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PlayIndiana.com: Sportsbooks reach $250 million plateau for first time

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Indiana sportsbooks continued their torrid pace in November — surpassing $250 million in wagers in a month for the first time — as local bettors continued to put money on the state’s NFL and college football teams, according to analysts from PlayIndiana.

“Indiana has largely managed to shrug off increased competition from its neighbors, which is a good sign for the future of the state’s industry,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “A lot has gone right in recent months to get Indiana to this new high point, but considering the challenges, it has been an impressive string of months.”

Buoyed by continued interest in the Indianapolis Colts, as well as particular interest in Notre Dame and Indiana football, sportsbooks accepted $251.4 million in bets in November, according to official reporting released Thursday. That marks the third consecutive month Indiana sportsbooks have set a state record for monthly handle, topping $230.9 million hit in October.

Wagering in November produced a record $25.3 million in adjusted gross revenue for the state’s operators, up 20% from the record $21.1 million set in October, and yielded $2.4 million in state taxes. Year over year, Indiana’s handle grew 70.7% from $147.3 million in November 2019 while gross revenue jumped 172.4% from $9.3 million.

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Indiana reclaimed its position in October as the fifth-largest market in the U.S., ahead of Colorado, but behind New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. And November’s results should be enough to stay in that position.

“I think some of the worries that Indiana would slip as its neighbors legalized sports betting are calming,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “The market in the Hoosier State is proving to be quite dynamic.”

One way the Hoosier State has been able to improve is a boost in local football interest. Notre Dame and Indiana University are both among college football’s elite, and the Colts continue their drive toward the NFL playoffs. The result is a swell of football bets, hitting $113.5 million in November, a rise of 33.9% from $84.7 million in October and up 96.5% from $57.7 million in November 2019. With only a sliver of college basketball season to drive interest, basketball was a distant second with $17.7 million in November bets.

“There really isn’t any substitute in sports betting for a local team doing well, and Indiana is enjoying three at once,” Gouker said. “And with both college and NBA basketball returning, a sport that enjoys particular interest in Indiana compared with most other legal jurisdictions, December really sets up to be another jump forward.”

Online betting generated 85%, or $213.7 million, of November’s handle, increasing the share of all bets from 83.6% in October. DraftKings/Ameristar Casino continued its dominance of the digital market, increasing its bets to $95.2 million in November from $90.5 million in October. Those bets produced $7 million in gross receipts, down from $8.6 million in October.

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DraftKings was followed by:

  • FanDuel/Blue Chip Casino ($64.2 million handle, up from $63.6 million; $7.7 million in gross receipts, up from $7.1 million.
  • BetMGM/Belterra ($25.3 million handle, up from $20.1 million; $2.2 million win, up from $1.8 million)
  • BetRivers/French Lick Resort ($10.3 million handle, up from $7.8 million; $660,365 win, up from $632,752)
  • PointsBet/Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($9.9 million handle, up from $7.1 million; $794,517 win, down from $862,865)
  • William Hill/Tropicana Evansville ($4 million handle, up from $149,897; $685,922 win, up from $65,406)
  • TheScore/Ameristar ($2.2 million handle, up from $1.5 million; $45,530 win, down from $123,494)
  • Unibet/Horseshoe Hammond ($1.8 million handle, even with October; -$7,008 win, down from $188,558)
  • Caesars/Horseshoe Hammond ($564,046 handle, up from $403,136; $67,095 win, up from $31,182)
  • BetAmerica/Rising Star Casino ($144,130 handle, down from $189,108; $11,005 win, up from -$10,016)

Retail sportsbooks took in $37.7 million in November wagers, down slightly from $37.9 million in October. The emergence of Illinois’ online sportsbooks has been felt most in Indiana’s retail market. Once dominated by sportsbooks nearest Chicago, retail sportsbooks were led in November by Hollywood Lawrenceburg, nearest Cincinnati. Hollywood Lawrenceburg’s $11.6 million handle in November was more than the combined handle of state No. 2 Ameristar Casino ($6.3 million) and No. 3 Horseshoe Hammond ($4.9 million).

