The Week In Sports Betting News: Illinois, Michigan Make It A Third


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Happy Monday, everyone. There was absolutely no shortage of sports betting news last week with Friday being one of the busiest days of 2020.

There are a couple of options to stay up-to-date on sports betting news. Outside of checking LSR daily, be sure to follow us on Twitter for breaking news updates and insight.

Also make sure to subscribe to our weekly podcast. This week’s nearly hour-long episode ends with a look at the troubling allegations of Ben “Parlay” Patz threatening players over social media.

Illinois, Michigan sports betting launch this week

Friday went from a relatively normal news day to a pretty hectic one when Illinois and Michigan announced retail sports betting would go live this week. Those two states will bring the total with legal markets to 16, or nearly a third of the United States.

Illinois is already live following Rivers Des Plaines’ launch of its BetRivers Sportsbook this morning.

There’s no word on who might follow next in Illinois. There are five more casinos approved to launch by the Illinois Gaming Board.

Michigan, meanwhile, will launch next when MGM Grand Detroit accepts the state’s first legal bet Wednesday.

There aren’t definitive timelines for either state when it comes to mobile sports betting launches. Illinois will likely be later this year while Michigan expects a 2021 launch.

Virginia, Washington close to legal sports betting

Both Virginia and Washington appear close to approving legal sports betting after a flurry of action that lasted into the weekend.

Washington’s legislature wrapped up its sports betting deliberations first. The Senate approved the bill with an amendment banning betting on minor league sports, which the House approved Saturday.

But sports betting in Washington isn’t expected to go anywhere fast should Gov. Jay Inslee sign the bill. An emergency clause that allows the bill to skip a referendum could lead to lawsuits that would delay its rollout.

VA legislators had busy weekend

Saturday was when the fun was just starting in Virginia.

The first copy of the sports betting bill out of the conference committee was rejected by the House as it allowed betting on in-state colleges.

Both chambers finally approved the bill after another conference session that led to a ban on Virginia college sports betting.

The bill also bans all college prop betting and contains an official league data mandate. Revenue will be taxed at 15%.

Along with four to 12 online-only sports betting bills, there could be another six mobile apps if five casinos are approved by HB 4 and a major sports team moves to the state.

NFL includes gambling in CBA

The NFL mentioned gambling 36 times in its proposed collective bargaining agreement to its players.

Players would share in all gambling-related revenues from sponsorship and licensing fees as well as gambling on any aspect of the game.

The new CBA also mentions revenues from gambling inside of an NFL stadium. That appears to cover sportsbooks, which currently aren’t allowed in NFL stadiums.

Colorado holding special licensing meetings

Colorado‘s gaming regulator will hold special meetings every month to make sure sportsbook operators are prepared to launch on May 1.

The state received 60 applications as of last week and approved eight licenses at the first special meeting Thursday.

Those licensed last week include DraftKings Sportsbook and theScore Bet as operators. Casino licenses went to two Eldorado Resorts‘ casinos and Penn National‘s Ameristar, all in Black Hawk.

South Dakota gets sports betting referendum

South Dakota‘s House approved a sports betting referendum by one vote, giving residents the final say on whether the state will allow sportsbooks.

The referendum will simply confirm if residents want sports betting. The legislature will then finalize the details next year should it pass.

Gambling is currently only legal in Deadwood and the state’s 11 Indian casinos. But the state might want sports betting throughout the state to help keep gambling dollars in-state. The Grand Falls Casino gets a significant amount of business from the Sioux Falls metro area’s 250,000 people.

SBTech loses to LSR, again

Chalk up another win for LSR in the battle to see the Oregon Lottery‘s public sports betting contract with SBTech.

A Circuit Court judge ordered SBTech disclose the terms of its sports betting contract with the state. The court said it is unpersuaded the terms could be considered a trade secret.

This, of course, doesn’t mean the contract will be seen immediately. SBTech still has time to appeal the ruling.