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Gambling in the USA

Massive borrowing, gambling bills advance in Pennsylvania budget scramble

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The last cinderblocks in a four-month stalemate over how to fix Pennsylvania’s deficit-riddled finances began falling Wednesday as Pennsylvania lawmakers worked into the night to advance massive borrowing and casino gambling measures.

Hundreds of pages of legislation — including a 470-page gambling bill first unveiled Wednesday evening — moved through the Legislature as top lawmakers bowed to concessions they had resisted since mid-summer.

The Senate voted 31-19 to approve its just-unveiled, far-reaching gambling expansion plan after months of talks as part of a wider budget agreement. Efforts to win its quick passage in the House ran late into Wednesday night, and debate was to continue Thursday morning.

Under it, Pennsylvania, already the nation’s No. 2 commercial casino state, could see casino-style gambling in truck stops, airports, online portals and 10 brand new casino locations around the state, each with hundreds of slot machines and possibly table games.

It also would make Pennsylvania the first state to allow both casino and lottery games online, in a quest for money from new and younger players. Bars would be frozen out of the package, despite the House’s long insistence that a gambling expansion should favor those businesses, rather than casino operators.

In House debate, House Gaming Oversight Committee Chairman Scott Petri, R-Bucks, warned lawmakers not to pass something that they had not read, and that the bill carried a raft of unintended consequences.

“If you pass this bill, you will see an explosion of gambling in Pennsylvania like you’ve never seen before,” Petri said.

The bill’s license fees and taxes on higher gambling losses is projected to net upward of $200 million a year for Pennsylvania, a state that already netted $1.4 billion in taxes from the industry last year.

However, Pennsylvania-headquartered Penn National said it will consider suing over the gambling package, if it becomes law, because of the “uniquely punitive impact” on the Hollywood Casino it owns in suburban Harrisburg.

Earlier Wednesday, the Senate approved a House plan that revolves around borrowing $1.5 billion — with interest, payback likely would cost more than $2 billion over 20 years — and a grab bag of tax increases that is projected to yield as much as $140 million a year. For months, the Senate and Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf had sought a larger tax package and a lower borrowing limit, but ultimately found unyielding opposition from House Republicans.

Public finance analysts generally regard borrowing to pay operating costs as bad fiscal practice, and a last resort for a state in fiscal distress.

Along with tapping $500 million from off-budget funds, Senate Majority Leader Jake Corman, R-Centre, said gambling, tax and borrowing package should carry the current year’s spending, as well as next year’s.

“This should bring closure to the budget,” Corman said.

Pennsylvania has had spending authority since the fiscal year began July 1 under a nearly $32 billion budget bill that lawmakers overwhelmingly approved. However, it had a gaping, $2.2 billion hole in it, largely from state government’s biggest cash shortfall since the recession, and the ugly fight over how to fill it has pitted Wolf and the Republican-controlled Senate against the Republican-controlled House.

With perhaps a dozen budget-related bills passing the House and Senate this week, Wolf would not give his blessing to the package Wednesday. His office would only say that he would evaluate the bills.

“These bills contain many policy changes and deserve a full vetting,” Wolf’s office said.

In many ways, Wolf had moved on from the budget fight.

Three weeks ago, Wolf began exploring borrowing and cost-cutting avenues without the involvement of lawmakers, declaring he was finished waiting for House Republicans to compromise.

Paying bills on time has required short-term loans from the Treasury Department and more is expected to be necessary, with a $1.2 billion payment due to public schools Thursday.

The state did not emerge unscathed from the budget standoff. It got slapped with another credit downgrade, which will add more than $50 million a year in borrowing costs, according to Wolf’s office.

Amid threats of a mid-year tuition increase for tens of thousands of in-state students, the House released roughly $650 million in aid to Temple, Pitt, Lincoln, the University of Pennsylvania’s veterinary school and Penn State and its agricultural research and extension programs.

With lawmakers itching to depart the Capitol until November, a debate over imposing a tax on Marcellus Shale natural gas production will wait indefinitely, amid opposition by Republican leaders there.

