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PlayIllinois.com: Sportsbooks suffer first month-over-month decline, but gain ground on nation’s top markets

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Illinois sportsbooks posted a month-over-month decline in betting volume for the first time since launching in late July, continuing what was a national trend in February. But the state still managed to narrowly surpass Pennsylvania to place third among U.S. states for the month. More concerning for what has been a booming industry in Illinois, though, is the return of in-person registration, which could stymie online sports betting growth for as long as it is in place, according to PlayIllinois, which provides news and analysis of the state’s gaming industry.

“Passing Pennsylvania should be momentous but it is almost certainly going to be short-lived, as the decision to return to in-person registration will likely mean the end of growth for the Illinois sports betting industry,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Open registration has been a key component in making Illinois one of the largest sports betting markets in the country. Forcing people to physically appear in a retail sportsbook is a counterproductive measure, which should be apparent whenever Illinois April data is released.”

With open registration still in place in February, Illinois retail and online sportsbooks attracted $509.8 million in wagers, according to official data released Friday. That is down 12.3% from the record $581.6 million in January, an expected dip with fewer days during the month and only one NFL game to bet. That game, the Super Bowl, drew $45.6 million in bets, though some of those bets were accepted prior to February.

Bettors placed $18.2 million per day in the 28 days of February, which was down slightly from $18.8 million per day in January. Illinois’ relatively modest pullback made it the third-largest U.S. market in terms of money wagered, gaining ground on leaders New Jersey ($743 million) and Nevada ($554.1 million), while topping Pennsylvania ($509.5 million) for the first time.

February’s handle also produced $30.3 million in operator revenue, down 38.7% from the record $49.4 million in January. But the month’s win produced $35.4 million in taxable revenue, which yielded $5.3 million in taxes for the state and another $541,832 in local taxes.

“February’s results in Illinois actually compare well to the other major markets in the U.S., showing that the state had yet to reach its ceiling,” said Joe Boozell, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Even with the return of in-person registration, operators have set a good foundation of bettors that will sustain the industry, even as the rules stunt the market’s growth.”

For the first time in months, retail sportsbooks were open for a full month, attracting $19.6 million in bets. But online betting still drove 96.2%, or $490.2 million, of the state’s handle. That is down from 98.9%, or $575.2 million, in online betting in January.

DraftKings/Casino Queen remained the market leader by accepting $199.8 million in online and retail wagers in February, which was down from the operator’s $244.2 million handle in January but still represented 39.2% of the state’s total handle. $196.5 million of February’s bets came online.

FanDuel/Par-A-Dice Casino was second with its $158.9 million handle, $158.4 million of which came online. The operator’s overall handle was down from $173.5 million in January. BetRivers/Rivers Casino was third with $86.9 million in online betting and $96.4 million overall, down from $112.7 million in January.

The market has also gotten more competitive, most notably from the March 11 launch of Penn National’s Barstool-branded app, which is partnering with Hollywood Casinos. But Barstool’s launch came just weeks before the end of open registration, hamstringing what has been a popular operator in both Pennsylvania and Michigan.

“Barstool had just three weeks to build a customer base in an open environment, which should put it at a permanent disadvantage against the market leaders,” Welman said. “That said, their brand is popular and should draw significant interest, helping to grow the market. It could be the last hurrah, of sorts, as new operators might be deterred by in-person registration.”

In February, Super Bowl betting drove more action than any other single event, of course. But the NBA and college basketball continued to be a popular bet, drawing $256.7 million, or 50.4% of the state’s total handle, even as college basketball betting is slowed by the ban on wagers on in-state college teams. And bettors placed $45.3 million on tennis, a surprising surge for what is a fringe betting sport in much of the U.S.

“Illinois has grown in ways that are typical of most major markets, with an overwhelming preference for major U.S. sports and driven less by single events,” Boozell said. “But tennis’ popularity shows that the state is unique in some ways, too. We will now see how operators adapt to the state’s regulatory decisions, which have created challenges that sportsbooks will have to overcome to grow in the future.”

For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Illinois, visit PlayIllinois.com/news.

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FanDuel Announces New Partnership with Toronto Tempo

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FanDuel has announced a new partnership with the Toronto Tempo, becoming its first official iGaming partner.

This multi-year agreement brings together two brands committed to expanding women’s sports in Canada. Through this collaboration, FanDuel positions itself as the best Sportsbook and Casino for fans to engage with Canada’s women’s team, bringing them closer to the action and women’s basketball than ever before.

“Partnering with the Toronto Tempo in their inaugural season is an exciting opportunity for FanDuel customers and basketball fans. As a company that shares the same passion for community and empowering women’s sports, we are proud to support a new franchise that will celebrate fans and elevate women’s professional sports in Canada,” said Tom Burdakin, Vice President of Marketing at FanDuel.

“One word to describe this partnership is transformative. Welcoming FanDuel marks a significant milestone for our organization as we continue to build Canada’s first WNBA team and deepen fan engagement,” said Lisa Ferkul, Chief Revenue Officer at Toronto Tempo.

FanDuel has had a front row seat to the growth of women’s sports in recent years as a proud official partner of the WNBA. Through this partnership and FanDuel’s best in class WNBA offering, fans can engage in more ways than any other platform from tip-off to buzzer.

