Latest Casino News

Summary: The revenue numbers for New Jersey online gaming in November are in with the state hitting a new record yet again.

New Jersey continues to be the state to beat when it comes to online casino gaming. Month after the month, the state sets new records as their online casino gaming industry continues to improve and reach new heights. Lawmakers in other states are looking to New Jersey as an example as they begin to create legislation of their own to begin offering online casino and/or poker gaming. The November revenue totals for NJ have been provided by the Gaming Control Board, with a new record set again.

New Single Month Record

According to the totals, the state’s online gambling revenue total came in just under the $27 million mark with casino and poker gaming combined. This was just over the previous month’s record total. Online casino gaming was able to contribute over $25 million in earnings last month.

In total, the state brought in $26,944,073. This is the highest monthly earnings ever for the state since online gaming launched in 2013. Online casino revenues brought in the bulk of that number, at $25,382,434. This was a new record for online casino gaming, breaking the record set just one month prior in October.

With the November monthly total, the state was able to see online gambling earnings surpass the $20 million mark for 21 months in a row. Revenues were over the $25 million for three months running. When looking at November 2017 totals, the state was up over 30%.

November Results

In the state, the top operator continues to be the Golden Nugget. The casino operator has been able to take a huge lead month after month. For November, the brand earned just over $9.2 million which is actually slightly lower than what was earned in October. While this helped to narrow the gap, the next casino operator in line for online gaming totals is literally millions of dollars behind.

The Borgata continues to hold the number two spot, earning $4.7 million in November. While this is much lower than the Golden Nugget, it is relatively high and shows that other brands are continuing to do well.

Online poker continues to struggle when compared to online casino revenues. For November, online poker was actually down and hit a record low. Bringing in only $1.56 million, the online poker segment was down 2.4% month to month and 13.7% year over year.

Back to the Borgata. The online casino operator was able to see a revenue increase of 13.5% with their $4.8 million in earnings. This is just short of their record setting July figures. Caesars was actually able to do well with online poker, seeing an increase of 8.7% when comparing totals. The Hard Rock Atlantic City is relatively new to the online gambling scene having only been in operation just over five months. The brand hit the seven-figure mark for the first time in October and hit it again in November with $1.3 million in revenues.

New Jersey will continue to be the most watched state when it comes to online gambling as a whole. The state has a quality model that is being examined by states across the nation as more states look to enter the online casino and poker industry. It will be interesting to see how December totals fare and if the state is able to hit even more records as 2018 comes to an end.

Summary: 888 Holdings, a top online poker operator in the United States and abroad, has announced the acquisition of the All American Poker Network, helping to further their reach within the nation.

Online poker is offered in three different states in the US currently, Nevada, New Jersey and Delaware. Pennsylvania recently approved legislation to offer online poker as well as casino gaming but have yet to launch services. One operator that offers online poker in the states is 888Poker. The parent company of the 888 brand, 888 Holdings, recently became the sole owner of the All American Poker Network, also known as AAPN. The ownership came after they bought out their investment partner Avenue Capital for $28 million.

Long-Term Success

The acquisition of the stake in AAPN is considered a strategic step for 888 to be able to achieve long-term success in the United States. According to Itai Frieberger, the CEO of 888, the company has taken over 53% of the interest in the company of which Avenue Capital held. According to the CEO, the acquisition gives the company additional operational, technological and commercial flexibility to be able to develop innovative and exciting partnerships with new companies and launch services in new states.

Currently, 888Poker is the only site that offers online poker services in the three states that have legalized the activity. The brand provides software for the World Series of Poker sites for both Nevada and New Jersey. With the new acquisition, the brand will be able to further their reach in the US as additional states legalize online poker gaming.

AAPN

The AAPN is a network created by 888 and Avenue in 2013. The network was created as Nevada and New Jersey prepared to create online poker gaming sites. The goal of 888 is to use the network when other states legalize online poker and take part in interstate agreements. So far, the focus in the US is on sports betting. As sports betting is now available across the US, if states pass legislation, lawmakers are moving away from focusing on online poker and casino gaming and shifting to considering sports betting.

Over the past five years, online poker gaming has yet to gain any ground while online casino gaming continues to expand. Players have taken to online casino gaming, playing table games and slots, bringing in millions each month in revenues. Online poker gaming barely reaches $1 million a month in New Jersey and other states have struggled to earn minimal revenues.

Analysts feel that Pennsylvania might help the online poker industry. Once operations are launched, we could see an increase in participation. However, pooling players with other states will not happen until 2020 so it will take some time for the state to be able to assist their neighbors.

