Betting News – Page 18 – FairOdds Network

February 12, 2025

Bangladesh cricket player banned over match-fixing at T20 World Cup

The International Cricket Council (ICC) has banned Bangladesh player Shohaly Akhter for five years after she admitted to fixing matches.

Akhter was found to have breached several provisions of the ICC Anti-Corruption Code. As such, she will serve a five-year ban from cricket, with this covering any form of participation in the sport.

The ICC, which published its decision yesterday (11 February), did not say how many matches were impacted. It did, however, confirm that the corruption case relates to the Women’s T20 World Cup 2023 in South Africa. Akhter did not play in the tournament.

Five breaches of cricket fixing rules

In total, the 36-year-old bowler was found guilty of five breaches of the Anti-Corruption Code. The first is Article 2.1.3, relating to fixing or in any way influencing an international match by deliberately underperforming.

Akhter also admitted to breaching Article 2.1.3, in reference to seeking, accepting or offering a bribe or other reward to influence a match…

February 11, 2025

Two Oklahoma betting bills get out of subcommittee

Two sports betting bills that would require four tribes to sign model legislation passed out of an Oklahoma subcommittee on Monday (10 February).

The bills unanimously passed out of the house subcommittee on appropriations and budget select agencies. They will now move to the full appropriations committee, although no hearing date has been set. Oklahoma’s legislature is set to adjourn on 30 May and there is no crossover deadline.

Representative Ken Luttrell, who has sponsored gambling legislation in the past, is carrying the bills. He is also the subcommittee chairman. On Monday, he explained that HB 1047 would bring sports betting to the state via the legislature. If the bill fails, HB 1101 would then be “triggered” and the decision would go to the voters via referendum.

Luttrell did not specify in either bill whether retail or digital betting – or both – would be legalised should either bill become law. He says that the “tribes can decide” and that “we’re not going to legislate..

February 11, 2025

Season-long props, sports awards betting approved by NY senate committee

The New York state senate passed a bill that legalises a new kind of proposition bets and some awards wagers.

In a bill sponsored by New York state senator Joseph P Addabbo Jr, the committee voted on Tuesday (11 February) to amend the racing, pari-mutuel wagering and breeding law. SB 2616 would allow for betting on season-long proposition and future award winners, such as the Heisman Trophy. It would also add betting on pre-game coin tosses.

The bill passed unanimously. From here, it will continue moving through the senate. It must pass the house and get Governor Kathy Hochul’s signature before it could become effective.

According to the text of the proposal, allowing for season-long proposition bets and predicted award winners would “expand on an already successful” online sports betting product.

The New York bill noted that the state was “quickly become the leading market for mobile sports”. Adding that this was bringing in revenue for education in the state.

Senator Addabbo ha..

February 11, 2025

BHA announces passing of industry stalwart Joe Saumarez Smith

The British Horseracing Authority (BHA) has today (11 February) confirmed the passing of its long-standing chair Joe Saumarez Smith.

Joe Saumarez Smith had a long and successful career in the gaming sector. This included a spell as chairman for platform provider Bede Gaming, acquired by Merkur in 2020. He was also an active investor in the sector, as well as a widely respected consultant.

However Joe’s true passion was horse racing and he started his career in 1991 as a member of the UK’s Jockey Club graduate programme. From there he featured as a prominent voice in racing media.

He contributed to the coverage of horse racing in Racing Post, Financial Times, The Times, The Telegraph and Bloomberg.

“An influential and distinguished figure in British racing”

Joe joined the BHA in December 2014 as a non-executive director and was appointed chairman in 2022. The BHA credits Joe as a driving force in forging close ties with the betting sector.

“He played a vital convening role in dr..

February 11, 2025

North Carolina bounces back in January as betting hold hits 11.05%

North Carolina recovered from a record-low month in December to post an improved sports betting hold of 11.05% during January.

Consumers in North Carolina bet a total of $646.9 million (£523.1 million/€626.7 million) on sports in January. This is 2.8% above December and the fourth highest monthly total since the state opened its legal betting market in March 2024.

