NEW YORK, May 3, 2021 /PRNewswire/ — The number of states which are launching online betting businesses continues to grow as the legal infrastructure and public opinion have turned in favor of such services. For example, according to a report by Hartford Courant, a rewrite of gambling law in Connecticut, agreed to by Gov. Ned Lamont and the two tribal casinos, passed its first test in the General Assembly.
The increasingly friendly attitude towards such services can be explained by their high demand and potential for tax revenue. For instance, online gambling and online sports betting brought in USD 42.7 Million in gross receipts during the first 10 days of legal play in Michigan, state regulators recently announced. FansUnite Entertainment Inc. (OTC: FUNFF) (CSE: FANS), Skillz Inc. (NYSE: SKLZ), International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT), Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG), DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG)
To illustrate just how popular online sports betting is in states where the market can already operate, a report by the Chicago Sun-Times indicates that New Jersey gamblers set a nationwide record for the most money bet on sports in a single month, spending almost USD 668 Million in August on events including the resurgent baseball, basketball and hockey seasons that had been interrupted by the outbreak.
Skillz Inc. (NYSE: SKLZ) reported earlier this year that it is teaming up with the National Football League (NFL). As part of the agreement, the two sports organizations will host a global game developer challenge. Competing developers will have the opportunity to develop an NFL-themed mobile game. The game will be powered by the Skillz esports platform and will have joint marketing support from both the NFL and Skillz. The combination of the NFL brand and the Skillz platform will set the stage for the future of electronic sports competition. “The NFL is an iconic brand that is synonymous with American sports, and Skillz is thrilled to help power their esports competitions on mobile,” said Andrew Paradise, CEO and founder of Skillz.
International Game Technology PLC (NYSE: IGT) announced last year that its leading PlaySports platform will power world-class retail sports betting at Maverick Gaming’s three Colorado-based casinos as well as interactive sports betting throughout Colorado via Play Maverick Sports. Through a multi-year agreement with Maverick Gaming, IGT will provide its proven PlaySports turnkey solution including user-friendly self-service PlaySports kiosks, to Grand Z Casino and Johnny Z’s Casino in Central City, Colo. and Z Casino in Black Hawk, Colo. The IGT PlaySports platform, complete with a fully integrated Player Account Management (PAM) solution, will also power Maverick Gaming’s “Play Maverick Sports” mobile sports wagering app.
Alphabet Inc. (NASDAQ: GOOG) Play Store policies will allow gambling and betting Android apps that use real money in 15 more countries, including the U.S. The Google Play Store indicated on March 1st that, “Subject to restrictions and compliance with all Google Play policies, we allow apps that enable or facilitate online gambling in the following countries in the table below as long as the Developer completes the application process for gambling apps being distributed on Play, is an approved governmental operator and/or is registered as a licensed operator with the appropriate governmental gambling authority in the specified country, and provides a valid operating license in the specified country for the type of online gambling product they want to offer.”
DraftKings Inc. (NASDAQ: DKNG) announced earlier this year that it had reached an agreement with the National Football League (NFL) to expand their current daily fantasy sports (DFS) and content partnership to Canada. Previously, the landmark marketing and content deal between DraftKings and the NFL was limited to the United States. Today’s announcement of an expanded deal further deepens the relationship between the two organizations and enhances the DFS fan experience in Canada as the NFL season approaches the Super Bowl. “The relationship we share with the NFL is important for DraftKings to provide customers a great experience,” said Ezra Kucharz, Chief Business Officer at DraftKings. “This expanded agreement gives us a unique opportunity in the Canadian market, and we look forward to working with the team at the NFL Canada as we continue to shape the modern fan experience.”