This Week in Gambling

The latest NFL deal with Sportradar expands the leagues existing partnership to include the distribution of live game data to sports betting operators. The multi-year agreement gives Sportradar exclusive rights to distribute real-time, play-by-play data and Next Gen Stats player tracking data to bookmakers in the US and internationally where placing wagers on live sports is legal and regulated. In addition, the agreement will see the NFL utilize Sportradar’s integrity services to monitor betting across its pre-season, regular season and post-season games. The league’s franchises will also gain access to the company’s integrity education workshops and products. Sportradar, which first…

The Gaming Control Board has announced that the Pennsylvania Self-Exclusion Program has launched in the state, allowing players to voluntarily exclude themselves from participating in gambling at Video Gaming Terminals. The program allows individuals to voluntarily choose 1-year, 5-year, or lifetime bans for this gambling activity. VGT establishments and operators must refuse wagers and deny gaming privileges, check cashing, player club membership, complimentary goods and services to any self-excluded person. They must also ensure that self-excluded persons do not receive targeted mailings, promotions, player club materials or other promotional materials relating to VGT activities. A self-excluded person who has gambled…

News coming out of Las Vegas is that up to 20% of the casinos on the Strip could be up for sale as soon as next year, including properties like Caesars Palace, Bellagio and the MGM Grand. Also, industry news finds that talk of regulation continues as sports betting spreads to states like Connecticut and Arizona, among others. Well well well… we meet again. Back for another edition of This Week in Gambling. Interesting news coming out of Sin City where there are rumors of a massive sell-off on the Las Vegas Strip, but first, this week’s big story. Sports…

The final rules for DC sports betting won’t be ready for the start of the NFL season in September. City officials are still working on aspects of them, including advertising restrictions, licensing requirements and a prohibition on wagers on local college sports. This delay will most likely last several weeks. One complicating issue is the fact that the District of Columbia does not have casinos, horse tracks or other traditional gambling locations like other states. Therefore, there are no brick and mortar locations that can expand to include wagering on sports. The new D.C. law instead permits betting at arenas,…

MGM Resorts International is reported to be exploring the sale and leaseback of the MGM Grand & Bellagio casinos on the Las Vegas Strip. Bloomberg News said the company is working with an adviser to solicit interest from potential buyers as either as stand-alone sales or bundled together. In a conference call with investors, MGM Resorts Chairman and CEO Jim Murren said no decision has been made and the plan will develop from the work of a committee of three independent directors commissioned back in January to evaluate ways to extract value from the company’s massive real estate portfolio, possibly…

Since the Supreme Court decision on sports betting in 2018, players have been asking about the states where sports betting is legal. In fact, several states have either regulated the activity or have decided to move in that direction.  All told, some 42 states are taking steps toward the regulation of betting on sports. Below is a list of states where sports betting is legal and open for business (or where a launch date for regulated sports gambling has been set) as of August 11th, 2019: Nevada legalized sports betting in 1949. It was the first state to regulate sports…