Gambling in the USA
Kambi partners make same week market-first launches in Illinois and Michigan
Global sports betting supplier enables Rush Street Interactive and Penn National Gaming to take the first legal wagers in the Prairie and Wolverine States respectively
Leading global sports betting supplier Kambi has continued its US expansion with two historic on-property launches in three days, enabling partners Rush Street Interactive (RSI) and Penn National Gaming (PNG) to take the first legal wagers in the states of Illinois and Michigan respectively.
The launch with PNG at its Greektown Casino in Michigan took place on Wednesday afternoon, with the US state becoming the 10th in which the Kambi Sportsbook is live, as well as the eighth state where Kambi has enabled partners to be first out of the gate.
Situated in Detroit, the largest city in the midwestern state of Michigan, and home to NFL franchise Detroit Lions, the Greektown Sportsbook has been fitted with 40 Kambi kiosks and four betting windows.
On Monday, RSI took the first legal sports bet in Illinois, with former Chicago Blackhawk Eddy Olczyk placing the ceremonial opening wager at the new Rivers Casino Sportsbook, which consists of 30 kiosks and five betting windows.
Illinois is one of the largest states in the US, with a population of approximately 13 million and home to some of the country’s most popular professional sports teams, including the NFL’s Chicago Bears, NBA’s Chicago Bulls and the MLB’s Chicago White Sox.
An online launch in Illinois will take place later this year while we await enabling online legislation in Michigan.
RSI and PNG both have access to Kambi’s price differentiation tool, providing the ability to alter margin and lines offered by jurisdiction, sport, league and match, right down to offer level, giving operators full control over their pricing strategy.
The two sportsbooks will also benefit from Kambi’s market-leading kiosks, which have been proven to drive handle, boost cross-sell and reduce waiting times at the betting windows. On average, three in every four on-property bets are placed via a Kambi kiosk.
Kambi Chief Commercial Officer, Max Meltzer, said: “Kambi’s record for quality and swift delivery is central to our ongoing US progress, and we are delighted to have powered two more market firsts for our partners.
“When people look back at this historic period of legalising sports wagering across the US, they will see Kambi was the supplier powering the most firsts and our partners becoming the market leaders in their respective states. It’s all encompassed in our Partner with Confidence strategy.”
Prior to the market firsts in Illinois and Michigan, Kambi partners took the first legal online bets in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Indiana and New Hampshire, alongside the first legal bet in New York State and launching on day one in Iowa.
executive-moves
Yaspa hires Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales
Yaspa has appointed US fintech and gaming executive Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales, as the company pushes further into North America. The company said Fears will be based in its Atlanta office and will lead strategic commercial growth across the region.
Yaspa said Fears will focus on working with gaming operators to modernise payment experiences using real-time bank payments and transaction intelligence, and will work with its US and global commercial leadership teams to scale partnerships and adoption.
Fears brings more than 18 years of experience across payments, fintech, SaaS, and AML compliance in the gaming sector, according to Yaspa. His previous roles include senior positions at Kinectify, First Data Corporation, Glory Global Solutions, DiTronics Financial Services, NEXGEN Technology, and CASINOMONEY. Yaspa also noted he is a United States Air Force veteran.
James Neville, CEO of Yaspa, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Justin to the team as we accelerate our footprint in the US market. His deep operational understanding of gaming-focused financial infrastructure, compliance technologies, and enterprise sales leadership makes him an incredible asset. Justin’s appointment further strengthens our local team and underscores our commitment to helping North American operators lower costs, reduce fraud, and elevate the player experience through open banking.”
Fears said: “I’m excited to join Yaspa at such an important stage in the company’s growth journey. The combination of open banking, innovative payment solutions, and intelligent transaction data represents a significant opportunity within the US iGaming market, particularly as operators continue to prioritise player experience, fraud reduction, and payment efficiency. Yaspa has built an innovative platform uniquely positioned to support the evolving needs of regulated operators, and I look forward to helping expand the company’s presence and strategic partnerships across the US.”
Yaspa said it was named winner of the Real-Time Payments Innovation award at the 2025 Payments Awards and was included in the CB Insights Top 100 Fintechs list in the past 12 months. The company also referenced a $12m investment round in July led by Discerning Capital, and said it has opened a new Atlanta office and a tech hub in Leeds, UK, in August 2025.
The post Yaspa hires Justin Fears as US Director, Enterprise Sales appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Compliance Updates
Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence
Incentive Games has been granted an interim gaming licence in Pennsylvania by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, effective immediately. The approval allows the B2B supplier to offer its real-money gaming products to licensed operators in the state.
The Pennsylvania approval follows Incentive Games’ licensing in Michigan in 2025, as the company continues to expand across regulated North American markets.
Incentive Games said the Pennsylvania licence gives it access to one of the most established and competitive US iGaming markets, where compliance and player protection requirements are tightly enforced.
Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games, said, “Being granted an interim licence in Pennsylvania is a huge achievement for our business and a strong endorsement of our regulatory approach. It strengthens our position in North America and supports our ambition to grow through trusted partnerships in regulated markets. We look forward to working with operators in Pennsylvania to deliver high-quality real-money gaming experiences to their players.”
The post Incentive Games wins interim Pennsylvania gaming licence appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.
Detroit casinos
Detroit Casinos Report $118.87M in April Revenue
Detroit’s three commercial casinos reported $118.87 million in aggregate revenue (AGR) for April 2026. Table games and slots generated $118.03 million, while retail sports betting produced $837,397 in qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR).
April market shares were:
• MGM, 49%
• MotorCity, 29%
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 22%
Table Games and Slot Revenue
April 2026 table games and slot revenue increased 7.8% compared with April 2025 and 5.8% from March 2026. For the period January 1 through April 30, revenue was up by 1.4% year-over-year.
Casino-level results compared with April 2025 were:
• MGM: up 14.3% to $58.42 million
• MotorCity: up 3.2% to $34.13 million
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: up 0.8% to $25.48 million
The casinos paid $9.6 million in state gaming taxes in April, compared with $8.9 million in April 2025. They also reported submitting $14.0 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit.
Retail Sports Betting Revenue
Detroit casinos reported $8.74 million in total retail sports betting handle for April. Total gross receipts were $868,546. QAGR increased by $520,859 from April 2025 and 3.3% from March 2026.
April QAGR by casino:
• MGM: $78,681
• MotorCity: $234,997
• Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $523,719
The casinos paid $31,654 in state taxes and submitted $38,688 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on April retail sports betting activity.
Fantasy Contests
For March 2026, fantasy contest operators reported $448,069 in adjusted revenues and paid $37,638 in taxes.
The post Detroit Casinos Report $118.87M in April Revenue appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.
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