Gambling in the USA

Potential Carolina Panthers sale puts NFL’s gambling problem in spotlight

Published

6 years ago

February 21, 2018

George Miller

Potential Carolina Panthers sale puts NFL’s gambling problem in spotlight

Reading Time: 3 minutes

The NFL may now have another reason to take a look at its existing policies on gambling.

The CEO of Station Casinos and former UFC owner Frank Fertitta III is reportedly part of a group interested in buying the Carolina Panthers. The initial reason the NFL needs to re-examine its policy on gambling is the fact team owners approved the Oakland Raiders relocation to the US gambling mecca of Las Vegas, Nevada last year.

The Las Vegas Raiders will likely to start calling Las Vegas home in 2020. Construction of the new stadium just west the of the south end of the Strip should be finished by then.

IF YOU BUILD IT, THE RAIDERS WILL COME

It’s no secret the stadium and $750 million in public funding helping build it is why the Raiders are moving. They’re leaving Oakland because efforts to renovate or replace the Oakland–Alameda County Coliseum failed. However, it’s a little less widely known how connected this new facility is to Las Vegas’ gambling industry.

A hotel room tax will fund the $750 million in public money that will pay for the project. That’s gambling money in Las Vegas.

It’s not directly coming from gambling. However, gamblers are the ones paying the tax when they pay for rooms at hotels in the city. Plus, gambling resort executives must have supported the tax from the outset. Otherwise, it never would have moved forward in a city, and an entire state, pretty much dependent on gambling.

A committee including executives from six local casino companies initially recommended the stadium project to state lawmakers. This includes:

Caesars Entertainment
Boyd Gaming
MGM Resorts International
Wynn Resorts
Las Vegas Sands Corp.
Station Casinos

Plus, Las Vegas Stadium Authority is the stadium’s owner. This group is managed by a board including executives from casino corporations Caesars and MGM.

NFL ANTI-GAMBLING POLICIES

The NFL allows teams to accept limited advertising from casinos. However, its anti-gambling policies require those casinos do not have sportsbooks. That means the companies that pushed for the stadium, helped fund it, and sit on the ownership board can’tadvertise there.

The National Hockey League‘s expansion Golden Knights became the first major pro sports team to play in Las Vegas, kicking off its inaugural season at the end of 2017. MGM co-owns the team’s arena. And while the NHL previously had a policy restricting advertising from casinos with sports books similar to the NFL, it has since dropped it.

The NFL might want to consider doing the same before it turns it’s back on millions of advertising dollars coming from one of the only industries in its new home that has those dollars to spend.

CORPORATE PARTNERS WANTED?

The NFL’s anti-gambling policy also prohibits players from participating in promotions, activities, or events held at casinos. This policy will have the Raiders and its players left out of the majority of everything going on in Las Vegas. Plus, they’ll be ignoring what would otherwise be it’s home city’s biggest corporate partner. It’s a situation that simply wouldn’t work in any other city or any other industry outside of gambling.

It’s one that’s not likely to last in Las Vegas. Either the Raiders will be on the move again or the league will change the way it looks at the casino business.

LEGAL AND REGULATED SPORTS BETTING

The latter is more likely, considering that while this is a Raiders and a Las Vegas problem now, its headed to other NFL markets fast. The US Supreme Court is a few months away from a ruling in New Jersey’s case against the federal ban on sports betting. Should New Jersey win, all signs point to sports betting spreading across the US over the next couple of years.

Legal and regulated sports betting is headed to just about every market the NFL currently calls home. The NFL is going to need to address it.

When the league approved the move, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said it had no reason to change its anti-gambling policies. The truth is, the league is probably just taking a long, hard look them. They’re just figuring out precisely how to change these policies before the move actually occurs. Unless they think the Raiders can somehow survive in the market without corporate partners. Or that the team wants to turn its back on an industry that was a big part of bringing it there in the first place.

ANOTHER SIDE OF THE SAME COIN

Of course, Station Casinos and Fertitta’s interest in the Panthers is just another side to the same issue.

It has been suggested Fertitta would have to divest his casino holdings to buy the Panthers. That idea seems consistent with league’s current anti-gambling stance. Goodell has also been quoted saying casino ownership of an NFL team or stadium isn’t consistent with league policy.

