Gambling in the USA
CBS Sports and William Hill Announce Official Partnership
William Hill to Be Exclusive Sports Book & Wagering Data Provider of CBS Sports Digital
Strategic Partnership Extends CBS Sports’ Digital Leadership in Providing Sports Betting Content and Increases William Hill’s Reach to Millions of Sports Fans and Fantasy Players
CBS Sports and William Hill, America’s leading sports book operator, today announced a strategic partnership that makes William Hill the Official Sports Book and Wagering Data Provider across all CBS Sports platforms. The deal will reimagine fan engagement through a unique integration of sports betting, media, product and technology. The partnership will tip off with initial integrations in March on CBS Sports digital platforms, with a full rollout planned for the fantasy football season.
The partnership extends CBS Sports’ digital leadership in the sports betting space and allows for the creation of even more relevant content across its wide array of platforms. CBS Sports will utilize William Hill’s odds, experts and more than 140 sports books to bolster its current digital offerings, delivering deeper information and programming produced from William Hill sports books across the country, and further engaging sports bettors and fans. In addition, the partnership includes opportunities to feature William Hill data, odds and markets across CBS television programming.
William Hill will receive exclusive rights to promote its brand across CBS Sports’ broad range of digital properties, including through CBS Sports Fantasy, one of the largest fantasy platforms in the world, resulting in highly efficient customer acquisition for the sports betting company.
“We’re thrilled to launch this momentous partnership, which will allow us to deepen our investment and further extend our leadership in delivering multi-platform sports wagering content, while providing William Hill with unprecedented reach for their market-leading betting platform as they continue to grow their industry-leading U.S. business,” said Jeffrey Gerttula, Executive Vice President and General Manager, CBS Sports Digital. “The power of our distribution, combined with the strength of our brands and the expertise of William Hill, has us well positioned to tap into the explosive growth of the legal sports betting industry in the U.S. Together, we will deliver even more value to this rapidly growing segment of sports fans.”
“CBS Sports, similar to William Hill, has a longstanding history of connecting fans directly to the biggest events and most iconic moments in sports,” said Joe Asher, CEO of William Hill US. “We are excited about this partnership, with assets including mass-reach digital content products, one of the largest fantasy sports databases and platforms in the world, and leading sports television programming, which will allow us to expand the William Hill brand across America quickly and efficiently.”
CBS Sports Digital is the second-largest sports property in the U.S. with more than 80 million users per month across its sites and apps as well as tens of millions of followers on social platforms. CBS Sports Digital offerings include SportsLine, the dedicated subscription platform for game picks and predictions that has seen strong subscriber growth in recent years; CBSSports.com; 24/7 streaming network CBS Sports HQ, which features the nightly SportsLine show focused on sports betting and delivered triple-digit viewership growth in 2019; CBS Sports Fantasy; CBS Sports apps; and 247Sports.
Powered by a heritage that dates back to 1934, William Hill established its U.S. presence in Las Vegas in 2012 and has grown to become America’s leading sports book operator by differentiating itself from the industry as an innovative pioneer in sports betting. Following the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision that overturned PASPA in 2018, William Hill has led the United States expansion of sports betting and now has operations in 10 states. The company currently accepts one out of every four sports bets placed in the U.S.
Financial terms of the deal are not being disclosed.
