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PlayNJ.com: Retail, online sportsbooks gain with NCAA Tournament while online casinos enjoy March Madness of their own

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4 years ago

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New Jersey sportsbooks surged on the strength of March Madness, including the largest retail handle in more than two years, but fell well short of the first $1 billion wagering month in U.S. sports betting history, perhaps delaying the milestone at least until football season, according to PlayNJ, which analyzes and researches the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market. This while online casino gaming continued shatter records in March, setting a fresh high with more than $113 million in revenue.

“March represents a much-needed bounce back after a somewhat disappointing February,” said Dustin Gouker lead analyst for PlayNJ.com. “It will probably be until football season before the state gets that first $1 billion month, but New Jersey’s online market has made a habit of outperforming expectations. Longer term, though, New Jersey’s market faces serious challenges, most notably New York’s expected launch of online sports betting later this year.”

New Jersey’s sportsbooks accepted $859.6 million in wagers in March, according to official data released Friday. That is the state’s highest monthly handle in a month without football, and a sharp difference from the $181.9 million handle in March 2020, a month marred by pandemic-related shutdowns. It is also up 15.7% from the $743 million handle in February.

Including March’s handle, New Jersey has posted the eight highest-volume months in U.S. sports betting history.

March’s wagers produced $60.8 million in revenue. That is up 360.9% from $13.2 million in March 2020, and up 31.5% from $46.2 million February. March’s win resulted in $7.7 million in taxes for the state.

The leap forward in March was expected with the return of the NCAA Tournament, which was immensely popular in 2019 in New Jersey but was canceled in 2020. To that end, basketball accounted for $441.7 million of the state’s handle in March, up from $320.3 million in January and $325.8 million in February. With 51.4%, basketball accounted for the largest share of March’s handle of any sport by far.

Retail sportsbooks generated $79.5 million in bets, the highest volume for retail books since January 2019.

“The popularity of college basketball is what led to the resurgence of retail sportsbooks, good news for a segment that hasn’t seen much over the last year,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for PlayNJ.com. “If New Jersey allowed betting on in-state college teams, the run by Rutgers could have given them an additional boost. Regardless, it was an excellent month for sportsbooks.”

Online betting accounts for 90.8%, or $780.1 million, of the state’s total handle in March. FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet topped the online market with $28.5 million in gross revenue, up from $24.9 million in February.

FanDuel was followed in revenue by:

Resorts Digital/DraftKings/Fox Bet ($14.1 million, up from $7.7 million in February)
BetMGM/Borgata ($6.5 million, up from $4.4 million)
Ocean Casino/William Hill ($2.8 million, up from $2 million)
Monmouth/William Hill/SugarHouse/TheScore ($2.2 million, down from $2.5 million)
Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($1.4 million, up from $1 million)
Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($721,776, up from $317,766)
Tropicana/William Hill ($142,633, up from $71,758)
Golden Nugget/BetAmerica ($111,453, up from -$37,143)

Meadowlands/FanDuel led all retail books with $2.8 million in revenue.

“New York’s decision to create a closed market was good news for operators who are heavily vested in New Jersey,” Gouker said. “By closing the market, the select few operators that will operate in New York will have to focus on profitability just to meet the state’s high revenue split. That will leave a window open for some operators to offer more competitive products and promote more aggressively than any operator in New York.”

Online casinos and poker

For all the attention paid to New Jersey’s sportsbooks, online casinos and poker remain the biggest winner in the state. Online casino games and poker generated a U.S. record $113.7 million in revenue, up 75.4% from $64.8 million in March 2020, which was the first month of a year-long expansion. March’s revenue topped the previous record of $103.8 million set in January.

Online casinos and poker generated a record $3.7 million per day over the 31 days in March, up from $3.4 million per day over 28 days in February. The result for the state was $17.1 million in taxes.

Revenue from online casinos was $111 million, up from $61.2 million in March 2020. Online poker produced $2.7 million, down from $3.6 million in March 2020.

For the first time in years Golden Nugget was not the market leader in March. Borgata generated a market record $36.2 million in revenue on online casino games and poker, up from $25.7 million in February. Golden Nugget generated $31.8 million in March revenue, up from $27.9 million in February.

“Borgata’s increasing focus on and success in the online market shows how the pandemic changed the dynamic for online casinos,” Ramsey said. “Even when we get past this pandemic, I don’t think gamblers will log into online casinos any less. Instead, this year-long surge points to a long-lasting market shift.

For more information and analysis on regulated sports betting and online gaming in New Jersey, visit PlayNJ.com/news.

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Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform

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1 week ago

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April 17, 2025

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Stats Perform, the global leader in sports AI, data and technology, has announced an official data partnership with the Northern Super League (NSL). The partnership will allow world-leading Opta data to be collected live from every NSL league game for the next three years.

Beginning this month, the Northern Super League (NSL) establishes a new era in Canadian sport as the country’s first professional domestic women’s soccer league — an ambitious and transformative initiative co-founded by former Canadian international and Olympic medallist Diana Matheson. Its inaugural season kicks off on April 16 and will feature six teams who have assembled multinational player rosters with extensive club and international experience, including 100-cap Canadian internationals Desiree Scott and Quinn.

Once the action begins, detailed data from every on-ball event, including advanced AI-powered Opta Analytics metrics such as Expected Goals (xG) and Expected Assists (xA), will be captured and distributed via feeds and Stats Perform products, including OptaAI Studio. This will enable various broadcasters, publishers and rights holders to generate stories and insights throughout the NSL season and provide them straight to the league’s fans in real time.

