Betting News – Page 30 – FairOdds Network

December 11, 2024

FanDuel adds legislative and regulatory specialists to government relations team

FanDuel today (11 December) added two new executives to its government relations team while BetMGM announced a new chief marketing officer on 9 December.

FanDuel continued to expand its government relations team today (11 December) with the additions of James Hartmann and Louis Trombetta. The pair bring diverse backgrounds to the ever-burgeoning department, which now not only monitors and works with state legislatures, but also in Indian Country.

Hartmann brings a legal background. He was a prosecutor in Chicago and New York City before shifting into politics. In Illinois, he was the lead house gaming attorney. Hartmann was heavily involved in crafting the legislation that led to the legalisation of sports betting in Illinois in 2019.

Trombetta was the first executive director of the Florida Gaming Commission. He oversaw the build-out of the commission and the regulatory process and set state legislative priorities.

Since tribes in California in 2022 killed a commercial sports be..

December 11, 2024

Super Group raises full-year revenue guidance to €1.6 billion

Super Group, the parent company of Betway, has increased its full-year revenue guidance by 3.2% following a “strong” performance in the first two months of the fourth quarter.

Revenue at Super Group for the 12 months to 31 December 2024 is expected to reach €1.6 billion (£1.32 billion/$1.68 billion), the operator announced today (11 December). The group previously forecasted a full-year revenue of €1.55 billion.

In addition, adjusted EBITDA, excluding the US, is on track to hit €360 million in 2024, 4.3% above its earlier guidance of €345 million. Super Group is expected to publish its full-year results in March or April next year.

The group’s favourable performance in Q4 is the reason behind its increased forecast. Both October and November were “strong” months for the business, it said, although it did not provide any additional context.

CEO Neal Menashe said he is “proud” to be in the position to increase guidance and pay an extra dividend. He said Super Group will seek to buil..

December 11, 2024

Illinois FY24 gambling report: Tax revenue over $2 billion, but casinos not key drivers

Data from the fiscal year 2024 edition of the Wagering in Illinois report from the legislature's Commission on Government Forecasting and Accountability showed that the state's gaming industry generated a record $2.08 billion (£1.62 billion/€1.97 billion) in tax revenue in FY24, the most ever for the Prairie State.

According to the report, state tax revenue grew 4.8% year-over-year from $1.99 billion in FY23. Illinois has one of the strongest gaming industries in the US, with casino gaming, video gaming (slot routes), sports betting, horse racing and lottery.

The report covers not just the last fiscal year, but references financial reports dating back to legalisation dates for each genre of gambling.

The commission noted that FY24’s growth was “largely driven by the steady expansion of video gaming, elevated lottery sales and rapid growth in sports wagering”. The first two sectors generated the majority of tax revenues – $886 million from the lottery and $848 million fr..

December 10, 2024

Michigan lawmakers seeking online gambling hike of 1% or less

The measures seek the most modest of bumps to the tax rates, avoiding putting much pressure on operators.

Two Michigan state senators, Sam Singh and Jeremy Moss, have introduced two bills proposing modest tax increases on sports betting and igaming revenue. However, unlike other states that have attempted to introduce massive increases, these legislators are taking a more subtle approach.

Introduced 5 December, Senate Bill 1193 seeks to raise the tax rate on commercial sports betting operators’ adjusted gross receipts from 8.4% to 8.5%. It only applies to non-tribal betting; the state can’t adjust tribal betting rates.

The increase would give slightly more revenue to the city in which the sports betting operator’s land-based casino partner is located. That figure is now 30%, but the bill would increase it to 31%.

Proposed online casino tax hike is tiered

Concurrently, Senate Bill 1194 proposes a tiered increase in igaming tax rates, with adjustments depending on revenue brackets. ..

December 10, 2024

Weekend Report: footballer and tennis official banned for betting breaches, Omnigame secures Danish licence

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: bans issued to Irish footballer and Bosnian tennis official for breaching betting rules, Omnigame picks up Danish licence and Yolo makes new senior appointments.

