Press Releases
PlayIA.com: Sports betting volume falls to less than $90 million
Iowa’s sportsbooks extended a streak of month-over-month declines in betting volume, taking in less than $89 million in bets in July in what was the 24th month of sports betting in the state. July’s betting volume decrease is historically the single slowest month for sports wagering in the U.S., and even the Olympics and NBA Finals couldn’t reverse the trend in Iowa, according to PlayIA, a leading source for news and analysis of the Iowa gaming market.
“The Olympics and the later-than-usual NBA Finals gave bettors more opportunities to place a bet than what would be a typical July, but neither were able to move the needle much,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIA.com. “Bettors simply check out in July, when summer vacations and other pursuits take precedence. But a surge in betting will certainly come with the beginning of the football season.”
Iowa’s online and retail sportsbooks took in $88.9 million in July, down 20% from $111.2 million in June to extend a streak of month-over-month declines to four, according to official data released Friday. July marked the lowest handle in the state since November 2020, as bettors placed $2.9 million per day over the 31 days of July, well short of the $3.7 million per day in June.
The betting volume results followed a historical trend. The pandemic skewed 2020 data, but the lowest volume month across the U.S. in both 2018 and 2019 was in July. The boost in volume pushed net operator revenue to $7.1 million in June, down 15.7% from $8.4 million in June. That resulted in $479,479 in tax revenue for the state.
Baseball and basketball held most of Iowa’s betting water in July. Iowa put in place a cautious framework for Olympics betting, which barred wagering on individual events that feature athletes under the age of 18. That took some of the betting inventory off the board.
“Mainstream sports such as basketball and golf, along with a handful of high-profile events, have drawn the most Olympics interest,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for PlayUSA.com and PlayIA.com. “But there was no wave of action from the Olympics. Bettors aren’t as comfortable wagering on Olympic events. And partly it’s because betting on many high-profile events in swimming and gymnastics, which took center stage in the early part of the Olympics, were barred because minors were competing.”
Sports betting launched in Iowa on Aug. 15, 2019, which made July 2021 the 24th month of operation. It has been a winding road with the pandemic that hobbled the industry in 2020 and the removal of in-person registration requirements that has rocketed the market forward in 2021.
In 24 months, Iowa sportsbooks have generated:
- $1.7 billion in wagering
- $122.8 million in gross gaming revenue
- $8.3 million in tax revenue
“Iowa has experienced so many twists and turns over the last two years, but the state’s sportsbooks find themselves in a good place,” Welman said. “Sportsbooks will hit more than $1 billion in wagering by September at the latest, nearly doubling the handle for all of 2020 before football kicks off. That is staggering growth.”
In July, $77.9 million in bets were made online, representing 87.6% of the state’s handle. Retail betting accounted for the remaining $11.0 million.
Caesars Sportsbook, which was rebranded from William Hill, generated 35% of Iowa’s handle in July with $31.1 million in total wagers. That is down from $36.65 million in June. $28.7 million of July’s wagers were made online. In all, July’s wagering yielded $1.0 million in net receipts.
Wild Rose, which includes DraftKings and BetRivers, took in $25.2 million in online and retail wagering, down from $31.5 in June. July’s handle included $25.0 million in online wagering. The wagering was enough to produce $2.6 million in revenue, topping the market.
Diamond Jo, fueled by FanDuel and BetMGM, was third in the state with $21.4 million in combined wagers, down from $26.6 million in June. $18.4 million of July’s wagering came online. That was enough to net a market-leading $2.4 million in revenue.
Bally Bet, the state’s newest operator, collected $1.1 million in wagers and $111,157 in revenue in its first full month of operation.
The Unit aims to grow its presence in the Americas with move to new Manhattan location in January 2025 at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub
The Unit, a leader in product design and development for sports betting and iGaming, will proudly open its new office in New York City, as part of its long-term global expansion objectives, in January 2025.
The Americas division was established in 2023 with the launch of The Unit’s partnership with online operator PlayStar Casino. The New York City office, located in the heart of Manhattan, will now be the hub for The Unit’s activity in the Americas.
