Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – October 11-17

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, new partnerships and new appointments. Read on and get updated.

Latest News

Penn National Gaming has received approval from the Minister of Canadian Heritage under the Investment Canada Act for its acquisition of Score Media and Gaming. The acquisition is expected to be closed on 19 October 2021.

Sharp Alpha Advisors announced last week the final closing of Sharp Alpha Fund I, an oversubscribed $10 million venture capital fund investing in early stage sports betting technology companies.

Online gambling has reached Connecticut, on a limited basis. A soft launch of online sports betting and gaming has begun in Connecticut on October 12. This soft launch allows several hundred people to open accounts to wager for a seven-day period.

Terry Glebocki has resigned as CEO of Atlantic City’s Ocean Casino Resort. Glebocki’s exit reduces the number of female casino bosses after an unprecedented wave of female leadership. Just over a year ago, four of the city’s nine casinos were led by women, but two have since left.

Rush Street Interactive has soft launched a new PlaySugarHouse online sportsbook in partnership with Connecticut Lottery Corporation. From October 12 up to the full launch, 750 customers across the state can register and place bets at www.PlaySugarHouse.com and experience RSI’s award-winning sports betting platform, on a first-come-first-serve basis. Once the 750-player limit is reached, customers who pre-register at www.PlaySugarHouse.com will be added to a waiting list and notified as soon as the full launch is authorised.

NOVOMATIC Americas has showcased an extensive portfolio of products at the G2E 2021. At the centre of the product presentation stood the extended Progressives offer, premiering the new ULTRA BOOST Link. This multi-level Linked Progressive comprises three roaring 50-line titles: the magnificent Great American Buffalo, the iconic Great American Eagle and the Asian title Tiger Storm.

New Partnerships

Leading sports gamification company Low6 has announced a partnership with the NFL franchise Cincinnati Bengals. The deal between the UK-based gamification company and the NFL team from Ohio will see the release of free-to-play games “Bengals Picks” and “Ultimate Bengals”.

DraftKings has announced that it has agreed to a deal with the National Hockey League to become an Official Sports Betting, Daily Fantasy Sports and iGaming Partner of the league in the US. To complement the deal, DraftKings has also reached an agreement with Turner Sports, including Bleacher Report, to be the exclusive sportsbook and daily fantasy sports provider for their coverage of the NHL.

New Appointments

Nevada Governor Steve Sisolak has appointed retired Clark County Judge Jennifer Togliatti and former State Senator Ben Kieckhefer to the Nevada Gaming Commission. Togliatti will serve as chair – and will be the first female to serve as the chair. Togliatti has served the State of Nevada in the state judiciary for more than 25 years and has significant legal, administrative and legislative experience. Kieckhefer has spent the last decade serving in the Nevada State Senate, where he has spent time working on legislation on complex and contentious issues.

New Acquisition

Real estate firm EKN Development Group has acquired the Tahoe Biltmore Lodge & Casino located in Crystal Bay, Nevada.