Compliance Updates

Success for Efforts to Bring Mobile Sports Betting and Resort Casinos to Texas

Published

1 year ago

April 5, 2023

The campaigns to bring resort casinos and mobile sports betting to the southern American state of Texas have been given significant boosts via news that a trio of associated legislative efforts have made it beyond the committee stage.

The Texas House of Representatives’ 13-member State Affairs Committee recently voted to advance House Joint Resolution (HJR) 155 and its enabling House Bill (HB) 2843 to the floor of the Texas State Capitol for a full vote. The successful passage of these proposals from Republican legislators Charlie Geren and John Kuempel respectively could see casino gaming brought to a limited number of destination resorts across ‘The Lone Star State’ including two for the area around the city of Dallas.

These two measures are now destined to be put to a vote before the 150 members of the Texas House of Representatives in hopes of being able to organize and hold a referendum on an associated constitutional amendment for as soon as November 7. Should residents of the giant state subsequently support this plebiscite and Texas would be permitted to license as many as eight Las Vegas-style resort casinos featuring high-class entertainment complexes, restaurants and gaming floors in addition to four or five-star hotels, convention facilities and retail elements.

Adding to this and the members of the State Affairs Committee have similarly approved a proposal from local Republican legislator Jeff Leach that is seeking permission to bring mobile sports betting to Texas. This measure is now destined to go for a vote before the full Texas House of Representatives and calls for individual operators to pay a 10% betting revenues tax after stumping up a $500,000 licensing fee.

The pro-casino Texas Destination Resort Alliance lobby group applauded the former moves and explained that millions of Texans currently travel to casinos in neighboring states such as Louisiana and Oklahoma where they annually spend an estimated $5 billion. The group’s spokesperson, Matt Hirsch, furthermore asserted that bringing such gambling-friendly facilities to cities such as Dallas, Houston and San Antonio would engender massive economic growth, create thousands of jobs and allow the jurisdiction to collect billions of dollars in tax that could be used to support a range of public safety, infrastructure and education programs.

“The efforts to bring destination resorts to Texas made significant progress with today’s vote,” Hirsch said. “Texans have made it clear that they want destination resorts in Texas and we are now one step closer to ultimately allowing them to decide on this issue. Our members thank and applaud the State Affairs Committee members for advancing Representative Geren’s and Representative Kuempel’s legislation.”

Up Next

TIPICO SPORTSBOOK ANNOUNCES 50% FASTER WITHDRAWAL PROCESS TO MEET FLURRY OF MARCH MADNESS ACTIVITY, SIGNIFICANT CHANGES IN BETTOR BEHAVIOR

Don't Miss

MIRACL on a Roll as they are Shortlisted for SBC North America Gaming Awards

Compliance Updates

Greyhound Advocates Applaud Gov. Ned Lamont for Signing Bill to Outlaw Dog Racing

Published

14 hours ago

May 13, 2024

Niji Narayan

The largest greyhound protection group in the world thanked Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont for signing a bill to outlaw greyhound racing, calling the new law a victory for everyone who cares about dogs.

“The end of dog racing in Connecticut has finally come because of the hard work of dedicated lawmakers on both sides of the aisle. Greyhound advocates everywhere applaud Governor Lamont’s enthusiastic stand against this cruel industry. Connecticut now joins 42 other states that have already rejected this outdated and inhumane form of gambling,” said GREY2K USA President and General Counsel Christine A. Dorchak.

Greyhound racing is now illegal in 43 states, and only continues to exist at two tracks in West Virginia. After dog racing gradually declined for decades, Florida voters outlawed the activity in 2018 by a vote of 69% to 31%, closing twelve operational racetracks. A bill to prohibit gambling on greyhound racing nationwide was introduced in the 117th Congress and earned the support of 105 cosponsors and more than 250 humane groups, anti-gambling organizations, and local animal shelters.

All mainstream animal protection groups oppose greyhound racing due to animal welfare concerns. At the last two remaining dog tracks in West Virginia, state records indicate that 666 greyhounds were injured in 2022 including 218 dogs that suffered broken bones and five greyhounds that died. Thousands of dogs also endure lives of confinement at West Virginia tracks, kept in cages barely large enough for them to stand up or turn around for long hours each day.

Compliance Updates

PGA of America Joins AGA’s Have A Game Plan.® Bet Responsibly.™ Campaign

Published

5 days ago

May 8, 2024

Peter Tolan

The PGA of America is partnering with the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Have A Game Plan.^® Bet Responsibly.™ public service campaign to promote responsible sports wagering.

Announced ahead of the 2024 PGA Championship—May 16-19 at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY—the partnership will feature co-branded responsible gaming content, educational materials and strategic activations across PGA of America’s digital and social platforms.

“As the PGA of America welcomes ESPN BET as the Official Sports Betting Sponsor of the 106th PGA Championship, it is core to our values to ensure golf fans have the right tools in their bag to bet responsibly,” said PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price. “Activating AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign during this year’s PGA Championship and beyond will be an integral part of our strategy as interest in golf wagering grows.”

Launched in 2019, Have A Game Plan brings legal gaming operators, sports teams, leagues, media companies and other organizations together around a common consumer education message, focusing on the core principles of responsible wagering:

Set a budget and stick to it.
Keep it social—sports betting is a form of entertainment for adults.
Know the odds.
Play with legal, regulated operators.

“We look forward to our partnership with the PGA of America amplifying Have A Game Plan’s principles with golf enthusiasts and bettors across the country,” said AGA Senior Vice President of Strategic Communications Joe Maloney. “Together, we’re driving the message home: set a budget, stick to it, and wager responsibly.”

Other league Have A Game Plan partners include the MLB, NASCAR, NBA, PGA TOUR, NHL and WNBA. For more information about the Have A Game Plan initiative and resources on responsible gambling, visit HaveAGamePlan.org.

Compliance Updates

Spinomenal is now a registered provider in Peru

Published

6 days ago

May 7, 2024

Adrienn Sarkany

Spinomenal, the leading iGaming content provider, has expanded its Latin American presence by registering as a service provider in Peru. The approval from Peru’s Ministry of Foreign Trade and Tourism (MINCETUR) allows Spinomenal to provide its casino titles to the country’s locally licensed operators.

With Peru’s recent introduction of new gaming regulations, the iGaming environment is set for an exciting transformation. Spinomenal is thrilled to be part of this dynamic evolution, offering our state-of-the-art gaming solutions to energise and enhance the gaming experience within Peru’s thriving iGaming community.

Peruvian players will now be able to enjoy Spinomenal’s popular portfolio of games and some of the gems available are Majestic King and Demi Gods V.

Spinomenal CO-CEO, Lior Shvartz commented: “Latin America continues to be a key region for us and we’re proud to now be able to offer our titles within the regulated Peruvian market. Games have been hand-picked for Peruvians based on localised knowledge of player preferences gained by our experience in the market prior to the new regulation.”