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PlayNJ.com: Sportsbooks make big May gains, while online casinos show more strength

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New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks celebrated the third anniversary of sports betting in the state with a surge in wagers to $800 million in May, a typically slow month in the sports betting industry. Meanwhile, online casino and poker rooms crossed $3 billion in lifetime revenue following another near-record month and the Garden State’s brick-and-mortar casinos and sportsbooks continue to rebound, a welcome sign after such a trying year, according to PlayNJ, which tracks the state’s regulated online gaming and sports betting market.

“Sportsbooks have been able to capitalize on the NBA playoffs to shallow the typical summer slowdown, online casinos continue to generate huge revenue, and Atlantic City is getting busier,” said Dustin Gouker, analyst for PlayNJ.com. “New Jersey’s gaming industry appears healthier than anyone would have thought possible a year ago.”

Bettors placed $814.3 million in wagers at New Jersey’s online and retail sportsbooks in May, according to official data released Wednesday. That is up 591.1% from $117.8 million in bets taken in May 2020 and more surprisingly, up 8.9% from $748 million in April.

May’s bets produced $52.9 million in revenue, up 433.6% from $9.9 million in May 2020, though down 3.5% from $54.8 million in April. The month’s win yielded $7.9 million in taxes.

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After the state successfully challenged the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) in the U.S. Supreme Court, New Jersey’s sports betting industry officially launched on June 14, 2018, with the opening of the retail sportsbooks at Monmouth Park and Borgata launched retail sportsbooks. In the three years since, New Jersey has surpassed Nevada as the nation’s largest market, generating:

  • $16.0 billion in bets.
  • $1.1 billion in gross revenue.
  • $159.4 million in taxes.

From June 2018 through April 2021, Nevada took in $14.5 million in bets and $909.3 million in operator revenue.

“New Jersey’s sports betting market has not only grown into the largest in the U.S., but it has evolved into the state that is least affected by the seasonality of sports betting,” said Eric Ramsey, analyst for PlayNJ.com. “No market can entirely escape the natural ebbs and flows, of course. But New Jersey is less reliant on football and sports betting holidays than any other major U.S. market.”

Online betting accounted for 90.2%, or $736.7 million, of the state’s total handle in May. Meanwhile, with capacity limits loosened at Atlantic City casinos, retail sportsbooks took in $79.6 million wagers in May. Retail sportsbooks were shuttered in May 2020, but May 2021 was up 43.7% from $55.4 million in May 2019.

The biggest draw was the NBA, which piqued bettors’ interest with playoff appearances by the New York Knicks, Brooklyn Nets, and Philadelphia 76ers. In all, basketball betting produced $216.7 million in bets, up from the $176.2 million in April. Baseball was No. 2, attracting $186.1 million in wagering.

“Success from regional teams almost always gives a market a boost, and basketball is particularly popular with New Jersey bettors,” Gouker said. “Even more, after a year of strict capacity limits and with so many regional favorites in the NBA Playoffs, bettors seemed particularly motivated to get out and place a bet. All of it is great news for a gaming market on the mend.”

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FanDuel Sportsbook/PointsBet topped online operators again with $29.8 million in gross revenue, up from $25.5 million in April.

FanDuel was followed in revenue by:

  • Resorts Digital/DraftKings/Fox Bet ($9.5 million, down from $12 million in April)
  • BetMGM/Borgata ($4.7 million, down from $5.2 million)
  • Monmouth/William Hill/SugarHouse/TheScore ($1.8 million, even with April)
  • Ocean Casino/William Hill ($1.3 million, down from $1.8 million)
  • Caesars Sportsbook/888sport ($518,217, up from -$183,283)
  • Hard Rock/Bet365/Unibet ($508,488, down from $1.3 million)
  • Tropicana/William Hill ($48,000, down from $52,922)
  • Golden Nugget/BetAmerica (-$87,211, down from $202,545)

Meadowlands/FanDuel led all retail books with $4.8 million in revenue in May.

Online casinos and poker

Online casinos and poker rooms enjoyed its third consecutive month with more than $100 million in revenue with $108.2 million in May, up 0.4% from $107.7 million in April. Year-over-year, online casino and poker revenue — which started a yearlong surge in March 2020, is up 25.9% from $85.9 million in May 2020.

Online casinos and poker rooms have generated $3.0 billion in revenue since launching in November 2013.

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Borgata, which includes the BetMGM brand, continued to hold its newfound ground in May with $32.8 million in casino and poker revenue. That is up 96.4% from $16.7 million in May 2020. Golden Nugget was just behind with $31.1 million in revenue, up from $29.1 million in April 2020. Resorts Digital, which includes the Fox Bet and DraftKings brands, was third with $21.6 million.

“Even as Atlantic City lifts pandemic-related limits and retail revenue slowly returns, online casinos continue to hold onto the gains made over the last year,” Ramsey said. “Online revenue has clearly been resilient, but hopefully the retail market can sustain this return to pre-pandemic levels.”

