Gambling in the USA
Illegal Gambling Opponents Call on State, County Health Departments to Order Immediate Shutdown of ‘Games of Skill’ Machines
An advocacy group battling against the explosion of illegal gambling across Pennsylvania is calling for an immediate shutdown of so-called ‘games of skill’ due to public health concerns related to spread of Coronavirus.
The unregulated and illegal machines, which have proliferated in gas stations, corner stores, restaurants, clubs and bars throughout Pennsylvania, pose risk as conduits of the Coronavirus. The National Institutes of Health this week released a study that found that virus that causes coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is stable for several hours to days on surfaces. The scientists found that the virus survives for up to two to three days on plastic and stainless steel.
“At a time in which Pennsylvania casinos have made the difficult but appropriate decision to shut down to protect the health of their patrons, employees, and the public, these machines continue to attract gamblers of all ages,” said Peter Shelly, spokesperson for Pennsylvanians Against Illegal Gambling (PAIG). “You don’t have to be a health expert to know that the extended period of times in which players interact with these machines could accelerate the spread of Coronavirus to some of our most vulnerable citizens.”
PAIG is calling on the Pennsylvania Department of Health as well as county health departments throughout the Commonwealth to order business owners to immediately shut down any machines operating in their establishments.
While Gov. Tom Wolf has ordered the closure of non-essential businesses, many of these machines exist in businesses that remain open because they offer essential products and services. Shelly noted that the Governor’s order (issued on March 19) mandates that “Amusement, Gambling, and Recreation Industries” must close.
Shelly emphasized that the emerging threat underscores the risks associated with unregulated gambling, which likely is being magnified by gamblers having fewer options amid the crisis.
The estimated 20,000 illegal machines operating in Pennsylvania divert revenues from the Pennsylvania Lottery that provide vital programs for older Pennsylvanians as well as casino revenues, a portion of which is distributed to counties for public improvement projects and programs.
Lottery officials recently testified that the machines could divert $200 million in funding this year for senior centers, low-cost prescription drugs, and programs such as Meals on Wheels. Lottery officials estimate that for every games of skill machine placed in a Lottery retailer, the Lottery loses approximately $2,284 per machine per month.
“With casinos shuttered and Pennsylvanians making the wise choice to stay at home we are already facing a perfect-storm scenario that will negatively impact revenues available to help older Pennsylvanians and our communities,” Shelly said. “The continued operation of these machines pose enormous risks to the short-term health of Pennsylvanians and the long-term health and stability of the entire Commonwealth.”
SOURCE: Pennsylvanians Against Illegal Gambling
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
Global esports organisation Gen.G announced their acquisition of YOUR.GG, a data analysis and networking platform for League of Legends players. This partnership comes as a new method for Gen.G to enhance the Gen.G Global Academy experience for students in the programme.
FanDuel TV, the cable television network from leading online gaming company FanDuel, announced the launch of “FanDuel TV Extra,” a free ad-supported streaming television (FAST) channel. “FanDuel TV Extra” is currently available on a variety of streaming platforms including Pluto TV, The Roku Channel, Xumo Play, Plex, and through FanDuel’s own OTT platform FanDuel TV+.
EPIC Global Solutions have completed a hat-trick of wins at the prestigious SBC Awards North America, having been named as the event’s “Player Protection Service Provider of the Year” for a third year in a row. The globally-leading specialists in mitigating gambling-related harm were recognised once again at the New York ceremony, at an event that acknowledges excellence across all aspects of the gambling industry across North America.
Pragmatic Play is set to participate in CGS Santiago this month, as the provider seeks further inroads across the continent. The provider is also the standalone Diamond Sponsor at the event, which takes place at Espacio Riesco in the country’s capital, Santiago, on May 29 and 30.
Circa Sports has expanded its operations into Kentucky with the launch of its popular mobile betting app. Debuting via a licensing agreement with ECL Corbin LLC at its Cumberland Run harness track, the brand will take the highest betting limits in the industry along with offering tight money line splits, transparent odds, exceptional customer service and more.
Partnerships
Motorsport Games Inc. announced the launch of RaceControl.gg, a new dedicated platform designed to enhance player engagement with the latest news, updates, tips and tricks its most recent game, Le Mans Ultimate. As part of this exciting initiative, Motorsport Games has partnered with Coach Dave Academy to manage the content and development of RaceControl.gg. Under this partnership, Coach Dave Academy (CDA), renowned for their expertise in creating car setups in racing simulations, will curate and manage the content on RaceControl.gg, ensuring fans and players have access to the most relevant and useful information.