For now, 888 Holdings has a good standing in the US when it comes to online poker. They have a network that can easily be integrated in any state that decides to pass online poker legislation. It seems that 2019 will be a big year for gaming but as to if interest will involve online poker is anyone’s guess.

Sports betting seems to be the hot topic under consideration and online poker as well as online casino gaming have been pushed to the side, at least for the moment.

Summary: As sports betting continues to be a hot topic of debate in the US, the federal government is now weighing in and bad actor clauses are in the mix.

Since May, every state in the US has the ability to pass legislation to offer sports betting. So far, over eight states have passed legislation with others considering their options. The United States Supreme Court paved the way for sports betting across the US after striking down the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act earlier in the year. Now, it seems the federal government is considering getting involved once again and it might not be a good outcome for operators.

Hatch Amendment

For the past few days, a draft has been moving through the federal government regarding sports betting. Created by Senator Orrin Hatch, the draft, being known as the Hatch Amendment, is set to make changes to the current sports betting landscape and some of the these changes are not good.

As part of the language of the bill, there is a portion that discusses who is suitable for sports betting operations. In this section, the term bad actor is used. This harkens back to the days when online poker was being more heavily discussed and is a term that proponents of online poker are familiar with.

Bad Actor Clauses

When it comes to suitability in the legal sense, the term bad actor clause is used to describe a section in a bill where operators are considered unsuitable for certain reasons. Over the past few years, the term has popped up in online poker discussions, particularly in California. If you have followed online poker legislation at all, you will remember that California has been unable to pass an online poker bill due to issues with bad actor clauses.

Such clauses will keep such companies as PokerStars from operating in the state. PokerStars was a company that functioned in the United States despite their being laws against their operations. They were considered a ‘bad actor’ in the poker world and would not be able to offer such services if a bad actor clause is included in legislation. Lawmakers in California could not agree on the topic, so efforts have thus far failed.

Back to sports betting, the new draft for the federal sports betting legislation discusses suitability and lists several reasons as to why an operator would be considered unsuitable. Such issues include criminal convictions, delinquency involving taxes and providing false or incomplete information regarding licensing.

When it comes to bad actors, the bill lists several reasons for denying licensing as well. This includes if the company has participated in knowingly or they should have know that they were taking part in illegal online gambling activity, including taking an illegal online wager, paying winnings on an illegal wager that was placed online, promoting an illegal online gambling site or service provider or collecting payment for an entity that operators online gambling illegally.

On top of the bad actor section, the legislation also includes tainted asset provisions. A company that has acquired tainted assets will most likely not be considered. This would include such companies as The Stars Group as they acquired PokerStars, a company that was in operation when online gambling was considered illegal.

If such legislation were able to pass, it would cause issues with the current gambling landscape. Such companies like PokerStars would not be able to take part in sports betting via their brand BetStars. I do not imagine that this bill will be well-received and only time will tell if the measure has a chance to pass into law.

Summary: The Seattle Seahawks have signed a new partnership with the Snoqualmie Casino, allowing the venue to use their logo for advertising, working together for promotions on-site.

With the launch of sports betting in several states in the US, it has started a chain of events. Sports teams have realized that sports betting is already here so they better get on board. As soon as states began to offer services, professional sports teams began to cut deals with casinos and gaming venues to get in on the action. Just this week, it was announced that the Seattle Seahawks have now signed an online partnership deal with the Snoqualmie Casino, a venue close to the Seattle area.

New Deal

The partnership is a first for the franchise of the Seattle Seahawks and the casino, located near Issaquah. Several representatives of the team as well as the casino were on hand this week at the CenturyLink Field to make the announcement of the new partnership. With the deal, the casino will be allowed to use the logo of the NFL team to create advertisements as well as promotions.

The casino has already been a sponsor of the team and a suite holder since 2008 so they are happy to now have increased their partnership with the team. In a press release, Amy Sprangers, the senior president of revenue for the Seattle Seahawks, stated: “We are proud to formally announce an expanded partnership with our long-time partners at the award-winning Snoqualmie Casino. We look forward to working together with Snoqualmie Casino to create exciting new activations for the 12s for years to come.”

Partnerships such as this one are popping up across the United States as professional sports teams can see how they can benefit from merging with gambling facilities. The new deal between the Snoqualmie Casino and the Seahawks should be profitable on both ends.