As part of the agreement, the NSL’s League Office and every NSL club will also have access to Opta Search, part of OptaAI Studio. This will allow their content creators to leverage all Opta data collected during the NSL season in the creation of data-led stories on the stand-out performers, and will help them generate key talking points for publication on official league and club platforms. Opta Search will also empower the NSL’s media team to create a range of data visualizations, including player shot maps and touch maps, to visually illustrate the impact of different players’ on-field performances.

Christina Litz, NSL President, said: “We are thrilled to have Stats Perform on board as our official data partner. When we talk about detailed performance data in soccer, Opta is the gold standard, so we are delighted to have it powering each of our official digital channels. As the season progresses, we want to put the spotlight on all the on-field heroes who emerge and having access to world-class data will help us tell their stories and inspire a new generation of Canadian soccer fans.”

Steve Xeller, Chief Revenue Officer at Stats Perform, said: “Stats Perform has been a huge supporter of expansion leagues around the world, so we are very pleased to be partnering with NSL in the lead-up to their first domestic campaign. Seeing a fully professional women’s soccer league launch in Canada is an incredibly exciting development for the sport in North America and we see considerable potential in working proactively with the League’s Head Office to help the competition grow, using the power of AI and data-led storytelling to build fan communities across the continent.”

The post Northern Super League Partners with Stats Perform appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER

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2 weeks ago

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April 14, 2025

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Leading B2B games provider, Incentive Games, today announced its new agreement with premium gaming company and content provider Light & Wonder, Inc.

Through this agreement, Incentive Games will distribute its premium pay-to-play games – including new arcade-style titles – to key global regulated markets including the USA, Canada, South Africa, UK, and within Europe via Light & Wonder’s extensive operator network. Additionally, Incentive Games’ popular free-to-play content will be made available to a wider audience through Light & Wonder’s content marketplace.

The agreement brings together two industry leaders in iGaming and the strengths of both companies to deliver exceptional player experiences and elevate customer engagement.

Ahmed Baker, Chief Commercial Officer at Incentive Games said, “This agreement is a landmark moment in our company’s history. Previously, we’ve worked directly with major operators such as bet365, FanDuel, and Sky Bet. Now, we can distribute our games via Light & Wonder, an exceptional aggregator that we trust will handle our games with care.”

Steve Mayes, Senior Director of Partners at Light & Wonder, said: “We are excited to work with Incentive Games, a leader in gamification solutions. We look forward to leveraging their innovative platform and bringing their customisable crash and fast game content to all major regulated markets.”

The post INCENTIVE GAMES SIGNS EXCLUSIVE DISTRIBUTION DEAL FOR NORTH AMERICA, EUROPE, SOUTH AFRICA AND UK WITH LIGHT & WONDER appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.

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Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet Partners with the Ottawa Senators as Official Online Casino Partner

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2 weeks ago

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April 14, 2025

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With the Ottawa Senators securing a playoff spot in the NHL, ToonieBet will be there every step of the way, engaging fans with exclusive giveaways, premium entertainment, and a casino experience that mirrors the team’s energy and excitement.

The Ottawa Senators and Tooniebet, an online casino for players across Ontario, announced a partnership that will make Tooniebet the NHL team’s Official Online Casino Partner.

Tooniebet, which launched in 2024 is part of Soft2Bet – one of the world’s fastest growing iGaming turnkey solutions providers with iGaming brands around the world with a portfolio of 19 global licenses, including Ontario.

Additional highlights of the Ottawa Senators and TonnieBet partnership will include:

  • In-Arena & Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced dashboards for home and away games
  • In-rink board signage for home games
  • Virtual slot signage for various games
  • Digital inventory throughout the Ottawa Senators site on NHL.com
  • Direct Fan Engagement: Social contests and promotions hosted on Senators’ digital platforms
  • Television Broadcast Branding: Digitally enhanced rink boards for home and away games
  • In-arena rink board signage for home games

Martin Ballard, VP Corporate Partnerships, Ottawa Senators stated: “We are thrilled to welcome ToonieBet as an official partner of the Ottawa Senators. Cooperating with a brand that shares our commitment to providing fans with an exceptional and trusted experience is incredibly exciting. Together, we look forward to delivering memorable moments and engaging our passionate fanbase in new and innovative ways.”

Oksana Tsyhankova, Chief Marketing Officer at Soft2Bet, commented: “Partnering Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet brand with the Ottawa Senators is a significant milestone that reinforces our strong brand presence in Ontario. In a short period, we have achieved impressive performance and retention results, with a primary focus on localised, engaging experiences for Canadian players, which makes ToonieBet truly set itself apart.”

By tapping into the Senators’ digital platforms and in-arena presence, ToonieBet will stay close to the action and connect with fans in real, engaging ways while continuing to offer a top-quality online casino experience.

ToonieBet offers a fast, localised online casino experience for players in Ottawa and across Ontario.  Through this partnership, fans will have the chance to win Senators merchandise and tickets while ToonieBet grows its presence in a competitive Ontario market. With in-arena branding, regional broadcast coverage, and digital promotions, ToonieBet will be highly visible to the team’s loyal supporters.

The post Soft2Bet’s ToonieBet Partners with the Ottawa Senators as Official Online Casino Partner appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.

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