Press Releases
July Surge Sends Indiana Sportsbooks Past $1 Billion in Lifetime Bets, According to PlayIndiana
Indiana’s retail and online sportsbooks posted their best month since March, as the opening of baseball and the reopening of the NBA season sent betting activity soaring, according to PlayIndiana. Even with just eight days of major sports, sports bettors wagered $70.9 million in July, up 137.9% from the $29.8 million sportsbooks accepted in June and sending the state’s lifetime handle past $1 billion.
“Indiana’s sportsbook operators have proven resilient in the face of a pandemic that completely upended the sports betting model, along with so much else,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst at PlayIndiana.com. “The industry is closing on a return to a more normal market that has the potential of a huge surge with a full month of baseball, basketball, and hockey and the potential return of football nearing.”
July’s handle, reported Monday, was Indiana’s best since it posted $74.8 million in March. July’s bets produced $6.7 million in adjusted gross revenue, up 127.9% from $2.9 million in May, and yielded $632,554 in tax revenue for the state.
Despite the jump, bets were still off by $90 million from the expectations of an ordinary July, according to PlayIndiana estimates. Since March, Indiana’s sportsbooks have lost out on nearly $700 million in wagers.
The days of subpar months should end in August, though. Assuming a full schedule of baseball, the NBA, and NHL — baseball hit $14.5 million in July bets and basketball another $5.8 million — bettors will have more to draw their interest than in a typical August.
“If the leagues remain healthy, August could help sportsbooks make up some lost ground,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “But the industry is not out of the woods yet. College football and the NFL still have challenges to overcome, and a significant loss of the football calendar would be a huge hit to sportsbooks.”
The July rebound pushed lifetime wagers to $1.03 billion since Indiana launched sports betting in October 2019, a milestone that should have been surpassed in spring.
Indiana’s sportsbooks have also tallied $84.9 million in revenue and $8.1 million in tax revenue since launch, putting more milestones in reach by the industry’s first birthday.
“Considering the obstacles Indiana’s sportsbooks have had to navigate, hitting the $1 billion milestone in 10 months is impressive,” Welman said. “If major sports can continue, and football returns, it won’t be long before the state surpasses $2 billion.”
After generating 98% of June’s bets, the online market accounted for 91.1%, or $64.5 million, of July’s handle. DraftKings/Ameristar Casino topped the online market again with $32.9 million in bets, up from $18.2 million in June. That produced $2.2 million in gross receipts, up from $1.6 million. FanDuel/Blue Chip Casino followed with $24.2 million in bets.
Retail sportsbooks are off to an expectedly slow start after reopening in June, producing a $6.3 million handle in July. Hollywood Lawrenceburg’s $2.7 million handle, up from $323,968 in July, easily led the retail market.
“DraftKings and FanDuel have very noticeably ramped up their battle for online dominance with each pouring millions into advertising campaigns, as sports betting continues to move more online,” Gouker said. “Hollywood Lawrenceburg’s handle is impressive, but as long as the pandemic rages on, in-person betting will be diminished. But operators with robust online products should continue to thrive.”
About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network and its state-focused branches is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the U.S.
SOURCE PlayIndiana.com
Breaking New Ground in Brazil: Blitzcrown’s Crash Games Now GLI Certified
Blitzcrown, MVG’s pioneering games studio, has secured Brazilian Certification as well as GLI-19 Certification from GLI(Gaming Laboratories International) for its industry-changing three Crash titles. This landmark achievement marks a significant milestone in the company’s expansion into Brazil’s thriving online gaming market, positioning Blitzcrown at the forefront of the region’s rapidly evolving iGaming landscape.
The license comes at an important time for Brazil’s gaming sector, following the launch of the new licensing regime that started on January 1, 2025. The regulatory framework, signed into law in December 2023, has transformed the industry’s prospects.
The certification encompasses 3 innovative crash games: Crash, Fast Crash, and Twin Crash. This strategic milestone establishes Blitzcrown as the premier provider of certified Crash games in the Brazilian market, demonstrating the company’s unwavering commitment to regulatory excellence and gaming integrity. With the GLI-19 and Brazil certification process successfully concluded in March, Blitzcrown has solidified its position as an industry pioneer in this dynamic and emerging market.
Crash games are a recent addition to the global iGaming market, featuring the dynamic evolution of real-time multipliers and immediate reward structures. Blitzcrown has stood out by establishing groundbreaking game mechanisms that offer different and exciting gameplay experiences. Standard Crash provides players with a standard multiplier-based gaming experience, and Fast Crash is optimized for users seeking quick, intense multiplier experiences. The Twin Crash is an original format allowing players to place simultaneous bets on two separate multipliers.
