Photo by Bruce Emmerling, CC BY-SA 4.0
A Georgia Senate Committee has voted against a proposal for a ballot initiative to legalize sports betting. Opponents continue to have concerns over the damage of problem gambling, which has led to the industry's failure to make much progress over the years.
Hawaii Sports Betting House Bill 1308 passed through the Finance Committee and is heading to the House Floor, but strong opposition remains ahead. If passed, it will head to the Senate, where a companion bill was recently deferred.
Maryland Senator Joanne Benson has introduced Senate Bill 1033 to ban sports betting. The proposal would shut down the legal market two years after it launched. The proposal comes as lawmakers grow concerned about the continued spike in problem gambling.
Alabama State Senator Greg Albritton sat down for an interview and said he would not propose sports betting legislation this session. The lawmaker found he didn’t have enough votes to pass a bill, making the effort a waste of time and money.
A pair of lawmakers have introduced a new bill to end a federal excise tax on sportsbooks established in 1951 to keep out illegal gambling operators. Supporters of the bill claim the IRS doesn’t know where the tax revenue generated is going.
A trio of Vermont State Representatives have introduced a new bill to re-enact a ban on sports betting to protect low-income bettors and their families. The bill will face an uphill battle after Vermont's impressive first year of a legal market.
Photo by Spc. Brandon C. Dyer, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
Gov. Abbott has announced his support for House Joint Resolution 134, which would amend the Texas Constitution to allow for a legal sports betting market. The support puts the Governor at odds with Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, one of the biggest opponents of sports betting.
Parent company Flutter Entertainment has reported that over 16 million wagers were placed on the NFL’s big game, setting a new record for Super Bowl Betting. The operator saw around 70,000 bets per minute at its busiest point.
The New York State Gaming Commission has reported a sports betting handle of almost $2.5 billion for January, breaking the previous monthly record set in October 2024. FanDuel Sportsbook led all operators for the month, with DraftKings following close behind.
South Dakota State Senator Steve Kolobek has proposed Senate Joint Resolution 507, which would allow residents to vote on legalizing online sports betting. The measure is similar to proposals in 2022 and 2023, both of which failed in the House.
Arizona released a pair of public service announcements reminding bettors to play responsibly and watch out for scammers looking to steal information. The American Gaming Associate currently estimates over $1.3 billion will be wagered on the game.
The AGA projects that around $1.39 billion will be wagered on Super Bowl LIX, an increase from $23 billion last year. The group believes that new sports betting states and an improved market in D.C. will result in a record number of bets.
ESPN has announced a new campaign to promote responsible gaming in the US. The campaign features two creative segments that discuss what responsible gaming means. It is part of a more significant effort to combat the rise in problem gambling.
Ohio Governor Mike DeWine announced he will again push to double the tax rate on sports betting operators after successfully doubling it in 2023. He cites aggressive sportsbook tactics that lead to more significant losses for Ohio bettors as the driving reason for the change.
House Bill 1302 passed the House Gaming Committee this week. The bill, which has been nicknamed the Mississippi Mobile Sports Wagering Act, would allow online sportsbooks to operate in the state. Most of the tax revenue generated would help fund road and bridge repair.
A Hawaii House committee has unanimously voted to advance an online sports betting bill this week despite objections from local police and Boyd Gaming. The bill would have strict rules around problem gambling, helping to turn some opponents into supporters.
A New Hampshire committee rejected a bill raising the legal age for sports betting from 18 to 21, largely because of the impact on tax revenue. Opponents also argued that 18-year-olds should have the right to choose how to spend their money.
A report from the Wall Street Journal shows DOJ prosecutors are opening an investigation into a suspicious betting pattern involving Heat guard Terry Rozier. The investigation centers on a game in March 2023 where he exited with a suspicious injury.
A deal with Plannatech has allowed BetCris to launch its online sportsbook in Arizona after exiting the US market in 2007. The company hopes its brand name will still carry weight, allowing it to compete in the intensely competitive market.
The Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) has a new chair, Caroline Pham, who has spoken in favor of prediction markets for both sports and politics. Her appointment could end CFTC's efforts to crack down on the markets.
North Dakota’s House of Representatives rejected a resolution to put sports betting on the ballot in 2026, ending hope for legalization in the next two years. Concerts over problem gambling and its impact on college athletics were why lawmakers chose to reject the measure.
A regulator has flagged a January game involving the Eastern Michigan men’s basketball team for suspicious betting. This is the second EMU game to be flagged since December 2, when a game against Wright State saw suspicious wagers placed.
Senator John Keenan introduced SD 1657 to help curb the rise in problem gambling by increasing regulations for sports betting operators. The bill would eliminate prop and live betting, place limits on all players, restrict advertising for sportsbooks, and raise the tax rate to 51%.
Four bills have been introduced in Connecticut to update the state’s sports betting laws. The changes would address sportsbook holds, require two-way betting markets, allow personalized betting catalogs, and establish a process for handling operator errors.
Comcast has announced it will now offer odds from FanDuel on its Xfinity X1 streaming platform nine months after launching its Odds Zone platform with DraftKings. Odds will be available for the NCAA (basketball and football), MLB, NBA, NFL, NHL, PGA, and WNBA.
The Spanish police detained Sevilla star Kiki Salas on Monday as part of an investigation into spot-fixing after identifying irregular betting patterns. The investigation is focused on 30 bets placed by his associates over his yellow card total last season.
Entertain and MGM Resorts, which own the online sportsbooks, have announced they are sticking to their original $250 million EBITDA loss projections for 2024. The move comes just days after FanDuel sent a profit warning to investors.
The District has sued Inralot for $6.5 million for lying when they were awarded the sole sports betting operating license due to making false promises. The suit accuses Intralot and a subcontractor of making an illegal deal to cut out local businesses.
TwinSpires' parent company, Churchill Downs, has filed a new lawsuit against the MGCB this week to keep its ADW horse racing platform open in Michigan. The move comes after TwinSpires refused to comply with a shutdown order from the operator.
Michigan’s top regulator has ordered TwinSpires to immediately cease advance deposit wagering operations in the state after ignoring their previous request. The operator's refusal to comply has led to a hearing where more penalties and fines could be assessed.
Nebraska State Senator Tom Brandt has introduced Legislative Bill 63 to the state legislature this week, which would legalize betting on in-state college teams. The extra tax revenue generated from those wagers would be used to lower property taxes for residents.
Several California tribes have joined together to file lawsuits against gambling operators, accusing them of offering games only allowed at tribal casinos. The lawsuits show that trust with the tribes remains broken, dampening hopes for legal sports betting over the next few years.