NetBet has announced that it will expand NetBet Mexico’s library of games with the addition of IGT PlayDigital titles. While there will be many exciting games from IGT PlayDigital that will be made available for NetBet Mexico customers, the library of new titles will be led by omnichannel player-favourite IGT PlayDigital games such as Cleopatra, DaVinci Diamonds and Golden Goddess.
Brazilian football club Vasco da Gama and Betfair, one of the largest online sports betting companies in the world, announced the biggest sponsorship agreement in the club’s history. The contract is valid until December 31, 2025, with the possibility of renewal for two more seasons. The company’s brand will be displayed in the men’s team’s master property, and includes the inclusion of Betfair on the shoulder blade of the women’s team’s shirts, in addition to exclusive official digital content from Legítimo Clube do Povo.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 13-19 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
The three Detroit casinos reported $109.44 million in monthly aggregate revenue (AGR) for the month of April 2024, of which $107.87 million was generated from table games and slots, and $1.57 million from retail sports betting.
The April market shares were:
- MGM, 46%
- MotorCity, 30%
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown, 24%
Monthly Table Games, Slot Revenue, and Taxes
The casinos’ revenue for table games and slots for the month of April 2024 decreased 1.6% when compared to the same month last year. April’s monthly revenue was 11.8% lower when compared to the previous month, March 2024. From Jan. 1 through April 30, the Detroit casinos’ table games and slots revenue decreased by 1.6% compared to the same period last year.
The casinos’ monthly gaming revenue results were mixed compared to April of last year:
- MGM, down 0.7% to $49.86 million
- MotorCity, down 4.5% to $32.68 million
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown, up 0.6% to $25.33 million
In April 2024, the three Detroit casinos paid $8.74 million in gaming taxes to the State of Michigan. They paid $8.88 million for the same month last year. The casinos also reported submitting $12.8 million in wagering taxes and development agreement payments to the City of Detroit in April.
Monthly Retail Sports Betting Revenue and Taxes
The three Detroit casinos reported $15.28 million in total retail sports betting handle, and total gross receipts were $1.57 million for the month of April. Retail sports betting qualified adjusted gross receipts (QAGR) were up by $1.5 million in April when compared to the same month last year. Compared to March 2024, April QAGR was down by 1.7%.
April QAGR by casino was:
- MGM: $475,492
- MotorCity: $516,812
- Hollywood Casino at Greektown: $578,131
During April, the casinos paid $59,362 in gaming taxes to the state and reported submitting $72,554 in wagering taxes to the City of Detroit based on their retail sports betting revenue.
Fantasy Contests
For March 2024, fantasy contest operators reported total adjusted revenues of $494,162 and paid taxes of $41,510.
CogniPlay has today announced the official launch of their new software product, which aims to provide a robust online sweepstakes or social gaming platform to their clients.The system is designed to be modular, allowing customers to tailor their brand and offering to what they believe will give them optimal performance.
The rise of sweepstake casinos in the US is continuing to gather pace and many companies from real money gaming are investigating the business model and the potentially lucrative revenue opportunity. With no standout platform solution currently on the market, CogniPlay looks to serve clients a full white label style solution with every detail taken care of. Brands like Chumba and Pulsz are already seeing tremendous success and CogniPlay gives an extremely efficient route to market for potential new sweepstake casino owners.
The CogniPlay system has several key integrations which help to deliver the product, including games integrations with the likes of Pragmatic Play, BetSoft, Mascot Gaming and many more, giving them 100s of games for their clients. There are other integration options for their customers to pick from too, including affiliate programme software, CRM platforms and associated products, KYC, ID verification, Geo-IP systems, Gamification, and customer support.
They also have a very long and extensive development pipeline which will see the product offering develop at pace, giving clients an extensive list of options and USPs, and of course giving players a great user experience as a result.
As well as the platform itself the CogniPlay team, due to their considerable experience, also offer a whole host of managed services, with almost a menu that clients can choose from to fill any gaps in their own skillsets or experience.
It is also this experience that CogniPlay hopes to utilise to great effect to provide industry-leading client management to build successful relationships and partnerships with their clients. CogniPlay’s Chief Executive Officer Allan Turner said, “We are very proud to take the CogniPlay product to market and are excited that people who want to start a new social or sweeps brand can get in touch with us to see what we can do for them, or in fact established brands that are unhappy with their existing provider.
Our underlying principles are that we want to provide the most flexible platform in the space, to enable our clients to create the product they want to have, not for us to dictate the product to them. The two other main areas of focus are that we want to be the most future-proof product on the market with plans for any regulatory or legal changes that may arise in the future, and that we have all the right safeguards in place to ensure that we look after both our clients and players with our responsible gaming setup.
This of course means having the right tech and processes in the key areas of KYC, Geo-IP tech, anti-money laundering, fraud, risk assessment and ID verification.”
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