As the first Sportsbook and Casino partner, FanDuel and the Toronto Tempo will bring exclusive fan initiatives to FanDuel’s customers, as well as in-arena visibility and digital activations to connect fans with the excitement of the WNBA both on and off the court.

The post FanDuel Announces New Partnership with Toronto Tempo appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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Canadian Lottery Coalition Names Molly Cormier as Executive Director

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The Canadian Lottery Coalition (CLC) announced the appointment of Molly Cormier as Executive Director.

Cormier joins the Coalition from Atlantic Lottery (AL), bringing extensive experience in public relations, marketing, and policy engagement within Canada’s regulated gaming sector. She has worked closely with governments and regulators on responsible gambling and consumer protection, and previously served with the Government of New Brunswick. Her background as a journalist further informs her work at the intersection of regulation, public policy and public accountability. Cormier will lead the CLC’s work with governments, regulators, and industry stakeholders as Canada responds to the rapid growth of online gambling and the policy challenges that have come with it.

Since online single‑event sports betting was legalized in Canada in August 2021 – and accelerated by Ontario’s launch of an open iGaming model in April 2022 – Canadians from coast to coast have experienced a sharp increase in gambling advertising, particularly across live sports, in local sports and entertainment venues, and on digital media. That rapid shift, combined with the continued spread of illegal and unregulated online gambling websites targeting Canadians with misleading advertising and accepting real‑money wagers, is the policy challenge that led provincial lottery corporations to form the Canadian Lottery Coalition in 2021. Established decades ago by their respective provincial governments, these lottery corporations have social purpose at the core of their mandates; prioritizing the prevention of gambling-related harms while generating revenues that fund essential public services and community priorities.

“Molly brings the experience, leadership and judgment the Coalition needs as governments and regulators confront growing challenges around gambling advertising and consumer protection. She understands the urgency of supporting player health, especially in the face of clear gaps in federal law and enforcement,” said Dallas McCready, President and CEO of AL and a member of the CLC Executive Board.

The Canadian Lottery Coalition is a pan-Canadian alliance of provincial lottery corporations – AL, Loto-Québec, Manitoba Liquor and Lotteries, and British Columbia Lottery Corporation – that hold the authority to manage and operate gambling in their respective provinces. The Coalition’s mandate is to collaborate in order to advance a gambling market in Canada where player health is prioritized and protected by strong, enforceable laws; legal gambling is clearly distinguishable from illegal and unregulated offerings; and provincially regulated lotteries continue to deliver social and economic benefit to communities across the country.

“I am pleased to join the Coalition at a time when the need for clear, coordinated national policy to protect player health, especially among young Canadians, has never been greater. My priorities will be to address gaps in federal legislation and regulation related to the promotion and advertising of online gambling, particularly sports betting; respond to the continued proliferation of illegal online gambling websites in Canada; and strengthen collaboration with governments, regulators and industry stakeholders. Canadians should be able to clearly distinguish between legal, accountable gambling options and offshore sites that operate outside Canadian and provincial laws and public safeguards,” said Cormier.

The Coalition will continue to advocate for policy approaches that put responsible gambling, consumer protection and regulatory integrity first. That includes support for Bill S-211, National Framework on Sports Betting Advertising Act, currently making its way through Parliament. The new bill is a meaningful first step that seeks to establish a national framework for sports betting advertising and would help create clearer national guardrails for the promotion and advertising of online gambling throughout Canada.

The Coalition also sees the 2025 Manitoba court decision against Bodog as an important step forward in its mandate. The Court of King’s Bench of Manitoba found that Bodog had no lawful authority to offer or advertise online gambling products and services in Manitoba, a significant win for consumer protection, enforcement and the integrity of Canada’s provincially regulated system. The reasoning of the Court’s decision in Manitoba would apply in every Coalition jurisdiction.

The post Canadian Lottery Coalition Names Molly Cormier as Executive Director appeared first on Americas iGaming & Sports Betting News.

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PointsBet Canada rolls out Bede Gaming aggregation and bonusing platform

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PointsBet Canada has launched a new iCasino aggregation and bonusing platform supplied by Bede Gaming, rolling the solution into its live player environment in Ontario.

The operator said it selected Bede following a competitive process to add external content aggregation and player engagement capabilities for the regulated Canadian iGaming market. PointsBet Canada runs pointsbet.ca on a proprietary platform originally developed by its Australian-based parent company.

Bede’s open-API aggregation platform gives PointsBet Canada access to a broader casino catalogue, with the supplier naming Games Global, Pragmatic Play, Play’n GO and Light & Wonder among the available content providers.

PointsBet Canada said the platform will support its casino strategy through promotion management and campaign tooling, including “advanced campaign workflows, and automated player lifecycle segmentation.” Bede also said it will provide “a reliable infrastructure with 99.99% uptime, and 24/7 monitoring from its Network Operations Centre.”

“Our strategy emphasizes delivering outstanding digital content that creates exceptional player engagement,” said Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer of PointsBet Canada. “I’m excited by the innovative tools we now have available with Bede. This partnership positions us strongly in Ontario and prepares us for future growth across additional Canadian markets.”

Bede said the deal is multi-year and includes a roadmap for potential future provincial launches, “including Alberta, as new regulated markets emerge in Canada.”

The post PointsBet Canada rolls out Bede Gaming aggregation and bonusing platform appeared first on Eastern European Gaming | Global iGaming & Tech Intelligence Hub.

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