Indiana have joined New Jersey as the only states 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, both Indiana and New Jersey will be 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 PlayIndiana.com, as well as a movie historian who earned a master’s degree in Film and Media Studies from Indiana University Bloomington and a bachelor’s in Cinema-TV Critical Studies from the University of Southern California. “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. Now that the Indiana Gaming Commission has authorized betting on the Oscars at the state’s sportsbooks, which happened on Wednesday, Hoosier State bettors will have the same chance.
The Indiana operations of FanDuel and DraftKings are expected to be the first in Indiana to offer odds in the state, but more will likely follow.
“It is exciting that Indiana has opened the doors to Oscars betting,” Welman said. “The Academy Awards will likely only generate a fraction of the bets of the NFL’s big game, but the interest should still be significant. For Indiana bettors, it will make a fun and new way to enjoy the Oscars.”
DraftKings in New Jersey became the first sportsbook to post the Oscars, followed by FOX Bet, and more are expected soon. DraftKings New Jersey 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 polarizing 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.”
Bettor Capital leads the round as Xpoint accelerates product development and global deployment
Xpoint, a leading geolocation and compliance technology partner to the online real‑money gaming industry, today announced a fresh investment round led by existing investor Bettor Capital.
The capital will fast‑track Xpoint’s R&D roadmap and expand its product and engineering teams, accelerating delivery of next‑generation capabilities to operators worldwide.
Built for gaming from the ground up, Xpoint’s adaptable platform combines fast, accurate precision geofencing with advanced fraud detection to stop spoofing, block unauthorized wagers, and surface suspicious activity in real time, helping operators launch and scale confidently in online real-money gaming markets.
With flexible integration and rapid deployment tailored to sportsbook, iCasino, lottery, DFS, and sweepstakes use cases, Xpoint provides audit ready compliance automation across multi state and international markets. The platform also offers unique, patent-pending algorithms at jurisdictional borders to protect revenues and reduce player friction and drop off.
Xpoint’s recent momentum includes successful active and pending deployments with leading brands such as bet365 and PrizePicks in North America, with more to be announced soon. Xpoint is also live with clients in Brazil and the UAE, including the UAE Lottery and Play971, the first regulated online gaming and sports betting entity in the region.
“This new funding lands at the perfect time for our growth,” said Manu Gambhir, CEO of Xpoint. “We’re scaling up our teams to ship a wave of new capabilities that help operators defeat location spoofing, streamline compliance, and convert more good users—without compromising on precision, scale, or speed.”
“We are delighted to significantly increase our commitment to Xpoint to accelerate product development and deployment”, added David VanEgmond, Founder and Managing Partner at Bettor Capital, “In this industry, robust regulatory and compliance technology is absolutely essential, and Xpoint has proven to consistently deliver substantial value to a growing roster of real-money online gaming operators.”
New Jersey–based Bettor Capital is a venture capital firm specializing in early‑stage investments in technology companies within the real‑money online gaming ecosystem. Bettor Capital was among Xpoint’s first institutional backers and has increased its investment over time.
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Andrzej Hyla Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan
Wazdan strengthens US footprint with launch on Caesars Entertainment’s online casino platforms in West Virginia
Wazdan today announced it has strengthened its North American presence with a new launch in West Virginia across Caesars Entertainment’s marquee online casino platforms, including Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino.
Facilitated by the Light & Wonder aggregation platform, the collaboration sees Wazdan titles go live on Caesars’ online gaming platforms serving players across the Mountain State.
West Virginia players can now access a selection of Wazdan’s top-performing releases, including 9 Coins
Grand Gold Edition, Magic Spins and Hot Slot: 777 Crown, alongside the supplier’s signature engagement-boosting mechanics such as Cash Infinity, Hold the Jackpot and Sticky to Infinity, with each designed to elevate entertainment and deliver measurable growth for operators.
The latest expansion marks another key step for Wazdan in North America, following successful deployments across Michigan, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and earlier entries into West Virginia.
Andrzej Hyla, Chief Commercial Officer at Wazdan, said: “Launching with Caesars Entertainment in West Virginia is a fantastic achievement for our team and a pivotal moment in our US strategy.
“Caesars is one of the most recognisable names in gaming and bringing our top titles to their online casino brands, via Light & Wonder, allows us to further broaden our reach while delivering the innovative experiences players have come to expect from Wazdan.”
Ricardo Cornejo Rivas, Vice President of Online Gaming at Caesars Digital, said: “Introducing Wazdan’s popular slot titles to our online casino players in West Virginia furthers our continued commitment to providing the best possible user experience.
“This addition expands our library of premium titles, which we look forward to offering across our online casino platforms in the Mountain State.”
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Partnership sees leading branded content and popular Jackpot Royale integrated into Delaware North’s Betly online casino in the Mountain State
White Hat Studios, the “House of Brands” provider to the United States iGaming market, has partnered with Delaware North to launch on its Betly mobile sportsbook and casino in West Virginia.
The leading provider aims to build its online casino offering with the addition of the industry’s top-performing games.
Betly players in West Virginia will now have access to White Hat Studios’ acclaimed portfolio of premium branded titles, including Ted, The Goonies, and the award-winning 7s Fire Blitz series.
Also included in the rollout are the popular Jackpot Royale and Jackpot Royale Express progressive jackpot networks, currently live across more than 40 titles, and the first Betly-branded iCasino game – Betly Player’s Choice Blackjack.
Designed to elevate player engagement and boost retention, the addition of these promotional tools adds another layer of excitement to the Betly casino offering.
White Hat Studios has made significant strides in its U.S. growth trajectory since launching in 2021, consistently delivering high-performing content across multiple states. West Virginia remains a key market for the provider, following its remarkable success in all seven regulated U.S. iGaming states.
The collaboration represents another major step in White Hat Studios’ expansion across regulated U.S. states and reinforces its reputation as a go-to content partner for forward-thinking operators.
Daniel Lechner, SVP Sales and Marketing at White Hat Studios, said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with Delaware North on the Betly online casino app in West Virginia.
“This partnership reflects our ongoing commitment to delivering top-tier content quickly and seamlessly to operators across the U.S. With our portfolio of fan-favorite branded titles and innovative features like Jackpot Royale, we’re confident we’ll make an immediate impact for Betly and its players.”
Bob Akeret, General Manager for Betly, added: “We’re excited to welcome White Hat Studios onto our Betly platform in West Virginia. Their reputation for delivering engaging, high-quality games, especially branded content, makes them an ideal partner as we continue to elevate our casino experience.”
The post White Hat Studios launches with Betly mobile sportsbook and casino in West Virginia appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry Newsroom.
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