Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – January 18-24

Welcome to our weekly roundup of American gambling news again! It was again an eventful week in the USA, despite the still-active virus attack. Last week, Joe Biden and Kamala Harris sworn in as the new President and Vice President of the US.

Here, we are going through the weekly highlights of the American gambling industry which include the latest news, new partnerships and new appointments. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Online poker site Americas Cardroom is heating up winter with the next installment of its OSS Cub3d tournament series. The tournament series will kick off on February 7 and lasts for 5 weeks. There is $13 million in total guarantees, including two $1 million tourneys, a $500,000 tourney and a special Valentine’s Day $300,000 PKO event.

Cher-Ae Heights Casino has installed Konami Gaming’s SYNKROS casino management system. Konami’s award-winning casino management system brings a strong mix of marketing solutions to engage guests at Cher-Ae Heights Casino—including floor-wide bonusing events, random drawings, personalised rewards, offers and more.

Online sports betting and casino games have started in Michigan on January 22. Nine casinos and their operators, including the three commercial casinos in Detroit, got approval to start taking bets. Additional operator and platform provider licenses are expected to be approved in the coming weeks.

In Illinois, anyone who makes over $600 in sports bets will now need to report their winnings to the state. These earnings will be taxed at 15%. Nicholas Royer, a financial advisor of MRFC, said sports betting is a business for some people and the state saw it as an opportunity to earn from it as well.

The deputy secretary of prizes and draws at the Brazilian Ministry of Economy’s Secretariat of Evaluation, Planning, Energy and Lottery (Secap-ME) has given some hope that sports betting regulation could arrive this year. According to Waldir Eustáquio Marques Jr, regulation of the sector could be forthcoming in July.

Partnerships

Sirplay and Oddin have entered into a partnership to deliver an engaging esports betting solution to multiple bookmakers with a focus on Latin America. Sirplay is a sports betting software expert specialised in developing markets. By integrating Oddin’s iFrame solution, they will now be able to deliver their Latin American clients a truly engaging esports experience.

Passport Technology Inc. and Automated Systems America Inc. have announced that they have entered into a definitive agreement to combine in an all-stock merger of equals. The transaction creates the premier payments technology company in the largest and most attractive gaming financial technology markets worldwide.

Online gambling firm 888 Holdings has announced that it has agreed to a multi-year extension of its exclusive B2B poker partnership with Caesars Interactive Entertainment. Through the partnership, 888 will continue to provide its turnkey poker platform and services to Caesars in the US including bringing the WSOP’s online poker rooms to players’ mobiles and desktops.

Appointment

Bragg Gaming Group has appointed Canadian publishing magnate and former Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corp Chair Paul Godfrey to its Board of Directors. Godfrey’s experience in the Canadian gaming industry will prove valuable as the Canadian government moves forward with their recently announced proposed federal legalisation of single-event sports betting.

Compliance

A bill that would legalise sports betting in Georgia has been introduced to the state’s House of Representatives. House Bill 86, also known as the Georgia Lottery Mobile Sports Wagering Integrity Act, would amend Chapter 27 of Title 50 of the Official Code of Georgia by adding a section on sports betting.

Lawmakers in New Mexico have filed a bill that would bring retail and online sportsbooks to its racetracks. House Bill 101 would convert the state’s racinos into fully functioning casinos, but without electronic and online table games. At present, New Mexico has five racetracks, all of which have casinos attached but with a limited selection of slot machines and video games.