About William Hill:
William Hill PLC is one of the world’s leading betting and gaming companies, employing over 12,500 people. Its origins are in the UK where it was founded in 1934, and where the company is listed on the London Stock Exchange. With headquarters in London and Leeds it has a national presence of licensed betting offices in Great Britain and is one of the country’s leading online betting and gaming services. In 2012, it established William Hill US with a focus on retail and mobile operations in Nevada, which is now the largest sports betting business in the USA. William Hill US (www.williamhill.us) currently operates 114 race and sports books in Nevada and the state’s leading mobile sports betting app. In New Jersey, William Hill is operating at Monmouth Park Racetrack, Ocean Resort Casino, Tropicana Atlantic City, and online with the William Hill New Jersey sports betting app. William Hill also is operating sports books in Indiana, West Virginia, and Iowa; a race book in Florida; and online with the William Hill Iowa sports betting app. William Hill is a licensed sports betting provider in numerous casinos in Mississippi and New Mexico, and serves as the exclusive risk manager for the Delaware and Rhode Island sports lotteries. In October 2019, William Hill signed an agreement with Monumental Sports & Entertainment to build and operate a sports book at Capital One Arena in Washington D.C., subject to regulatory approval. William Hill has licensed operations in The Bahamas, Italy, Spain and Sweden and serves online customers in the UK, Ireland and throughout the world from its digital hubs in Gibraltar and Malta. In February 2019, it completed the acquisition of MRG Group, acquiring the Mr Green and Redbet brands, and with it an expanded pan-European footprint in faster growing online betting and gaming markets.
SOURCE William Hill US
Amidst an evolving economic landscape, gaming executives report a positive outlook on future industry business conditions while remaining satisfied with the current business environment, according to the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) Gaming Industry Outlook.
Nearly all gaming executives surveyed characterized the current business environment as good (44%) or satisfactory (50%), mirroring similar sentiment from Q3 2023. Meanwhile, executives are more optimistic about future conditions, with 32 percent of CEOs expecting business conditions to improve over the next six months, up from 20 percent in Q3 2023.
“Gaming’s record-setting growth over the last three years has set a new standard for industry success,” said AGA President and CEO Bill Miller. “However, as we enter a period of market normalization, continued investment and innovation in offering world-class, responsible entertainment experiences will be required to maintain industry momentum.”
Gaming Executive Panel
Gaming executives have become more positive in their views that overall balance sheet health will improve over the next 6 months (42% net positive), but they expect the pace of revenue growth (13% net negative) and new hiring (22% net negative) to slow. These expectations for decelerating growth have influenced expectations for increases in capital investment and gaming units in operation, with smaller net positive sentiments than before.
- In contrast to past Outlooks, gaming equipment suppliers are slightly pessimistic about the sale of gaming units for replacement use and new or expansion use (both 13% net negative). However, they remain optimistic about the pace of capital investment (38% net positive).
- Half of operator CEOs expect capital investments in hotels over the next year to be higher than normal, and compared to last fall, more also expect higher than normal levels of capital investment in meetings and conventions and table games (28%). Meanwhile, 44 percent of CEOs expect increases in food and beverage investment, down from 67 percent in Q3 2023.
These expectations are also informed by evolving macroeconomic challenges. Executives report that inflationary or interest rate concerns continue to be a major factor limiting operations (28%), but these have been overtaken by geo-political risk (34%) and uncertainty of the economic environment (34%) as the biggest limiting factors in the most recent Gaming Executive Panel.
Current Conditions Index
The Current Conditions Index of 102.8 for Q1 indicates solid annualized real economic growth in the industry of 2.8%. This includes gaming revenue, employment and employee wages and salaries. Notably, the Current Conditions Index shows gaming expanding faster than the overall U.S. economy which last week reported 1.6 percent GDP growth in Q1 2024.
Future Conditions Index
The Future Conditions Index stands at 102.2, indicating annualized industry economic activity, after controlling for underlying inflation, is expected to moderately increase over the next six months. This outlook reflects Oxford Economics’ forecast that the U.S. economy will slow during 2024 but avoid recession. Despite a projected economic slowdown, consumer survey results continue to indicate that more than one-third of adults expect to visit a casino during the next 12 months, consistent with prior quarter results.
About the Outlook
The AGA Gaming Industry Outlook is prepared biannually by Oxford Economics. It provides a timely measure of recent industry growth and future expectations. The Q1 2024 survey was conducted between March 28 – April 10, 2024. A total of 32 executives responded, including executives at the major international and domestic gaming companies, tribal gaming operators, single-unit casino operators, major gaming equipment suppliers, and major iGaming and/or sports betting operators.
The Colorado Division of Gambling has launched a new illegal gambling awareness campaign.