This new base will be located at Bank of Ireland’s NYC Hub, which was launched to help Irish business owners expand their North American operations. The offices at 2 Grand Central Tower are a great asset to Irish companies aiming to expand their operations in the United States and beyond. This is an ideal location for The Unit to grow its footprint in the region.
The project will be put into practice by The Unit’s Head of Business Development & Account Management Mark O’Hare, who has relocated to New York and will be responsible for The Unit’s commercial growth in the region.
With product and development teams in Ireland and Moldova, the addition of an American hub is further proof The Unit holds an unwavering commitment to becoming the partner of choice, on a global scale, throughout the industry.
Paddy Casey, Co-founder at The Unit, said: “These are exciting times for The Unit, and with plans in place to exponentially grow our presence in the Americas across the next few years, the start of 2025 will be the perfect time for us to move into one of the most vibrant cities in the world.
“This will be the ideal addition to our existing bases in Ireland and Moldova. The flexible workspace the hub can provide will be integral to our plans and will give us the opportunity to grow the team.
“This is an excellent opportunity for us to touch base with clients in the Americas and strategise further launches. We’re looking forward to mapping out our future in the region with our team on the ground there.
“I would like to thank Mark O’Hare for making the move to New York, and I’m sure both he and his team will have the skills and experience to execute our vision for the Americas division across the long-term.”
Tania Sheikh, Manager of NYC Hub for Bank of Ireland, said: “We are very pleased to welcome The Unit to the NYC Hub. The facilities we can provide have helped businesses scale up and connect with their partners, and we are proud to offer that opportunity to The Unit.
“We look forward to hosting The Unit and wish them well in their endeavors to grow their business here.”
The Unit has solidified its strong track record of building world-class, scalable and efficient products for the sports betting and iGaming sector in recent years.
As The Unit embarks on this exciting period of growth, the company remains committed to delivering exceptional products and services to its clients. With its experienced team, best-in-class product development capabilities, and focus on innovation, The Unit is poised to shape the future of the sports betting and iGaming industries.
Golden Matrix Group Inc., a developer and licensor of online gaming platforms, systems, and gaming content, today announced that management will participate in the 2025 ICR Conference on January 13-15, 2025 at the Grande Lakes Resort in Orlando, FL.
Zoran Milosevic, Chief Executive Officer of Meridianbet, will participate in a fireside chat with an equity research analyst on Monday, January 13, 2025, at 2:30 PM ET and will also be available for meetings during the conference.
BCLC reminds adults to gift responsibly this holiday season
With the holiday season in full swing, BCLC is reminding British Columbians to gift responsibly and scratch lottery products from their shopping lists for kids.
“Scratch & Win tickets can make great stocking stuffers for the adults in your life, but they’re not for kids,” said Ryan McCarthy, BCLC’s Director of Player Health. “The research shows that children who have early encounters with gambling are four times more likely to develop riskier gambling behaviour as they grow up. While people are out shopping for those last-minute gifts, BCLC wants adults to be aware of the potential risks associated with gifting lottery products to children and to consider safer alternatives.”
While Scratch & Win tickets are among the most common ways kids can be introduced to gambling, children are increasingly exposed to various online forms, such as gambling streams.
“With the convergence of gaming and gambling, youth are becoming more exposed to gambling content in online spaces like streaming sites, where creators are able to live-stream their own gambling, usually while playing online slots and instant games,” said Dr. Luke Clark, Director for Gambling Research at UBC. “Our research at the UBC Centre for Gambling shows that a higher frequency of watching online gambling streams is associated with a more positive attitude towards gambling and a high intention to gamble in the future.”
In B.C., it is illegal to sell lottery products to anyone under the age of 19 and BCLC encourages adults to have conversations with the kids in their lives about the risks associated with gambling.
“Open and honest conversations are crucial when it comes to navigating childhood exposure to gambling,” said McCarthy, who shared the following tips to adults:
- Monitor for gambling-related lifestyle changes. For example, developing a positive attitude towards gambling or a preoccupation with video games or streaming sites.
- Be a positive role model. Exhibit safer gambling behaviour and talk about the risks.
- Limit exposure. Monitor kids’ online activities and discourage engagement with gambling content. Explain how gambling is based on chance.
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