Press Releases
PlayIllinois.com: $580 million January at Illinois sportsbooks marks the beginning of a year of growth
Illinois became the fourth U.S. state to take in more than $500 million in sports bets in a single month — nearly reaching $600 million in January — reaching the milestone even as retail sportsbooks remained closed for much of the month. But as rapid as the ascension of Illinois’s sports betting market has been, the state will need new sportsbook operators to come online to help raise the market’s ceiling, according to PlayIllinois, which offers news and analysis of the state’s gaming industry.
“No state has come close to reaching $500 million in handle in such a short time frame after launching, and to reach that mark with just five online operators and retail casinos closed for much of January is even more impressive,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “Multiple factors had to come together to make that happen. The next step for the market is to get more operators online, which will help expand the pool of bettors.”
Illinois online operators attracted $581.6 million in bets in January, 98.9%, or $575.2 million, of which came online, according to official data released Wednesday. January’s handle was up 18.3% from $491.7 million in December, the fourth most among legal U.S. markets, behind only New Jersey ($958.7 million), Nevada ($646.5 million), and Pennsylvania ($615.3 million) during that month.
January’s bets pushed Illinois past $2 billion in lifetime handle, but more importantly, it generated a record $49.4 million in operator revenue, up 106.8% from $23.9 million in December. The win yielded $7.2 million in taxes for the state and another $479,052 in local taxes.
January is just the opening month in a year that could bring in more than $6 billion in wagers and $450 million in operator revenue, according to PlayIllinois projections. But that assumes continued maturity, including the addition of new operators.
To that end, Illinois will get a boost with the addition of Penn National’s Barstool-branded app, which is scheduled to launch on Friday and has made waves in Pennsylvania since launching there in September.
“Seeing an impactful operator such as Barstool launch is a reminder that Illinois still has so much more room to grow,” said Joe Boozell, analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “A few uncertainties could slow the market, including the potential return of in-person registration. But January’s results are more evidence that 2021 will almost certainly mark a sizable leap forward for the state’s sports betting market.”
January’s results were helped by football wagering, including on the Chicago Bears’ brief playoff appearance. Football brought in $158.3 million bets, or 27.2% of the state’s handle. But with the NBA enjoying its first full month in January, basketball drew in $229.7 million, 39.5% of the state’s total handle.
With the state’s ban on betting on in-state college teams, sportsbooks did miss out on the opportunity to capitalize on the college basketball success of Illinois and Loyola Chicago, both of which have been among the nation’s best teams for much of the year. But legislation is currently proposed that could remove the ban, which would allow bettors to place wagers on local teams.
“In every legal market local teams, particularly those that are playing well, are crucial in fueling bettor engagement with sportsbooks,” Welman said. “Illinois isn’t alone in barring betting on in-state college teams, but it does artificially suppress wagering.”
DraftKings/Casino Queen took in 42% of the state market share with its $244.2 million combined handle in January, which was up from $195.4 million in December. That included $243.5 million in online bets. FanDuel/Par-A-Dice Casino was No. 2 in January with $173.5 million, including $173.3 million online. Overall handle was up from $144.5 million overall. BetRivers/Rivers Casino was No. 3 with $109 million in online betting and $112.7 million overall, up from $111.2 million in December.
Many retail sportsbooks reopened on Jan. 15, when pandemic related closures were lifted. Still, sportsbooks managed to attract $6.3 million in in-person bets.
“Having retail sportsbooks reopen was an important step for the state industry, even if sportsbooks weren’t as busy as they would’ve been during an ordinary year,” Boozell said. “With the retail market back in business, and the roster of online sportsbook operators growing, the coming months should offer a more trustworthy gauge of where Illinois is as a market.”
For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting in Illinois, visit PlayIllinois.com/news.
Compliance Updates
Arkansas Casino Seeks iGaming Approval
An Arkansas casino is seeking approval to operate an iGaming app, allowing people within the state to go online to play casino games such as slots, blackjack, craps and more.
On March 13, Carlton Saffa, Chief Market Officer for the Saracen Casino Resort in Pine Bluff, wrote to Arkansas Racing Commission Chairman Alex Lieblong asking for a change in the rules to allow Internet casino gambling, which is often referred to as iGaming or iCasino platforms.
On Monday, Saffa told Gambling.com he hopes to appear before the Arkansas Racing Commission on May 6 seeking approval to offer iGaming. The Arkansas Racing Commission regulates all gambling matters in the state including horse racing and casino games.
iGaming Doesn’t Hurt Bricks-And-Mortar Casinos: Saffa
Nationwide, only a half dozen states from Michigan to Connecticut offer Internet casino gambling. Arkansas would be the first in its region with iGaming, permitting users who want to log onto a computer or download an app to play traditional casino games for money. Other states in the region already offer sports betting.
