Betting News – Page 11 – FairOdds Network

February 26, 2025

Caesars slips to FY24 net loss, remains confident about digital EBITDA target

Caesars Entertainment reported a net loss during its 2024 financial year after a drop in group revenue, but the gambling giant remains confident of long-term earnings goals for its digital arm after the division reported further growth.

Group revenue for the 12 months through to 31 December 2024 topped $11.2 billion (£8.89 billion/€10.71 billion). This is 2.5% lower than the previous year, according to data published yesterday (25 February) by Caesars.

Caesars attributed this primarily to its Las Vegas and regional segments, with both divisions seeing declines in 2024. Managed and branded revenue was also down, although there was some positive news from the digital segment.

Revenue from the digital business, which comprises igaming and online sports betting, was up 19.5%. This continues an upward trend seen in recent years, but the trajectory was not as high as seen in 2023 (77.6%).

Caesars: Digital EBITDA to reach $500 million in 2025

While digital growth may not have been quite ..

February 26, 2025

PointsBet board approves MIXI acquisition bid amid rival offer from BlueBet

PointsBet has approved a takeover bid from MIXI Australia via a scheme arrangement which will transfer 100% of PointsBet's shareholding to the Australian arm of Japanese digital entertainment and sports group, MIXI Inc.

If the deal is approved PointsBet shareholders will receive cash consideration of $1.06 per share as part of the deal, which represents a significant premium of 27.7% to PointsBet’s closing price on 25 February. This amounts to around AU$353 million.

This amount also equates to an EV/EBITDA multiple of 25.2x – 32.1x based on PointsBet’s FY25 EBITDA guidance range.

The deal has been unanimously recommended by the board, as published in its half-year financial earnings report on 25 February.

A vote to approve the deal will occur in late May, and the ‘scheme’ is expected to pass and be implemented in mid-June.

MIXI’s Japanese parent company operates a number of sports and digital gaming business arms, including the FC Tokyo football team, horse racing betting..

February 25, 2025

Nevada’s Titus is latest to push back on prediction market wave

Longtime Nevada representative Dina Titus has become the latest official to reach out to the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regarding tougher enforcement against prediction markets.

Nevada’s Dina Titus is in her seventh two-year term as an elected official in the house of representatives. As such, she has experience with following proper processes and protocols to get things done.

And in a letter sent last Friday (21 February) to Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) acting chairwoman Caroline D Pham, Representative Titus took issue with prediction market operators offering a form of sports betting without going through all the proper processes and protocols.

“This year, platforms have started to offer contracts on sporting events,” Titus wrote about midway through her two-page letter, a copy of which she posted on social media. She was referring to the likes of Kalshi, Crypto.com, Robinhood and others. The platforms permit users to risk money, in a stock market-..

February 25, 2025

Faced with a huge budget deficit, Hong Kong may legalise basketball bets

Hong Kong bettors already wager a huge amount on basketball with illegal sportsbooks. The Chinese SAR is reportedly considering legalising the bets to help plug a budget shortfall.

An “insider” last week told the South China Morning Post that Hong Kong’s 2024-25 budget, to be released tomorrow (26 February), may include a plan for legal wagers on basketball.

Support for legal hoops betting in Hong Kong is apparently on the rise as a way to generate tax revenue and also stamp out black-market operations.

The move would help the Chinese special administrative region (SAR) address a whopping budget deficit of more than HK$100 billion (£101.6 million/€122.5 million/$128.6 million) for the year. That’s more than twice the figure projected at the start of 2024.

PwC Hong Kong reports that the SAR government will have fiscal reserves of HK$639.8 billion at the end of March, enough to cover just 10 months of total government expenditures.

Reaping new revenue

Hong Kong bettors can alread..

February 25, 2025

Michigan igaming momentum continues in new year

Record monthly online gambling revenues lifted Michigan’s combined gross igaming and sports betting receipts to $331.2 million (£262.5m/€316.4m) in January.

The total figure, comprising igaming receipts of $248.2 million and sports betting revenue of $83 million, was up 25.4% over December’s total.

January’s record online gambling figure surpassed the previous record of $244 million set in December. Adjusted monthly igaming gross receipts of $233.1 million represented a year-on-year increase of 42%.

Online gambling growth

Last month, the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) reported that igaming revenue reached an all-time high of $2.9 billion in 2024.

The momentum appears to be continuing in the new year, with the market’s three biggest players increasing their monthly receipts.

BetMGM and MGM Grand Detroit, which generated market-leading igaming receipts of $640.1 million in 2024, remained at the top with $66.5 million in January. This figure was up from $65.1 million in Decemb..

February 25, 2025

Hawaii digital sports betting bill heads to house floor

Hawaii's house finance committee moved a legal online sports betting bill forward on Monday (24 February). A companion bill is set for a hearing on Wednesday.

An amended version of HB 1308 received committee approval, but at least six members voted “with reservations”. Finance was the third and final Hawaii house committee to pass the bill, which now moves to the house floor. A companion bill, SB 1569, is set to be heard in the senate ways and means committee on Wednesday.

Just ahead of Monday’s vote, chairman Kyle Yamashita offered amendments to make passage more palatable. He suggested removing the tax rate – originally set for 10% – and the licensing fee pending further review. There was much discussion during the hearing about how many tax dollars the state stands to gain.