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Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 18-24

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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

DraftKings unveiled My Stat Sheet, a gaming tool that gives players the ability to assess, track and interact with their personal stats through intuitive charts and information that will help empower players to make data-driven decisions on their own play and therefore promote responsible gaming. This new feature is now available across all DraftKings and Golden Nugget products.

Jackpocket announced the release of Super Pick, a new app feature that streamlines the lottery experience for Mega Millions and Powerball fans, offering an even more convenient way to participate as combined jackpots soar past $1.3 billion. Jackpocket’s new Super Pick feature gives users an easy way to pick every special and standard ball in the game with just one tap.

The Senate Tax Committee advanced legislation authored by Senator Matt Klein to legalise Sports Betting in Minnesota. This was the second time the bill has been heard in Taxes, after making a stop last year. The hearing focused on changes to tax rates and revenue disbursements.

The Arizona Department of Gaming announced that it has allocated an event wagering operator license to Fanatics Betting and Gaming as the designee for Tonto Apache Sports Betting, an organisation of the Tonto Apache Tribe, pursuant to A.R.S. § 5-1304 and A.A.C. R19-4-105 and 106.

The Massachusetts Gaming Commission reported that the month of February 2024 at Plainridge Park Casino, MGM Springfield and Encore Boston Harbor generated approximately $100.57 million in Gross Gaming Revenue. Additionally, approximately $52.55 million in taxable sports wagering revenue was generated across the eight mobile/online sports wagering licensees and the three in-person licensees for the month of February.

Rebet, a new free-to-play social sportsbook, announced its official launch. The Rebet App, which is now available for download in the App Store across 47 U.S. states, is set to revolutionise the sports betting experience with first-of-its-kind features including an entire social sportsbook, peer-to-peer contests and dynamic user social feeds.

Partnerships

SPARKET announced an expanded partnership with the World Jai Alai League, solidifying their commitment to enhancing the fan experience and driving growth in the world of Jai Alai. Following the successful implementation of SPARKET’s innovative platform within the league, both entities have decided to deepen their collaboration. This strategic move aims to further revolutionise how fans interact with and enjoy Jai Alai, leveraging cutting-edge technology to increase engagement from at-home viewers.

Bragg Gaming Group announced the launch of a custom slot game developed for Caesars Digital, Boardwalk Slots Bankers & Cash, now exclusively live on Caesars Palace Online Casino and Caesars Sportsbook & Casino in Michigan and New Jersey. The bespoke release takes proven game features and artwork from Bragg’s popular slot title Bankers & Cash and combines it with the evocative Boardwalk Slots brand owned by Caesars Digital.

International Game Technology announced that its IGT PlayDigital iGaming content library is now available in Rhode Island via the Bally Casino Rhode Island app and on BallyCasino.com. This milestone content deployment makes IGT PlayDigital one of only two suppliers to offer content in all seven U.S. online gaming jurisdictions.

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Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 11-17

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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

Scientific Games announced the consolidation of its legal and public policy teams into a new unified department, Global Legal and Public Policy. This team will be led by James D. Schultz who will assume the new title of Executive Vice President, Global Legal and Public Policy. Deputy General Counsel Phil Bauer, an indispensable 25-year veteran of the company, will be promoted to General Counsel and Corporate Secretary, and report to Schultz.

Sportradar Group AG announced that the North Carolina State Lottery Commission has granted Sportradar’s U.S. betting subsidiary, Sportradar Solutions LLC, a Supplier license in the state North Carolina. This license is valid for five years from its date of issuance on February 28.

The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) announced that FanDuel is the new sports wagering subcontractor for Intralot Inc., OLG’s lottery and sports wagering system vendor. Under this agreement, residents of Washington, D.C. will gain access to FanDuel’s sports wagering app, which is the market leader nationally, as well as its website and retail platforms.

Elys BMG Group Inc. announced that Grand Central Sportsbook in Washington D.C. (Grand Central) has been granted provisional approval to open its H Street sportsbook by the DC Office of Lottery and Gaming, Regulation and Oversight Division.

BetMGM has officially launched its mobile sports betting service in North Carolina, giving customers in the Tar Heel state access to a wide variety of betting options as well as the opportunity to earn experiences at MGM Resorts’ properties nationwide.