The “Play Legit. Gamble Only Where Legal.” campaign aims to educate the public about the risks associated with illegal gambling and the importance of supporting regulated gaming venues.
The campaign emphasizes legal gambling options, including casinos in Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek, as well as online sports betting and off-track betting.
“With many certified and legal gambling sites available, it’s never worth it to put yourself in danger. Together, let’s play by the rules and ensure that Colorado remains a safe and responsible gaming destination. By recognizing and preventing illegal gambling, we all win,” Chris Schroder, Director of the Colorado Division of Gaming, said.
In Colorado, gambling opportunities abound, but not all are legal. Illegal gambling operations not only fail to protect players but can also serve as a breeding ground for serious crimes, including fraud, human trafficking, drug trafficking, and burglary, posing a threat to public safety and community well-being. Participants in illegal gambling activities also compromise personal and financial information, putting individuals at risk of identity theft, unreliable payouts, and potential legal consequences, such as fines and imprisonment.
Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news and new partnerships. Read on and get updated.
Latest News
The International Association of Gaming Advisors (IAGA) will hold its 41st International Gaming Summit Monday, May 27 through Thursday, May 30, 2024 at The Ritz-Carlton Washington, D.C. As a premier event that brings together leaders from all global gaming sectors, the Summit will provide operators, suppliers, attorneys, investors, bankers, regulators and other advisor delegates with an unparalleled opportunity to meet and discuss the most important issues facing gaming.
Marker Trax, a leader in cashless payment solutions for the gambling industry, has announced the appointment of John Henderson as its SVP of operations. Henderson is a seasoned, energetic industry veteran who brings to Marker Trax more than four decades of success in delivering technology-based business solutions, leading innovation-forward companies seeking to increase their industry footprints and to solidify their market shares.
Jackpot Digital, a leading manufacturer of electronic multiplayer dealerless poker tables, announced that it has successfully completed the installation of its Jackpot Blitz casino machines at Chukchansi Gold Resort & Casino, located in Coarsegold, California.
Affinity Interactive has announced the appointment of Scott Butera as President & Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Butera, who most recently led AI’s Sports Information Group (SIG) business, brings over 30 years of experience in gaming, hospitality, media, entertainment and sports to the pivotal role. In his new capacity, Mr. Butera will set strategy and oversee operations of the Company’s diversified portfolio of casinos resorts across Nevada, Missouri and Iowa.
North Star Network has acquired Um Dois Esportes, a sports coverage and analysis site created from the merger of Gazeta Do Povo and Tribuna do Paraná in 2020. NSN’s signing of Um Dois Esportes is the media house’s fourth acquisition of 2024, following the recent deals to purchase UK-based SportsMole and MrFixitsTips, as well as Chilean site AlAireLibre, which was announced in March.
Hollywood Casino at Greektown unveiled its new ESPN BET branded sportsbook and restaurant on the upper floor of the 100,000-square-foot Downtown Detroit casino. This sportsbook is the first ESPN BET branded retail location to open across PENN Entertainment’s (PENN) portfolio of properties.
Partnerships
Above the Felt, the leading poker and gaming marketing and talent agency, has announced a partnership with Potawatomi Casino Hotel in Milwaukee, Wisconsin for the grand opening of their state-of-the-art poker room this May. This collaboration marks a significant experiential poker event in the Mid-West US, bringing together top players, personalities and content creators with regional players for an unforgettable poker room grand opening.
SCCG Management, a leading advisory firm in the global gaming industry, has announced a strategic partnership with Comm100, a pioneer in AI-powered omnichannel communication. This collaboration signifies a pivotal moment in the gaming industry as it looks to revolutionise player engagement and customer support through personalised, 24/7 communication.
Betano and CBF (Confederação Brasileira de Futebol), the Brazilian Football Confederation, announced a new partnership that will see Betano become the new main sponsor and exclusive betting partner of Campeonato Brasileiro Série A. Starting from the 2024 season, which began on Sunday, April 14, the competition will be known as Brasileirão Betano.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – April 22-28 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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