Gambling in the USA
PlayIllinois.com says launch of sports betting first step in what could be $10B-a-year industry
Illinois officially has joined the ever-growing list of legal sports jurisdictions in the U.S. with the launch of BetRivers Sportsbook at Rivers Casino in Des Plaines, and by doing so took the first step in what could be one of the largest markets in the U.S.
If the Illinois market fully matures — which would have to include the widespread launch of online sports betting — the state could generate from $9 billion to $11 billion in wagers annually and $650 million in operator gross revenue, according to projections from PlayIllinois.com, which tracks regulated online and retail gaming in the state.
“Illinois’ potential is enormous, but it has a long way to go to become a major player relative to the largest markets in the U.S.,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst at PlayIllinois.com. “Launching the industry is obviously a momentous first step. But because of regulatory roadblocks to online sports betting, it will be years before Illinois can enjoy the same kind of boom that we’ve seen in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Indiana.”
On Monday, Illinois became the 15th state to allow legal sports betting. Of those, only New York and Pennsylvania have a larger population from which to draw. And Illinois’ retail sportsbook market is expected to ramp up quickly, with five more expected to open soon, including sportsbooks at Argosy Casino Alton, Hollywood Casino Aurora, Hollywood Casino Joliet, Grand Victoria Casino in Elgin, and Par-A-Dice Hotel Casino in East Peoria. Fairmont Park Racetrack in Collinsville, near St. Louis, has also been approved for a temporary operating permit.
Significant hurdles remain, though, particularly for online sports betting, which isn’t expected to launch until later this year. And when it does launch it will require in-person registration for mobile accounts.
The Illinois law, passed in December, allows for three “stand-alone” mobile operators such as DraftKings and FanDuel. But because of the state’s in-person registration requirement, those would-be operators will not be able to accept a bet for at least 18 months. And with a hefty $20 million fee to obtain one of those three licenses, it’s not clear which operators will apply.
“Illinois’ high licensing fees for online operators and its in-person registration requirements will undoubtedly stunt the growth of the industry,” Gouker said. “Even with the high fees, the appeal of the Illinois market will eventually be too much to resist for the country’s largest operators. But neighbor Indiana will be able to continue to cash in on the Chicago market until Illinois gets up to speed.”
Online sports betting is by far the most significant revenue driver in the major U.S. markets. In New Jersey, which has quickly grown to become the country’s largest market, 87% of all sports bets in January were made online. By contrast, Rhode Island, which put in place a similar in-person registration requirement as Illinois, draws just 15% of its bets from online sources.
Illinois’ 10 existing casinos, three racetracks, and as many as seven sports venues are eligible to apply to open retail sportsbooks. Those sportsbooks will also be able to set up mobile sports betting apps.
“The Illinois model isn’t ideal, but for Illinois bettors today is unquestionably a good day,” Gouker said. “Most of the state’s residents should be able to place a bet in relatively close proximity. And that is much better than the alternative.”
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Illinois, visit PlayIllinois.com/news.
AI-driven gaming analytics
Chris Barranco Joins Quick Custom Intelligence as Director of Business Development
Quick Custom Intelligence (QCI), a leading provider of AI-driven analytics and enterprise solutions for the gaming and hospitality industry, today announced the addition of Chris Barranco as Director of Business Development.
Barranco brings 25 years of experience leading high-performing teams, driving revenue, and building durable client relationships. He is adept at solution-selling methodology and full sales-cycle management, with a proven track record of mentoring top-tier account executives, delivering high-impact presentations, and retaining key accounts. Known for a tenacious approach to new-business development and customer loyalty, Barranco will focus on expanding QCI’s market footprint, strengthening the partner ecosystem, and advancing go-to-market execution across QCI’s product portfolio.
“I’m excited to join the clear market leader and work with the exceptional team at QCI,” said Chris Barranco, Director of Business Development at QCI. “QCI’s commitment to turning data into action aligns perfectly with my approach to helping customers achieve measurable revenue impact. I look forward to working closely with our clients and partners to accelerate growth and deliver exceptional outcomes.”
“We’re delighted to welcome an industry veteran of Chris’s caliber to the QCI team,” said Andrew Cardno, CTO and Co-Founder of QCI. “His leadership, mastery of solution selling, and passion for customer success will further strengthen our ability to scale, deepen client relationships, and deliver the operational results our customers expect.”
As Director of Business Development, Barranco will lead initiatives to expand QCI’s presence across key markets, refine sales enablement programs, and collaborate with product and customer success teams to ensure a seamless path from discovery to measurable value realization.
The post Chris Barranco Joins Quick Custom Intelligence as Director of Business Development appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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
SA Gaming has announced that its game portfolio and Remote Gaming Server have officially obtained Gaming Laboratories International certifications in Brazil. This milestone underscores SA Gaming’s commitment to delivering premium gaming experiences, with a particular focus on the Brazilian market. The regulated Brazilian online gaming market, which launched on January 1, 2025, is projected to become the largest in Latin America. Under the new framework, only licensed operators are legally permitted to offer online gaming and betting services.
