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State of the Union: NC, NY, RI and more

Insight | Analysis

This week’s State of the Union, in partnership with Segev LLP, covers North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signing a tribal gaming bill into law. Meanwhile New York’s sports betting market continues to expand and Rhode Island has reported its highest monthly revenue total since the launch of legal wagering.

Governor signs NC sports betting bill into law
North Carolina governor Roy Cooper has signed a bill allowing sports and horse racing wagering at two tribal casinos into law.

The bill — Senate Bill 154 of the 2019 legislative session — was introduced by Republican state senator Jim Davis.

According to the text of the bill, it will allow for, “the placing of wagers on the outcome of professional and collegiate sports contests” on “Indian lands within the State lawfully permitted to conduct Class III gaming activities.”

A wager must be initiated and received on the grounds of an eligible casino, meaning no off-premises mobile wagering will be permitted.

Oneida Indian Nation launches NY sportsbook at Turning Stone Casino
The Oneida Indian Nation and Caesars Entertainment will host the grand opening event at Turning Stone Resort Casino for its new sportsbook, The Lounge with Caesars Sports, on 1 August.

The casino will join Rivers Casino in Schenectady and Tioga Downs in Nichols, which began taking sports bets on 16 July and 17 July respectively, in hosting a legal sportsbook.

The sportsbook will feature a 500-square-foot curved LED screen, as well as LED terminals with high-definition resolution, live odds boards which offer opportunities for in-game wagers, full-service bars, ticket windows and VIP areas with their own dedicated TV screens.

Rhode Island sportsbook revenue more than doubles in June
Rhode Island’s regulated sports betting sector has enjoyed its strongest month to date, with revenue hitting a new high of $2.2m in June. 

Revenue at the Twin River Tiverton and Lincoln casinos, the only venues permitted to offer wagering in the state, was up significantly from the $899,165 generated in May. 

Customers staked $14.7m, down 22.0% from May. Growth came as a result of a decline in player winnings, which offset a month-on-month decline in amounts wagered.

Payout for the month fell to $12.6m, resulting in the state’s hold increasing to 14.6%. May had seen customers win back $18.0m, or 95.2%, of amounts wagered.

FanDuel officially launches PA sportsbook app
Flutter Entertainment’s FanDuel Group has completed the roll-out of its online sportsbook in Pennsylvania, after successfully completing a live test.

The offering, launched in partnership with Boyd Gaming and Valley Forge Casino Resort, has gone live offering a range of betting options such as point spreads, moneylines and parlays, among others, as well as an extensive list of in-play wagers. 

The app will be promoted through an omnichannel marketing campaign, comprising talk radio partnerships, influencer and social media marketing and digital media ads. FanDuel will also run a new TV campaign to highlight that mobile betting is both available and legal in Pennsylvania.

Indiana releases list of approved sports betting events
Indiana has released its list of approved events for sports wagering, with customers permitted to place bets on 19 different sports when the market launches from 1 Sept, 2019.

The major US professional sports leagues, such as the National Football League, Major League Baseball, National Basketball Association, National Hockey League and Major League soccer are all included on the list, alongside nine National Collegiate Athletic Association-organized sports.

Other professional sports, including stock racing series NASCAR, golf, mixed martial arts, boxing and tennis, as well as various sports outside the US, including nine European soccer leagues, are also included.

theScore NJ sportsbook app remains on schedule
Canadian digital media company theScore said the launch of its mobile sportsbook app in New Jersey remains on schedule following the release of its results for the third quarter of its financial year.

The company posted a 93.2% year-on-year increase in net loss for the three months ended 31 May 2019. This increase, it said, was “primarily the result of additional expenses relating to the ongoing development of theScore’s sports betting business.”

In 2018, theScore became the first media company to announce plans to launch a mobile sportsbook  in the US. It will initially go live in the New Jersey market, under Monmouth Park Racetrack’s licence, and aims to roll out the offering in the coming months.