This week’s State of the Union, in partnership with Segev LLP, includes criticism of licensing authorities in two different states. While an audit found Colorado’s regulator to have carried out insufficient background checks on operators looking to do business in the state, maryland Governor Larry Hogan said his state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) has moved too slowly to permit operators to launch.
Maryland governor slams SWARC for “unacceptable” mobile betting delays
Maryland Governor Larry Hogan has ordered the state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission (SWARC) to “immediately accelerate and intensify” their work to license online betting operators.
Hogan signed a bill to legalize both online and retail sports betting in Maryland last year, after voters approved sports betting through a November 2020 referendum.
Audit claims Colorado regulator “did not complete” background checks
The Colorado office of the state auditor released a report criticising the state regulator for limited background checks and failures to investigate temporary licensees, as well as raising questions about the operator tax filings.
The regulatory failures documented by the report places into stark relief the first years of legal sports betting in the state.
Acies Investments leads $4m Tally Technology funding round
Fan engagement platform Tally Technology has announced the closing of an oversubscribed $4.0m series seed funding round led by Acies Investments, the venture fund led by former MGM CEO Jim Murren.
Founded in 2018, Tally develops free-to-play prediction game for brands, professional sports teams, leagues and media platforms, while it also gathers data on users’ gaming, wagering, brand preferences, consumer spending and other insights.
DraftKings and BetBlocker announce responsible gambling collaboration
Sports betting operator DraftKings announced a collaboration with responsible gaming non-for-profit BetBlocker, in order to increase awareness of and access to BetBlocker’s self-exclusion software.
The software allows consumers to set restrictions on their gambling activities across their devices for thousands of gaming sites across all regions, regardless on whether the sites themselves are regulated or the operators licensed.
Oregon sports betting revenue continues upward trend in May
Sports betting revenue in Oregon amounted to $5.0m (£4.1m/€4.8m) in May, an increase of 108.3% on May 2021 and also higher than in April of this year.
The monthly total was comfortably higher than $2.4m in May last year and also up by some 31.6% from $3.8m in April this year.
Indiana month-on-month sports betting handle decline continues in May
Indiana’s sports betting handle fell month-on-month during May, but the state’s regulator did reveal year-on-year growth across revenue and stakes for the month.
Total handle for the month was $308.4m (£251.0m/€294.0m), 21.2% higher than in May of 2022, but down 14.3% from $360.0m in April this year, marking the second consecutive month of decline.
NCPG secures US-wide licensing for gambling helpline
The National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) has reached an agreement with the Council on Compulsive Gambling of New Jersey (CCGNJ) for the wider use of its 1-800-GAMBLER federally registered service mark across the US.
Under the six-year license agreement, the NCPG will be able to use 1-800-GAMBLER in all US states outside of New Jersey, as well as all US territories and the District of Columbia.
New York mobile sports betting handle slips to year-low in May
Consumers in New York spent $1.26bn on mobile sports betting during May, the lowest monthly total since the state opened its regulated online wagering market in January of this year.
The May figure was 9.4% lower than the $1.39bn wagered in April, which was incidentally the previous monthly-low of the state’s opening months of legal mobile betting.
Caesars scores new partnership with Peyton Manning’s Omaha Productions
Caesars Entertainment has entered into a new partnership with Omaha Productions, the entertainment business founded by former National Football League player Peyton Manning.
Under the agreement, Caesars Sportsbook and Omaha Productions will launch the Omaha Audio Network, a full-service audio production network that will host a series of podcasts.