This Week in Gambling

Following the launch of Hollywood and Parx gaming sites two days ago, SugarHouse Casino has become the third online casino in Pennsylvania with their launch today. The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board confirmed that the Rush Street-owned casino would undergo live testing on July 17 and 18. Since both SugarHouse and Parx have already successfully launched online sports betting platforms in Pennsylvania, the companies each only need to complete two days of online casino testing. Hollywood, on the other hand, will need to successfully pass three days of testing. It is completely new to the online gambling scene both in Pennsylvania…

The Stars Group Inc. today announced that it entered into an agreement with the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort for betting and gaming market access and certain retail sports betting operations in the State of New York. The agreement  grants The Stars Group an option to operate and brand real-money online sports betting, poker and casino in New York on a first skin basis, subject to license availability, state law and regulatory approvals. The agreement also provides that The Stars Group will provide support services for the launch and operation of a retail sportsbook at the Akwesasne Mohawk Casino Resort in…

Indiana mobile betting has come under additional scrutiny under new proposed sports betting regulations. Published this week by the Indiana Gaming Commission, a professional sports league or the NCAA could seek to create a temporary sports betting “dead zone” at a venue, made possible by geolocation technology. While Indiana lawmakers didn’t give the leagues any handouts in the form of “integrity fees”, nor did they mandate the use of “official league data,” the regulations do appear to give the leagues one unique way here to influence sports betting in the state. The regulations, which are currently in the public comment…

Hollywood launched their Pennsylvania online casino ahead of Parx Casino today, July 15th. They are the first two sites to go live in the state, with Hollywood having rolled out at 11 a.m. and Parx scheduled to go at 5 p.m. Hollywood Casino is new to the online casino scene, but its interactive partner, IGT, is not. The company is a major player in the online slot games, providing titles for a number of properties. me to love in our land-based casinos.” Hollywood is a bit of a surprise player in the PA online casino game. However, its brick-and-mortar location…

The fledgling American sports betting industry faces a critical second year ahead, as more and more states pass sports betting laws. The President and CEO of the American Gaming Association, Bill Miller, says it has expanded to more than $3 billion in total bets in the year since the U.S. Supreme Court overturned a federal ban on the activity. Now, in an interview with the Las Vegas Sun, Miller said the AGA will focus on ensuring that emerging markets install proper regulations and practices. “The Supreme Court decision to overturn PASPA was a transformative moment for the gaming industry. It…

Nearly a half-century after Eldorado Resorts opened their first property in Reno, they have become the talk of the gambling industry. They reached an agreement to purchase Caesars Entertainment, assuming the $17.3 billion deal gets the necessary regulatory and shareholder approval. And now, Eldorado, which only went public in 2014, is poised to become the largest gambling company in the country. It will grow from 26 properties and 18,000 employees to 81 properties and about 81,000 employees. While Eldorado shareholders will own a majority of the combined company — about 51% — the merged company will bear the Caesars name. The…