The Weekender: Election Results; Poker Is Hot; MN Sports Betting
The Weekender: Election Results; Poker Is Hot; MN Sports Betting
The big gambling item from Tuesday was Missouri voters legalizing sports betting, but that wasn't the only gambling item that was decided.
The Bulletin Board
ABOVE the FOLD: A look at the three biggest stories of the week.
— Election results and gambling. Everything you need to know.
— Is poker going to be the hot topic of 2025?
— Minnesota sports betting has momentum and hurdles.
HOUSEKEEPING: A look at recent podcasts, featured articles, and more from yours truly.
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And the Winner Is… STTP’s 2024 Election Roundup
Elections have consequences, even for gambling.
Tuesday’s election had implications on several fronts, including:
The Missouri sports betting ballot initiative, which passed by the thinnest of margins, sets the stage for a launch sometime in 2025.
There were also three casino referendums, two of which failed (in Arkansas and Missouri) and one that passed in Virginia. The Virginia casino project, spearheaded by Cordish Companies, will likely take online gambling off the table for the foreseeable future.
Colorado voters overwhelmingly voted to remove the cap on sports betting tax contributions that can be used for water conservation projects.
You can read my Around the Watercooler entry from Thursday for a fuller look at the 2024 election implications.
Ryan Butler had an interesting election-related item on Texas, describing how gambling expansions have become a little more complicated (Republicans picked up an additional seat in the State Senate) or perhaps easier if Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick joins the Trump administration and is replaced by someone more amenable to gambling — both of those are big ifs.
As I mentioned on Monday, the presidential election will have a significant impact on tribal gaming:
“The Donald Trump administration was not seen as friendly to tribes, starting with Department of Interior Secretary Ryan Zinke, who clashed with tribes on environmental issues. Trump’s tribal animosity dates back to his casino days, when he made several inflammatory comments about tribal gaming.”
Online Poker’s Busy Week
There were several poker stories in the newsletter this week:
A Texas cardroom is trying to test the waters of the membership model in the online arena.
RSI has officially launched BetRivers Poker in Pennsylvania, the first new online poker platform in the US since PokerStars in 2016.
BetMGM has merged its online poker player pools in Michigan and New Jersey, following in the footsteps of WSOP.com and PokerStars.
Another Election Story That Deserves Its Own Entry
Gambling wasn’t directly on the ballot in Minnesota, but the elections will undoubtedly influence the state’s efforts to legalize sports betting in 2025.
“Good news; bad news for Minnesota sports betting: Gov. Tim Walz will stay in Minnesota, which leaves sports betting efforts in the same place they were in 2024 (or maybe vastly improved if a recent report of a compromise comes to fruition).
“More problematic for sports betting, the Minnesota House is going to be evenly split or with a slight edge to Republicans (two Democrat-held seats will likely go to a recount). This could slam the brakes on legislative efforts in 2025 as Republicans will be looking to avoid giving Walz a political victory when he runs for reelection in 2026. The Democrats had a six-seat majority in 2024.”
Housekeeping
The Forecast is a premium service that provides quarterly reports and weekly updates on the US online gambling sector. I created it specifically for individuals and organizations interested in an unbiased, clear-cut assessment of the landscape.
The Forecast launched last week, and you can still become a subscriber for $50 per week (billed annually).
Reach out here for more details or to register your organization for The Forecast.
PODCASTS:
The Talking Shop podcast was off this week, but yours truly was a guest on the Gaming News Canada show, where I talked about the shakeup in the affiliate industry, some of the possible gambling impacts of the election, and my attempt to separate myth from reality when it comes to the effects of online gambling on land-based casinos.
COLUMNS:
This week’s featured column delves into the numbers to examine how online and land-based gambling interact and why, despite customer shifts, land-based casinos should embrace online… in their own unique ways.
Why hire Steve Ruddock? Over the years, Steve has advised startups, national gambling companies, government agencies, and investment banks on a wide variety of topics.
Whether you’re looking for market research, want to raise your brand awareness, or are trying to develop responsible gaming strategies, Steve can help with honest, balanced, no-nonsense analysis of the situation.
Steve’s unique experience and insights are often the missing piece to the puzzle.
Reach out for more information: Straight to the Point Consulting.