Press Releases
Record 46.6 Million Americans Plan to Wager on 2022 NFL Season
A record 46.6 million American adults (18%) plan to bet on the upcoming National Football League (NFL) season, up three percent year-over-year, according to new American Gaming Association (AGA) research.
Importantly, since the NFL kick-off coincides with the beginning of Responsible Gaming Education Month, nine in ten (92%) U.S. sports bettors report awareness of responsible gaming tools.
âThe sustained interest in NFL wagering reflects the growth and continued maturation of legal sports betting across the country,â said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. âConsumers clearly want legal sports betting options and understand the regulated industryâs foundational commitments to responsibility.â
As legalization spreads, bettors are moving away from bookies and toward regulated options. Of American adults:
- 23 million will place a bet online this season, up 18 percent from 2021.
- 10.6 million will place a bet in-person at a sportsbook this season, up two percent from 2021.
- Just 13 percent of NFL bettors say they will use a bookie, down two points from last year (15%) and five points from 2020 (18%).
- Bookie usage is 50 percent higher in states without legalized sports betting.
Today, more than half (132 million) of American adults can legally wager in their home state, 18 million more than this time last year. Demonstrating consumer confidence in regulated sportsbooks, nine in 10 (89%) of past-year sports bettors say it is very or somewhat important that they bet with a legal, regulated sportsbook.
Consumer protections are central to the legal marketplace, and past-year sports bettors recognize the industryâs responsibility commitments:
- 90 percent recall seeing or hearing about responsible gaming in the past year.
- 51 percent saw or heard more responsible gaming information in the past 12 months than they had in previous years.
The majority of past-year sports bettors believe responsible gaming programs are very or somewhat effective (82%) and that the gaming industry is committed to encouraging responsible gaming and combatting problem gambling (81%).
âResponsibility is an underpinning of regulated U.S. sports betting and a clear competitive advantage as we continue to build a sustainable marketplace,â Miller added.
Among NFL bettors, the Buffalo Bills and Tampa Bay Buccaneers (9%) are the most popular picks to win Super Bowl LVII, followed by the Los Angeles Rams and Kansas City Chiefs (8%) and the Dallas Cowboys (7%). The Super Bowl will be played in a legal sports betting jurisdiction (Arizona) for the first time in February 2023.
Background
- Sports betting is currently legal in 36 states and Washington, D.C., with 32 jurisdictions already offering operational markets. 18 of the 22 states that are home to NFL teams have legalized sports betting.
- Connecticut, Kansas, Louisiana, Maryland and Wisconsin launched new markets since the start of the 2021 NFL season.
- Americans have legally wagered more than $50.4 billion on sports in the first seven months of 2022, generating more than $809 million in federal, state and local taxes.
- AGAâs Have A Game Plan.Ÿ Bet ResponsiblyâąÂ campaign is bringing sports betting stakeholders together to promote responsible gaming. NFL team partners include the Washington Commanders and New York Jets.
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 wonât 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 doesnât cannibalize bricks-and-mortar casinos but instead gives them âa liftâ.
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.
âA solution exists by amending ARC Rule 5, which already authorizes online poker, to include other types of table games and slots,â Saffa told Gambling.com on Monday. âDoing 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.â
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, âSunlight is the best disinfectant.â
âPeople in Arkansas are already gambling in online casinos and those companies are not regulated or taxed by the Arkansas Racing Commission,â Saffa said Monday. âThose companies are not held to the standards the people of Arkansas set forth for operators to include that a customer must be 21.â
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 â creating exceptional games â 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. AndrĂ© 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.”
âFrom 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,” AndrĂ© 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 & Wonderâs 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 Braggâs proprietary studios, Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic, Wild Streak Gaming and Spin Games added to Light & Wonderâs online ecosystem.
Exclusive content from the supplierâs 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 Braggâs content to new audiences and strengthening the supplierâs casino offering with new titles.
MatevĆŸ Mazij, Chief Executive Officer at Bragg Gaming Group, commented: âLight & 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.
âWe 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.â
Steve Mayes, Senior Director Digital Partnerships at Light & Wonder, said: âWe 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.â
-
Latest News1 day ago
Xpoint Launches Groundbreaking New Capability to Reduce Geolocation Costs for Operators
-
Industry News6 days ago
Jennifer Shatley Joins ROGA as Executive Director
-
Canada6 days ago
GiG increases Ontario market presence, powering the launch of Casino Time
-
Latest News5 days ago
Odditt Appoints Elaine Milardo as its New Chief Technology Officer
-
Gambling in the USA6 days ago
Playân GO announces expansion of BetMGM partnership with Pennsylvania launch
-
Latin America6 days ago
Betby Forges Strategic Partnership With Latam Powerhouse Cactus Gaming
-
Latest News6 days ago
AEG and Yaamavaâ Resort & Casino at San Manuel Announce 16th Year in Partnership, Shaping the Future of Sports and Live Entertainment Across Southern California
-
Latest News5 days ago
Broadcast Legend Mike Francesa Renews Exclusive Partnership with BetRivers