Other highlights from May’s report:

  • Online casinos and poker rooms generated $18.9 million in state and local taxes.
  • Online casinos and poker generated $3.5 million per day in the 31 days of May, down from $3.6 million per day in April.
  • Online casinos accounted for $105.8 million of May revenue, up 29.9% from $81.4 million in May 2020.
  • Online poker generated $2.4 million, down 46.7% from $4.5 million in May 2020.
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Canada

IGT Recognized as a Top Employer in the US and Canada by Top Employers Institute

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International Game Technology PLC announced that it was recently recognized as a Top Employer in the US and Canada by the Top Employers Institute, a global authority in recognizing excellence in people practices.

This announcement follows the news that IGT Italy earned the Top Employer distinction earlier this year. The Top Employers Institute also independently certified that IGT is an employer of choice, joining more than 2100 organizations in more than 120 countries.

“Earning the Top Employer distinction in the US, Canada and Italy is a significant achievement for IGT, as more than 70% of the Company’s workforce resides in those three countries. The Top Employers Institute provides meaningful benchmarking data that will help IGT drive continuous improvement and provide a working environment where professional growth, inclusion and communication are paramount,” said Dorothy Costa, IGT Senior Vice President, People & Transformation.

To earn this achievement, IGT went through a rigorous application process and provided detailed responses to more than 225 questions pertaining to the Company’s people strategy, which includes its commitment to sustainability, diversity and inclusion, and ethical operations. The application process also encompassed IGT’s achievements in digitization, talent acquisition, professional and leadership development, well-being and performance management.

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BettorView

NorthStar Announces New Partnership Agreement with BettorView

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NorthStar Gaming has announced that it has entered into a partnership agreement with BettorView that will enable NorthStar to engage with consumers in restaurants and bars across Ontario. The partnership provides NorthStar with the opportunity to further expand player acquisition across both sports wagering and online casino in a frictionless and convenient manner.

“Partnering with BettorView will fuel growth and expansion of the NorthStar Bets player base, while also increasing brand awareness amongst priority audiences. The restaurant and bar space is a great sector to reach target consumers who have a high propensity to wager and are often watching live sports and games in a social environment,” said Michael Moskowitz, Chair and CEO of NorthStar Gaming.

As BettorView’s first Canadian iGaming partner, NorthStar will be able to build brand awareness, drive consumer engagement and strengthen its presence in both restaurant and bar environments.

“NorthStar is the ideal partner for us to initiate our entry into Canada with our technology. Our technology allows our gaming and venue partners to customize and localize content so that it fully resonates for sports fans, while also educating them on sports betting and responsible gambling in general. As a Canadian-owned gaming brand with deep Ontario roots, NorthStar shares our appreciation for authentically reaching Ontario sports fans, and we’re proud to partner with them,” Javier Vargas, CEO of BettorView, said.

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BettorView reaches consumers through a propriety plug-and-play solution that serves sports betting content to hundreds of venues through its patented technology. BettorView optimizes and customizes the consumer experience to ensure guests receive the most relevant sports and sports wagering information, leading them to spend more time on the platform. Just as importantly, BettorView has continued to extend its commitment to feature safe and responsible gambling content on all of its screens.

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Canada

iGaming Ontario to Request Proposals for a Centralized Self-Exclusion Solution in Early 2024

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iGaming Ontario (iGO)’s vision is to lead the world’s best gaming market, which includes building a safer and more enjoyable experience for all igaming players in Ontario. To support players who decide to stop or take a break from gambling, iGO is going to issue a request for proposals (RFP) in early 2024 for a centralized self-exclusion solution that will enable a player to self-exclude from all Ontario regulated igaming operators in a single registration process.

Given the coordinated nature of the program across all regulated igaming operators, including Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG)’s igaming site, the successful bidder will be expected to develop and implement a centralized self-exclusion system that integrates with all operator systems and supports players’ self-exclusion registration, renewal, and reinstatement.

The following are iGO’s principles for centralized self-exclusion:

PLAYER FOCUSED – to provide options to players to support their commitment to take a break, to ensure processes are easy to use with minimal barriers and challenges, and to offer a seamless connection to relevant support services.

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SUPPORTIVE – to deliver and execute the program in a non-stigmatized, non-judgmental manner; to be supportive and encouraging so that players feel good about registering in self-exclusion.

TRANSPARENT – to ensure expectations and consequences for players and Operators are clear and information is comprehensive and well-promoted.

SECURE – to ensure player information is securely protected and shared only with relevant employees for the purposes of administering the program.

ROBUST – to implement strong processes and procedures bolstered by secure, responsive, and highly available technology to enable an effective program that supports a player’s goals.

VIABLE – to develop systems and procedures that are manageable and practical for Operators to implement.

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With these principles in mind, iGO is seeking interest from responsive and nimble companies that are able to build modern, innovative, secure cloud-based SaaS solutions that are high-profile, public-facing and critically important to building and maintaining the trust and confidence of a wide range of stakeholders. The successful bidder will partner with iGO on a multi-year program to develop best-in-class user experiences by leveraging modern, innovative technology.

Some features for an effective centralized self-exclusion solution include:

  • Allowing players to create and manage their self-exclusion profile and including Know Your Client (KYC) identity verification
  • Providing players with easy access to self-exclusion at any time including while they are gambling on any regulated igaming website
  • Having registration, renewal, and reinstatement processes that are intuitive, simple and offer supporting information.
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