Gambling in the USA
Gambling.com Group Announces Finalists for 2022 American Gambling Awards

Gambling.com Group Limited (Nasdaq: GAMB) (“Gambling.com Group” or the “Group”), a leading provider of player acquisition services for the regulated global online gambling industry, today announced finalists across 12 categories for the 2022 edition of the American Gambling Awards. The nominations for each award category will now be evaluated by one of the most distinguished panels of expert judges the industry has seen, all of whom have United States-specific online gambling industry experience. They include many founders and CEOs from the best-known gaming operators and technology companies in the industry.
As with previous years, Gambling.com will present the winners with the American Gambling Awards’ exclusive Golden Eagle trophy – the icon of achievement in the regulated American market for online gambling – engraved with their details. Produced by Society Awards — the firm that produces the Emmys®, American Music Awards and MTV Movie Awards — the Golden Eagle trophy is an 11-inch, gold-plated, cast-pewter statuette of an American Bald Eagle, proudly resting in front of a pile of casino chips.
Charles Gillespie, Chief Executive Officer of Gambling.com Group, said, “After announcing the return of the American Gambling Awards in August, we received great feedback around the digital program and our celebration party in New York. We are pleased to announce a strong list of finalists that represents the full spectrum of industry leaders who are paving the way in the regulated American online gambling market.”
The 2022 American Gambling Awards will recognize winners in a series of announcements in November, in lieu of a traditional awards event. Gambling.com Group will then host American Gambling Awards winners, judges and other invited partners at an exclusive VIP dinner at the start of December in New York at Carbone. The intimate celebration will serve as a culmination of the program and will commemorate a year of remarkable industry success.
The finalists for the 12 award categories are:
Online Sportsbook of the Year
- Caesars
- DraftKings
- FanDuel Group
- Fubo Gaming
Online Casino
- BetMGM
- Resorts Digital Gaming
- Rush Street Interactive
- WynnBet
Fantasy Sports Site of the Year
- PrizePicks
- Thrive Fantasy
- Underdog Fantasy
Gaming Product of the Year
- Lightning Roulette U.S. from Evolution Gaming
- Side Bet Games from White Hat Gaming
Betting Product of the Year
- Watch & Wager from Fubo Gaming
- Simplebet
- Travelling Wallet from White Hat Gaming
- iFrame from Oddin.gg
Platform Provider of the Year
- GAN
- White Hat Gaming
- Kambi
- OpenBet
Data Service Provider of the Year
- MetaBet
- Sportradar
- Genius Sports
Payment Service Provider of the Year
- PayNearMe
- Paysafe
- Sightline Payments
- Trustly
Responsible Gaming Award
- Have A Game Plan Campaign from American Gaming Association
- Responsible Play – The CT Way from the Connecticut Council on Problem Gambling
- Systems-Based Training Collaboration between DraftKings and Cambridge Health Alliance
- Entain Foundation U.S. for Support of Multiple Responsible Gaming Initiatives
Dealmaker of the Year
- Bally’s Merger with Gamesys
- Caesars Acquisition of William Hill and Asset Sale to 888
- White Hat Studios Asset Purchase from Blueprint Group
Policymaker of the Year
- Sen. Eric Lesser (MA)
- Sen. Jeff Longbine (KS)
- Sen. Jim Perry (NC) & Rep. Jason Saine (NC)
- Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (NY)
Regulator of the Year
- Todd Allen, Kansas Racing and Gaming
- Ronnie Johns, Louisiana Gaming Control Board
- Lou Rogacki, New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement
For more information about the American Gambling Awards, including a full list of award finalists and judges, please visit the awards website: www.gambling.com/us/awards.
Gambling in the USA
Bruce Smith Enterprise and The Cordish Companies Break Ground on New Live! Casino & Hotel in Petersburg, Virginia

Bruce Smith Enterprise and The Cordish Companies celebrated the groundbreaking of the new LIVE! CASINO & HOTEL VIRGINIA in Petersburg. The milestone officially commences construction on a transformative project that will generate billions of dollars in economic benefits and spinoff development, create thousands of new jobs, and set a new standard for gaming, hotels, and entertainment in the Commonwealth. Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia is part of a larger $1.4 billion master plan by the partnership, scheduled to be developed in phases, that will bring a world-class mixed-use resort destination to Petersburg.
Executives from Bruce Smith Enterprise, The Cordish Companies, and Cordish Gaming were joined by Petersburg City Mayor Sam Parham and members of Petersburg City Council, Virginia State Senator Lashrecse Aird, Virginia State Delegate Kim Taylor, and many other business and community leaders at the project site in Petersburg. The development site, ideally located on Brasfield Parkway at the intersection of Wagner Road and Interstate I-95 just 20 miles south of Richmond, will provide easy access on and off the East Coast’s major north-south interstate.
“It has been a source of immense satisfaction and pride to partner in this incredible development. For far too long people have simply driven by the City of Petersburg, but today marks the beginning of a new era in which Petersburg will become a prime destination. This pivotal project will ignite tourism, create jobs, and ultimately deliver on the promise of greater opportunity and upward mobility for local families. As a champion of Petersburg and its residents, I am happily confident that this historic development will uplift, empower, and enrich this community for years to come,” said Bruce Smith, founder of Bruce Smith Enterprise.
Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia is slated to open in 2027. A temporary gaming facility will open by the end of 2025 to immediately begin creating an estimated 500 new jobs, vendor opportunities and economic benefits for the City. In its first 10 years, the project is expected to generate $2.8 billion in economic stimulus to the region; $504 million in tax revenues including $240 million to the City of Petersburg; $802 million in economic benefits during construction; $201 million in annual economic benefits each year after opening; and 7500 new jobs including 6100 during construction and 1400 new permanent jobs.
“Today marks a monumental day for The Cordish Companies as we expand our Live! brand into the Central Virginia region with the development of Live! Casino & Hotel Virginia. Our company is a national leader in successfully developing and managing large-scale urban revitalization projects across the country. Live! Casino & Hotel will be a transformative development that will bring a world-class gaming and entertainment experience to millions of visitors, create significant new jobs, and generate millions of dollars in economic benefits for the community that will provide a beneficial impact for generations. We look forward to making an immediate impact on the region with the construction of a temporary gaming facility that will be operational before the end of 2025, so that we can begin creating jobs, vendor opportunities and economic benefits for the City,” said Zed Smith, Chief Operating Officer for The Cordish Companies.
Gambling in the USA
PENN Entertainment Launches Stand-alone Hollywood Casino App in New Jersey

