Gambling in the USA

Twin River Creates Partnership With Camelot Lottery Solutions To Offer Competing Lottery Proposal And Requests Opportunity To Bid

Published

6 years ago

September 19, 2019

Twin River Management Group (TRMG), in partnership with Camelot Lottery Solutions (Camelot), an international lottery company, has submitted to the offices of the Governor, Speaker of the House and Senate President a competing proposal to operate the State’s lottery system that, among other things, provides 1,100 jobs backed by a $100 million guarantee, saves the State and its taxpayers approximately $500 million in fees, invests $75 million in development and improvements including a new 50,000 square foot corporate headquarters in the state, and would limit the control of the casino slot floor to the current state law of 50 percent.

The proposal was developed to provide for a public, open bid process, one in where the State solicits proposals from interested vendors in order to secure the best deal, rather than simply renewing the existing billion dollar contract with IGT for a period of 20 years. Twin River and Camelot requested that the State comply with purchasing laws and proceed with a competitive bid process.

According to Marc Crisafulli, Executive Vice President of Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc. and President of Twin River Rhode Island, the binding partnership was formed to jointly respond to any RFP in Rhode Island that combines lottery systems (Camelot) and VLTs (Twin River). The highlights of the joint proposal include:

-A commitment to provide 1,100 jobs over the life of the contract, which is guaranteed by $100 million to the State if provisions of the bid are not met;

-A contract term of 12 years versus the 20 years proposed by IGT which will allow the State to assess its market/technology needs and rebid the contract earlier;

– A total cost to the State of less than $500 million which is approximately half of what is proposed by the $1 billion IGT no-bid deal;

-50% share of VLTs at the two Rhode Island casinos to stimulate increased competition among suppliers and preserve and/or enhance current State revenue of approximately $300 million annually. This is in accordance with existing state law – in stark contrast to the 85% sought by IGT in its proposed deal which requires a change to existing law;

-As part of the commitment to invest $150 million, $75 million is committed to economic development including $50 million at Twin River and the development of a 50,000 square foot new corporate headquarters in Rhode Island. Targeted communities include Providence, Pawtucket, Cranston, Warwick and Lincoln.

“We believed all along that Rhode Island would secure a much better deal through a competitive bid process and today’s bid submittal demonstrates exactly that,” said Mr. Crisafulli.

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He continued, “As is evident, we have significantly improved upon the no-bid deal under consideration for IGT in many areas, notably in the shorter term, the lower fees to the State, meaningful investments in real estate development and a $100 million guarantee to secure 1,100 new jobs, all while matching every other element of the proposed IGT deal.”

Crisafulli concluded, “We’re grateful the General Assembly will now take up this issue and can best decide for themselves, on behalf of their constituents, which is the better course for the State. Importantly, they can do so knowing that the 1,100 jobs thought to be in jeopardy if the IGT contract was not automatically renewed absolutely will be guaranteed.”

In Rhode Island this week, Wayne Pickup, CEO of Camelot Lottery Solutions said, “We’re excited about the possibility of teaming up with Twin River to compete for the State’s lottery business and strongly believe, if given the opportunity to do so, we will help the State secure a much better deal. We see a lot of opportunity to create more value for the State and its residents, and look forward to replicating the success we have delivered for our customers across the globe.”

Both TRMG and Camelot are experienced operators in the casino and lottery gaming industries respectively. Camelot has decades of lottery experience and has delivered outstanding results on contracts in Illinois, Arkansas, UK, Ireland and Switzerland.

Earlier this year, Camelot successfully delivered the largest retail and technology transformation (from IGT) in US lottery history for the Illinois Lottery, rolling out 50,000 pieces of equipment across more than 7,200 retailers and seamlessly converting the lottery gaming system.

Other recent achievements include:

Record returns of $731 million for Illinois Public Schools, following Camelot’s first full year of operations in Illinois
Record sales and returns for the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery in its most recent financial year, with 35% growth in net income since 2014, in partnership with Camelot
Sales growth of over 20% for the Irish National Lottery since 2014, in partnership with Camelot.

TRMG is one of the lowest levered casino owner/operators in the United States. Its parent company, Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc., or TRWH, owns and manages four casinos; two casinos in Rhode Island, one in Mississippi, and one in Delaware, as well as a Colorado horse race track that has 13 authorized OTB licenses. Properties include Twin River Casino Hotel (Lincoln, RI), Tiverton Casino Hotel (Tiverton, RI), Hard Rock Hotel & Casino (Biloxi, MS), Dover Downs Hotel & Casino (Dover, DE) and Arapahoe Park racetrack (Aurora, CO). Its casinos range in size from 1,000 slots and 32 table games facilities to properties with over 4,100 slots, approximately 125 table games, and 48 stadium gaming positions, along with hotel and resort amenities. Its shares are traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol “TRWH.”

Source: Twin River Worldwide Holdings, Inc.

Gambling in the USA

New Jersey Gambling Revenue Increases in July

Published

1 hour ago

August 26, 2025

Niji Narayan

This summer is shaping up to be a strong one for Atlantic City casinos and their online gambling operating partners. According to the latest data collected by the state, the total gambling revenue for the casinos and their operating partners from in-state online gambling was nearly $250 million during July. That represents a nearly 27% increase over last year’s total revenue for July, and it comes on top of a more than 23% year-over-year increase measured during the month of June.

In all, revenue this year from online gambling through the end of July topped $1.6 billion, up 23.3% compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, which regularly tracks gambling revenue earned legally in New Jersey.

