Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 13-19

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

International Game Technology PLC announced that it is the first gaming industry supplier to receive the Internet Compliance Assessment Programme (iCAP) Ready accreditation for its iLottery operations from the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG). Based on the original iCAP designed for gaming operators, iCAP Ready is a U.S. accreditation programme designed for gaming suppliers who are committed to upholding responsible gaming standards across their products and services. Supported by the NCPG, iCAP Ready utilises best practices from the Internet Responsible Gambling Standards to ensure suppliers implement and maintain responsible gambling policies, provide effective staff training and offer comprehensive player support tools.

Light & Wonder Inc. has announced Simon Johnson as the new CEO of the Company’s iGaming business. Simon has been with Light & Wonder since 2017 and has been instrumental in driving the international commercial efforts of the Gaming business in his most recent role as Senior Vice President and International Managing Director. As part of his new role, Simon will report directly into Light & Wonder President and CEO Matt Wilson and join the Company’s Executive Leadership Team.

Las Vegas sports betting venture Circa Sports awarded $20,266,000 in prizes to the winners of its professional football contests, Circa Survivor and Circa Million VI. Highlights of the winnings included the largest Circa Survivor pool in contest history of $14.26 million. This was split equally among C3 Picks, DREAM STAKES, MEATBALL BROTHERS, PUMBAPACK9, TY1823, VODKA JOHNNY, WHATEVERYALLWANT and Whiskey Business. The $1 million Circa Million VI prize went to Team BP.

Partnerships

ESPN and PENN Entertainment announced that 10 additional retail sportsbooks at key PENN properties will be rebranded to “ESPN BET Sportsbook” in early 2025 (subject to all regulatory approvals), increasing the total number of ESPN BET branded sportsbooks at PENN properties to 19. The new ESPN BET locations will serve customers across Pennsylvania, Colorado, Ohio, Iowa, Indiana and West Virginia under PENN’s popular Hollywood and Ameristar Casino brands.

The Ottawa Black Bears announced an extensive partnership agreement with PowerPlay Online Sportsbook and Casino that will see the company’s logo featured on the club’s home and away jerseys. In addition to the jersey partnership, PowerPlay will also have branding elements inside the goal crease, behind the bench, on the LED display ring and along the rinkboards for Black Bears home games at Canadian Tire Centre. As part of the deal, PowerPlay also becomes the exclusive sportsbook and online casino partner for the Ottawa Black Bears.

The Professional Fighters League (PFL), the fastest growing and most innovative sports league, announced a multi-year partnership naming Cloudbet as the official and exclusive Sports Betting and Online Casino Partner of the PFL. This new collaboration will bring crypto-powered betting to PFL events, starting with the highly anticipated Road to Dubai Champions Series on January 25. Cloudbet has been a trusted name in the cryptocurrency world for over a decade. With this partnership, they will bring a whole new way to engage with MMA fans by combining their expertise in crypto sports betting with PFL’s innovative approach to fighting.