Supremeland Gaming announced the approval of an interim Supplier License in West Virginia, further solidifying its position as a key player in the rapidly expanding iGaming industry. This milestone marks the company’s third approval following the successful acquisition of the first approvals in Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Partnerships

Caesars Entertainment and National Hockey League (NHL) announced a renewal of their US partnership. The new, multiyear partnership extension retains Caesars’ status as a Sports Betting and Gaming Partner of the NHL and, for the first time, provides Caesars Digital with access to League-owned intellectual property to build and promote NHL-branded iCasino games for its online casino platforms in North America, including the recently launched Caesars Palace Online Casino.

SCCG Management announced the extension and significant expansion of its strategic partnership with SnapOdds, the revolutionary sports betting technology product from Snapscreen Inc. This expansion marks a pivotal shift towards a consumer-facing (B2C) strategy, leveraging SnapOdds’ unique TV and streaming content recognition software.

Hip-Hop icon Nas has partnered with Resorts World New York City on a $5 billion expansion plan for a casino in Queens. The vision of Aqueduct Park is to transform the casino in Nas’ hometown, into a full-fledged establishment that mirrors the company’s properties in Las Vegas.

SCCG Management, the leading advisory and management consultancy in the global gaming industry, headquartered in Las Vegas, announced the extension of its partnership with IDnow, a premier European provider of identity verification solutions. This strategic alliance is placing a focused effort on expanding its reach to encompass the broader Latin America (LATAM) region.

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Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 4-10

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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

NJ Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced the retirement of David L. Rebuck after serving 13 years as the Director of the Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE), making him the longest-serving director in DGE’s history. In total, Director Rebuck is retiring with 36 years of service to the State.

Altenar’s status as a leading sportsbook provider in South America has been further boosted with the opening of a new office in Uruguay. The new hub, located in Costa Rica Street 1667, in Carrasco, Montevideo, will be the base for around 15 members of staff and strengthen the company’s support for iGaming operators in the LatAm region.

MGM Resorts International and BetMGM announced new groundbreaking initiatives in collaboration with Kindbridge designed to support problem gambling research and mental health services. Kindbridge Research Institute and Kindbridge Behavioural Health are organisations that aim to better understand the problems that exist within at-risk communities, delivering evidence-based treatment for gambling disorder.

Elray Resources has launched Kings of Sport, a state-of-the art online crypto casino that brings together the world of cryptocurrencies with the excitement of traditional casino games. Kings of Sport is expanding player options in the online gambling industry by providing users with a diverse selection of classic and modern casino games that can be played using popular cryptocurrencies like Bitcoin, Ethereum and others.

Supremeland Gaming, the new American iGaming challenger, announced its U.S. expansion, attaining a second gaming approval in the US, three weeks after its inaugural licensing announcement in neighbouring Pennsylvania. The New Jersey approval will allow Supremeland Gaming to build and release games in the Garden State through its partnership with EveryMatrix.

Churchill Downs Incorporated announced that Exacta Systems has completed the installation of 175 Exacta-technology driven terminals at The Brook in Seabrook, New Hampshire. Exacta, acquired by CDI in August 2023, is a leading provider of central determinate system technology for historical racing machines (HRMs). The Brook is a casino entertainment destination located in the easternmost part of the state next to the Massachusetts border.

Underdog announced an investment in idPair by GuardDog, Underdog’s responsible gaming innovation fund. idPair’s proprietary technology creates a centralised view of an individual’s play and gambling activity across all applications and operators in a jurisdiction for regulators, providing for universal responsible gaming limits.

Partnerships

Betfred USA and U.S. Integrity announced a partnership that will provide Betfred with monitoring software and tools that will play a pivotal role in preventing student-athletes, coaches and staff from engaging in prohibited sports wagering.

SCCG Management announced its sponsorship of the 10th Arnold South America Sports Festival in São Paulo, Brazil. This year’s festival, scheduled for April 5-7, 2024, will feature the Pillow Fight Championship (PFC) as its centrepiece, showcasing the thrilling world of professional pillow fighting in South America.

5WPR announced that it has been selected as the public relations Agency of Record for casino and sportsbook platform provider, Soft2Bet, which, after successfully growing its business throughout Europe, is launching in the US, targeting NJ as the first state where it will debut its offering.

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