PENN Entertainment announced that its stand-alone Hollywood Casino app has launched in New Jersey. The new Hollywood Casino platform is available on Android, iOS, and desktop and can also be accessed via the ESPN BET app. Customers can login to Hollywood Casino using their ESPN BET credentials, allowing for a seamless experience across PENN’s online betting and casino platforms.
Ranked by Eilers & Krejcik as the #2 overall iCasino product in the US, Hollywood Casino offers a variety of online slots, table games, and live dealer content, including original titles from PENN Game Studios, the company’s in-house casino game development studio. Hollywood Casino also includes bespoke live dealer tables and exclusive games such as the recently launched Devils Blackjack, an original title leveraging PENN’s partnership with the New Jersey Devils.
“We’re thrilled to introduce our dedicated, casino-first experience to customers across New Jersey. Hollywood Casino delivers a best-in-class experience with an extensive game library, seamless gameplay, and exclusive content from our in-house studio. This launch builds on the strong momentum we’ve gained since introducing our enhanced standalone app in December,” said Aaron LaBerge, Chief Technology Officer of PENN Entertainment.
The stand-alone Hollywood Casino platform debuted in Pennsylvania last December and is also available in Michigan.
Gambling in the USA
Bitline and Everi Announce Crypto Liquidity for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts in Industry First Development

Bitline, the only provider for casino chip access directly from cryptocurrency, has announced its first major collaboration in the U.S. casino market, teaming up with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts through its collaboration with Everi, a premier provider of financial technology and gaming solutions. This collaboration introduces cryptocurrency and digital assets as a new source of liquidity for casino patrons and marks the first time that such a functionality has been enabled within the American gaming industry.
Leveraging Everi’s CashClub’s comprehensive payment infrastructure, Bitline’s solution is able to efficiently board, screen and verify patrons looking to leverage their digital assets whilst also allowing patrons to move screened assets into custody within minutes. Bitline’s integration with Everi Cash Club, the leading financial access services suite for casino payments, will enable the technology for the benefit of Choctaw Casinos & Resorts, and is the first time that such a functionality has been possible in the U.S. regulated casino market.
Catering to the growing demand for greater cryptocurrency and digital asset integration within the casino industry, the collaboration between Bitline and Everi’s forms a transferable blueprint that offers casino operators and their patrons an alternative way to manage funds, access liquidity, and leverage the benefits of cryptocurrency and other digital assets.
This milestone reflects a strategic shift in how casino operators view and manage financial interactions with their guests. The introduction of cryptocurrency as a liquidity solution provides additional options for guests and lays the foundation for Choctaw Casinos & Resorts as it looks to the future of gaming sector finance, setting a new standard in financial accessibility and convenience.
“Working with Choctaw Casinos & Resorts and Everi to make this a reality is a historical moment for both the casino and blockchain industries. Bitline was conceptualized to advance the gaming sector and offer a wider variety of financial options for the casino industry,” said Richard Jones, CEO at Bitline. “We’re entering an era where digital assets can fundamentally enhance the gaming experience, providing casino operators with a future-ready financial framework that can expand and evolve as the industry does. This collaboration is just the beginning of our vision to modernize casino payment capabilities on a global scale.”
Victor Newsom, SVP Product Management, Payments Solutions at Everi comments “This unique integration combines BitLine’s additional payment accessibility options with Everi’s ability to enable seamless, secure, and regulatory compliant financial transactions for casino patrons. Designed from the ground up to exceed the rigorous compliance demands of the industry as well as the discerning expectations of gaming VIPs around the world, Choctaw’s patrons are now no longer limited to the access, times, amount, and speed constraints of the legacy financial systems. This also significantly reduces risk for our casino customers, such as Choctaw.”
“We are excited to be the first casino in North America to offer our guests another way to play,” said Thomas McDonald, Senior Director of Cage and Credit at Choctaw Casinos & Resorts. “Through our long-term relationship with Everi, a leader in fintech solutions, we will continue to invest in innovative offerings that provide the discerning gaming VIP access to funds in a safe and secure manner.”
The Choctaw Casinos & Resorts integration represents only the first phase of Bitline’s broader mission to bring cryptocurrency solutions to casinos and casino patrons worldwide. As cryptocurrency and digital assets continue to gain traction in the gaming sector, Bitline’s easy to integrate and patented payment model stands poised to become a key player in transforming gaming finance. Future plans include expanding services across other major casinos and gaming markets, both domestically and internationally, establishing cryptocurrency as a new standard feature of the gaming experience.
The solution is to be formally rolled out on March 7, 2025, with the first transaction taking place at Choctaw’s Durant, Oklahoma, location.
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