This Week in Gambling

Governor Andy Beshear has signed House Bill 551, making Kentucky sports betting legal. The bill passed the Senate earlier that day by a 25-12 vote, despite facing long odds on the last day of the legislative session. The law allows for in-person and online sports betting at Kentucky Speedway and the state’s nine horse racing tracks, with a $500,000 upfront fee and an annual renewal cost of $50,000. Participating tracks can contract with up to three service providers for sports wagering services, giving Kentuckians up to 27 sportsbook options. Service providers will have to pay $50,000 for an initial license…

The $110 million Las Vegas make-over is underway. The Bellagio renovation of all rooms and suites in its Spa Tower, which includes 819 guest rooms and 104 suites, is expected to be completed in October, with the first set of rooms available in July. The Spa Tower redesign will deliver “contemporary accommodations inspired by the beauty and tranquility of Italy’s Lake Como,” according to the resort. The rooms and suites will feature custom furnishings and art influenced by Italian style and couture, while the color palettes will be inspired by the Lake Como and the Alps. The suite corridors will…

Two bills to expand legal gambling and usher in Texas sports betting have cleared a House committee, representing more progress than they made in the last legislative session. The House State Affairs Committee approved legislation that would let voters decide whether to legalize casinos and online sports betting. House Bill 2843 would permit casino gambling in Texas and House Bill 1942 would legalize online sports betting. If approved by voters, the casino bill would allow eight destination resort casinos in Texas, and sports betting would be allowed under the casino bill. However, the bills still face long odds in the…

A New Hampshire online gambling bill has passed the state Senate, the first successful internet gambling vote by a Senate in 2023. That bill, SB 104, was drafted by Representative Tim Lang and narrowly passed the chamber despite concerns that legal iGaming could cannibalize land-based casinos in the state that provide Lucky 7 electronic games and historical horse racing. Charitable gaming operators in New Hampshire offer part of their revenue to the state to fund various charities, and many suggest that an expansion of online gaming could adversely affect these efforts. In response to these concerns, an amendment was added…

Sports betting in Maine has not yet gone live, and it is expected to take at least six more months. While the state’s Gambling Control Unit continues to draft rules for how wagering will operate, the head of the commission, Milt Champion, is urging interested sports betting providers to apply for licenses as soon as possible. He is worried that delaying the process of applying for licenses could further push back the estimated launch date of sports betting in Maine. Although the provisional applications for sports betting licenses were made available on February 14, no applications have been submitted yet….

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