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PlayUSA.com: NCAA Tournament likely the first $1 billion event

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The 2021 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament will almost certainly be the first sporting event in U.S. history to draw more than $1 billion in legal wagering and could approach $1.5 billion, according to projections from PlayUSA, the leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. But without data from last year following the cancellation of the 2020 NCAA Tournament, and a regulated sports betting landscape that has radically changed from 2019, predicting precisely just how much in wagering March Madness will generate is nearly impossible, PlayUSA cautions.

“The 2021 NCAA Tournament will be the most widely bet-on sporting event in U.S. history,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for PlayUSA.com. “The popularity of the NCAA Tournament combined with such a high number of games typically makes March Madness the largest sports betting holiday each year in terms of handle, and there is no reason to suspect that won’t be the case this year. But the number of legal sports betting markets has more than tripled since 2019 and we are still in the midst of a pandemic that could slow retail sportsbooks. Those reasons alone make this year difficult to predict.”

The last time the NCAA Tournament was played in 2019, bettors in seven states could place a wager legally. Those seven states, which includes today’s three largest markets, New Jersey, Nevada, and Pennsylvania, as well as Delaware, Mississippi, Rhode Island, and West Virginia, managed to generate an estimated $440 million in bets, or about 40% of the nation’s overall handle in March, according to PlayUSA.

Now with 20 states and Washington D.C. offering some form of legal sports betting, the U.S. landscape has shifted dramatically. That includes most of the nation’s largest markets behind the Top 3, including Illinois, Indiana, Colorado, Tennessee, and Michigan. And Pennsylvania, now the nation’s third-largest market, launched online sports betting after the 2019 tournament.

Today, an adult population of about 86 million can now bet legally in their home states. In 2019, about 26 million adults enjoyed access to legal sportsbooks in their home states.

“The Super Bowl draws the most bets for a single game, but March Madness and its 60+ games should more than double what the Super Bowl draws,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayUSA.com. “But the dramatic expansion of legal markets, as well as the exponential growth within each market, means more people will have an opportunity to bet on the NCAA Tournament than ever before. And that will produce an eye-popping handle number that could reach $1.5 billion.”

2021 also brings multiple factors that will be unique to this year’s tournament. For one, pandemic-related restrictions are still in place in some legal jurisdictions, and most bettors may still be hesitant to make a bet indoors. That could have a significant effect on event-driven markets like Nevada, which relies on retail betting far more than in most of its largest rivals. New Jersey, for instance, accepts about 90% of its bets online, and PlayUSA projects that the Garden State could draw more than $300 million in NCAA Tournament bets this year, more than any other state.

In addition, for the first time in history every game of the NCAA Tournament will be played in a legal sports jurisdiction. With so many games being played locally, that jurisdiction, Indiana, has the potential to far outperform what would normally be expected of the nation’s fifth-largest U.S. sports betting market.

“With so many variables at play, this will be a fascinating NCAA Tournament to watch,” Ramsey said. “We know that the tournament will draw heavy action. But it won’t look like any NCAA Tournament that we have ever seen.” 

For more information on NCAA Tournament betting, visit www.playusa.com/march-madness-betting/.

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St8 launches in Ontario through partnership with Tonybet

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Casino games aggregator and full-service technology provider, St8 has officially gone live in Ontario’s regulated market through a new partnership with international brand Tonybet.

Through the partnership, Tonybet gains access to St8’s casino games aggregation platform, offering a wide range of premium titles from leading providers through a single API, alongside bonusing and promotional tools, compliance and licensing solutions, advanced reporting and data capabilities.

Built as a single scalable platform, St8’s products are designed to help operators launch and grow across regulated markets with fast, flexible technology solutions while maintaining full compliance.

The agreement marks a further step in St8’s global growth strategy as the company continues to expand its presence across regulated jurisdictions.

Vladimir Negine, CEO at St8, said: “Going live in Ontario is an important milestone for St8 and reflects our continued commitment to growth in regulated markets. Since receiving our Ontario licence, we have focused on building strong local partnerships and delivering a platform that combines scalability, speed and compliance.

“As a respected international brand, Tonybet shares our commitment to building reliable solutions for regulated markets, and we look forward to working closely together as we continue to expand our presence in regulated jurisdictions worldwide.”

Kiryl Liudvikevich, Head of Product at Tonybet, added: “As we expand our presence in Ontario, it is important for us to work with technology partners that support continued growth while meeting the highest regulatory standards.

“St8’s platform gives us the flexibility to integrate a wide range of content and tools through a single connection, helping us scale smoothly while maintaining a strong focus on player experience.”

St8 continues to lead the way as a partner of choice for regulated markets. In addition to its Ontario licence, the company holds licences in key regulated jurisdictions like the United Kingdom, Sweden and Romania, among others.

The post St8 launches in Ontario through partnership with Tonybet appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Rivalry Corp. Announces Significant Reduction in Operations and Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives

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Rivalry Corp. announced that its Board of Directors has approved a significant reduction in operating activity as the Company evaluates strategic alternatives in respect of its assets and operations.

The Company is engaged in discussions with third parties regarding potential transactions. However, in light of recent performance volatility, the Board has determined to materially reduce the scale of operations while assessing whether a strategic transaction or other alternative can be advanced.

Effective immediately, the Company is implementing substantial cost reductions, including a significant workforce reduction and reduced operating expenditures. The Company has paused player activity on its platform and is facilitating player withdrawals in the ordinary course.

The Company is assessing a range of potential alternatives, which may include asset-level transactions, corporate transactions, restructuring initiatives or other strategic outcomes.

Given the Company’s reduced operating scale and the ongoing evaluation process, there can be no assurance that any strategic alternative will be completed or that operations will continue in their current form.

The post Rivalry Corp. Announces Significant Reduction in Operations and Evaluation of Strategic Alternatives appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Alex Malchenko

Evoplay Strengthens Canadian Presence with BetMGM Partnership

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Evoplay is celebrating another milestone in its regulated-market journey with a new launch in Ontario, teaming up with BetMGM to bring its games to one of Canada’s most dynamic and competitive jurisdictions.

The rollout introduces 18 Evoplay titles to BetMGM Casino in Ontario, carefully selected to deliver long-term engagement and appeal to a wide range of player preferences. The first wave includes proven performers such as:

• Hot Triple Sevens

• Hot Volcano

• Gold of Sirens Bonus Buy

• Inner Fire Bonus Buy.

These are games that have already demonstrated strong results across multiple regulated markets.

This launch marks another confident step in Evoplay’s Canadian expansion, reinforcing the company’s commitment to aligning its content with local market requirements, player expectations, and regulatory standards.

Alex Malchenko, Head of Sales at Evoplay, said: Ontario continues to set a high standard for regulated online casinos, making it a market where the right partnerships truly matter. Collaborating with BetMGM allows us to expand our reach with a portfolio that has already performed strongly across multiple areas and territories.

Oliver Bartlett, VP of Gaming at BetMGM, said: “Partnering with Evoplay adds a strong selection of proven, high-performing titles to our growing portfolio in Ontario.”

The post Evoplay Strengthens Canadian Presence with BetMGM Partnership appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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