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ILLINOIS SPORTSBOOKS HIT $400 MILLION IN WAGERING IN AUGUST Sports betting volume rises in August, foreshadowing what will be a busy fall, according to PlayIllinois

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Illinois sportsbooks began to emerge from a summer slowdown in August with an 8.5% gain in betting volume from July, the first month-over-month gain in wagering since March. The boost to more than $400 million in wagering was welcome ahead of a critical time of year for the industry, according to PlayIllinois, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.

“Interest in baseball, particularly the White Sox, coupled with the return of football in August, set the stage for what will certainly be the busiest four-month stretch ever for Illinois’ legal sports betting industry,” said Eric Ramsey, an analyst for the PlayUSA.com Network, which includes PlayIllinois.com. “After summer, any gain is welcome. But the gains in August should pale in comparison to what we see with a full football schedule.”

Illinois’ retail and online sportsbooks accepted $400.4 million in bets in August, up 185.8% from $140.1 million in August 2020 and up 8.5% from $369.1 million in July, according to official data released Tuesday. The per-day betting volume grew to $12.9 million over the 31 days of August, up from $4.5 million per day in August 2020 and $11.9 million per day in July.

Gross gaming revenue fell 12.3% to $32.7 million in August from $37.3 million in July, which produced $26.8 million in adjusted gross revenue. August’s profit yielded $4.3 million in state and local taxes.

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Baseball garnered the most interest in August, drawing $139.6 million in wagers, up from $124.0 million of action in July. Tennis ($43.4 million) and soccer ($30.8 million) drew significant interest, too. With just a handful of college and NFL preseason games, in addition to futures betting, football attracted $17.2 million in wagering.

August’s volume helped push the industry to $4.0 million in wagers and $326.3 million in gross gaming revenue for the year. And with football projected to draw more than $20 billion in wagering across the country, the state could reach $6 billion in wagering and $500 million in gross revenue by year’s end.

“There is little question that the final four months of the year will bring an onslaught of fresh records,” said Joe Boozell, lead analyst for PlayIllinois.com. “The biggest unknown is how much will in-person registration and the ban on wagering on in-state college teams drag on betting volume. We know it will be a strong finish to the year for sportsbooks, but it won’t be as good for the industry as it could have been.”

August’s wagering included $380.2 million in online bets, accounting for 95.0% of the state’s handle. DraftKings/Casino Queen topped Illinois again with $149.2 million in combined online and retail handle, up from $122.7 million in July. The operator took in a market-best $146.6 million in online wagers, too. In all, DraftKings generated a market-leading $11.3 million in gross gaming revenue, a notable gain from $9.5 million in July after the operator began offering profitable same-game parlays.

FanDuel was second with $111.5 million in online and retail wagers, down from $118.5 million in bets in July. $110.9 million of August’s wagering came online. The result was $10.5 million in gross gaming revenue.

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The leaders were followed by:

  • BetRivers/Rivers Casino ($73.5 million in wagers, including $64.8 million online; $6.1 million in revenue)
  • PointsBet/Hawthorne Race Course ($28.9 million in wagers, including $27.3 million online; $2.5 million in revenue)
  • Barstool/Hollywood Aurora ($26.4 million in wagers, including $25.5 million online; $2.1 million in revenue)
  • Caesars by William Hill/Grand Victoria ($6.5 million in wagers, including $5.2 million online; -$157,256 in revenue)
  • Argosy ($3.3 million in retail wagers; $242,700 in revenue)
  • Hollywood Joliet ($771,613 in retail wagers; $74,856 in revenue)
  • Par-A-Dice ($266,658 in wagers; $5,043 in revenue)

“The return of football brings in high betting volume, which is a motivator for every operator,” Boozell said. “But the value of football season for sportsbooks isn’t just in short-term profitability. Strong engagement offers sportsbooks an opportunity to grow their customer base by using aggressive promotions and other marketing strategies. And that can pay off even after the football season ends.”

For more revenue information, visit PlayIllinois.com/revenue.

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Relax Gaming joins forces with PointsBet to strengthen footprint in Ontario

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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.

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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.

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Jackpot Digital Receives Approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority

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Jackpot Digital, a leading manufacturer of electronic multiplayer dealerless poker tables, has announced that it has received approval from the Saskatchewan Liquor and Gaming Authority (SLGA) to act as a registered supplier of gaming supplies and services to regulated casinos in the Canadian province of Saskatchewan.

The approval follows the Company’s news release dated February 6, 2024, announcing the signing of a licensing agreement with the Saskatchewan Indian Gaming Authority (SIGA) to install the Company’s Jackpot Blitz dealerless poker ETGs into SIGA casinos.

SIGA operates seven casinos and Playnow.com in Saskatchewan. At the outset, SIGA proposes to install Jackpot Blitz machines at its Dakota Dunes and Gold Horse Casino properties, located in Saskatoon and Lloydminster, respectively.

Jackpot CEO Jake Kalpakian said: “We are excited to receive approval as a gaming equipment supplier in Saskatchewan. This represents the first major jurisdictional, non-tribal license received by Jackpot during our continuing expansion into the land-based casino market. We have many more license applications underway in the US and other Canadian provinces, which will dramatically impact our ability to accelerate the rollout of Jackpot Blitz across North America.”

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Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation

Play Alberta, CSEC Extend Partnership

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Teams under the Calgary Sports and Entertainment Corporation (CSEC) banner have expanded their long-term partnership with Play Alberta, the province’s premier iGaming destination. As part of the agreement, the Flames will feature AGLC’s responsible gambling program, GameSense, on their home helmets and a Play Alberta insignia displayed on their home jerseys. The Stampeders, Wranglers, and Roughnecks will integrate the Play Alberta logo onto their uniforms.

“There’s significant importance now to showcase meaningful responsible gambling efforts in the iGaming industry. I’m proud of our initiatives to provide GameSense with such a visible platform. GameSense promotes healthy gambling habits online and in person and including AGLC’s responsible gambling platform over the course of this partnership is a huge accomplishment,” Kandice Machado, Chief Executive Officer at AGLC.

The agreement makes Play Alberta the exclusive sports betting and online gaming partner of the Flames, Wranglers, Stampeders, and Roughnecks. Through the partnership, Play Alberta and CSEC will develop unique partnerships and in-arena giveaways during the season.

“Through GameSense, our partnership with Play Alberta equips our fans with the knowledge required if they wish to participate in gaming while they support their home team. We are both proud and excited to extend our relationship with Play Alberta that makes cheering for our teams that much more fun while also generating revenue to support the quality of life for Albertans,” said CSEC President and CEO Robert Hayes.

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Alberta is the first jurisdiction in North America to partner with professional sports franchises and integrate PlayAlberta.ca and social responsibility branding onto uniforms. It upholds AGLC’s commitment to responsible play, raising awareness of GameSense and Self-Exclusion, resources that give bettors the tools they need to make healthy gambling choices.

In addition, proceeds generated through the website go toward the province’s General Revenue Fund. In 2023–24, $235 million was generated for programs and services that Albertans rely on every day through Play Alberta, an increase of more than $42 million from the previous year.

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