Something has got to give here. It’s more likely the league’s policies will be bent before casino interest in the NFL breaks.

Considering the situation with the Raiders, and sports betting across the US, the league’s anti-gambling policies might be in need of a tune-up. Any way you look at it, Fertitta might want to wait and see just what changes are in store before he sells Stations. The NFL could soon cozy up to casinos in more ways than one.

Source: playusa.com

Gambling in the USA

Nebraska’s First Permanent Casino to Open in May in Columbus

Published

6 hours ago

April 25, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Nebraska’s first full-fledged, newly built and state-sanctioned gambling casino is slated to open in Columbus next month, marking a milestone in the state’s rollout of casino gambling.

The Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission last Friday approved a target opening date of May 13 for Harrah’s Columbus.

“This is a big deal,” commission Chairman Dennis Lee said.

The state’s three other casinos are open, but in temporary facilities. According to construction schedules, all should be open by early next year.

“We’re definitely excited to open the first permanent casino in the state,” said Don Ostert, Harrah’s Columbus general manager.

The 17,000-square-foot casino floor will feature 400 slot machines and 11 live table games, including roulette and craps, Ostert said. It will feature a Brew Brothers restaurant and will offer Caesar’s sportsbook and racebook, Ostert said.

For racing fans, the complex will feature the state’s only 1-mile horse track, though racing isn’t scheduled to begin until August 16. By June, officials hope to have some horses out on the track to test the new surface.

Ostert said officials hope to draw customers from Norfolk and Grand Island, but also from Omaha and Lincoln.

Columbus Mayor James Bulkley said that, from the city’s standpoint, “we are very excited to see it get started and become part of the community.”

The developers incorporated some Columbus history into the casino, he said.

“The location where it is used to be called Wishbones, and it was a venue for years for entertainment, and so people recognize that name, and they have kept that name for the sports bar,” he said.

He expects the casino will draw from Omaha. Although driving to Columbus from downtown Omaha might take close to an hour and a half, the drive from west Omaha is more like an hour, he said.

“I can hit Elkhorn in a short hour today, which is now western Omaha,” he said.

In a few months, Omahans won’t have to leave town to visit a brand-new casino.

At Horsemen’s Park in Omaha, Warhorse Gaming officials are aiming to open their new casino in early August. It will open with 900 gaming positions, including table games and a Sweetwater Cafe.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 15-21

Published

3 days ago

April 22, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

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

Caesars Entertainment announced that the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app is accepting mobile sports bets at Harrah’s Gulf Coast in Biloxi, Mississippi. Sports fans 21 and older who are interested in wagering on sports via mobile devices can download the Caesars Sportsbook Mississippi app to register and deposit statewide but must be physically present on-property at Harrah’s Gulf Coast to wager.

The Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) has announced that FanDuel’s sports betting app and website has officially launched. This development will introduce FanDuel’s sports wagering platform to District residents and visitors, completely replacing the current GambetDC sports betting app and website.

eCOGRA has been officially authorised by the Secretaria De Prêmios e Apostas (SPA) to operate as a certifying entity for betting systems, live gaming studios and online games in Brazil. This announcement marks a significant milestone as eCOGRA continues to extend its international offering of iGaming testing, inspection and certification (TIC) services in regulated markets across the globe.

Jennifer Shatley, a recognised expert in the field and a highly sought speaker and advisor, has joined the Responsible Online Gaming Association (ROGA) as Executive Director. Shatley has had 25+ years worth of experience, working closely with the treatment community, academics, researchers, government bodies, state councils and gaming industry representatives to promote responsible gaming.

Odditt, a leading provider of innovative sports betting data, tools and analytics, has appointed Elaine Milardo as its new Chief Technology Officer (CTO). With over 25 years of experience in the data industry and key roles at DraftKings and Vistaprint, Elaine brings a wealth of expertise to Odditt’s growing team.

Partnerships

Trustly, the global leader in Open Banking Payments, and Light & Wonder, the leading cross-platform global games company, are bringing cashless, in-person deposits to casino floors with Light & Wonder’s cashless solution, RAPIDPLAY. Building on Trustly’s success with guaranteed payments in online sports betting and iGaming, Trustly will deliver the same seamless, quick and secure online payment experience to the physical casino floor.

