#16 Weekly Digest – Latest News in US Gambling World
Here is a gambling news digest which brings to you all of the latest updates that took place in the world of online betting, sports betting, etc. in the US and North America. If you take an active interest in this field, this digest will help you very much indeed.
Illinois Poised to Legalize Online Casino Gambling in 2021
Despite having a booming sports betting industry, the state of Illinois is still far behind when it comes to the legalization and regulation of online gambling activities. All of this is set to change with the introduction of HB-3142 in the Illinois State Senate, which would establish the Internet Gaming Act. This proposed gaming act is the brainchild of State Senator Bob Rita, who is a member of the Democrats. It was introduced in the senate a few days ago.
Rita’s primary argument in the pro-legalization campaign is that it would bring in a lot of money for the state in the form of revenue. Gambling houses would be willing to pay upwards of half a million dollars to the state of Illinois in exchange for an operational license. The taxation on all of the games would be the same as sports betting, which is 12%. The pressure to generate more revenue stems from the COVID-19 pandemic and its devastation.
There are numerous advantages of legalization and this could indeed be an exciting time in the online gaming world of Illinois. Despite its numerous advantages, the passage of HB-3142 is not going to be a smooth one. There is a chance that conservative state senators and residents will not be in favour of setting up a legal online gaming industry. Last December, Illinois received more than $12 million in sports betting revenue. Legalizing online casinos can basically double this amount.
MI Online Poker Market Brings in $40 million in 10 Days
The online poker market in the United States has seen a very big increase in the month of January. In New Jersey, the online poker market grew 66% over the year, and is set to grow even faster by the end of 2021. The NJDGE reported that the industry brought in $2.7 million in total in January. One state that saw a meteoric boom in the industry is Michigan, a state that has recently legalized online poker and PokerStars.
Although Michigan does not separate online gaming revenue by game, extrapolation and early estimates suggest that the state earned more than $40 million in the 10-day period between January 22 and January 31. According to the Michigan Gaming Control Board, online casinos in the state accounted for almost 75% of that total gross revenue count. According to MGCB director Richard S. Kalm, the online gaming industry in the Great Lake State has gotten off to a very good start indeed.
Despite PokerStars being the only poker room active in Michigan, they have managed to pull in an impressive number of customers. Despite being operational for only a month, PokerStars has managed to become one of the biggest poker rooms in the United States and the world. For the time being, PokerStars is able to enjoy the monopoly state existing in MI. Due to their superb business performance, the state of MI also received $4.5 million dollars as tax revenue.
Canadian Parliament to Legalize Single-Game Sports Betting
The Canadian Football League or the CFL is one of the biggest sporting leagues in the Western Hemisphere. Single-game sports betting may be illegal in Canada right now, but there are many efforts being led by a Canadian MP to legalize it in the country. The Member of Parliament for Saskatoon-Greenwood, Kevin Waugh sponsored the bill which passed through its second reading in the House of Commons. It received bipartisan support and passed the reading with a 303-15 vote margin.
According to MP Waugh, this vote is going to have a very large effect on the sports betting industry in Canada right now. The sports betting situation in the province of Saskatchewan and the rest of Canada is going to benefit a lot from this bill. The sports betting industry in Canada is worth upwards of $14 billion, and this bill would allow Canadian citizens, bookmakers and the government to benefit from the substantial increase in revenue and tax incomes.
This data has been credited to the Canadian Gaming Association, which discovered in 2019 that Canadian citizens spent $4 billion in wagers with offshore sports betting websites. It was also found that Canadians spent more than $10 billion annually on illegal sports betting operations in the country. As of right now, only parlay betting is legal in Canada. MP Waugh is very hopeful that the bill will be passed by Parliament around the time the 2021-22 CFL season kicks off.
North Dakota to Hold 2022 Elections to Legalize Sports Betting
The State of North Dakota is set to legalize sports betting within its borders, but the bill that would legalize it is facing a lot of pushback. HB-1234 was first introduced in the State Senate in January and has been reintroduced in the Senate after some changes. The bill has been paired with House Concurrent Resolution 3032, which would be a way for the state to ascertain if the ND residents actually want sports betting to be legalized in the state. The bill was introduced by State Senator Jim Kasper and the concurrent resolution was introduced by Senator Mike Howe.
The House Judiciary Committee of North Dakota initially gave the Bill a 6-7 “do not pass” recommendation, in which one member was absent from voting. After the member’s return and extensive deliberations, the Committee revised its decision and gave the bill a 9-5 “do pass” recommendation. However, the Resolution was introduced because the vote passed by a small margin. Once it has been approved by both chambers of the State machinery, ND voters will be able to vote for it in 2022. ND is one of the states that is capitalizing on the Supreme Court’s ruling against the Wire Act.
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