“Chicago is still an important market for sportsbooks near the border, but the combination of Illinois’ sports-betting expansion and the pandemic has challenged the retail market,” Welman said. “As a whole, though, growth in online betting has more than made up for any slowdown in the retail market. And Indiana made last-minute protocol changes to keep casinos open while properties in surrounding states shut down, which has helped the industry.”

About the PlayUSA.com Network:
The PlayUSA.com Network is a leading source for news, analysis, and research related to the market for regulated online gaming in the United States. With a presence in over a dozen states, PlayUSA.com and its state-focused branches produce daily original reporting, publish in-depth research, and offer player advocacy tools related to the advancement of safe, licensed, and legal online gaming options for consumers. Based in Las Vegas, the PlayUSA Network is independently owned and operated, with no affiliations to any casino — commercial, tribal, online, or otherwise.

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SGG Media Announces Exciting New PlayOJO Partnership

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Industry-leading social media marketing agency SGG Media is thrilled to announce an exciting new collaboration with the prominent Canadian online casino PlayOJO.

Under the new agreement, SGG Media is set to become PlayOJO’s exclusive provider of live-action casino shows. Leveraging SGG Media’s extensive network of over 2,500 sports and casino influencers, these shows will stream thrilling casino experiences directly to PlayOJO players. Viewers will have the opportunity to interact with the streamers and place bets while witnessing all the exciting live casino action offered by PlayOJO.

Following the live shows, SGG Media will create and share short video highlights of the most captivating moments from the games across various social media platforms, engaging with SGG’s combined following of over 75 million fans. This is the third largest database of sports social media followers, a huge portion of whom have crossover potential and interest In the online casino industry.

The marketing agency has achieved significant success with its casino streams in 2024. They launched their groundbreaking ‘Casino Stream’ show in February. This innovative show offers nightly live-action casino games, providing viewers with an immersive experience in the fast-paced world of roulette, blackjack, slots, and other online games.

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PlayOJO is one of the most popular legal online casinos in Ontario. The casino collaborates with major developers and content providers in the industry, offering a distinctive and enjoyable online casino experience to Ontarian’s, all of which will be highlighted as a result of this deal.  “We’re thrilled to partner with the SGG team as we introduce our live casino shows in Canada. This unique live show experience will highlight PlayOJO’s best-in-class online casino, featuring slots, live casino, and table games, truly demonstrating why PlayOJO is the home of feel-good fun!”, says the PlayOJO Team.

SGG Media and PlayOJO are dedicated to ensuring a fun and safe online casino environment for players. Both parties will display clear responsible gambling messages throughout the streams, helping to inform players to gamble legally and responsibly.

Speaking about this commitment to responsible gambling, Troy Paul, CEO of SGG Media, said, “We want to create a fun and exciting show, but also make sure viewers know this is a legal casino and players need to wager only money they can afford to lose as entertainment.”

On the deal, Paul said: “We are extremely excited to begin working alongside PlayOJO. It is a brand that wants to drive innovation in the industry, sharing our vision for a more community-driven online casino experience.”

Through our streams, our micro-influencers and content creators will help shine a spotlight on PlayOJO’s fantastic gaming experiences while also growing a community that will want to return for more.

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This extends beyond the streams, with our huge network of micro-influencers sharing video content across their platforms, ensuring engagement continues after the stream goes off the air.”

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Great Canadian Entertainment and Petroglyph Development Group Announce Agreement for Purchase and Sale of Elements Casino Victoria

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Great Canadian Entertainment announced that it has signed a definitive agreement to sell Elements Casino Victoria to Petroglyph Development Group Ltd. (PDG) in yet another historic transaction for both parties.

This transaction comes on the heels of the previously announced definitive agreement for Great Canadian Entertainment to sell its other landmark property and business on Vancouver Island, Casino Nanaimo, to PDG. PDG is a wholly owned corporation of the Snuneymuxw First Nation (the Nation) and is dedicated to realizing the economic potential of the Nation.

Great Canadian’s Board of Directors unanimously approved the transaction, which remains subject to customary closing conditions as well as customary approvals by the regulatory authorities. The Company will provide transition services to PDG for up to two years post-closing.

