Sports Betting Roundup: Kansas Prepared to Make a Move
Sports betting in Kansas kicks off next month as Gov. Laura Kelly announced digital and retail sportsbooks will be operational a week prior to the start of the NFL season. This follows less than four months after sports wagering was legalized in the state, making it one of the fastest implementations since the Supreme Court's 2018 decision on the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) that allowed states other than Nevada to legalize sports betting.
Meanwhile, Massachusetts and Maine are moving at a slower pace. Massachusetts regulators have yet to set a go-live date for sports betting, frustrating stakeholders, while Maine's law went into effect in August 2022, but don't expect live wagering until sometime in 2023. Maine's Gambling Control Unit head, Milt Champion, expects proposed rules to be completed and ready for public comment by January, and the application process for operators could take around 90 days.
In addition to state launches, other notable stories this week include the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians expanding their Four Winds Casino in Indiana, U.K.-based gaming conglomerate Entain reaching a record settlement with British gaming authorities over money laundering and social responsibility allegations, and talks between Las Vegas Sands and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen about a downstate casino licensing bid at Citi Field in Manhattan.
California also saw skirmishing between backers of Proposition 27, the statewide mobile wagering ballot initiative, and opponents of Proposition 26, the tribal-backed, retail-only initiative. Animal rights groups, two more cities, the San Joaquin County Democratic Central Committee, and the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce have joined the opposition to Proposition 26.
In Maine, supporters of legalized sports betting are encouraging the state to expedite the process, while regulators issue no hint of a quick timeline. With a lack of clear progress in Massachusetts, it remains uncertain when sports betting will be available.
[- Jill R. Dorson]
Meanwhile, in Maine, the sports betting law took effect on August 2, 2022, but live wagering is not expected until sometime in 2023. Milt Champion, head of the Maine Gambling Control Unit, has stated that it will take at least a year to get things up and running, making Maine the slowest of the three states to begin offering live sports betting. Proposed rules are expected to be complete and ready for public comment by January 2023. From there, it could take several months to finalize the rules, allowing operators to apply for licenses, and then 90 days for processing applications.
[- Jill R. Dorson]
In California, backers and opponents of Proposition 27 and Proposition 26 have intensified their battle ahead of the November ballot. Proposition 27, which would allow mobile sports betting throughout the state, released an ad this week comparing it to Proposition 26, the tribal-backed, retail-only initiative. Opponents of Proposition 26 have announced they have been joined by animal rights groups, two more cities, the San Joaquin County Democratic Central Committee, and the San Juan Capistrano Chamber of Commerce. They argue that Proposition 26 would allow tribal casinos to use the Private Attorneys General Act against their competition.
[- Jill R. Dorson]
The Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians held a ribbon-cutting ceremony in Indiana to unveil the expanded gaming floor of the Four Winds Casino. Construction continues on a 23-story hotel tower, expected to be completed in the first quarter of 2023, along with a spa, convention area, ballroom, and outdoor swimming pool. The Pokagon Band reached an agreement with Indiana to expand its compact to include Class III Gaming, including table games and retail sports wagering.
[- Chris Altruda]
Entain, a U.K.-based gaming conglomerate with a 50% stake in BetMGM, agreed to a record £17 million settlement with British gaming authorities over money laundering and social responsibility allegations. The charges could result in the loss of Entain's gaming license. The company's failures included inadequate risk assessments for money laundering and terrorist financing, failure to conduct enhanced customer due diligence checks, and numerous Source of Funds inadequacies.
[- Matt Rybaltowski]
New York gaming authorities continue to discuss the future of casinos, including a potential casino in Coney Island and the possibility of lowering the sports betting tax rate. This comes as discussions between Las Vegas Sands and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen about a downstate casino licensing bid at Citi Field have not advanced past the initial stages.
[- Matt Rybaltowski]
In Virginia and Massachusetts, casino revenue reports were released this week, with Virginia's Hard Rock Bristol generating $11.7 million in adjusted gross revenue from slots and table games last month, and Massachusetts collecting $27.7 million in tax revenue from casinos during the month of July.
[- Bennett Conlin]
More noteworthy stories this week include a restructuring discussion for college football governance, a record number of inductees into the American Gaming Association's Gaming Hall of Fame, a casino in Richmond not being on November ballots, a unique commercial time for Nebraska wide receiver Decoldest Crawford, a couple celebrating a $360 win in Washington lottery but missing a few zeroes, Sioux City moving toward a sports betting partnership, and a possible expansion of the Las Vegas Strip.
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- In the state of Maine, supporters of legalized sports betting are advocating for a quicker process, but regulators have not indicated a speedy timeline, with live wagering not expected until 2023.
- The agreement reached by the Pokagon Band of Potawatomi Indians allows for the expansion of their Four Winds Casino in Indiana, including the addition of table games and retail sports wagering.
- Entain, a U.K.-based gaming conglomerate, has agreed to a record settlement with British gaming authorities over money laundering and social responsibility allegations, risking the loss of their gaming license.
- Discussions between Las Vegas Sands and New York Mets owner Steve Cohen regarding a downstate casino licensing bid at Citi Field in Manhattan have not progressed beyond the initial stages.
