#15 Weekly Digest – Latest News in US Gambling World
The past week has had a lot of interesting developments in the world of gambling and online gaming. If you are an experienced punter, you need to keep yourself abreast of all the latest developments in this massive industry. To help you do so, here is an in-depth news digest that will inform you of all the latest developments that have taken place in the past few days. This summary will help you to be more aware of current events.
PointsBet Teams Up with the NHL as Official Betting Partner
Only a few days ago, the National Hockey League (NHL) announced that PointsBet USA was going to be signing on as the Official Sports Betting partner of the NHL games. This is going to be a multiyear partnership which is going to change the landscape of sports betting in the US and Canada. This long-term strategic association between the NHL and PointsBet USA is going to be valid in the country of Australia as well.
According to Keith Watchel, Chief Business Officer of the NHL, this association is going to be a great way for the league to engage with their fans. PointsBet is actively managed by the NBC company and they have a stake in this arrangement as well. With this agreement, PointsBet is going to receive full permission to use the NHL logo, team logos, etc. It can basically use the NHL machinery to promote its own brand. This will also allow the NHL to tap into the broadcasting infrastructure owned and maintained by NBC. This is because the NBC group is one of the biggest stakeholders in the NHL and in the PointsBet Holdings company. The three organizations have already begun planning to integrate all of the hockey games and sports betting into a unified platform. The 2020-21 season of the NHL is going to shake up the world of ice hockey.
Johnny Aitkens, the CEO of PointsBet USA, also added that it was a privilege for the PointsBet brand to be aligned with the NHL brand. The captivating and thrilling experience provided by the NHL matches can be made even better with the help of sports betting. As part of this grand deal, the NHL also received exactly 43,106 equity shares of the PointsBet company – which are at present worth more than 700 million dollars.
GGPoker Parent Company Granted Interactive Gaming License by PGCB
The parent company of GGPoker, NSUS Group, was finally granted the Interactive Gaming Manufacturer license by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB). They had to wait for a long period of 14 months before they received permission from the PGCB to make their entry into the PA market. Now they will be able to legally manufacture technology needed for online gambling and sell it to companies in PA who want to set up online casinos.
However, there is a condition that GGPoker will have to abide by if they want to expand their online poker operations into PA. According to the rules set forth by the PGCB, the company has to have an agreement in place with one of the land-based casinos operating in PA. When GGPoker was asked what their plans were, they did not clarify if they were teaming up with a third entity or going in alone.
This license is going to pave the way for GGPoker to make its way into the gambling market in the US. GGPoker is an extremely recognizable name in the online poker industry right now. Last year, they made quite a splash for themselves by launching the GGMasters online poker tournament. GGPoker has also teamed up with WSOP to host online poker events. This development will make GGPoker the second online poker company to enter PA.
At this time, PokerStars is the only online poker company operating in PA. The entry of GGPoker into the mix will let the market become more competitive as well. This is truly an exciting time for all poker fans living in PA – they will soon find a lot of gaming options that they can use. One competitor of PokerStars is going to be 888 Casino Holdings, who have teamed up with the Las Vegas-based casino Caesars.
PlayStar Casino NJ to Use iGaming Platform Developed By GiG
On February 5 2021, Gaming innovation Group (GiG) signed an agreement with PlayStar New Jersey LLC. According to this agreement, the iGaming platform developed by GiG will now be used by PlayStar casino to power its new foray into the online gaming market of New Jersey. PlayStar Casino has also partnered up with Oceans Casino Resort NJ and are all set to make their timely entry into the highly competitive gambling industry prevailing in NJ.
According to GiG and PlayStar New Jersey LLC, the New Jersey online gaming market has been doing very well in the last couple of years – ever since legalization and regulatory measures were pushed through the State Senate. Actually, the online gaming revenue for 2020 in NJ was $970 million, which is a 101% increase from the amount displayed back in 2019. This means that gaming revenue in NJ has effectively doubled over the past year.
According to the EVP of PlayStar Casino, Adam Noble, GiG has made a very good name for itself as one of the most reliable software providers in European casinos. Their technical expertise and infrastructure will go a long way in powering the PlayStar brand in NJ. In fact, Noble also expressed hope that the PlayStar brand hopes to expand and make its entry into the other US states where legalization and regulation have been done.
The CEO of GiG, Richard Brown has announced that the GiG team is very excited to be a part of the expanding online gambling market in the United States. PlayStar is a very successful brand and they have a lot of experience operating at a profit in the highly competitive US business environment. With the help of the expertise provided by GiG and Oceans Casino, PlayStar is going to make a very strong market entry.
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