Building on this momentum, Blitzcrown has announced plans to expand its certified portfolio with two additional versions of its innovative Plinko games, demonstrating the company’s strategic commitment to market expansion. This forward-looking initiative underscores Blitzcrown’s dedication to continuous innovation and sustainable growth in the regulated gaming markets.
Blitzcrown is MVG’s edge-game studio focused on pushing game ideas beyond their norms through innovative and non-traditional gaming experiences. The studio has been particularly recognized for its groundbreaking approaches in various game categories, including its successful Crash and Plinko series.
George Cho from MVG said: “This GLI certification testifies to Blitzcrown’s unwavering commitment to offering top-quality, fair gaming systems. We are well placed to take advantage of Brazil’s exciting new regulatory environment and the vast growth potential of the online gaming industry.”
Belatra Games, the specialist online slots developer, is set for its latest appearance at BiS SiGMA Americas in São Paulo, Brazil, from April 7-10, 2025. The company will be based at Stand M30, where it will not only showcase its LatAm innovations but also celebrate its 32nd birthday.
This major milestone brings an extra layer of excitement to Belatra’s time in Brazil. iGaming professionals visiting the stand will enjoy an immersive experience inspired by the studio’s popular classics Make it Gold and Mummyland Treasures. Belatra’s stand includes a smoky bar for a mysterious touch, a prize-filled game for visitors, and a live Mummy roaming the event floor to bring the experience to life.
Belatra’s extensive portfolio of award-winning titles brings together timeless hits with powerful, innovative themes, providing unforgettable entertainment for players.
With a strong foothold in LatAm, Belatra’s regional team, based in Buenos Aires, and Belatra’s global team will be in São Paulo to explore new collaborations and showcase its localised approach to the market.
Andrés Troelsen, Belatra Games’ Commercial Director for Latin America, said: “Our Latin American presence grows ever stronger with the region forming a major part of our growth strategy. We’re happy to be back in São Paulo for BiS SiGMA Americas to connect with partners and explore new opportunities. This year is extra special as we celebrate our 32nd birthday, so come raise a glass with us at our smoky bar!”
New certification for emerging-markets leader arrives ahead of key industry summit in Sao Paulo and awards recognition
QTech Games, the leading game aggregator for emerging markets, has had its platform and games successfully approved for the Peruvian market, demonstrating that its premier B2B platform and all-encompassing content conforms to the latest legislative updates to enhance and regulate Peru’s local gaming environment.
Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Commerce and Tourism (MINCETUR) has now issued an online gaming licence to QTech Games, whereby all its platform products and games are now deemed legally permitted. This includes its new software service for retail, QTech Hybrid, which allows land-based partners to scale their operations online. QTech Hybrid simplifies transactions by enabling deposits, withdrawals and gameplay while allowing access to players both in-shop and on personal devices.
This breakthrough hybrid solution has quickly won clients and awards in the comparably fragmented African market (most recently in March for Best Innovation at AGE Lagos), and now promises to do likewise across LatAm, where QTech Games has already signed several major clients for both its aggregation platform and its QTech Hybrid solution. This activity has seen it again nominated for Best Aggregator at the SiGMA Americas Awards, which kickstart the SiGMA Americas summit (7-10 April) next week, as the igaming world converges on Sao Paulo for a must-attend conference in another of QTech Games’ “focus markets” for 2025.
Philip Doftvik, QTech Games’ CEO, said: “It’s fantastic to have certified our aggregation platform in Peru via MINCETUR – and I’m pleased to say we have more such approvals pending across the continent. We attended fantastic events in Rio and, more recently, SAGSE 2025 in Buenos Aires – and anticipate more of the same at SiGMA Americas in Sao Paulo next week, where we’re also thrilled to have been shortlisted for Best Aggregator at their LatAm Awards. Given the venue, Brazil will be dominating the discussion for many at SiGMA Sao Paulo. However, we’ll also be looking beyond Brazilian borders this year, and are already active in Mexico, Chile, Colombia and Paraguay. We know our QTech Hybrid solution will work very well wherever we put a pin on the LatAm map.”
QTech Games delegates will be present at five more LatAm summits in 2025, with SiGMA Americas (7 April) the next port of call – followed by GAT Expo Cartagena (28 April), SBC Americas (13 May), Peru Gaming Show (18 June) and GAT Expo Mexico (28 Aug).
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