Irish footballer faces ban over betting charge

The Football Association of Ireland (FAI) has issued a six-month ban to Finn Harps FC player Ryan Rainey after he was found to have breached betting rules.

Breaches are connected to a number of League of Ireland and Men’s FAI Cup games that took place between 2021 and 2024. The FAI said Rainey also placed a “significant” number of bets on football worldwide in 2024.

After a disciplinary hearing, an Independent Disciplinary Committee ruled Rainey should face a ban. This has since been confirmed by the League of Ireland, in which his team, Finn Harps FC, plays.

Rainey, who previously played for English Premier League club Wolverhampton Wanderers, to..

December 10, 2024

New Zealand government seeks to end greyhound racing

New Zealand's government has today (10 December) announced plans to end greyhound racing in the country, with racing minister Winston Peters hoping to introduce legislation to facilitate the shut-down next year.

Taking the decision, the government said the greyhound industry has been on notice over animal welfare concerns for several years. Three reviews into racing over the past decade all recommended significant changes within the sector.

Peters said a more detailed legislation will come to the table next year. However, he did reveal that the government intends to wind down greyhound racing over a 20-month period. This, he said, will enable the rehoming of dogs and provide a transition period for people involved in the industry.

“This isn’t a decision taken lightly but is ultimately driven by protecting the welfare of racing dogs,” Peters said. “Despite significant progress made by the greyhound racing industry in recent years, the percentage of dogs being injured remains per..

December 9, 2024

North Carolina has second-best wagering handle month since launch

North Carolina bettors wagered a near record $657.7 million (£515.8 million/€623.3 million) in November, the second-highest handle since betting went live in March.

The largest total bet in a month in North Carolina was $693.3 million in March, when wagering went live. That amount includes real-money and promotional bets. In November, bettors laid down $638.7 million and operators wrote off $19 million in promotional play. In March, bettors wagered $456.7 million in real-money bets and also used $202.6 million in promotional play.

Operators in the Tar Heel state took in record revenue of $78.1 million for November, according to today’s (9 December) report from the North Carolina State Lottery Commission. The next highest gross gaming revenue (GGR) month was September, when operators reported $70.1 million.

Through nine months, bettors have wagered $4.4 billion with an additional $434.3 million in promotional play. The level of promotional play was at its peak in March, but has be..

December 9, 2024

US senators want FTC to investigate DraftKings, FanDuel

Senators Mike Lee and Peter Welch accuse the two operators of conspiring to control the US sports betting market.

Two US senators have formally requested that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and the Department of Justice (DOJ) investigate online sports betting platforms DraftKings and FanDuel.

In a letter dated 5 December, Republican senator Mike Lee and Democratic senator Peter Welch raised concerns about the companies allegedly coordinating efforts to suppress competition in the industry.

The senators cite public reports. These suggest DraftKings and FanDuel may have joined together to pressure other businesses not to work with rival betting platforms. Both companies are members of the Sports Betting Alliance (SBA). The senators claim the SBA has been used as a vehicle for these actions.

“After their merger to monopoly was blocked, it seems that FanDuel and DraftKings have arguably acted as one company, violating our antitrust laws,” wrote the senators.

We can’t allow online..

December 9, 2024

New Zealand government proposes extending TAB NZ monopoly online

New Zealand government has introduced new legislation to extend the current monopoly TAB NZ holds for retail sports betting and horse racing wagering in the country to also cover the online market.

Filed by racing minister Winston Peters and announced over the weekend, the legislation would amend the Racing Industry Act 2020. This would effectively grant a TAB NZ monopoly across the entire sports and horse racing betting market in New Zealand.

TAB NZ was established under the Racing Industry Act. It replaced the Racing Industry Transition Agency (RITA), which previously oversaw the country’s betting activity. According to the government, TAB NZ already accounts for 90% of revenue within the New Zealand racing industry.

Minister Peters said that extending the current monopoly model to online operations would increase revenue and support the wider industry. He added that establishing TAB NZ as the sole online operator would help protect consumers from illegal offshore sites.

“This le..