Some $623.3 million of this was paid wagers. The remaining $23.6 million was attributed to promotional bets, according to data from the North Carolina State Lottery Commission.

A total of $3.9 million was noted in cancelled and voided wagers, while players won $568.5 million from sports betting.

Monthly betting revenue second highest on record

As a result, gross wagering revenue for the month hit $74.5 million. This beats December by 108.7% and is the second highest monthly amount on record, behind $78.1 million posted in November.

This meant North Carolina operators were left with a monthly sports betting hold of 11.05..

February 11, 2025

New York smashes sports betting revenue and handle records in January

New York set new monthly records for online sports betting handle and revenue in January as the state marked three years since launching its regulated market.

Player spending on mobile sports betting in January topped $2.48 billion (£2.01 billion/€2.41 billion). This surpasses the existing New York record of $2.32 billion, set in October last year, by 6.9%.

The January handle total is also 25.9% higher the same month last year. New York opened its legal online betting market in January 2022.

In terms of gross gaming revenue, data from the New York State Gaming Commission places this at $247.0 million for the month. This is another new record, surpassing the $231.6 million reported in November 2024 by 6.7%.

As for year-on-year comparison, revenue in January 2025 was 16.7% higher than in 2024.

This resulted in a monthly hold of 9.96% for the Empire State in January.

FanDuel sets operator records in New York

Looking to operators, FanDuel set several new monthly records for individu..

February 10, 2025

GeoComply: Super Bowl LIX data showed 14% increase in active accounts

The Philadelphia Eagles weren't the only winners this past Super Bowl weekend. According to initial data, legal sportsbook operators saw a 14% increase in active accounts over last year.

Compliance and geolocation tech supplier GeoComply released its annual data report after the game on Sunday (9 February). The top-line news was a 14% year-on-year increase in active legal online sports betting accounts.

This is welcome news for the industry, especially given that there were no new markets launched for this year’s game. Missouri voters legalised sports betting there last November but the market has yet to launch. Over the course of the weekend, GeoComply said there were 724,400 new accounts created from 12am Saturday (8 February) through the end of the game Sunday night.

The other big takeaway from the report was the growth rate of active users in states that have taken action against illegal operators.

No markets or numbers were given, but user growth in states that have ta..

February 7, 2025

State of the Union: Bet the coin flip in MA, OH lawmakers aren’t for doubling the tax, more

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.

MA regulator to allow Super Bowl coin flip bets

A year after voting not to allow bets on the Super Bowl coin flip, the Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) reversed itself on Thursday (6 February). Operators in the state can now offer the bet ahead of Sunday’s Super Bowl between the Kansas City Chiefs and Philadelphia Eagles. Since last year, former MGC chair Cathy Judd-Stein retired and commissioner Paul Brodeur joined. Brodeur, who said “it’s not something that can be gamed, so I’m comfortable moving forward with this,” was the swing vote.

The commission also agreed to hold an adjudicatory hearing for Caesars Sportsbook. The company took bets on the total number of red cards during UEFA Euros 2024. MGC regulations prohibit bets on penalties, injuries and other things that could be manipulated. Caesars to..

February 7, 2025

Great Britain online GGY up 21% in Q4 amid record customer activity

Online gross gambling yield (GGY) in Great Britain increased 21% year-on-year during the fourth quarter of 2024 to £1.54 billion (€1.85 billion/$1.92 billion) as the total number of bets and spins reached a record high.

Data published yesterday (6 February) by the Great Britain Gambling Commission covers the three months to 31 December 2024. It primarily covers online gambling but also references GGY and activity in the land-based betting sector.

The Q4 online GGY figure surpasses the £1.30 billion posted in the same period in the last year. It is also 16.7% ahead of £1.32 billion in the third quarter of last year.

On top of this, overall online bets and spins jumped 8% year-on-year to a record 25.9 billion. However, average monthly active player accounts declined 3% in Q4.

Slots GGY hits £709 million

Slots remain the primary source of GGY in Britain. During Q4, online slots GGY reached £709 million, an increase of 15%. Total spins were also 9% higher at 23.9 billion while average..