Month: January 2022

Despite the rise from 2020, revenue was still 9.9% less than the revenue generated in 2019, which totaled at $12.4m.

The total amount wagered came to $89.0m, a 54.4% increase from the full-year 2020 total of $57.6m.

The state’s 2020 results were largely affected by closures throughout the year. Operators closed between March and July due to Covid-19 lockdowns, with Dover Downs and Harrington Raceway reopening their sportsbooks in July and Delaware Park reopening later in August.

As Delaware allows land-based sports betting only, players could not bet during this time.

The number of wagers came to 2.2 million, a yearly increase of 73.0%.

The state’s Delaware Park sportsbook recorded wagers totaling $47.8m, up 52.7% from 2020, as well as a 33.3% rise in revenue to $6.0m.

The Harrington Raceway sportsbook came second, with $21.4m waged throughout 2021- up 54.2%. It also posted $2.7m in revenue for the year, up 31.4%.

Meanwhile the Dover Downs sportsbook recorded a wager amount of $19.7m for the year, a rise of 59.1%. Revenue for the year rose by 41.1% to $2.4m.

Delaware’s year ended with $7.5m wagered in December, down 13.7% from the $8.7m wagered in November and a decrease of 14.3% year-on-year.

Revenue for December totaled $296,809, a significant drop from the $1.8m revenue recorded in November and $1.1m recorded in December 2020.

Delaware Park led in revenue in December, hitting $145,349- a drop of 78.6% year-on-year. Dover Downs saw its yearly revenue total fall by 62.7% to $76,066, while Harrington Raceway’s revenue dropped 68.3% to $75,394.

Under the agreement, which remains subject to regulatory approval, CVC will use its own technology and omni-channel approach to help drive growth and expansion at Gaming1.

Gaming1 said that it was seeking to partner with a shareholder “capable of bringing global, sector and digital expertise”. CVC has experience in the sector through investments in German sports betting operator Tipico, Italian brand Sisal, which CVC agreed to sell to Flutter Entertainment last month, and the Britain-facing Sky Bet. 

Based in Belgium, Gaming1 also has a presence in nine other countries including Portugal and France, as well as in the US via its Gamewise joint venture with Delaware North.

Emmanuel Mewissen, Sylvain Boniver and Nicolas Léonard, the historical shareholders of Gaming1, will remain as the reference shareholders in Gaming1 after the deal comes into effect.

“In a rapidly changing world, the key to success is adapting,” Ardent Group founder and chief executive Emmanuel Mewissen said. “By partnering with CVC, we will benefit from their global, sector and technology expertise, which will support our company to continue on our successful growth path and further build our digital capabilities. 

“We will stay loyal to our values and Belgian roots, as shown by our recent move to our digital hub in the heart of Liège. This desire to anchor ourselves in and to contribute to our country’s growth is an integral part of our identity and will continue to guide us daily.”

ICE London was originally due to take place from 1 to 3 February, followed by iGB Affiliate London from 2 to 5 February 2022, at ExCeL London. However, the events were postponed as a result of the uncertainty caused by the Omicron variant of Covid-19. 

The week at the ExCeL will begin with the ICE VOX conference, which starts on 11 April with the World Regulatory Briefing and International Casino Conference, running to 13 April. 

ICE then opens its doors on 12 April, with iGB Affiliate London kicking off a day later and this year’s iGB Affiliate Awards hosted at The Troxy that evening.

“Following consultation with our customers globally, market concern at the uncertainty caused by the Omicron variant and the primary objective of providing a safe and secure environment for visitors, exhibitors and venue staff we have secured new dates for ICE London, ICE VOX and iGB Affiliate London from 11 to 14 April 2022,” Clarion Gaming managing director Stuart Hunter said.

“What for many buyers and brands is becoming the most influential week in world gaming succeeds in bringing together upwards of 700 exhibitors to ExCeL London and I would like to pay tribute to the ExCeL senior management team which has worked tirelessly alongside us over the Christmas break in order to accommodate events of this magnitude and help us to deliver the best possible solution to our stakeholders.”

Hunter added that amid “intensive” discussions on the rescheduled dates, Clarion Gaming had been committed to avoiding a clash with the Indian Gaming Tradeshow & Convention, which takes place from 19 to 22 April in Anaheim, California. 

“[We] have been in close contact with colleagues at the National Indian Gaming Association who in turn have been extremely sensitive to the circumstances caused by the Omicron variant,” he said. “Again, I would like to put on the record my thanks for their understanding and support. We will continue to work through any remaining challenges with all of our clients and stakeholders and support them with their preparations and planning for what is the world’s biggest and most influential gaming industry gathering.”

iGB Affiliate London portfolio director Naomi Barton said the experience of delivering iGB Live! and iGB Affiliate Amsterdam in Autumn 2021 had demonstrated the vital importance of in-person events, as a focal point for industry stakeholders. 

“I’m delighted that we have been able to secure new dates a little more than six months after our Amsterdam events,” Barton said. 

