Gambling in the USA
INDIANA SPORTSBOOKS MAKE MOST OF FEBRUARY WITH $187 MILLION IN BETS Super Bowl and basketball drive state handle to new monthly record, according to PlayIndiana analysts
The Super Bowl helped Indiana’s retail and online sportsbooks post a February that landed another monthly record. And with March Madness ahead and new online casinos launching, Indiana is positioned to weather the launch of retail sports betting in Michigan and Indiana, according to analysts from PlayIndiana.com.
“Indiana’s market continues to mature, including the launch of more online sportsbooks, even as the football season ends,” said Dustin Gouker, lead analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “The state has a near-perfect storm of success, and will continue to be among the shining stars in legal sports betting even as neighboring states move to legalize sports betting.”
Indiana’s February handle hit $187.2 million, up 9.6% from a then-record $170.8 million handle generated in January, according to official reporting released Tuesday. February produced $11.1 million in adjusted gross revenue, down 15.9% from $12.9 million, yielding $1.1 million in state taxes.
Bettors placed $11.6 million in bets on football, almost entirely on the Super Bowl. And basketball continues to be a significant draw, generating $90.2 million in February wagers. Even Oscars betting appeared to be a hit, accounting for a significant portion of the $39.7 million wagered on the state’s “other” events.
“The Super Bowl was the single most significant event in February, but Indiana has done exceptionally well with basketball,” said Jessica Welman, analyst for PlayIndiana.com. “That balance is helping Indiana avoid a post-football slump, which is common in jurisdictions such as Nevada.”
Indiana’s market advantages, most notably its ability to attract out-of-state bettors, have continued to hold, too. None of Indiana’s neighbors have launched legal sports betting yet, and because Indiana does not require in-person registration for mobile users, the Hoosier State can easily capitalize by allowing out-of-state bettors to simply cross the state line to make a bet.
Indiana will remain a friendly neighbor for sports bettors for the foreseeable future. Illinois and Michigan have legalized sports betting, with both launching retail betting this week. That will have some impact, but it should be blunted without an online component yet in either state. And progress toward legalizing sports betting is uncertain in both Kentucky and Ohio.
“Indiana’s relationship with out-of-state bettors takes many forms, ranging from those who cross the border to make bets at nearby land-based sportsbooks to those who hop over the state border in cars and place bets by phone,” Welman said. “Indiana’s sportsbooks have been aggressive in attracting that business, of course. It won’t last forever, but Indiana should enjoy the advantage while it’s there.”
Online sportsbooks generated $145.9 million in bets in February, or 77.9% of the state’s handle. And more sportsbooks came online with the Feb. 25 launch of BetMGM, which operates under the Belterra Casino license. PointsBet/Hollywood Lawrenceburg launched on March 5, and BetIndiana/Hard Rock is expected to launch this month, too.
In February, DraftKings/Ameristar Casino remained the online market leader with $74.1 million in bets, up from $66 million in January. That generated $5.7 million in gross receipts, up from $4.6 million. But FanDuel/Blue Chip Casino continued to gain ground on its rival, tallying a $63.8 million handle in February, up from $49.5 million. That resulted in a $2.7 million win, up from $1.9 million.