The revenue gains from online gambling do not appear to have come at the expense of in-person gambling this summer, according to the DGE data. Revenue from gambling at the casinos also grew in both June and July, although at more modest rates, with year-to-date collections totaling $1.66 billion through the end of July, the report said.

Amid the online-gambling revenue upswing, state policymakers decided earlier this summer to increase the state tax levied on legal online gambling offered by casinos and their operating partners.

The online gambling tax hike, as well as an increase in the state tax levied on mobile sports betting, came as part of a broader plan to raise an additional $600 million in annual revenue for the state budget.

The two gambling tax hikes, which went into effect on July 1, are projected to increase the revenues the state collects from casino taxes and fees by more than $200 million annually, according to estimates from the Department of the Treasury.

According to the report issued by Stockton University, which is based in Atlantic County, the casino industry’s gross gambling revenues totaled nearly $5.7 billion in 2024.

Last year, the total from taxes and fees levied on casino operators in New Jersey topped $880 million, according to a report issued earlier this year by Stockton University.

This included $572 million in revenue that went directly into New Jersey’s Casino Revenue Fund, the report said. That fund, by law, benefits programs and services for senior citizens and disabled residents.

In all, online gambling on traditional casino games, like poker and blackjack, netted casino operators $2.4 billion in gross revenue last year, followed by slots, $2.1 billion; table games, $699.7 million; mobile sports betting, $486.5 million; and in-person sports betting, $6.5 million, according to the report, which cited state data.

And even before the increased state tax rates that were put in place earlier this summer, the tax revenue generated by casino gambling in New Jersey was trending up, the report said.

Gambling in the USA

Virginia Lawmakers Debate Creating iGaming Agency

Published

1 hour ago

August 26, 2025

Niji Narayan

Virginia lawmakers are actively debating whether to establish a new regulatory agency to oversee iGaming. The joint subcommittee discussed a bill to create the Virginia Gaming Commission. It would manage all gambling verticals beyond the lottery.

Delegate Paul Krizek said: “The Virginia Gaming Commission is a step we need to preserve the good.”

Currently, the Virginia Lottery regulates sports betting and casinos, while other agencies manage charitable gaming and horse racing. Lawmakers also considered legalizing online casinos, including real-money platforms.

Delegate Marcus Simon introduced HB 2171 earlier this year. The bill aimed to authorize a real money online casino market under casino-lottery oversight. While the bill failed, Simon explained that the aim remains to curb illegal offshore platforms.

“My goal is to bring it under a regulated umbrella where we can have some oversight and supervision,” Simon said.

The subcommittee reviewed revenue projections estimating up to $5.3 billion in taxable income from online casinos over five years. The estimates included increased land-based casino revenue of 8.4%.

Experts raised concerns about real money online casino risks. Keith Whyte from Safer Gambling Strategies urged strong enforcement and safer gaming tools. Whyte noted: “Players could be encouraged… to take control through deposit limits, time limits, budget calculators, and personalized dashboards.”

Mental health advisor Brianne Doura-Schawohl backed up Whyte’s statement, warning that such products are dangerous without safeguards.

Former New Jersey regulator David Rebuck testified that iGaming complemented land-based casinos there. He pointed to New Jersey’s market, where online play boosted tourism and in-person casino revenue.

However, some Virginia legislators expressed skepticism, citing fears of cannibalization. They questioned whether online casinos might draw customers away from brick-and-mortar venues.

Industry experts countered that New Jersey and Michigan showed the opposite effect. Rebuck explained: “The evidence demonstrates iGaming expands the player base rather than cannibalizes physical casinos.”

Supporters argued that Virginia’s land-based operators could benefit from cross-promotion, loyalty programs, and expanded reach to players in rural areas.

The subcommittee must make recommendations by November 30, 2025. Officials expect the commission’s creation will precede legalization of online casinos. The Virginia lawmakers will review feasibility and revise HB 2171 before the 2026 legislative session.

Gambling in the USA

DraftKings Introduces Credit Card Deposit Ban for US Customers

Published

2 hours ago

August 26, 2025

Niji Narayan

DraftKings has introduced credit card deposit ban for US customers. This decision aligns them with other major gambling operators, such as Fanatics Betting & Gaming, Betr, and Sporttrade, which have already banned credit card funding for wagering accounts.

It also comes on the heels of another major announcement by DraftKings. Starting September 1, DraftKings will charge a 50-cent fee for every mobile and online bet placed in Illinois using its Sportsbook platform. This change follows a similar move by FanDuel.

DraftKings CEO, Jason Robins, expressed his disappointment with Illinois policymakers for significantly raising the tax rate. He is worried that this could hurt the legal sports betting industry, while the illegal market continues to operate without paying taxes or providing any consumer protections.

DraftKings has informed its users that any saved credit card information will be disabled.

Moving forward, players will need to utilize alternative payment methods, including:

• Debit Cards

• ACH and wire transfers

• PayPal, Venmo

• Apple Pay

• Gift Cards

Bettors can also use cash at physical locations to fund their accounts.

DraftKings describes this step as a “strategic business decision” aimed at shielding customers from the high interest rates and cash advance fees usually associated with credit card deposits in gambling. Unlike regulatory demands, this decision was internally driven but coincides with growing scrutiny from regulators.

DraftKings has decided to stop accepting credit cards for deposits in the US due to worries about customer safety and more scrutiny from regulators. Recently, the company faced a significant fine in Massachusetts, where it is based. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission fined DraftKings $450,000 for allowing credit card deposits, which goes against state laws.