Canada
PlayPennsylvania.com: Sports wagering falls to lowest level since July 2020
Pennsylvania’s sports betting volume slipped in July to the lowest level since July 2020, falling to $304 million and continuing a slowing trend in July that has affected nearly every major U.S. market, according to PlayPennsylvania, which tracks regulated online gaming and sports betting in the state.
“Even with the NBA Finals and the Olympics to help boost the schedule this year, bettors in Pennsylvania and beyond just don’t engage sportsbooks as much during July,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for the PlayUSA.com network, which includes PlayPennsylania.com. “This year in particular saw a surge in nationwide travel, which means people were occupied with family vacations and other summer activities. That said, sportsbooks cannot wait for football season to ramp up.”
Bettors placed $304.4 million in wagers at Pennsylvania’s online and retail sportsbooks in July, down 27.6% from $420.2 million in June, according to official data released Monday. July’s handle was up 84.7% from $164.8 million in July 2020, which was the last month with a handle of less than $364 million and featured the relaunch of baseball and the NBA after a months-long hiatus.
Lower volume sapped gross gaming revenue, which fell 35.3% to $27.5 million from $42.5 million in June, but up 101.3% from $13.7 million in July 2020. The month’s gross receipts led to $19.9 million in taxable revenue, which yielded $6.8 million in state taxes and $397,124 in local share assessments.
The drop in wagering has historical context. July was the lowest volume month in the U.S. in both 2018 and 2019, before the pandemic permuted sports betting data in 2020.
“The time zone difference dampened interest in the Olympics, but they were likely never going to move the needle significantly anyway,” said Valerie Cross, analyst for PlayPennsylvania.com. “The Phillies playing better almost certainly helped. But seasonal dips this time of year are nothing to be concerned about.”
Online betting accounted for $275.4 million in wagers, making up 90.5% of the state’s total handle in July. Once again, FanDuel topped the online market with $106.7 million in online wagering — down 34.3% from $162.5 million in June but capturing 38.7% of all online wagers in July. FanDuel’s gross gaming revenue from online betting fell to $12.3 million from $19.7 million in June, yielding $9.5 million in taxable revenue.
DraftKings followed with a $66.2 million handle, down from $86.0 million in June. July’s handle produced $4.0 million in gross revenue, down from $6.4 million in June, and $2.8 million in taxable revenue.
Penn National’s Barstool-branded app finished fourth in the state, behind BetMGM, with a $24.5 million handle in July, down from $31.9 million in June. Those bets led to $2.3 million in gross revenue and $1.7 million in taxable revenue.
The online leaders were followed by:
- BetMGM ($29.0 million handle, down from $37.4 million in June; $2.3 million in gross gaming revenue, up from $2.2 million)
- BetRivers ($14.5 million handle, down from $18.5 million; $1.3 million GGR, down from $1.4 million)
- Fox Bet ($10.0 million handle, down from $12.6 million; $709,376 GGR, down from $934,728)
- SugarHouse ($9.0 million handle, down from $11.3 million; $680,099 in GGR, down from $918,873)
- Parx Casino ($7.9 million handle, down from $9.8 million; $745,087 GGR, down from $1.1 million)
- Unibet ($4.5 million handle, down from $4.7 million; $316,936 GGR, down from $376,848)
- TwinSpires ($2.1 million handle, down from $2.2 million; $179,276 GGR, down from $194,104)
- Caesars ($947,532 handle, down from $1.5 million; -$126,967 GGR, down from $56,986)
- Wind Creek ($406,259 handle, down from $771,648; $6,284 GGR, down from $33,801)
- Betway ($563,481 handle; up from $14,883; -$32,239 GGR, down from $3,655)
Meanwhile, retail sportsbooks took in $29.0 million in wagers in June, down from $40.9 million in June. Those bets yielded $2.7 million in gross gaming revenue, down 45.4% from $4.9 million in June. Rivers Philadelphia topped the retail market with $5.9 million in bets, ahead of Parx Casino’s $4.0 million handle.
“The pandemic will continue to be the most important factor for the retail market for the foreseeable future,” Gouker said. “As the latest surge shows, the hope that retail sports betting would return to normal by football season seems overly optimistic.”
Online casinos and poker
Gross gaming revenue from online casinos and poker rooms rose 3.6% to $104.5 million from $100.8 million in June. Year-over-year, iGaming gross revenue is up 52.9% from $68.4 million in July 2020. July marks the fifth straight month surpassing $100 million in gross revenue.
July’s gross revenue was whittled to $88.7 million in taxable revenue, down from $88.9 million in June. That still produced $38.2 million in state and local taxes.
Online casinos and poker rooms have now produced $508.1 million in state and local taxes over the more than two years since launching in July 2019. Only New Jersey has wrung more tax revenue from online casinos and poker with $662.6 million — but that market launched in November 2013, nearly six years before Pennsylvania.
“As closely as it now tracks with New Jersey, no state benefits more from online gambling than Pennsylvania,” Cross said. “There was a lot of concern in the industry that regulators had initially set tax rates too high, and a slow start to the industry seemed to back that up. Now it seems that Pennsylvania’s aggressive taxing has been a clear win for the state.”
Other highlights from July:
- Wagering on online casino games reached $3.2 billion in July, down from $1.8 billion in July 2020.
- Online casino and poker rooms generated $3.4 million in gross gaming revenue per day over the 31 days of July, even with June.