Other Partnerships

Once the United States Supreme Court decided to rule in favor of sports betting and strike down the Professional & Amateur Sports Protection Act, the deals began rolling in. The first to sign was the Dallas Cowboys, who choose to work with the WinStar World Casino of Oklahoma. Other teams followed soon after including the Baltimore Ravens, a team who will be working with the Horseshoe Casino.

The New York Jets announced two months ago that 888 Holdings will be a sponsor of their organization. This marked the first time a team would be partnered with an online organization. The deal includes advertisements featuring casino, poker and sportsbook operations.

With 2019 close at hand, the next year will see major changes across the gambling industry in the United States. As more states enter the sports betting genre, expect to see even more deals between casinos and online gambling operators with NFL teams, NHL, MLB, NBA and more. Such partnerships will ensure that the teams are benefiting from the sports betting operations and it won’t be surprising if a flurry of deals are signed at the beginning of the year.

There is still plenty of time for new deals to be announced in 2018 as well. For sports betting, both land based and online, this year has been a whirlwind. We expect that 2019 will be just as busy as casinos work to launch services to hurry up and get in on the action as legislation is made law.

Summary: The Golden Nugget’s online casino Annual Race featuring $500,000 in prize money is coming to an end this month.

In the state of New Jersey, players have a nice selection of online gaming options. There are several online casino and poker operators providing services in the state that help players have a nice variety for game play. Month after month, the Golden Nugget has proved to the be top operator, as they continue to blast the competition, earning $8m or more with every monthly reporting. The online casino knows what players want, offering the best games and competitions in the region. The Golden Nugget’s $500,000 Annual Race is set to end this month, bringing to a close a very lucrative competition for the online gaming operator.

Tons of Cash All Year

Since January, the online casino has provided added value for players who take part in the annual race. Every month, a certain amount of price money was up for grabs along with potential prizes. Since December has started, it marks the last month of the race, with plenty of value remaining. Players can compete this month for $250,000 in bonus prize money as well as the opportunity to become the newest owner of a Bentley Continental G.T.

The online casino is offering their Holiday Giveaway, which provides players with the ability to earn a piece of $250,000 in bonus cash. Players will need to play as many casino games as they can online in December to have a shot at winning bonus cash.

Every time a deposit is made or a real money bet placed, players earn points. The points then accumulate and place each player within the leaderboard. The higher on the leaderboard a player is listed, the more bonus cash they will receive.

Players will have to have an account at the Golden Nugget online casino and log in then select the Opt-In button for the contest to take part. Players will need to deposit at least $20 to take part and leaderboard points can then be earned.

Earning Points

There are a few ways that players can earn points while playing at the Golden Nugget online casino. First, points are earned from slots, table games, blackjack, roulette and video poker. Five Golden Points will be earned for every $100 wagered on slot machines. Players will earn 1 Golden Point for every $100 wagered on video poker, table games, roulette or blackjack.

Players who place a real money wager each day between a time frame of 1am ET to 1am ET the following day will earn 10 Golden Points. Earn 20 more Golden Points by depositing $50 to $99. This can be earned daily. Earn 40 Golden points every day you deposit $100 or more.

Players who had the opportunity to take part in the annual leaderboard will see the competition come to an end this month. A total of twenty five exclusive prizes are up for grabs including $1,500 in bonus cash, a 12 month lease of the Bentley and more.

The Golden Nugget will also be providing five random prizes as the competition comes to an end. Each prize is worth $1,500 in bonus cash. It will be interesting to see who earns the bonus cash and the major prizes of the competition, including the Bentley lease. There is still plenty of time to compete in the monthly contest as December has just begun. Players have to be located in the state of New Jersey to take part in the contest as well as any online gameplay.

Summary: During a recent Board meeting, Stadium Casino presented their plans for a mini casino in Westmoreland County, set to place the new location in a shopping mall.

Since late 2017 and the passage of a major expansion bill in Pennsylvania, many changes have been afoot in the state. From online gambling to satellite casinos, operators now have more opportunity than ever before. With the satellite casinos, existing operators could vie for licensing with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board, placing a bid during scheduled auctions. The auction process is now over and those companies that obtaining licensing are now showing off their plans for the smaller casino gaming venues. Stadium Casino, a group associate with The Cordish Companies, recently presented their plans to the Board on what they would like to create for their mini casino.

Westmoreland Mall Installation

Stadium Casino plans on using their Category 4 license for a satellite gaming facility to create a venue in the Westmoreland Mall in Westmoreland County Pennsylvania. Located in the Hempfield Township, the mall has an empty spot where a former Bon-Ton department store used to be located.

