The approach of Colorado sports betting has seen more than 50 license applications since November, which could pose a problem since the state only plans to issue 33 licenses total for physical and online sports books. Voters narrowly passed  the sports gambling measure to regulate the activity in November. The first licensees are expected to be approved in February, though they won’t be able to take bets until Colorado’s new sports gambling law goes into effect on May 1. Casinos will be taxed 10% on net proceeds, which will primarily be funneled to Colorado’s water plan. The state expects to…

As part of their overall plan to grow their American presence, a DraftKings Las Vegas office has opened. The fantasy and sports betting operator Las Vegas facility will host about 300 employees, including customer support, fraud, casino, sports book traders, human resource and IT personnel. The move comes after DraftKings last month agreed a deal to be acquired by a special purpose acquisition company alongside betting and gaming technology provider SBTech. As part of this transaction, the business agreed be reincorporated in Nevada. Since October 2018, DraftKings said it has seen a 40% increase in its overall employee headcount, while…

A bill to regulate Kentucky sports betting has passed through a state House committee with an 18-0 vote and has excellent odds to clear the full chamber. House Bill 137 would establish a framework in the state to legally bet on sport events and play online poker and fantasy sports. Twenty states have now legalized sports betting. Kentucky sports betting bill sponsor Rep. Adam Koenig pointed out that the state is “largely surrounded” by states that have already taken that step to tap into some of the estimated $150 billion of illegal sports wagering in the country each year. “It…

State lawmakers held a preliminary hearing on California sports betting last week. They are just the latest state to consider regulating the activity in 2020, meaning that more than half of the states could have regulated sports betting soon. California is one of nine states exploring legalized sports betting in 2020, according to the American Gaming Association. A total of 20 states have legalized some form of sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a federal ban in May 2018. “We will likely approach a total of 30 states with some form of legal sports betting by the…

A bill to regulate Maine sports betting was vetoed Friday by Governor Janet Mills. State Senator Louis Luchini had sponsored the bill and was disappointed by the veto. He was in San Diego on Friday at a conference for states with gambling and said Mills called to inform him of her decision shortly before she made it public. The bill, one of three Mills vetoed, was among 40 she had held since the end of the last lawmaking session in June, saying they had technical issues or needed additional work. The Legislature recalled 13 of the bills on Wednesday –…

Despite having their butts handed to them by a Federal Judge last June, the DOJ Wire Act position refuses to budge. Not even a little. In fact, they are doubling down on their bet that with 1961 act applies to the internet and all forms of gambling. The New Hampshire District Court ruled last year that the Wire Act only applies to sports betting — and not to online gambling more broadly. That decision threw a fat wrench in the government’s plans to broaden the scope of the antiquated 46 year old statute via a 2018 memorandum, which flew in…