Same Old Song And Dance
Same Old Song And Dance
North Carolina could rekindle gambling expansion talks during budget discussions. Labor is the immovable object standing in the way of online casino in New York.
The Bulletin Board
NEWS: North Carolina budget talks could reignite gambling debates.
BEYOND the HEADLINE: Analyzing the early numbers following the launch of mobile betting in North Carolina.
LOOSE ENDS: Strong Ohtani opinions. Do lottery winners deserve anonymity? A credit card ban is on the table in PA.
VIEWS: Labor is the critical obstacle New York online casino efforts must overcome.
NEWS: Missouri sports betting effort looks to be headed to the ballot.
AROUND the WATERCOOLER: The Rolex of (UK) sports betting.
STRAY THOUGHTS: Carnival games and gambling.
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Gambling Expansions Back In Play in North Carolina
Fresh off legalizing mobile sports betting, North Carolina looked at other gambling expansions earlier this year but decided against commercial casinos, VLTs, and online gambling.
One of those topics could come up again when the legislature reconvenes to discuss the budget. And with the state having a $1 billion surplus, the budget talks could become very interesting.
Per WRAL, VLTs and a potential prohibition of prop bets on college athletes could be on the agenda:
“The legislature will look to address video lottery terminals, or VLTs, House Speaker Tim Moore told reporters this month. Video gambling has been outlawed in North Carolina for decades, but a succession of legal battles and resulting changes in gaming software has kept the doors open at video gambling parlors all over the state. People associated with the industry have donated large sums of money to state lawmakers as they seek legalization.
“[Marcia] Morey, the Democratic Durham representative, also told WRAL she plans to introduce a bill banning prop bets, largely in line with a recent suggestion from the NCAA to disallow prop betting on individual college athletes. Morey is a former college and Olympic swimmer. But some of the legislature’s powerful, pro-sports-betting GOP leaders have previously said they would protect prop betting.”
Beyond the Headline: The Early Returns from NC
North Carolinians wagered $659 million in March, an impressive tally considering the state’s mobile sportsbooks went live on March 11. An important caveat is that $202 million was promotional money.
According to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (a newsletter sponsor), the bonusing in North Carolina is the second-highest spend-per-adult in recently launched states, trailing only Maryland. The bonusing, coupled with GeoComply data surrounding the mid-month launch of mobile betting, points to North Carolina as one of the most successful launches.
Add in the timely launch around March Madness and multiple high-profile NC teams in the tournament, a synchronized launch, two significant border states (South Carolina and Georgia) lacking sports betting, and a long buildup to launch, and you have a recipe for success.
North Carolina doesn’t break out revenue by operator, but EKG used Google Trends to determine interest in each brand. As expected, FanDuel and DraftKings are leading the way, with ESPN Bet, BetMGM, and Bet365 emerging as a clear trail pack.
Loose Ends: Ohtani Opinion; Do Lotto Winners Deserve Anonymity?; Credit Card Ban in PA
Let’s talk Ohtani: Robn Sports has an excellent take on the Shohei Ohtani betting scandal. It calls the story a “Gong Show of inconsistencies, half-truths, and betting activity of a volume and nature that is hard for people to comprehend” and lists 10 unanswered questions (there are more than 10, but who is counting beside me) that people have. It’s well worth a read.
Anonymity vs. marketing: Lottery winners have long wanted to avoid the public eye (for pretty obvious reasons), and with the internet making it easier and easier to find a person’s life story and personal information, Lotteries are increasingly allowing winners to remain anonymous. But, as Lottery Geeks reports, not every Lottery is on board, citing not just marketing but the added integrity “winner awareness” brings.
No credit cards for you: A Pennsylvania bill prohibiting using credit cards to fund online gambling accounts has been introduced. Currently, Massachusetts, Iowa, Tennessee, Maine, and Vermont prohibit the use of credit cards. Louisiana is also considering a credit card ban.
SPONSOR’S MESSAGE - SUBSCRIBE NOW to Zero Latency, the new podcast from Eilers & Krejcik Gaming that provides unparalleled insight into the U.S. online gambling industry through interviews with industry insiders and analysis from EKG experts.
Labor Unions Hold the Key to NY’s Online Gambling Car
New York approved its state budget this weekend, and to no one’s surprise, online casinos were not included. The budget now sits on the desk of Gov. Kathy Hochul.
According to New York State Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr., he will make one final appeal to labor unions before officially shelving online casino legislation for the year.
“I want to get together with the Hotel Trades Council and figure out a national model for how we can have iGaming and not cannibalize their brick-and-mortar casinos,” Addabbo told Play USA’s Matthew Kredell. “We just need to have some initiative and get creative with the language.”
That said, Addabbo isn’t even sure he can get a meeting with union leaders before the New York legislative session ends on June 6.
As STTP has been reporting, labor unions are becoming increasingly hostile to online gambling expansion, with their opposition derailing efforts not only in New York but also in Maryland.
In February, 700 employees at Resorts World casino at Aqueduct signed a letter opposing New York’s online gambling bill:
“We find it appalling that you are pushing legislation that would hurt workers like us and our industry in order to benefit a handful of companies who are seeking massive profits at our expense.”
“This iGaming proposal undercuts the best thing about casino gaming in New York: permanent, high-quality jobs that New Yorkers can live and retire on, Tibrewal said. “We’ve stated and re-stated our opposition to iGaming to Senator Addabbo and now it’s time for him and other legislators to start hearing it directly from casino workers.”
In Maryland, Tracy Lingo, the president of UNITE HERE Local 7, and Paul Schwab, the executive secretary-treasurer of UNITE HERE Local 25, penned an opinion article in the Baltimore Sun against online casinos in November 2023:
“The expansion of online gambling would eliminate casino jobs and reduce the incentive to invest in or expand Maryland’s casinos. It will harm thousands of Maryland workers who rely on in-person gaming and tips. It will undermine the promise of good jobs and economic development that the industry made to Maryland’s voters in 2008.”
Missouri Sports Betting Petition Gathers 300k Signatures
A spokesperson for Winning for Missouri Education, a group led by Missouri’s six professional sports teams trying to get sports betting on the ballot, said it has collected 300,000 signatures a month before the deadline.
Missouri’s attempts to legalize sports betting through traditional legislative channels have run into a roadblock, which led to the ballot initiative push.
The effort is well ahead of the needed signatures, as it takes around 180,000 valid signatures to get a petition on the 2024 Missouri ballot:
“Petitions proposing statutory changes must be signed by five percent of legal voters in any six of the eight congressional districts. Petitions proposing constitutional changes must be signed by eight percent of legal voters in any six of the eight congressional districts.”
If it makes the ballot (likely), voters will likely approve sports betting. As previously reported, “A February survey by Saint Louis University and YouGov found 60% support for legalized sports betting and just 25% opposed. The results align with a January poll from FOX 4 and Emerson University that found 62% support.”
Around the Watercooler
Social media conversations, rumors, and gossip.
About the Rolex of Sportsbooks that Dillon Borgida has been wondering about and I brought up on Monday…
Fintan Costello (from The Gambling Files Podcast) offered a UK example:
The CEO of Fitzdares joined in the discussion:
It is a fascinating discussion and something to watch in the US as the market matures and brands look to differentiate.
Stray Thoughts
Theo Von talked to a “Carny” Mitch Candiano, who explained the sales tactics used to get people to throw money at unwinnable carnival games, and it struck me how similar it is to the gambling industry, with a free “can’t lose” wager being among the enticements.
Another interesting aspect was how he explained that the carnival game runners target big spenders, and they are just trying to get the kids with a few dollars to lose their money and move on.