The National Indian Gaming Commission announced Gross Gaming Revenues of $43.9B for fiscal year 2024. This historic figure reflects a $2.0 billion increase over FY 2023, representing an overall growth of 4.6% across the Indian gaming industry. The GGR figure is calculated from independently audited financial statements from 532 independently audited gaming operations owned by 243 federally recognised tribes across 29 states. Two NIGC regions, Oklahoma City and Washington, D.C., reported double-digit growth over the previous fiscal year.
The Michigan Gaming Control Board has issued cease-and-desist letters to six unlicensed online gambling platforms attempting to target Michigan residents without state authorisation. The action underscores the MGCB’s relentless, ongoing efforts to shut down illegal gambling operations and protect Michigan consumers from financial risk, identity theft and unfair play. The targeted sites—Crypto Slots, NitroBetting, NewVegas, Las Vegas USA Casino, Grand Rush Casino and Slotgard Casino—were found to be operating in violation of Michigan laws that require licensure for internet gaming and sports betting. This enforcement action is part of the MGCB’s larger crackdown on illegal online gambling platforms.
Partnerships
Table Trac Inc announced that a new Nevada casino partner is installing the CasinoTrac CMS system, and a long-time customer is upgrading from its classic system to the latest comprehensive technology stack featuring enhanced capabilities for Loyalty, Bonusing, & Operations. Barton’s Club 93 Casino Hotel, under new ownership, GLM Gaming, as part of a significant property remodel and renovation is upgrading the slot system to CasinoTrac’s high-speed, Secure, Unified and Stable PlayerLINQ network, which drives player engagement through the programmatic, custom SlotSUITE platform while turbocharging efficiency and time on device with SelfPAY. Border Inn Casino will deploy CasinoTrac’s high-speed, Secure, Unified and Stable PlayerLINQ network, NV Tech Standard 3-compliant accounting and CTLoyalty for Patron & Club Management, powered by CasinoTrac’s bonusing, auto-tiering and reflexive rewards functions.
Caesars Entertainment Inc announced it is the first in the industry to launch IGT’s newest installment of its beloved slot title, Kitty Glitter Grand. The game is now live across Caesars Palace Online Casino, Horseshoe Online Casino, and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Michigan, West Virginia, and Ontario. It’s also available at Caesars Rewards destinations in Atlantic City, including Caesars and Harrah’s, with Tropicana set to join the lineup soon, subject to final regulatory approval. This debut marks IGT’s first simultaneous exclusive launch of a game both online and in casinos in the US. As a result, Caesars is currently the only place where fans of the Kitty Glitter franchise can experience this latest installment, whether in person or online.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – August 4-10 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
ALT Sports Data, the global leader in engagement solutions and official data for emerging sports, has appointed Neale Deeley as SVP of Sportsbook. Deeley brings over two decades of industry experience and a proven track record of driving innovation and commercial growth in sports wagering. In his new role, Deeley will lead the company’s global sports betting strategy, spearheading market expansion, deepening operator partnerships and accelerating the monetization of emerging sports through regulated betting markets. He will work closely with sportsbooks and gaming partners to build scalable betting products that delivers unique fan engagement opportunities and new revenue streams across ASD’s portfolio of exclusive sports properties.
SEGG Media Corporation, a leading technology company transforming the global intersection of sports, entertainment and gaming, has selected IBN, a multifaceted financial news and publishing company serving private and public entities, to spearhead its corporate communications efforts. SEGG Media aims to deliver immersive, real-time experiences through next-generation technology that redefines how audiences interact with their favorite content and communities. Following a full-scale corporate transformation and rebrand, the company now operates across three high-growth verticals: Sports.com, Entertainment and Lottery.com.
Partnerships
Amusnet Brasil has announced the official go live of its partnership with Cactus Gaming, a B2B platform serving some of the leading operators in the Brazilian market. With this integration, the game provider adds 25 new operators to its distribution network, further expanding its reach through a structure aligned with the regulated market. With operations now underway, Cactus clients gain access to a robust portfolio and features that enhance the end-user experience. Among the featured games now live are the fun and dynamic Coin Gobbler, the immersive Cavemen and Dinosaurs, and titles that have proven their success in multiple markets, such as Rise of Ra, Cocktail Dice and 7 & Crystals.
TaDa Gaming has signed a new partnership with EveryMatrix for further exposure in the North American iGaming market through its B2B aggregator platform SlotMatrix. Powered by EveryMatrix, SlotMatrix offers effortless integration of premium content across global platforms for boosted revenue and game offering. Following its parent company’s 2022 signing with BetMGM, the leading iGaming operator in the US, SlotMatrix has built a solid reputation with BetMGM players who will now be able to access TaDa content, beginning with latest Triluck release, 3 Coins Treasure, across the states of Michigan and Pennsylvania.
Mission Media AI, a next-generation cross-platform distribution and monetization company, has announced a strategic partnership with VsiN. The partnership strengthens Mission Media’s growing footprint in the sports space and unlocks new revenue opportunities for VsiN across their multitude of consumer touch points, including 8 regional sports networks, YouTube TV, SiriusXM channel 158, more than 20 weekly podcasts, streaming audio station, website and an app available for mobile and connected devices like iOS, Roku, Fire TV, Samsung, Google Play and LG. VsiN delivers real-time, actionable sports betting content from some of the most respected and trusted voices in the industry. Mission Media AI will scale VsiN’s monetization strategy, enabling premium access for advertisers looking to reach an engaged, data-driven audience.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – July 21-27 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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