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PlayIllinois.com: Sports betting drops, but Illinois still claims nation’s No. 2 market in April
Illinois became the nation’s No. 2 market despite suffering the steepest month-over-month decline in sports betting volume in the young market’s history, joining New Jersey as the only states with an April handle of more than $500 million. The decline in wagering was in line with a typical seasonal slowdown in sports betting that affected nearly every U.S. market, and less than expected with the return of in-person registration on April 4, according to analysts from PlayIllinois, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.
“Without the NFL or a major sports betting holiday like March Madness a decline in April was a near certainty,” said Joe Boozell, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “The Illinois market faced a double-whammy with the return of in-person registration, which will eventually eat away at the market’s ceiling even if it hasn’t dramatically impacted handle yet. And there is no easy solution to that without a legislative fix.”
Betting at Illinois’ retail and online sportsbooks fell 15.2% to $537.2 million in April from the record $633.6 million in March, according to official data released Wednesday. Betting volume in April dropped to $17.3 million per day over the 31 days of the month from $20.4 million per day in March.
April’s handle created $43.6 million in adjusted gross revenue, down from $44.3 million in March, yielding $6.5 million in state taxes and more than $527,100 in local taxes. The state has now produced $4.1 billion in wagering since sports betting launched in 2020.
All but one U.S. legal sports betting jurisdiction reported a month-over-month decline in April wagering, including the 10 largest markets. Illinois’s decline was more than New Jersey (-13%), Tennessee (-13.6%), and Pennsylvania (-14.4%), but shallower than Colorado (-18.8%), Virginia (-22.1%), Indiana (-25.4%), Iowa (-26.7%), Nevada (-29.1%), and Michigan (-30.5%).
Despite the decline in April only New Jersey took in more wagers, making Illinois the No. 2 market in the U.S. Nearly all of those declines can be explained by the expected seasonal drop in sports betting, which typically begins in April and continues until the football season. Illinois’ handle, though, also faced the return of in-person registration requirements, and the impact came swiftly.
“Illinois is proving to be remarkably resilient as a market, overcoming the inconvenience of in-person registration at least temporarily,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for the PlayUSA.com network, which includes PlayIllinois.com. “A concerted push before in-person registration went into place likely helped lessen the short-term effects, but it will be difficult for Illinois to keep pace with the nation’s top markets over the long term.”
The NBA easily generated the most action in April with $171.4 million, which was down from $365.7 million. Baseball was the second-most wagered-on sport, generating $121.2 million in bets.
Online wagering accounted for 95.5%, or $513.2 million, of all bets in April.
With the partial removal of the ban on wagering on in-state college teams — allowing retail sportsbooks to take bets on Northwestern, Illinois, Northern Illinois, and others — the state legislature did give retail books something to look forward to when college football returns. But the ban will remain for online sportsbooks, which will mute the importance of the change.
“The change is a positive one, but it won’t make a significant difference in the short-term,” Boozell said. “Illinoisans overwhelmingly place their bets online. So, any change that only affects retail betting will be limited in its impact. Hopefully this will be an incremental step toward lifting the ban entirely.”
FanDuel/Fairmont’s online and retail sportsbooks attracted $177.8 million in bets, the first time FanDuel has topped the market. DraftKings/Casino Queen was second with $169.6 million in combined handle. BetRivers/Rivers Casino fell to $84.3 million in combined handle. Barstool/Hollywood Casinos was fourth with $51.4 million, in its first full month of online operation.
“FanDuel catching DraftKings is a seismic shift in the dynamics of the market, and a credit to FanDuel’s campaign to register bettors ahead of in-person registration,” Welman said. “Barstool’s push to register customers before in-person registration took effect made a difference, too. But it will be difficult to make significant inroads on the market leaders, which all had months of being able to register customers unencumbered.”
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Fennica Gaming has announced that it has been granted a gaming supplier license in Ontario, Canada. This milestone marks a significant step in the company’s expansion strategy, allowing it to offer its cutting-edge gaming experiences to gaming operators in one of North America’s most dynamic regulated markets.
The supplier license, granted by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario (AGCO), enables Fennica Gaming to introduce its portfolio of entertaining and high-quality games to gaming operators across the province. This registration empowers Ontarian operators, whether online or land-based, to access the omnichannel offerings developed in the Nordics.
“We are thrilled to receive our B2B supplier license in Ontario and to offer our advanced gaming solutions to operators in the region. After a thorough application process, we can now proudly and prominently display our registration and achievement. We have followed the market in North America for a long time and Ontario is an excellent example of market that is well organized. It represents an exciting market with immense potential, and we are committed to delivering secure, entertaining, and trustworthy gaming experiences tailored to local preferences,” Timo Kiiskinen, Managing Director of Fennica Gaming, said.