Fintech company Sightline has entered into an exclusive partnership with compliance and anti-fraud technology solutions leader GeoComply to bolster the security and efficiency of digital transactions within the regulated gaming industry. Sightline will integrate GeoComply’s cutting-edge IDComply identity verification solution as well as GeoComply’s compliance-grade geolocation tools across its comprehensive suite of digital payment solutions for land-based casinos and online gaming operators.

BetMGM has announced a partnership with GameCode, a distinguished iGaming company focused on the North American market. The partnership includes the launch of Boom Boom Boom, HammerCash, Gold Gold Gold and Super3 series which are now live at BetMGM in Michigan and New Jersey through direct integration. BetMGM plans to offer GameCode’s full portfolio of games in all jurisdictions where the operator’s iGaming platform is live pending regulatory approvals.

SCCG Management has announced a joint venture investment with Numb3rs, an innovative all-in-one payment solution provider built for gaming operators. The partnership aims to transform the gaming sector by integrating Numb3rs’ proprietary tech stack, ECRYPT, into the marketplace, thereby offering a comprehensive suite of payment processing solutions.

Gambling in the USA

Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 8-14

Published

1 week ago

April 15, 2024

Niji Narayan

Reading Time: 2 minutes

Latest News

FanDuel Group, the premier online gaming company in North America and an Official Partner of Churchill Downs Inc., announced five time Entertainer of the Year Luke Bryan and Grammy award-winning R&B singer Ne-Yo as the headlining performers at FanDuel’s inaugural Kentucky Derby Party. The exclusive, invite-only event will take place on Friday, May 3 at Paristown Arts and Entertainment District in Louisville, Kentucky from 7:00 PM to 12:00 AM.

TPI, a leading provider of innovative player communication solutions for the casino industry, has appointed Joe Tingson as its new Vice President of Customer Success. With his unparalleled dedication to his customers, Joe will play a pivotal role as a leader for our digital Customer Success and Product teams.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, has announced plans for its new 33,000 square foot Atlanta Headquarters, which will be located in the Star Metals Building in Midtown Atlanta. The company plans to grow its workforce by 1000 new jobs over the next seven years, the economic impact of which will be $25M to the state of Georgia.

Century Casinos Inc. has announced that it opened its hotel in Cape Girardeau, Missouri, The Riverview. The Riverview is a 69 room, six-story building with 68,000 square feet that is adjacent to and connected with Century Casino Cape Girardeau. The project cost $30.5 million and was financed with cash on hand.

Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) has announced the opening of Terre Haute Casino Resort in Terre Haute, Indiana. The $290 million investment includes a casino floor with 1000 slot machines, 36 table games, and a state-of-the-art sportsbook. The 400,000-square-foot entertainment venue also features regionally inspired bars and restaurants including: Four Cornered Steakhouse, Rockwood Bar & Grill, The Soda Shoppe, Crossroads Center Bar and High Limit Bar.

Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced that Chief Financial Officer (CFO), Ronen Kannor, has notified Bragg’s board of directors (Board) that he will resign from his position to pursue other career opportunities, effective June 3, 2024. The Company confirms that the search for a replacement CFO has commenced.

Partnerships

EQL Games has partnered with global aggregation leader and NeoGames company, Pariplay, to provide the Virginia Lottery, through an agreement with NeoPollard Interactive, with a series of eInstant iLottery games for their industry-leading digital platform.

JACK Entertainment LLC announced the selection of Konami Gaming Inc.’s SYNKROS to power industry-leading systems technology across its 1.5 million square feet of casino entertainment space. The Ohio-based gaming operator’s portfolio includes a combined 2600+ gaming machines and 85 table games at JACK Cleveland Casino in downtown Cleveland, and at JACK Thistledown Racino, located approximately 10 miles to the southeast.

PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, announced that the company has reunited with the Atlanta Braves as the club’s Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner for the 2024 season. The partnership extends a longstanding relationship that dates back to 2020, with the two Atlanta-based companies continuing to work together on unique opportunities for their dedicated fans.