The market leaders were followed by:
- BetRivers/French Lick Resort ($7.7 million handle, down from $7.8 million; $348,869 win, down from $590,178)
- BetAmerica/Rising Star Casino ($212,953 handle, up from $89,622; -$6,169 win, down from $1,854)
- BetMGM/Belterra ($70,061 handle; $13,175 win)
Market proximity continues to dictate Indiana’s retail market. Horseshoe Hammond, near Chicago, has consistently led the retail market. In February, Horseshoe Hammond posted a $12.4 million handle, down from $13.7 million in January. That generated $52,445 in gross receipts, down from $1.8 million. Horseshoe Hammond was followed by:
- Hollywood Lawrenceburg ($6.8 million handle, down from $7.8 million; $308,577 win, down from $578,993)
- Ameristar Casino ($5.9 million handle, down from $7 million; $345,660 win, down from $1.4 million)
- Indiana Grand ($4.7 million handle, down from $5 million; $516,760 win, up from $365,318)
- Harrah’s Hoosier Park ($4.5 million handle, down from $5.4 million; $301,764 win, down from $321,785)
- Caesars Southern Indiana ($2.2 million handle, down from $2.4 million; $16,774 win, down from $143,966)
- Blue Chip Casino ($2.1 million handle, down from $2.7 million; $3,008 win, down from $279,868)
- Tropicana Evansville ($1.6 million handle, down from $2 million; $31,513 win, down from $210,974)
- Belterra Casino ($864,230 handle, down from $934,724; $46,173 win, up from $8,077)
- French Lick Resort ($387,656 handle, down from $533,634; $27,015 win, down from $14,132)
- Rising Star Casino ($123,393 handle, down from $213,552; $11,723 win, up from -$40,497)
“The successful partnership between DraftKings and Ameristar Casino in East Chicago, which generates the largest combined online and retail handle, crystalizes Indiana’s market advantages,” Welman said. “The DraftKings app was first to the market, and its ease of use has kept it on top. Meanwhile, Ameristar continues to draw heavily from the Chicago market.”
For more revenue information on Indiana sportsbooks, visit PlayIndiana.com/revenue.
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
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions. With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.” Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
The Missouri Gaming Commission has announced that it has officially begun accepting applications for sports betting license. The Commission made the announcement following the unanimous approval of a resolution drafted Tuesday that approved the licensing process. The resolution passed after Gov. Mike Kehoe’s office reviewed it. The licensing period opens roughly six months after Missouri voters narrowly approved a constitutional amendment legalising sports betting. The measure passed by less than half a percentage point, with a margin of less than 7500 votes.
Underdog Fantasy has relaunched its draft-style daily fantasy sports (DFS) games in New York, nearly two months after it withdrew all of its DFS competitions from the Empire State. The decision to withdraw all DFS contests from New York in March came after a ruling from the New York State Gaming Commission in which the commission determined Underdog was not in line with the state’s current DFS law. An Underdog Fantasy spokesperson confirmed the company is still working under a temporary license. The New York State Gaming Commission agreed to allow the company to offer its draft DFS games with the temporary license. Most DFS companies in New York operate with a temporary license.
New Partnerships
Pollard Banknote Limited has congratulated the West Virginia Lottery on the successful launch of Royal Court Riches, its first eInstant game from the Pollard Digital Games Studio. Royal Court Riches has already demonstrated strong performance in multiple markets—in its first international launch, it achieved that jurisdiction’s highest tickets sold, total sales and gross gaming revenue within its first 30 days of release. Royal Court Riches is the first in a series of games from the Pollard Digital Games Studio slated to launch in West Virginia this year.
SYNOT Games has announced a new partnership with Caliente, one of Mexico’s top gaming platforms. This collaboration marks an exciting expansion for SYNOT Games, as it brings its acclaimed portfolio of gaming content to the Mexican market. It enhances Caliente’s offerings with an extensive array of high-quality slot games such as Respin Joker, Book of Secrets, Realm of Lions and Forest Maiden, designed to captivate players and boost engagement. Caliente with its strong presence in Latin America, is the perfect partner for SYNOT Games’ expansion into the region. The partnership aims to deliver an exceptional gaming experience, combining SYNOT’s visually rich, innovative games with Caliente’s extensive reach and reputation.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 19-25 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
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
Scientific Games was recognised with three prestigious honours in the 23rd Annual American Business Awards. The global lottery company won two Gold ABA awards for its retail technology, SciQ and PlayCentral Powered by SciQ, in the Operations Management Solutions and Emerging Technology categories, respectively. Scientific Games’ recently retired VP, Instant Game Production, Joe Bennett, earned a Silver ABA Award for Achievement in Management—Manufacturing, recognising his career contributions in secure lottery instant game production. This year, more than 3700 nominations from organisations of all sizes and industries were submitted to the ABAs. Winners were scored by more than 300 professionals worldwide during a rigorous judging process evaluating innovation, integrity, effectiveness, creativity and growth.
MGM Resorts has announced that it has reached a new employment agreement with CEO & President Bill Hornbuckle through December 31, 2028. As part of his new employment contract, the Company has also agreed to offer Hornbuckle an advisory agreement at the end of the term to assist with its integrated resort project in Osaka, Japan until its opening. As CEO, Hornbuckle oversees all aspects of MGM Resorts’ strategy, operations and hospitality and gaming development projects. He leads the company’s global development efforts and its digital gaming strategy.
