Welcome iGB’s State of the Union. Here you can find the most important sports betting news in North America that we have covered this week, as well as briefs about other stories we thought were interesting.
Live! Philadelphia Fined $100,000
This week, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board fined Live! Philadelphia took sports bets by phone. The PGCB revealed at its meeting that over $287,000 worth of wagers had been placed by telephone. Three of the wagers were placed via text and they lost. The bettor did not deposit the money.
Live! Philadelphia told PGCB representatives that the company had fired the employees for placing a total 15 wagers by phone or SMS. All have been added to the list of involuntary excluded. Live! Philadelphia has also banned personal cellphones for employees of sportsbooks while on the job and reduced its notification threshold from $10,000 to $10,000.
Caesars offers a makeover for Times Square
Caesars Entertainment plans to improve sanitation and launch a composting program if they win a casino license in Times Square. AMNY reported Wednesday (26th June) that Caesars is investing $250m into the neighborhood if it wins a land-based casino licence for Times Square.
Caesars has partnered up with SL Green, Jay-Z’s Roc Nation and other partners to bid for one of three licenses. Caesars surveyed residents of the Times Square neighbourhood and Hell’s Kitchen to find out what they wanted to improve. It has partnered up with nonprofit Doe Fund to help end homelessness, and create job opportunities.
Iowa Gaming License Moratorium to End
Iowa’s two-year ban on new gaming licenses expires next month, and one company has already begun to prepare for the application process. The Gazette reported that Peninsula Pacific Entertainment, in collaboration with Linn County Gaming Association and the nonprofit organization will be applying. Both parties have set their sights on Cedar Rapids.
Iowa Racing Commission will reveal the details of application at their meeting on 8th July. There are 19 casinos licensed in Iowa.
Cherokee Nation receives Pope County (AK), licence
The Arkansas Racing Commission granted Cherokee Nation Entertainment, a subsidiary of Cherokee Nation Entertainment Inc., a license to construct a casino within Pope County on Thursday (27th June). This is the fourth of four sites that were named as part of a ballot initiative in 2018 which also allowed digital sports betting. The license was originally issued to Gulfside Casino Partnership. However, the Supreme Court of the State ruled Gulfside didn’t have all the necessary documentation.
Cherokee Nation Entertainment plans to build a casino of 50,000sqft with 1,200 slots and 32 tables games. There will also be sportsbooks, a poker room, a spa, event spaces, and multiple dining options. The casino has not yet been given a date for its opening.
Minnesota makes waves
The Minneapolis Star-Tribune reports that Governor Tim Walz has appointed two tribal leaders as members of Minnesota’s Racing Commission. Track owners are not happy. Melanie Benjamin, chief executive of Mille Lacs Band of Ojibwe and Johnny Johnson, former president of Prairie Island Indian Community were both appointed. The two tribes have casinos within the state, and they’ve been in disagreement with tracks about a proposed legalized sports betting. Multiple lawsuits are pending between both groups.
Running Aces’ president and CEO Taro Ito said that the appointments were “a slap on the face” to the Minnesota racing industry. Canterbury Park’s CEO Randy Sampson told the Star-Tribune that he did not think it was appropriate to have competitors serve as our regulators.
Maine: Trouble on the horizon?
According to CDC Gaming Reports, nine casino inspectors have filed grievances with the chief of the Gambling Control Unit Milt Champion. This is not the first issue that has arisen around Champion. Champion was placed on suspension without pay in 2023 after posting “inappropriate Tweets”. Reports claim that Champion has changed their work schedules to ensure casino inspections don’t take place on Mondays or Sundays. The inspectors claim that the policy is not only suspect, but also prevents them earning holiday pay or overtime.
Last year, state senator Joe Baldacci questioned the reason why it had taken Champion so long to launch its digital sports betting unit (nearly 2 years). Inspectors sent Baldacci an email saying that Champion’s ethics are “extremely doubtful”.
Read this article.
Matt Rybaltowski, SportsHandle’s Matt Rybaltowski, took an in-depth look at the most bizarre story of the week within the industry. DraftKings is accused of working with the famous bettor Gadoon Kyrollos. He claimed that people had been sent to hit him and demand $500,000. Spanky tried to discredit John Doe a day after his lawsuit was made public. This is not a joke.
You can read about Spanky and the case here.
Other news…
Michigan legislators approved a budget for FY2025 that included funding to create 14 new positions within the Michigan Gaming Control Board. According to a MGCB release, the positions are intended to expand “the MGCB’s regulatory capability and increase protection against illegal activities”. A further $3m was also allocated by the legislature to the Compulsive Gambling Prevention Fund.
Bally’s, on Tuesday 25 June announced its membership in the Responsible Online Gaming Association. Bet365, BetMGM DraftKings FanDuel Hard Rock Digital and Penn Entertainment all belong to the group. ROGA has three main missions: to fund research and create initiatives for responsible gambling.
The Chicago Blackhawks also announced on Tuesday, 25 June that Circa Sportsbook will be a sponsor on the home jerseys of the team from next season. It will be the Blackhawks’ first team partnership. Circa Sportsbook’s Illinois sports betting platform was launched in September 2023, and it is partnered up with New American Place Casino.
The new Florida law protects members of the State Gaming Control Commission. This law prohibits any release of private information about members of the state gaming control commission. The bill states that the disclosure of this information may put the commissioners at “risk of emotional or physical harm” from people or companies they investigated.
Great Canadian Entertainment agreed to sell Casino Nanaimo by Petroglyph Development Group Ltd. This group is the Snuneymuxw First Nation’s commercial arm.
NeoGames signed a deal this week to be the exclusive ilottery supplier for the NH Lottery. The seven-year agreement is valid until the end of 2025. NeoGames is to provide “a turnkey ilottery system” as part of the agreement, which will take effect on 1 July 2025.
ICYMI for iGB
Would a congress of 1988 have approved digital gaming in the IGRA?
New York State Facility Location Board extended the deadline for downstate casino bids to June 2025
Does MGM President Hornbuckle have any digital plans beyond Tipico?
SaharaBets is likely to leave Arizona, after Coyotes’ owner said he would dismantle what was left of the team
DC Council opens up the marketplace to competition
Kindbridge forms military gambling awareness group