- Penn National, which includes the DraftKings, BetMGM, Barstool, and Hollywood casinos, topped the market with $36.9 million in revenue. Rivers Philadelphia, which includes SugarHouse, Borgata, and BetRivers casinos, was second with $30.9 million.
- Poker generated $2.6 million in revenue, down from $3.0 million in July 2020. Mount Airy/PokerStars topped operators with $2.0 million.
Canada
ComeOn Group adds sportsbook to its offering in Ontario
ComeOn Group announced a significant milestone in its sportsbook expansion journey with the addition of sportsbook to their offering in Ontario following the successful acquisition of the required permits. This addition represents a strategic advancement in the Groups sportsbook growth trajectory where they are set to double its sportsbook business in the coming years.
ComeOn Group is one of 51 active operators in Ontario. The Ontario market has experienced robust growth since its launch, reaching C$6.7 billion in revenue in 2023.* By 2029, the market is forecasted to grow by a total of 29%, with 2024 expected to close with a 20% increase.
ComeOn keeps investing in its sportsbook business acceleration that is powered by its proprietary sportsbook platform and in-house risk management and trading team. As a multi product vertical operator, ComeOn is striving to give its customer base a safe and exciting entertainment destination and this approach is now expanded to their Ontario audience.
Juergen Reutter, Chief Executive Officer at ComeOn Group, said: “We are very excited about the opportunities this new milestone opens up for us. As a casino-led operator it represents a key part of our sportsbook strategy to double our business in the coming years. Like in any of our other markets, we are striving for a differentiated sportsbook entertainment experience that is powered by our in-house technology. Our goal is to deliver top-tier entertainment to our players while fostering safe and innovative gaming experiences.”
*Source – H2GC H2 Ontario Data 25.10.2024 (excl. Lottery)
BCLC
INTRALOT Announces New Project with the British Columbia Lottery Corporation for Online Lottery Platform
INTRALOT S.A. has announced the undertaking of a new project between the British Columbia Lottery Corporation (BCLC), the sole lottery operator for the Government of British Columbia in Canada, and INTRALOT Inc., its US subsidiary, for the provision of an online lottery platform. The project also includes the digitalization of the existing land-based network.
The solution will be based on the Player X platform, part of the Lotos X ecosystem, and adds to the company’s overall partnership with BCLC, which has been extended until 2028.
INTRALOT is a leading player in a changing world of gaming. With significant experience in looking forward and anticipating emerging trends, the company provides future-proof solutions to regulated lottery and gaming operators around the world.
Canada
Relax Gaming joins forces with PointsBet to strengthen footprint in Ontario
Relax Gaming, the iGaming aggregator and supplier of unique content, has significantly enhanced its presence in the Ontario market through an agreement with leading Canadian operator, PointsBet.
This partnership reinforces Relax Gaming’s aim to become a standout provider across North America, having already gained early success in Ontario. Relax became one of the first suppliers to deliver content to the region’s players in March 2022, debuting with over 120 games across multiple operators.
PointsBet pride themselves as one of Canada’s leading operators offering unmatched speed, ease of use, and a comprehensive array of pre-game and in-play sports betting options. This is complemented by a top-tier online casino which will now be boosted with the integration of Relax’s portfolio of slots and live dealer options.
With its authentic Canadian approach, PointsBet prioritises technology that minimises external dependencies to maintain control over its platform and has a commitment to responsible gambling best practices, ensuring a safe and secure environment for all players.
Martin Stålros, CEO at Relax Gaming, said: “Since we launched in Ontario we have enjoyed tremendous success, with our content hitting the sweet spot for the broad range of players in the Canadian province. This partnership with PointsBet will strengthen our presence in the market as the region’s leading operator integrates our rich content portfolio which will engage its player base.”
Scott Vanderwel, Chief Executive Officer at PointsBet, added: “Relax Gaming has established a strong reputation across North America and in Ontario in particular. The impressive range of content that will be integrated into our platform will increase engagement within our online platform and we are delighted to be able to provide more immersive experiences to our audiences.”
Established as one of the industry’s leading B2B suppliers, Relax Gaming was awarded GGA’s Product Launch of the Year in February 2023 for Dream Drop Jackpots. Money Train 3 names the 2023 CasinoBeats Game Developer Awards amongst its 6 Slot of the Year titles, while the brand also won the award for Skill Games Supplier at the 2023 EGR B2B Awards along with the Innovation in Mobile award at the 2023 SBC Awards.
Relax Gaming provides more than 4,000 online casino games, from its high-performing proprietary slots to a significant, varied library of content from hand-picked third-party studios via its partnership programmes.
-
gaming2 years ago
ODIN by 4Players: Immersive, state-of-the-art in-game audio launches into the next generation of gaming
-
EEG iGaming Directory8 years ago
iSoftBet continues to grow with new release Forest Mania
-
News7 years ago
Softbroke collaborates with Asia Live Tech for the expansion of the service line in the igaming market
-
News6 years ago
Super Bowl LIII: NFL Fans Can Bet on the #1 Sportsbook Review Site Betting-Super-Bowl.com, Providing Free Unbiased and Trusted News, Picks and Predictions
-
iGaming Industry7 years ago
Rick Meitzler appointed to the Indian Gaming Magazine Advisory Board for 2018
-
News6 years ago
REVEALED: Top eSports players set to earn $3.2 million in 2019
-
iGaming Industry7 years ago
French Senator raises Loot Boxes to France’s Gambling Regulator
-
News7 years ago
Exclusive Interview with Miklos Handa (Founder of the email marketing solutions, “MailMike.net”), speaker at Vienna International Gaming Expo 2018