Gambling in the USA
Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – March 8-14
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! It was again an eventful week in the USA, despite the still-active virus attack.
Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news, new partnerships and compliance updates. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
Allied Esports Entertainment has confirmed that it has received an unsolicited proposal from Bally’s Corporation to acquire all of the outstanding equity interests of the Company for a total consideration of $100 million, payable, at the Company’s option, in cash, Bally’s capital stock, or a combination of both. The Bally’s proposal would require the Company to terminate its previously announced agreement with Element Partners to sell all of the equity interests of Club Services, an indirect wholly-owned subsidiary of the Company, for consideration totalling $78,250,000.
PlayUp has launched its online sports betting app in Colorado. The application offers an easy and simple sports betting interface and options aimed at the casual user. Once users set up their account and log in, they are just three clicks away from placing a bet. As part of its entry into the U.S. market, PlayUp is now offering attractive bonus offers. All new players will get a 200% bonus on first bets, whether they win or lose. Also, all newly registered users will get a free $20 bet.
MGM Resorts International and BetMGM have announced a unified commitment to promote responsible gaming. This comes as MGM Resorts and BetMGM join the National Council on Problem Gambling in promoting Problem Gambling Awareness Month throughout March. As part of the new joint-initiative, BetMGM and MGM Resorts’ employees will participate in a weekly educational series provided by EPIC Risk designed to provide employees with unique and diverse perspectives on problem gambling and insight into how operators can play an important role in problem gambling prevention.
Partnerships
Bally’s Corporation has become an Authorised Sports Betting Operator of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The deal represents Bally’s second sports betting partnership with a professional sports league, following its previously announced official sports betting partnership with the National Hockey League. This partnership will provide Bally’s with access to official league data, as well as rights to use official NBA marks and logos across the Company’s expanding portfolio of online sports betting products.
Major League Rugby (MLR) has announced an exclusive official sports betting data and betting streaming partnership with Genius Sports Group (GSG). MLR has granted GSG the exclusive rights to capture, manage and distribute the League’s official data with sportsbooks across North America and worldwide. Through its 24/7 bet monitoring, educational workshops and model rules and regulations, GSG will help provide MLR with a leading integrity programme to help protect the fairness and transparency of its matches.
Esports organisation Gen.G has joined forces with the University of Kentucky to host the “University of Kentucky Esports Invitational.” Auburn University, Mississippi State University, Texas A&M University, University of Alabama, University of Georgia, University of Kentucky, University of Mississippi, University of Missouri and University of Tennessee will compete in the invitational. The Invitational is the first time that all of the schools will be competing in the same esports tournament.
Boyd Gaming Corporation and FanDuel Group have announced their plans to launch Stardust-branded online casinos in New Jersey and Pennsylvania, marking the iconic gaming brand’s return to real-money gaming. FanDuel and Boyd Gaming anticipate launching the Stardust casinos in April, pending final regulatory approval from each state. FanDuel plans to rebrand its existing Betfair Casino in New Jersey under Boyd Gaming’s Stardust brand, while launching a Stardust online casino in Pennsylvania.
Compliance Updates
The Georgia Senate has approved a bill that could legalise online sports betting in the state. The full chamber passed Senate Resolution 135, which would ask voters if Georgia should allow online sports wagering in the state. The resolution to amend the state’s Constitution, which needed support from two-thirds of the chamber’s 56 members, passed 41-10. Senators also voted 34-17 to approve Senate Bill 142, which regulates how sports betting would be conducted in the state. SR 135 and SB 142 now go to the House for their consideration.
Atlantic City casinos
New Jersey Gambling Revenue Increases in July

This summer is shaping up to be a strong one for Atlantic City casinos and their online gambling operating partners. According to the latest data collected by the state, the total gambling revenue for the casinos and their operating partners from in-state online gambling was nearly $250 million during July. That represents a nearly 27% increase over last year’s total revenue for July, and it comes on top of a more than 23% year-over-year increase measured during the month of June.
In all, revenue this year from online gambling through the end of July topped $1.6 billion, up 23.3% compared to the same period last year, according to a report from the state’s Division of Gaming Enforcement, which regularly tracks gambling revenue earned legally in New Jersey.
The revenue gains from online gambling do not appear to have come at the expense of in-person gambling this summer, according to the DGE data. Revenue from gambling at the casinos also grew in both June and July, although at more modest rates, with year-to-date collections totaling $1.66 billion through the end of July, the report said.
Amid the online-gambling revenue upswing, state policymakers decided earlier this summer to increase the state tax levied on legal online gambling offered by casinos and their operating partners.
The online gambling tax hike, as well as an increase in the state tax levied on mobile sports betting, came as part of a broader plan to raise an additional $600 million in annual revenue for the state budget.
The two gambling tax hikes, which went into effect on July 1, are projected to increase the revenues the state collects from casino taxes and fees by more than $200 million annually, according to estimates from the Department of the Treasury.
According to the report issued by Stockton University, which is based in Atlantic County, the casino industry’s gross gambling revenues totaled nearly $5.7 billion in 2024.
Last year, the total from taxes and fees levied on casino operators in New Jersey topped $880 million, according to a report issued earlier this year by Stockton University.
This included $572 million in revenue that went directly into New Jersey’s Casino Revenue Fund, the report said. That fund, by law, benefits programs and services for senior citizens and disabled residents.
In all, online gambling on traditional casino games, like poker and blackjack, netted casino operators $2.4 billion in gross revenue last year, followed by slots, $2.1 billion; table games, $699.7 million; mobile sports betting, $486.5 million; and in-person sports betting, $6.5 million, according to the report, which cited state data.
And even before the increased state tax rates that were put in place earlier this summer, the tax revenue generated by casino gambling in New Jersey was trending up, the report said.
The post New Jersey Gambling Revenue Increases in July appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Gambling in the USA
Virginia Lawmakers Debate Creating iGaming Agency

