If you like sports betting, Christmas has come early — at least if you live in Pennsylvania.
The number of places you can legally bet in the Keystone State tripled this week. More on that in a bit.
Also, shocking not shocking news out of New Jersey: People really like to bet on sports.
Let’s take a spin around the always exciting world of US sports betting:
Behold more PA sports betting
The two biggest cities in Pennsylvania got their first taste of legal sports wagering, as both Rivers Casino, in Pittsburgh, and SugarHouse Casino, in Philadelphia, both opened sportsbooks.
Learn more on SugarHouse here, and a report from Rivers here. Those sportsbooks join one at Hollywood Casino in the middle of the state.
And that’s hardly going to be the last of it for PA sports betting, as more sportsbooks are coming, as well as betting apps in 2019.
NJ sports betting numbers
Almost a billion dollars has been wagered in New Jersey since it went live early this summer.
We know that after $330 million was wagered in November, and more than $20 million in revenue generated.
Oh, and $8 million in tax revenue has already been generated from NJ sports betting, not to mention the ancillary value it provides for casinos and tracks with increased visitation.
Other states licking their lips for new revenue streams should note that about two-thirds of handle is from online betting.
The best of the rest in sports betting
- Great read on the NBA, injury reporting and the future of wagering.
- The NBA has another sports betting partner: FOX Bet.
- A sports lounge sponsored by William Hill opened at Prudential Center, home of the New Jersey Devils.
- Freehold Raceway is finally getting into the NJ sports betting mix; more on their potential entry into the market here and here.
- South Carolina has a bill that would legalize casinos and sports betting, but don’t hold your breath on it becoming law.
- The DC sports betting bill, as written, could have some legal problems, our John Holden writes. There could be action on the bill next week.
- Read the latest out of Indiana and Minnesota.
- The NFL is hoping a casino will give it a lot of money to be a sponsor.
- Yahoo is running a $1 million daily fantasy sports contest this weekend; is it finally really going to make a push to challenge DraftKings and FanDuel.
- DraftKings inked a deal with a pro fighting league.