Fennica Gaming’s Nordic gaming experience and heritage as an omni-channel gaming operator through its parent company Veikkaus offers a broad range of entertainment for Ontarian operators with a player-first attitude. This registration supports Fennica Gaming’s commitment to a sustainable industry, enabling operation in compliance with Ontario’s local regulatory framework.
The post Fennica Gaming Granted Supplier License for Ontario Market appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
GeoComply, the global leader in geolocation security and fraud prevention, today announced the appointment of Kip Levin as its new Chief Executive Officer, effective Tuesday, March 4th. This strategic move reinforces GeoComply’s commitment to delivering cutting-edge solutions and driving success for its customers.
Kip Levin brings a wealth of experience to GeoComply, having served in various senior leadership roles at Flutter Entertainment over the past decade including CEO of the US business and President of FanDuel. Prior to that he spent 12 years at Ticketmaster where he led the product and ecommerce teams and oversaw the company’s expansion into mobile and resale. His proven track record in driving growth and innovation within dynamic, technology-driven markets positions him to enhance GeoComply’s ability to serve its customers.
This transition allows co-founder Anna Sainsbury to step into the role of Executive Chairman, where she will focus on strategic vision and governance, ensuring GeoComply continues to anticipate and meet the evolving needs of its customers. Co-founder David Briggs will shift his focus to Product and Innovation, leveraging his expertise to drive cutting-edge solutions as he moves from his previous role as CPTO.
“We are thrilled to welcome Kip Levin to GeoComply,” said Anna Sainsbury, Executive Chairman. “His extensive experience and strategic vision are perfectly aligned with our commitment to delivering exceptional value to our customers. I am confident that under his leadership, GeoComply will continue to innovate and expand its global footprint, ensuring we remain at the forefront of geolocation security and fraud prevention. This transition enables me to dedicate more time to our long-term strategic direction, focusing on how we can better serve our partners.”
Kip Levin expressed his enthusiasm for joining GeoComply, stating, “I am incredibly excited to join GeoComply, a company with a strong reputation for innovation and a commitment to customer success. The opportunities in this space are immense, and I look forward to working with Anna, David, and the entire GeoComply team to build on the company’s success and drive further growth for our clients. My experience in scaling businesses and driving product innovation will be instrumental as we navigate the evolving landscape of geolocation technology, ensuring we provide our customers with the most reliable and effective solutions.”
David Briggs, focusing on Product and Innovation, added, “With Kip joining us, I am eager to dedicate my full attention to driving innovation and developing groundbreaking solutions that directly address our customers’ challenges. This is an exciting time for GeoComply, and I am confident that our combined expertise will enable us to deliver even greater value to our clients, strengthening our partnerships.”
GeoComply is poised for continued success as it leverages Kip Levin’s leadership and the founders’ renewed focus on strategic vision and innovation. The company remains committed to providing its clients with the most reliable and advanced geolocation security and fraud prevention solutions, acting as a trusted partner in their success.
The post GeoComply welcomes Kip Levin as CEO, driving customer-focused innovation and growth appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
BCLC has reminded the public to be cautious of a series of social media scams that imitate B.C. casinos and trick individuals into providing their financial details on illegitimate websites.
Highly deceptive, these scams share fraudulent posts and advertisements exploiting the logos, names, and exterior images of local B.C. casinos, and may claim to offer players exclusive bonuses and promotions if they register with their website or mobile application. BCLC warns that none of these sites are associated with casinos in B.C. or BCLC.
PlayNow.com is the only online gambling website permitted to operate in B.C. BCLC’s official apps are BCLC Lotto!, PlayNow Poker BC, and PlayNow BC Sportsbook. All BCLC-operated social media accounts, such as BCLC, PlayNow BC, PlayNow Sports, Lotto BC and Casinos BC, are verified with a checkmark.
While BCLC and its casino partners continue to work on having the posts removed, British Columbians should stay vigilant when it comes to these predatory and sophisticated scams.
To protect themselves, individuals are encouraged to:
• Be on alert when a website or app asks for personal or financial information. BCLC’s verified websites and apps will never ask for your social insurance number (SIN), banking information or credit card details online to claim a prize from a B.C. casino.
• Carefully check the URL and domain of the website to verify its legitimacy. Often, scammers will use a similar URL and domain to legitimate websites with a minor spelling difference.
• Always verify the company and its services are real before providing any personal information.
• Look out for other red flags, such as the suggestion of fees or taxes to be paid on a prize. There are no fees or taxes on prizes won in Canada.
If individuals feel unsure about an account, post or advertisement claiming to represent a B.C. casino, they can contact BCLC directly by calling the Customer Support Centre at 1-866-815-0222, or using the live chat resource on corporate.bclc.com or PlayNow.com.
The post BCLC Reminds Public to be Cautious of Illegal Online Casino Scams appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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