“The focus now for my team is to build on the momentum of what was a record breaking show for the iGB brand, and consolidate its ‘best in class’ brand credentials by delivering the largest global iGaming affiliate event this April.”

To register for ICE London, visit icelondon.uk.com.

To register for iGB Affiliate London, visit london.igbaffiliate.com.

To book a table or seat for the iGB Affiliate Awards, visit igbaffiliate.com/igba-awards

The regulator determined the four operators have “satisfied all statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to accept and process mobile sports wagering activity”, and so each will be able to take their first bets from 9am Eastern Time on Saturday.

Caesars, DraftKings, FanDuel, and Rush Street Interactive were four of the nine operators recommended for licences following the conclusion of the state’s tender process.

The regulator said the other five operators – PointsBet, Resorts World, BetMGM, Bally’s Corporation and Wynn Bet – “continue to work towards satisfying statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch”.

It added that these licensees will be approved on a rolling basis when they do meet these criteria.

While the regulator did not outline which specific requirements the remaining operators did not yet meet, the four approved operators all have existing retail sports betting agreements with land-based casinos in upstate New York.

Caesars operates sportsbooks at Point Place Casino, Turning Stone Resort and Yellow Brick Road Casino; DraftKings operates at del Lago Resort;  FanDuel’s sportsbook is at Tioga Downs and Rush Street Interactive operates via the Rush Street Gaming-owned Rivers Casino & Resort Schenectady.

State senator Joseph P. Addabbo Jr, who pushed for legal mobile betting in New York as chair of the Senate Racing, Gaming and Wagering Committee, hailed the launch and the Gaming Commission for making it happen.

“Today’s announcement by the New York State Gaming Commission that four of the nine licensed Mobile Sports Wagering Operators have been approved to begin operations starting on Saturday, 8 January, 2022, is great news for New York in terms of revenue, new funding for education, addiction programs and youth sports, as well as new jobs,” he said,

“I want to thank the Gaming Commission for their efficiency in ensuring that these operators met all of the requirements to bring their mobile sports betting product to the people of New York ahead of the NFL playoffs. I look forward to the other five operators satisfying the statutory and regulatory requirements necessary to launch in the near future and working with the Hochul Administration and Gaming commission.”

In the bidding process, the nine operators approved to launch together submitted two bids to operate mobile betting in New York. FanDuel led one bid, alongside DraftKings, BetMGM and Bally Bet, while the other bid was led by supplier Kambi, and included Caesars Sportsbook, PointsBet, Resorts World, Rush Street Interactive and Wynn Bet.

All participants will be required to pay a 51% tax on sports betting revenue, the highest tax rate in any multi-operator US state.

The tender process launched in July this year with six bids submitted. Alongside the winning FanDuel- and Kambi-led proposals was a rival proposal led by Kambi, featuring Penn National Gaming and sports merchandise retailer Fantatics. TheScore, which has since been acquired by Penn National, and Bet365 also put forward solo bids. 

The New York State Gaming Commission approved a final set of rules for sports betting in late November.

Consumers will be limited to one mobile sports betting account per skin, and subject to extensive Know Your Customer (KYC) checks before they can bet. Accounts can be funded by a host of payment options, including credit cards, though there will be a $2,500 annual limit for this form of payment.

Via the DraftKings-operated Scoreboard App, 9.8 million bets were placed across the year – up from 7.1 million in 2020. This led to turnover of $331.6m, up 52.0% from last year.

Basketball continued to be the most popular sport among bettors across 2021. A total of 3.6 million basketball bets were placed during the year, generating $138.6m of turnover and $12.7m of revenue – up 96.3% and 176.1% respectively.

American football was the next most popular, attracting 2.2 million bets. American football turnover came to $62.4m while revenue amounted to $6.8m.

There were also more than one million bets placed on baseball and association football during 2020, with both reaching 1.1 million. Baseball had higher turnover – $40.2m compared to $32.0m – while association football’s $3.0m revenue figure was higher than baseball’s $2.5m.

During December, gaming revenue came to $2.6m – down from $4.4m in November. Turnover increased 3.1% month on month to $33.7m, while the number of bets placed dropped 8.0% to 923,793.

Basketball revenue increased 30.0% month on month to $1.3m. The most bets were placed on American football during December – 380,492.

The figures from the German State Lottery Association (DLTB) show that €3.2bn was generated for the public good through stakes and duties, equating to around €8.8m per day. This is allocated to welfare programmes, sport, cultural activities, monument preservation and environmental protection.

Axel Holthaus, joint managing director of Toto-Lotto Niedersachsen, which took on the chairmanship of the DLTB from 1 January this year, said the results were satisfactory, in the face of prize pool fluctuations and fewer jackpot cycles.

Over the year, the Lotto 6aus49 game remained the most popular, accounting for €4.0bn, or 50.6%, of sales across all channels. This was aided by a change to the draw formula, which resulted in higher prizes across all categories and bigger jackets. 