Virginia lawmakers are actively debating whether to establish a new regulatory agency to oversee iGaming. The joint subcommittee discussed a bill to create the Virginia Gaming Commission. It would manage all gambling verticals beyond the lottery.
Delegate Paul Krizek said: “The Virginia Gaming Commission is a step we need to preserve the good.”
Currently, the Virginia Lottery regulates sports betting and casinos, while other agencies manage charitable gaming and horse racing. Lawmakers also considered legalizing online casinos, including real-money platforms.
Delegate Marcus Simon introduced HB 2171 earlier this year. The bill aimed to authorize a real money online casino market under casino-lottery oversight. While the bill failed, Simon explained that the aim remains to curb illegal offshore platforms.
“My goal is to bring it under a regulated umbrella where we can have some oversight and supervision,” Simon said.
The subcommittee reviewed revenue projections estimating up to $5.3 billion in taxable income from online casinos over five years. The estimates included increased land-based casino revenue of 8.4%.
Experts raised concerns about real money online casino risks. Keith Whyte from Safer Gambling Strategies urged strong enforcement and safer gaming tools. Whyte noted: “Players could be encouraged… to take control through deposit limits, time limits, budget calculators, and personalized dashboards.”
Mental health advisor Brianne Doura-Schawohl backed up Whyte’s statement, warning that such products are dangerous without safeguards.
Former New Jersey regulator David Rebuck testified that iGaming complemented land-based casinos there. He pointed to New Jersey’s market, where online play boosted tourism and in-person casino revenue.
However, some Virginia legislators expressed skepticism, citing fears of cannibalization. They questioned whether online casinos might draw customers away from brick-and-mortar venues.
Industry experts countered that New Jersey and Michigan showed the opposite effect. Rebuck explained: “The evidence demonstrates iGaming expands the player base rather than cannibalizes physical casinos.”
Supporters argued that Virginia’s land-based operators could benefit from cross-promotion, loyalty programs, and expanded reach to players in rural areas.
The subcommittee must make recommendations by November 30, 2025. Officials expect the commission’s creation will precede legalization of online casinos. The Virginia lawmakers will review feasibility and revise HB 2171 before the 2026 legislative session.
The post Virginia Lawmakers Debate Creating iGaming Agency appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
Betr
DraftKings Introduces Credit Card Deposit Ban for US Customers

DraftKings has introduced credit card deposit ban for US customers. This decision aligns them with other major gambling operators, such as Fanatics Betting & Gaming, Betr, and Sporttrade, which have already banned credit card funding for wagering accounts.
It also comes on the heels of another major announcement by DraftKings. Starting September 1, DraftKings will charge a 50-cent fee for every mobile and online bet placed in Illinois using its Sportsbook platform. This change follows a similar move by FanDuel.
DraftKings CEO, Jason Robins, expressed his disappointment with Illinois policymakers for significantly raising the tax rate. He is worried that this could hurt the legal sports betting industry, while the illegal market continues to operate without paying taxes or providing any consumer protections.
DraftKings has informed its users that any saved credit card information will be disabled.
Moving forward, players will need to utilize alternative payment methods, including:
• Debit Cards
• ACH and wire transfers
• PayPal, Venmo
• Apple Pay
• Gift Cards
Bettors can also use cash at physical locations to fund their accounts.
DraftKings describes this step as a “strategic business decision” aimed at shielding customers from the high interest rates and cash advance fees usually associated with credit card deposits in gambling. Unlike regulatory demands, this decision was internally driven but coincides with growing scrutiny from regulators.
DraftKings has decided to stop accepting credit cards for deposits in the US due to worries about customer safety and more scrutiny from regulators. Recently, the company faced a significant fine in Massachusetts, where it is based. The Massachusetts Gaming Commission fined DraftKings $450,000 for allowing credit card deposits, which goes against state laws.
The post DraftKings Introduces Credit Card Deposit Ban for US Customers appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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