The space is quite large and the location off Route 30, just a short drive from Downtown Pittsburgh, provides easy access to the locals as well as tourists. The facility will have 100,000 of gaming, dining and entertainment options, according to the information provided by the company during the Public Input Hearing.

The project will have an investment of $150 million and feature world-class gaming along with options for dining as well as entertainment. The facility will hopefully bring in all demographics, appealing to the younger and older generations. Gaming will include 750 slot machines and electronic table games plus 30 live action table games.

Local Impact

The new addition to the region of the state is set to have a large impact. First, the project will bring in temporary jobs during the construction phase as well as permanent positions as the venue opens for business. Once operational, the new casino is set to bring in as much as $200 million in annual revenues.

As part of the construction process, Stadium Casino plans on utilizing companies that are local, minatory and women owned as well as businesses owned by veterans. The goal is to include the community in the project as a whole, in all aspects of development and operation.

The plans are now going to be reviewed by the Board and Stadium Casino must wait for approved. Once they are given the green light, the company can begin the construction phase.

What’s To Come

In Pennsylvania, there are several new developments in the works for the gambling community. Players will soon have access to online casino and poker games, sports betting and satellite venues. It is expected that the majority of newer services will begin in 2019. This year, the state has worked on licensing operators, while operators have been developing partnerships to ensure that they are ready to offer services once the go-ahead is given.

It is still unclear as to which option will launch first, but it is believed that online gaming will be first as licensing has been approved for several operators are sites are currently being set up, not taking too much time to prepare before launching can occur. However, operators must have their online gaming sites tested before they are allowed to launch full services.

Summary: After fighting for years to see online poker come to fruition in New York, Assemblyman Gary Pretlow is ready to throw in the towel if sports betting would be approved.

Since 2013, online poker and casino gaming has been a reality in the United States. New Jersey, Delaware and Nevada were able to pass legislation in that time frame and have been able to offer services for a five year time frame.

Over the past few years, several states have considered online casino and poker legislation, but only one has been able to pass a bill. Pennsylvania is set to launch services at any time, increasing the number of states offering services in the northeastern region of the US. New York has tried and tried to get the ball rolling with online gaming, only to fall short each and every time.

Assemblyman Gary Pretlow has spent three years of his time the Assembly to try and see online poker come to pass in the state. Now it seems he would throw it all away if sports betting legislation could be passed in the state. In speaking with Online Poker Report, Mr. Pretlow stated that he would give up online poker for sports betting if he had a choice. The revenue stream for sports betting is actually doing better than what online poker could provide.

Working for Years on Legislation

Mr. Pretlow began his efforts with poker online gaming in New York back in 2016. He introduced legislation trying to see New York join New Jersey in offering some form of online gaming. However, all efforts failed. The state was able to see legislation pass in the Senate, but the Assembly was unable to move any bill through.

Over the years, New Jersey has proven to be successful with online casino gaming but has struggled with online poker. It seems New York might have made a good decision in not offering online poker just yet, but casino gaming and sports betting are booming in neighboring states. With Pennsylvania set to start offering online services at any time, to stay competitive, New York has to do something. 2019 needs to be the year that the state becomes involved in online gaming in some form or fashion if they do not want to fall behind when compared to neighboring states.

In New York, it has been estimated that $20 million to $25 million could be generated from online poker. However, with sports betting, the low end is $150 million. The state would fair much better by offering sports betting instead of focusing on online poker. It seems the monetary argument could push lawmakers to focus their efforts on sports betting to make some type of change in the state.

New Year

As 2019 begins, Mr. Pretlow has plans to continue his online gaming efforts. According to his interview with Online Poker Report, Mr. Pretlow will be introducing an online poker bill, but he will be working to prioritize his efforts and do one thing at a time. The thought now is that sports betting is too important as it can bring in much needed funds and it could be messed up if focused on with online poker gaming.

It will be interesting to watch as the New Year begins to see if New York will be able to pass legislation and what they will start with by way of a gaming expansion, online poker, sports betting or both.

Summary: Take a look at which states could pass online gambling legislation in the United States in 2019.

As December is upon us, it signals the ending of yet another year. For online gaming, the United States has seen the progress of Pennsylvania, as the state gets closer to launching their online casino and poker gaming options, however, no operator is live as of yet. The state passed legislation in 2017 and has spent the last year working on licensing, partnerships, etc. When 2019 begins, it seems several states will have online gaming under discussion and we could see new legislation popping up across the nation.

