Pennsylvania Considers Credit Card Gambling Ban

Pennsylvania’s lawmakers are progressing in a bill to ban credit cards from being used in sports betting, daily fantasy contests, lottery, and online casino payments. If enacted, the bill aims to improve responsible gambling protections for players by limiting credit availability.

Only three states—Iowa, Tennessee, and Massachusetts—currently ban credit card use for gaming transactions. The move also follows in the footsteps of the UK, which banned credit cards in 2019 and is now introducing affordability checks for players.

DraftKings and Golden Nugget Debut New RG Tool

DraftKings has released a new onsite tool called My Stat Sheet that presents players with their data. The data is presented as user-friendly, helping players make informed choices regarding their gambling and spending.

Consumers can view bets placed, deposits, withdrawals, contest involvement, time spent on the platform, and wins across time. Jennifer Aguiar, DraftKings Chief Compliance Officer, said: “As sports betting technology continues to evolve, DraftKings remains committed to continuously enhancing our robust responsible gaming program. The My Stat Sheet tool will help customers evaluate their play and make informed choices.”

Rhode Island Online Casino Open for Business - All the Business

Rhode Island has become the USA's seventh iGaming state after Bally Casino launched in March. Bally Casino offers players access to over 170 online games, bonuses, and a cutting-edge mobile gaming experience through its app.

The Ocean State joins Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Michigan, and Connecticut as the USA’s iGaming states. Akin to Delaware, in RI, the state retains “complete regulatory control of iGaming, with nearly 62 percent of slot revenue and 15 percent of table gaming revenue direct to the State, " making operating conditions difficult for Bally. 

RI is not an open market; it only allows one operator -Bally, licensed for 20 years on a no-bid contract- to operate the state’s land-based and online casinos.

Craig Eaton, President of Bally’s Rhode Island Operations, said of the launch; 

“We are pleased to launch this new gaming product, which is borne out of our partnership with the General Assembly, Governor McKee and our regulators, the RI Department of Revenue, Division of Lottery, Department of Business Regulation, and RI State Police to enhance state revenue and better position the State’s casinos in the competitive New England gaming market.”

Maryland Online Casino Bill Moves to Senate

Just two days short of the cross-over deadline, Maryland’s House has passed the state's latest online casino bill (HB 1319) by 92-43. The bill now progresses to the Senate, which has under a month to pass it. 

The bill would put the choice to regulate online casinos in voters' hands on the November Ballot if the bill passes the Senate (the Senate’s deadline is April 8th). 

Maryland has been tipped as one of the most likely US states to legalize online casinos this legislative session. However, the bill has already been subject to many changes, including a restrictive tax on gaming revenue of up to 47% on electronic games and a credit card ban on gambling transactions.

PlayStar Casino Embraces Twitch

PlayStar Casino has announced it is embracing a new marketing strategy and launching a Twitch Casino Stream in partnership with SGG Media. The content will feature NJ streamers playing casino games via PlayStar, with the casino providing the account and budget. 

Jon Bowden, CEO of PlayStar said, “PlayStar Casino is excited to partner with SGG Media in allowing New Jersey casino enthusiasts to watch and play our online slots and games. 

We provide the excitement of live, legal, casino games to be played online by New Jersey residents while a large viewership can view the action in real time.”

North Carolina’s Sports Betting Market Live

During the market pre-launch, Caesars Sports was the first operator to go live in North Carolina on March 4th. The whole market opened on March 11th, with six other operators (FanDuel, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, BetMGM, Fanatics, and Bet365) going live.

Sports betting in North Carolina was legalized by HB 347, signed into law by Governor Roy Cooper in June 2020. To obtain a license, operators must partner with a state-based sports team, venue, or league. DraftKings has partnered with NASCAR and counting North Carolina is now active in 27 locations across North America.

Georgia’s House Considers Sports Betting Bid

The online sports betting debate is raging on in Georgia, where two complementary bills have passed the Senate and now sit with the House. Both bills aim to support education in Georgia, with 80% of sports betting tax revenue allocated to the pre-K and HOPE scholarship programs; the other 15% would fund responsible gambling and 5% for sports promotion. 

If agreed, and upon passing a public ballot, the bills would allow up to 16 licenses, nine of which would be tied to a local team or entity and include 20% tax rates on revenue.

Michigan Reports $218.5m in Betting Revenue - Feb 2024 

Michigan's gambling revenue for February 2024 is $218.5 million; when adjusted for gross receipts, it totals $182.1m - $169.2m from iGaming and $12.9m from sports betting. According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, this provided the state with over $9m in gambling tax revenue.

The American Gaming Association recently stated that Michigan is the USA’s most active market, and in 2023 - “Michigan outperformed New Jersey by just $115,500 to become the largest iGaming market in the country. Pennsylvania rounded out the top three iGaming markets with $1.74 billion in annual revenue.”

New Jersey Hits $461.5m in Betting Revenue - Feb 2024

New Jersey hit a 12% YoY increase in total gambling revenue in February, taking $461.5m. The yearly total has already reached the $1 billion mark. For the month, land-based casinos took $211.6m, online casinos $182.3m and sports betting $67.6m. iGaming increased by 27.9m YoY.

In Other News

  • FanDuel signs White Hat Studios in Connecticut and Pennsylvania.
  • Caesars Digital signs White Hat Studios in four states, including Pennsylvania.
  • Supremeland Gaming (distributed through EveryMatrix in the US) scores a hat trick with NJ, WV, and PA gaming licenses.
  • Hacksaw Gaming gets Michigan supplier license.