Happy Monday, everyone. There is still plenty of sports betting news in recent days despite sports itself slowing down with the turn of summer.
As usual, the LSR Podcast tackled some of last week’s biggest stories, including the DraftKings Sportsbook exec team scoring big.
This week is a big one in particular for multiple important North American jurisdictions. Keep track of every big story by following @LSPReport on Twitter.
Top sports betting news: Massachusetts ready to talk betting
It is finally time to hear about some of the many sports betting proposals in Massachusetts.
A joint committee will meet Thursday with 19 MA sports betting bills on the agenda. Those interested better get a snack ready as the meeting is scheduled for four hours.
Massachusetts needs to get sports betting figured out this year if it wants to stay competitive in the New England market. Sports betting in Connecticut should launch this fall and mobile NY sports betting will not be too far behind it.
Canada sports betting faces crucial vote
Sen. David Wells told LSR he’s “cautiously optimistic” a bill that ends the federal prohibition on single-game Canada sports betting will pass a vote following a third reading this week.
C-218 was set to be heard Thursday, but other business got in the way.
Wells is hoping for no amendments so the bill does not have to go back to the House and could become law by the end of the month.
Schuring: Ohio betting bill headed to House this week
Sen. Kirk Schuring expects the Senate’s Ohio sports betting proposal to be in the House by the end of the week.
Schuring’s Select Committee on Gaming will vote on a potentially amended SB 176 Tuesday and head to the full Senate Wednesday. The plan is to get the bill passed by June 30, Schuring said.
Recent changes to the bill limit mobile licensees to two skins. A previous draft allowed unlimited skins per licensee.
CT sports betting final skin winner under consideration
Five hopeful sportsbook partners bid for the final sports betting skin in Connecticut, the CT Lottery said after the deadline passed Friday.
The Lottery asked five of the original 15 interested to present their plans, then asked four of those five to submit binding proposals. Chairman Rob Simmelkjaer did not specify if the five bidders were the same five invited by the Lottery.
A preliminary decision will be made June 28. The public will find out who the winner is once the contract is negotiated and signed.
Washington sports betting on track for NFL season
Sports betting in Washington state should be live during the NFL season after the gaming commission approved 15 amended compacts.
Those compacts are now on the way to Gov. Jay Inslee for his signature before getting them approved at the federal level.
Draft sports betting rules are expected to be published July 7. They could be approved as early as July 28.
Louisiana bills make the cut
All bills required to legalize sports betting in Louisiana are finally headed to Gov. John Bel Edwards‘ desk.
Edwards signed the bill that lays out taxes last week. Operators will pay a 10% tax on retail sports betting revenue and 15% on mobile revenue.
The vast majority of Louisiana parishes (counties) approved sports betting at the polls last November.
BetMGM enters DC
The DC sports betting market finally got its third sportsbook last week when BetMGM went live.
The app is geofenced to a two-block radius around Nationals Park, similar to how William Hill is geofenced around Capital One Arena.
Elsewhere, BetMGM became an authorized gaming operator of the Professional Fighters League, which the sportsbook called “the fastest growing and most innovative sports league.”
Betting on the BetMGM app began Thursday with PFL 4 airing on ESPN.
“The upcoming PFL slate is phenomenal, and we look forward to offering fans exciting opportunities to get in on the action with unique PFL promotions on BetMGM,” said BetMGM Chief Revenue Officer Matt Prevost.