Minimum Deposit Casinos (MDC) has released new insights into the tightening regulatory landscape for sweepstakes-based gaming in the US. Recent moves by lawmakers in New York, Louisiana, and Montana suggest a coordinated push to eliminate or restrict these alternative online gambling models. In New York, Senate Bill 5935, introduced by Sen. Joseph Addabbo, has advanced through the legislative process and targets the operation and supply of sweepstakes-style platforms. The bill specifically addresses platforms that use two forms of digital currency — one of which can be redeemed for real-world prizes — a setup now under scrutiny by state regulators.
New Partnerships
Rush Street Interactive (RSI), in partnership with Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), has launched a new initiative called Gaming Literacy Aiding Decisions (GLAD), an innovative programme designed to assist educators in enhancing high school student gaming literacy and promoting that cohort’s responsible relationship with this ever more socially prevalent activity. The GLAD curriculum will initially launch in New Jersey and Delaware where, this spring, RSI and IC360 have been working with educational districts on a speaker series and educator curriculum delivery. These initial efforts will help define success metrics and gather feedback to shape the programme’s future, which will ultimately be available to educators more broadly to curate the content that resonates best with students.
The Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has selected Caesars Entertainment as the Service Provider in the Windsor Casino procurement process. This is the final procurement process in the OLG’s land-based gaming modernisation initiative. Caesars Entertainment and its predecessor companies have partnered with the OLG to operate Caesars Windsor (fka. Casino Windsor) since the opening of the temporary facility in 1994. Caesars Entertainment will assume responsibility for gaming and non-gaming operations of the Windsor casino on behalf of the OLG under a 20-year operating agreement, which is expected to begin in 2026.
The post Gaming Americas Weekly Roundup – May 12-18 appeared first on European Gaming Industry News.
Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa has been named the luckiest casino in the US according to a recent study conducted by Casinos.com. The resort claimed the top spot based on an in-depth analysis of Tripadvisor reviews, measuring the frequency of luck-related keyword mentions.
With a 25.49% luck rate, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa topped the list thanks to glowing guest feedback, including frequent mentions of jackpots, hand pays and bonus wins. 50 reviews mentioned the word “jackpot,” and 19 even referenced a “hand pay.”
Casinos.com tracked keywords such as lucky, luck, won, winning, success, jackpot, hand pay, winner, bonus, profit to determine which U.S. casinos inspired the most winning moments among visitors.
“I hit 4 jackpots. I stayed one night. I had a blast. The machines are as loose as anywhere else,” wrote one Tripadvisor reviewer, noted Casinos.com, capturing the essence of why the casino landed in the No. 1 spot.
“We’ve always known this was a lucky casino, but it’s exciting to see that recognized through data-driven research. It’s a testament to the vibrant energy on our casino floor and the unforgettable experiences we strive to create for every guest,” said Steve Bonner, President of Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.
The ranking reinforces Seminole Hard Rock Tampa’s reputation as one of the premier gaming and entertainment destinations in the US. Seminole Hard Rock Tampa was not involved in the study and was unaware of it until the results were publicly released.
Over the past year, Seminole Hard Rock Tampa has paid out nearly 839,000 jackpots totaling more than $2.45 billion, continuing to deliver thrilling high-stakes gaming. Since May 1, 2024, the casino resort has awarded 375 jackpots of $100,000 or more, amounting to an impressive $61 million in winnings. Notably, 47 of those massive wins stemmed from bets of $5 or less and nine came from wagers of $3 or less.
Seminole Hard Rock Tampa offers a fully integrated casino experience with a sleek, modern design and welcoming atmosphere of 245,000 square feet of gaming space and entertainment. With 5230 of the hottest slot machines and a full range of table games such as poker, blackjack and baccarat, there is no shortage of opportunities to win. Additionally, guests can enjoy live craps, roulette, and sports betting at their leisure.
The post Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa Named Luckiest Casino in US by Casinos.com appeared first on Gaming and Gambling Industry in the Americas.
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