In addition, representative Sue L Keohokapu-Lee Loy said the $250,000 (£197,761/€238,712) licence fee “appears rather low for an industry that makes billions of dollars. I would love to see that licenc..

February 24, 2025

Maryland lawmaker files bill to kill sports betting

The latest trend in sports betting legislation seems to be to try to shut down legal markets.

On 20 February a Maryland lawmaker filed a bill to shut down that state’s legal sports betting market. It is the second bill across the US this year calling for the end to an already legal market. Lawmakers in Vermont filed a similar bill there on 4 February.

In Maryland, Senator Joanne Benson filed SB 1033, which would shut down the legal online sports betting market on 1 January 2026. In the text of the bill, Benson suggests that some operators have application fees refunded in certain circumstances. It would not affect the status of Maryland’s brick-and-mortar sportsbooks.

Retail sports betting launched in December 2021 in Maryland. Digital platforms launched in November 2022. Through January 2025, bettors had wagered a combined $12.2 billion (£9.6 billion/€11.7 billion) across both verticals, and the state got $143.2 million in tax revenue. Operators reported gross gaming revenue of ..

February 24, 2025

Weekend Report: Fresno State basketball betting inquiry, Bet365 in Tennessee

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB looks at the news that you may have missed across Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week: Fresno State basketball faces betting inquiry, Bet365 lands Tennessee licence and Altenar pens Immense Group sportsbook deal.

Sources allege Fresno State basketball betting inquiry

The basketball programme at California State University, Fresno has reportedly found itself at the centre of a betting enquiry.

Sources close to the matter told ESPN on 22 February the case involves several of the Fresno State team’s players. So far, one player has been removed from the team, while two others have been suspended.

Mykell Robinson has not played for Fresno State since January and is no longer on the team. Fresno State also said in a statement that guards Jalen Weaver and Zaon Collins were being withheld from competition while the university reviews an “eligibility matter”.

The sources said Fresno State launched an investigation after receiving a tip off. The N..

February 21, 2025

Missouri secretary of state rejects emergency betting rules; launch now set for fall

On Friday (21 February) Missouri's secretary of state said he is rejecting the “emergency” status for sports betting rules. The regulator says this will delay the proposed June launch.

Missouri secretary of state (SOS) Denny Hoskins is rejecting the proposed emergency sports betting rules filed by the Missouri Gaming Commission (MGC). And the commission says it is pushing the sports betting go-live date to the fall.

Saying that the “the situation does not warrant an “emergency” rulemaking designation, Hoskins told iGB that the “proposed emergency rules were intended to address specific aspects of gaming regulations. However, following a thorough review, it was concluded that the matter does not meet the criteria for emergency rulemaking according to Missouri law.”

Hoskins said the proposed emergency rules, which were sent to Governor Mike Kehoe on 27 January, could “proceed through the standard rulemaking process which includes the opportunity for public input”.

Missouri law ..

February 21, 2025

State of the Union: RG study might not be what it seems; Canada election betting

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.

Study raises RG alarm, but should it?

Since the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) was overturned in 2018, the number of internet searches terms around “gambling addiction” has risen 23% nationally, according to an American Medical Association JAMA Internal Medicine investigation. Published on 17 February, the responsible gaming (RG) study revealed that searches rose most in Pennsylvania (50%), Massachusetts (47%), New York (37%) and New Jersey (34%).

In the abstract, investigators wrote, “The results of this time series study suggest that access to sportsbooks, sports wagers and potential help-seeking for gambling addiction increased substantially and highlight the need to address the health implications of sportsbooks, including recognition and treatment of gambling problems and their b..

February 21, 2025

Pennsylvania gambling revenue up in January despite sports betting decline

Gambling revenue in Pennsylvania increased 10.9% year-on-year during January despite the state’s sports betting market reporting further declines.

Total market revenue in January amounted to $529.1 million (£417.8 million/€504.7 million). This, according to figures published yesterday (20 February) by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, surpasses $477.2 million in January 2024.

This total does, however, fall 0.8% short of the $533.1 million generated in December.

Online gambling the star of the show in Pennsylvania

Starting with online gambling, revenue here climbed 40.5% year-on-year to $210.2 million. This, however, falls short of the record $223.6 million reported in December last year.

Online slots drew the most revenue in this sector, with the $158.6 million being 44.2% ahead of last year. Internet table games revenue also climbed 32.7% to $48.9million, although online poker revenue dipped 2.3% to $2.6 million.

Spending-wise, consumers wagered some $4.23 billion on online..

February 21, 2025

Massachusetts smashes sports betting revenue record in January

Sports betting revenue in Massachusetts reached a record $94.4 million (£74.6 million/€90.2 million) in January, while monthly handle hit its third-highest monthly total since the state opened its legal market.

Gross gaming revenue for the month was 32.8% higher than the $71.1 million reported in January last year. It also far exceeds the existing Massachusetts monthly record – $75.4 million in September 2024 – by 25.2%.

Data published yesterday (20 February) by the Massachusetts Gaming Commission reveals online sports betting revenue totalled $93.6 million in January. Retail betting also generated $778,953 in monthly revenue.

Incidentally, this bucks the trend of sports betting struggles seen in the industry during January. Pennsylvania, which also posted monthly revenue figures yesterday, reported a 26.4% year-on-year drop in betting revenue.

As for handle, player spending totalled $762.5 million, which beats last year by 17.0%. It is also only 3.3% behind December’s record $788…

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