This Week in Gambling

New York Assemblyman Gary Pretlow says he was eight Democrats away from getting the online poker bill put to a vote last week at the end of the state’s legislative session. While admitting that “we didn’t really look at it” in the final weeks as New York online poker took a back seat to a more urgent sports betting bill that also didn’t pass, Pretlow attested that he had a commitment from 68 Democrats that they would support A 5250. Officially, the bill finished with 51 Assembly members signed on as supporters, including 47 Democrats and four Republicans. Another assertion…

The magic number is still zero for Pennsylvania online gambling. Two months after the Gaming Board began to accept interactive gaming applications, they have yet to receive a single application. This is particularly concerning, yet not surprising given some of the policies that the state has implemented regarding this issue. Some of those policies include a 54 percent tax rate on online slot revenue. Slots are a big chunk of Pennsylvania online gambling revenue. Thus, slots have a direct correlation with the online gambling industry. One can see why there would be concern over a tax rate of a major…

West Virginia Lottery Commission Director Alan Larrick has announced that the entity has passed sports betting rules after an emergency meeting that took place last Thursday. The state’s five casinos would be eligible to offer sports betting. “We’re trying to do everything we can to get sports betting available by football season — that’s what our goal is. We don’t know if we’re going to make it or not, but we’re going to try,” said Larrick, who commented that the rules are essentially guidelines for local casinos in order to let them know how to operate. West Virginia had already…

Gambling advertising firms could use GPS to target “vulnerable” customers with offers, experts have warned. Firms could use location services to link a customer with ongoing events and send them targeted alerts. The technology raises the prospect of attendees at a football match being sent push notifications encouraging them to bet on the game they are watching. Charity GambleAware said that companies “have the ability to collect significant amounts of customer data, including their location”. “While some progress is being made to use customer data to identify and minimize gambling-related harm, much more needs to be done to tackle unacceptable…

Gambling laws may soon be changing in the state of Mississippi following a unanimous vote by the state Gaming Commission that clears the way for the legalization of sports betting. Regulators moved quickly to tweak rules regarding Mississippi sports betting, and speculation exists that gambling on sports could start in July. Recently, the Supreme Court ruled in New Jersey’s favor allowing the state to legalize and regulate sports betting, and other states moved forward with their legalization plans shortly after the decisions. Few should be surprised the legislators approved sports betting, as a regulated industry can generate significant tax money…

International Game Technology PLC announced today that MGM Resorts International is utilizing IGT’s sports betting platform to run its retail sports betting in New Jersey. IGT was selected by MGM Resorts to provide its end-to-end sports betting solution at Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa in Atlantic City, New Jersey. Borgata has opened for sports betting with IGT’s retail point-of-sale system, enabling in-casino patrons to place in-play and pre-match sports bets over the counter, effective today. IGT brings significant expertise and experience to providing leading technology to MGM Resorts sports betting. IGT currently powers MGM Resorts’ retail sports betting at 10…