In his March 13 letter to state regulators, Saffa said estimates indicate Internet casino gambling from the Saracen Casino Resort alone would generate an additional $12 million in taxes annually for the state. Internet casino gambling, or iGaming, generally raises more tax revenue than sports betting in states that have both.
However, in some states without iGaming, casino operators have fought legalization, contending customers won’t visit a bricks-and-mortar casinos and spend money at restaurants and on other amenities including entertainment and lodging if they can log onto cellphones or computers and gamble from anywhere. In his letter to state regulators, Saffa pointed to research showing iGaming doesn’t cannibalize bricks-and-mortar casinos but instead gives them ‘a lift’.
State Rule Change Required
Arkansas already allows online poker, though that has not been made available to consumers, Saffa said. He said the ability to allow iGaming would require the Arkansas Racing Commission to amend a rule to include Internet casino games in addition to the currently legal online card games such as poker.
“A solution exists by amending ARC Rule 5, which already authorizes online poker, to include other types of table games and slots,” Saffa told Gambling.com on Monday. “Doing so would provide significant tax revenues to government and, just as important, ensure that operators be held accountable by the government. Given that we have seen online operators in the fantasy sports space ignore cease and desist demands from the state, merely attempting to police the matter is not a workable solution.”
Saffa recently made a similar argument on the topic of unregulated gambling, telling Gambling.com on The Edge he opposes a ban on college player props bets, saying, “Sunlight is the best disinfectant.”
“People in Arkansas are already gambling in online casinos and those companies are not regulated or taxed by the Arkansas Racing Commission,” Saffa said Monday. “Those companies are not held to the standards the people of Arkansas set forth for operators to include that a customer must be 21.”
Latest News
Internet Vikings and Casinogate Partner in Latin America
Innovative game studios aggregator Casinogate has chosen to partner with Internet Vikings, a leading supplier of cloud hosting solutions for sports betting and iGaming. Internet Vikings provides its private VMware cloud hosting services to Casinogate, supporting their move into the Latin American market.
At the core of its business model, Internet Vikings assist companies expanding into new territories to start small and scale their infrastructure as their business grows. This perfectly aligns with Casinogate’s vision for a measured and successful launch in Latin America.
“Our tailored approach enables clients to invest in what they need now while providing the assurance of scalability as their operations widen into Latin America or elsewhere. This partnership allows Casinogate to focus on what they do best – creating exceptional games – while we handle the critical infrastructure,” shares Rickard Vikström, CEO and Founder of Internet Vikings.
One of Internet Vikings’ most distinguishing features is its commitment to personalized service. André Castro, Co-Founder and CEO of Casinogate, adds: “Their key account manager worked closely with us to understand our specific needs for the Latin American market. They developed a solution that scales perfectly with our anticipated goals, ensuring a smooth transition.”
From a technical standpoint, Internet Vikings leverages VMware, renowned for its user-friendly interface and reliability. This has translated into enhanced performance for Casinogate, with minimal latency experienced on their platform.
“Internet Vikings’ expertise in hosting and focus on strong partnerships make them an essential asset. We’re assured in delivering premium gaming experiences to our Latin American audience. Their professionalism, particularly during the initial VMware setup, instilled great confidence in us,” André Castro concludes.
The partnership between Casinogate and Internet Vikings exemplifies how industry leaders can leverage innovation and collaboration to achieve mutual success. By combining Casinogate’s thrill-seeking games with Internet Vikings’ cloud solutions, both companies are laying the foundation for a promising future in Latin American online gaming.
International News
Bragg Gaming and Light & Wonder Agree to an International Distribution Deal
Collaboration will see Bragg content featured on Light & Wonder’s ecosystem
Bragg Gaming Group Inc., a global B2B gaming technology and content provider, announced it has signed an international online casino content distribution agreement with Light & Wonder.
The agreement will see high-performing games from Bragg’s proprietary studios, Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic, Wild Streak Gaming and Spin Games added to Light & Wonder’s online ecosystem.
Exclusive content from the supplier’s Powered by Bragg partners will also be integrated, providing Light & Wonder with a wide selection of highly localized and unique titles.
The deal will encompass numerous European regulated markets as well as the USA and Canada, significantly growing the reach of Bragg’s content to new audiences and strengthening the supplier’s casino offering with new titles.
Matevž Mazij, Chief Executive Officer at Bragg Gaming Group, commented: “Light & Wonder is a world-leading platform and games provider, and this distribution deal will be hugely beneficial for us, as our content will be in front of new audiences through its large operator network boosting exposure of our games.
“We have focused on strengthening our content portfolio over the last year and this partnership is a testament to the popularity and appeal of our games which have been proven successful in markets globally.”
Steve Mayes, Senior Director Digital Partnerships at Light & Wonder, said: “We are thrilled to be working closely with Bragg, and are looking forward to offering their content across our network. This deal is a great showcase for the power of our aggregation platform and global scale. We already have a number of key operators lined up to launch Bragg games and excited to further expand our portfolio of games partners.”
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