Eurojackpot, the pan-European lottery game, also drew in players, accounting for €1.4bn (17.7%) of sales. This was down year-on-year, however, as a result of shorter jackpot phases resulting in lower prize pools.

Despite this dip in total sales, online ticket sales were up 7.8% year-on-year to €985m. This, Holthaus’s joint managing director Sven Osthoff said, was evidence that DLTB members were able to fulfil their duty of channeling gambling to regulated portals. 

These efforts, he added, were aided further by the implementation of the new State Treaty on Gambling (GlüNeuRStV) from 1 July 2021.

“The comprehensive political consensus supporting the 2021 State Treaty on Gambling is a success, as otherwise there would have been a patchwork of gambling regulations, with a detrimental effect on the protection of players and minors,” Osthoff explained.

On beginning Toto-Lotto Niedersachsen’s three-year tenure leading the DLTB, replacing Lotto Rheinland-Pfalz, Holthaus said one of its key priorities would be to improve lottery products that pool players across states, to better compete against the expanding igaming market. 

Osthoff added: “We look forward to being able to use our digital expertise to aid the DLTB. It is important to sustain the goals of serving the common good through this digital transformation.”

The digital sports betting platform is scheduled to go live in the state on January 12, with consumers able to place bets on a wide range of sports events and competitions.

Ahead of the launch, Meruelo Gaming agreed a deal for SaharaBets to become the official sports betting partner of the Coyotes, enabling it to go live in Arizona.

Meruelo Gaming became the majority shareholder in the Coyotes in 2019.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Player spending was up 50.1% year-on-year from $35.1m in November 2020 and while this fell short of the record $60.2m set in October 2021 by 12.5%, it was the second-highest monthly handle total since the market launched.

Mobile betting accounted for $28.7m of all wagers placed during the month, while retail wagers amounted to $24.0m.

Consumers spent $18.6m betting on sports at the Twin River retail sportsbook, while sister property Tiverton Casino processed $5.4m in bets in November.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

Consumers wagered $83.2m on sports in November, 15.3% lower than the record $98.2m set in October 2021, but 78.9% higher than $46.5m in November of the previous year, figures from NH Lottery reveal.

The majority of bets were placed on the DraftKings mobile sportsbook, the online online option in the state, with total wagers here reaching $62.3m. The remaining $20.8m was spent at the operator’s three retail betting facilities in New Hampshire.

Turning to revenue and after winnings were paid out to players, gross gaming revenue for the month amounted to an all-time high of $6.2m, surpassing the previous record of $5.4m set in October 2021 by 14.8%.

Read the full story on iGB North America.

In a blog post looking at the year ahead, Jansen said that in the short period since the Dutch market launched on 1 October, advertising had already become a controversial topic.

In December, he pointed out, the Dutch Parliament approved a resolution calling on the government to ban untargeted ads for “high-risk” forms of gambling.

“It has of course not escaped my notice that the amount of advertising, especially for online games of chance, is causing quite a stir,” Jansen explained. “An important part of the General Consultation on Gaming in the House of Representatives on 15 December was about this. It became clear that political patience when it comes to this subject is very limited. 

“The House has already passed several motions calling on the government to put an end to gambling advertisements. The new cabinet will soon have to adopt a position on this.”

Jansen referenced a previous blog post, before the market opened, where he warned licensees may see public opinion turn against the industry if they did not show moderation in advertising, even if their actions were entirely within the law. This had already happened in other countries, and led to much harsher restrictions for operators, he noted.

“Everyone understands that some degree of advertising is needed to entice players to switch from illegal to legal providers, but don’t overdo it, I would say,” Jansen said.

Last month, perator association Licensed Dutch Gaming Providers (VNLOK) agreed to a voluntary advertising code for online gambling in the Netherlands. This code, which will be followed by members including Holland Casino, FPO Nederland, JOI Gaming, Nederlandse Loterij and ZEbet, includes limits on bonuses and daytime ads online.

Jansen also thanked outgoing Minister for Legal Protection Sander Dekker for his work in spearheading the legalisation of online gambling in the Netherlands.

Dekker announced last week that he would not be part of the country’s new government, which is set to take office on 10 January.

Replacing Dekker will be Franc Weerwind. Weerwind, a member of centrist party Democrats 66, and has been mayor of the city of Almere since 2015.

Jansen also provided an update on online gambling licensing. Currently, only 11 operators are licensed to offer online gambling in the Netherlands, with many being ineligible for licences due to the country’s “cooling-off period” for operators who accepted Dutch customers without a licence. Initially, only 10 operators received a licence, before JVH Gaming & Entertainment Group was approved in November.

With a number of operators such as  Entain, Kindred Group, 888, Betsson, Leovegas and Casumo agreeing to block Dutch customers as they await licences, Jansen said players should expect to see more players in the market by the end of the summer.

“The Gaming Authority (KSA) is currently processing quite a few applications,” he said. At the end of the summer there will be a much more complete picture.”