Sports Betting Plays a Hand in Changes

Earlier this year, the US Supreme Court decided to legalize sports betting, allowing states to pass their own legislation to offer the option if they so choose. State after state has begun to offer sports betting including Delaware, New Jersey, Mississippi, West Virginia, Rhode Island and more. When it comes to sports betting, many states are looking to offer online wagering as well as physical sportsbooks. Because of this, states that do not already offer online gaming are looking at legislation as a whole thanks to sports betting.

In New Jersey, online gaming has been in operation for five years now so it was not surprising to see the state launch sports betting in both formats. Other states would do well to look at New Jersey’s progress to see just how online gaming can make a difference.

With so many states considering sports betting this year and into next year, we should see several states moving forward with proposals and hopefully passing legislation involving sports betting as well as online gambling next year.

Which States Are Likely to Consider the Option?

As with any new year, lawmakers will be considering legislative changes involving gambling. It is expected that online gambling bills will surface from one end of the country to the next. Sports betting is also a likely option.

In general, we expect to see a few states stand out above the rest when it comes to legislation. These states have tried this year with discussions or legislation proposed in the realm of online gaming. Included in the mix are New York, Connecticut, Michigan and Illinois.

Illinois is looking into an omnibus bill, one that would offer online gambling as well as sports betting and possibly more. in the past, efforts have failed but lawmakers as well as gamblers are hoping 2019 is a successful year. It appears the state will try to add in daily fantasy sports as well to make as many gambling changes as possible in the future.

New York has continually tried to pass legislation as well, only to fail in their efforts. The Assembly has been the issue in the state, stopping any legislative momentum to see a bill come to pass. Online poker has been a major point of discussion in the state, but nothing has occurred from the discussions.

As 2018 comes to an end, we will be watching and waiting to see which states begin 2019 with new legislation involving online gaming, sports betting, daily fantasy sports and a host of other possibilities. Hopefully, several states will be able to create legislation that gains momentum, with all lawmakers on board, ready to pass a bill to see their state begin offering services. Players want to be able to enjoy online casino and poker games and the restrictions that are in place keep players in the majority of the US from taking part. It would be nice to see more states become involved so that players across the nation have access to online gambling options.

Summary: Recent reports indicate that the sports betting industry of West Virginia will be ready to offer mobile wagering in the near future.

Sports betting is in full swing within the state of West Virginia, as the region is one of the first to offer the new services thanks to a recent ruling by the United States Supreme Court. Acting quickly, West Virginia lawmakers wasted no time getting legislation and regulations in place, so operators could start taking sports bets. Now, it seems that the new industry is preparing to offer mobile wagering soon, ensuing players can post their wagers from anywhere in the state.

State Lottery Confirms

The state lottery director John Myers has confirmed that mobile sports betting is coming soon for the state. According to Myers, the Mardi Gras Casino and Wheeling Island gaming venue, both owned by Delaware North, are going to be offering retail as well as mobile sports betting in the near future. According to the director, the lottery has completed testing of the owner and both locations have a mobile application that will be taking online wagers.

Current Offerings

In September, West Virginia started offering sports betting with the Hollywood Casino being the first to launch services. After that, FanDuel Sportsbook at the Greenbrier was able to get started as well. It would be two full months before another casino would start offering services. Just last week, Mountaineer Casino began offer sports betting. Once the other two venues get started, all five sports betting licenses will be in operation.

Mountaineer, Hollywood and Greenbrier will not offer mobile sports betting. The two new operators should be able to gain a strong market share once they launch their app for sports betting. To offer sports betting in general, operators have to pay a $100,000 licensing fee.

So far, the sports betting industry in the state has been slow going. The state has seen low returns, which can be expected when there are few operators offering services. During the first two weeks of this month, just over $22 million was taken in Handle while the Revenue generated was just over $2.7 million.

With the current pace, the state’s sports betting industry is short of the estimated $5.5 million in tax revenues, earning only $273,254 so far this month. Much less will be brought in at this rate. However, once mobile gaming is in full swing, then the amount should soar.

Take for example, New Jersey. The industry earned $175 million just from online and mobile wagering for the month of October. This a staggering amount and the new section of the sports betting industry has helped to ensure that the state is successful in their wagering efforts.

West Virginia may not make as much as New Jersey, but they should see a huge upswing in bets once mobile is a go. Players may be interested in sports betting but might not make the trip to a venue to place a bet. With mobile wagering, players can easily place a bet. State residents as well as visitors will be more willing to place wagers when they can do it from home at any time they like.

It will be interesting to see how the industry changes once mobile wagering is launched. Will West Virginia see a strong increase in wagering? Only time will tell if mobile betting will cause an increase or if the numbers will stay relatively the same.