“We are very pleased to have executed this second historic agreement with the Snuneymuxw First Nation. From its original opening as View Royal Casino in 2001, to major expansion and rebranding of the property in 2018 as Elements Casino Victoria, we are looking forward to the next chapter for this beautiful and historic Vancouver Island destination under PDG’s stewardship. We are excited to work with the Petroglyph team during the transition period to ensure yet another outstanding outcome for the community, our guests, our team members, and the Nation,” said Matt Anfinson, Chief Executive Officer of Great Canadian Entertainment.

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“We celebrate our growing partnership with Great Canadian and our continued progress toward building a strong Snuneymuxw economy that provides a solid foundation for Snuneymuxw self-determination and nationhood. With the acquisition of a second casino operation, we continue to honour the decades of work by past Snuneymuxw leadership who tirelessly pursued this goal, as we begin to realize various opportunities that contribute to optimizing Snuneymuxw socioeconomic potential. Our Nation is sharply focused to make investments that bring returns to our people and builds our presence in the economy so that Snuneymuxw takes its rightful place. Today, we also celebrate our partnership with the B.C. Lottery Corporation in our shared pursuit to support the growth of the provincial economy and First Nation participation,” said Snuneymuxw Chief Mike Wyse.

Erralyn Joseph, President of PDG, said: “This measured acquisition is one that PDG celebrates on our quest to build a corporate enterprise that reinvests into Snuneymuxw First Nation. With a strong operating plan that includes risk mitigation and yields sizable gains, PDG is well on its way to generating wealth for Snuneymuxw and taking a seat at the local, regional, provincial, national and global economic tables. On behalf of the Board of Directors, we are pleased to share this news and remain committed to advancing the region’s economic growth in support of all its residents.”

Ian Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of PDG, said: “Acquiring this significant asset will unlock unprecedented economic potential for Snuneymuxw and PDG, paving the way for transformative growth in Snuneymuxw’s economy and the profits that PDG returns to our Nation.”

McMillan is serving as legal counsel to Great Canadian. McCarthy Tétrault is acting as legal counsel and KPMG Corporate Finance Inc. is acting as financial advisor to PDG.

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Edmonton Oilers and Play Alberta Extend Partnership

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The Edmonton Oilers and Play Alberta announced a new agreement that makes Play Alberta the exclusive sports betting and online gaming partner of the Edmonton Oilers.

The deal will see the Play Alberta logo featured prominently on the Oilers home jerseys and GameSense, AGLC’s responsible gambling program, displayed on the helmets of the Oilers for each home game.

“Play Alberta is proud to continue its partnership with the Edmonton Oilers over the next several seasons. We value our patrons and the fans of the Oilers and are thrilled to see PlayAlberta.ca, Alberta’s trusted gambling platform along with the best-in-class responsible gambling program – GameSense – as prominent fixtures on the Oilers uniformsuniforms,” said Kandice Machado, Chief Executive Officer at AGLC.

PlayAlberta.ca is a leader in the iGaming landscape in the province. All money generated through the site goes to the General Revenue Fund, which supports programs and services that Albertans rely on every day. In addition, the website has integrated AGLC’s GameSense and Self-Exclusion programs to better support players in their gambling journey.

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“We are proud to call Play Alberta the official sportsbook of the Edmonton Oilers. With the revenue generated by Play Alberta going to valued services and programs that help enrich the lives of Albertans, donning the Play Alberta logo on our iconic home jersey is a testament to our long-term commitment to communities across Oil Country,” said Stew MacDonald, President & Chief Revenue Officer, OEG Sports & Entertainment.

The relationship between the Edmonton Oilers and PlayAlberta.ca will allow fans to experience the Play Alberta and GameSense brands through promotions in Rogers Place and ICE District, as well as giveaways throughout the season, including game tickets and memorabilia.

This past year, PlayAlberta.ca generated $235 million in net sales, an increase of more than $42 million from 2022-23. That number contributes to the $1.5 billion in total gaming revenue that’s sent to Alberta’s General Revenue Fund and supports programs and services that Albertans rely on every day.

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