DraftKings is the latest sportsbook to enter the Canadian sports betting market after it launched in Ontario – six weeks after the industry went live.
Besides being able to wager on exciting sports events such as the National Hockey League, players will also be able to play hundreds of online casino games through the Draftkings online casino platform.
The co-founder, chairman and CEO of DraftKings, Jason Robins had this to say: “DraftKings’ entry into Canada with our online sportsbook and online casino products is a significant milestone in our expansion efforts as we reach nearly 40-percent of Canada’s total population.
“We look forward to providing the passionate fanbase in Ontario with the most entertaining and responsible gaming experience possible.”
Two Year Operators License
While DraftKings is the 37th operator to receive approval to offer its services and products in Ontario, it is only the 12th one which was awarded a two-year license.
Ontario’s sports betting and igaming industry went live on April 4th, and since then, multiple operators have started offering their services to local players, among them Unibet, 888, LeoVegas, Bet365, FanDuel, SkillsOnNet and Entain.
Six weeks after the launch, DraftKings’ online casino and sportsbook were approved by the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario.
Ohioans hoping to bet on sports in the near future may be disappointed to learn that the state’s gambling commission doesn’t see a legal and regulated industry coming about until the start of 2023.
Yesterday, the Ohio Control Commission announced that the launch will occur “close to January 1, 2023”. This is the deadline which lawmakers ruled on last year.
It was recently speculated that Ohio may launch its sports betting framework in October this year, in time to profit from major sports events such as the World Series in baseball. Two senators even told news outlets that this may be case.
However, the Commission put a dampening on these hopes on Wednesday, after its executive director, Matt Schuler said that there was simply too much work to be done before January 1st.
Spokesperson for the Ohio Control Commission, Jessica Franks said in a statement: “For everyone interested, they really should expect it to be very close to – if not on – January 1st.”
“We anticipate roughly 3,000 (license applications) might come in,” she added. “We’re going to need to do all of those investigations to issue those licenses and then make sure they’re in compliance with all of the rules and regulations. We’re going to need all of that time right up until January.”
Caesars Sportsbook has expanded its US footprint by inking a deal with the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and has been named the company’s official sports betting partner for the Indy 500 and IMS.
The president of IMS, Doug Boles expressed the group’s excitement at partnering with Caesars and said that he believed that the group’s on-site presence will give fans a new opportunity to engage with the on-track action at what he called “the Racing Capital of the World”.
“This is another reason to look forward to an epic and historic Month of May at IMS,” he said.
Spectators on practice and race days during the month will be greeted by the Caesars Sportsbook Lounge at Pagoda Plaza. Caesars Sportsbook app users will enjoy complimentary food and drink, live entertainment, and racing games to complement the branded giveaways throughout every race.
“The IMS partnership includes race day support with video board placements, PA announcements and program ads to promote Caesars Sportsbook,” said the Indianapolis Motor Speedway in a press release. “In celebration of the 106th running of the Indy 500, Caesars Sportsbook will offer new customers an exciting promotion: download the Caesars Sportsbook app and make a first-time deposit of $20 to receive $106 in free bets along with entry into the Caesars Sportsbook Lounge at Pagoda Plaza.”
Kansas governor, Laura Kelly, signed a bill authorizing sports betting in the state into law. This, after it was presented to her by the Senate approved Bill 84 on May 12th.
The bill also allows historical horse racing machines in Kansas to be included in the state’s Parimutuel Racing Act.
The bill, which essentially expands the existing Lottery Act, will allow lottery facility managers to operate sports betting on behalf of the lottery. These managers will enter into partnerships with online sports betting operators.
It has been over a year since Senate 84 was first introduced. It passed the state Senate but didn’t progress further since some many amendments were made to it in the process. Eventually, it managed to move through the legislative pipeline once more when it was referred to the Committee on Federal and Stat Affairs earlier this year. From there, the bill swiftly progressed until Governor Kelly signed it into law this week.
Key features of Senate Bill 84
- Lottery facility managers may operate up to three interactive sports betting platforms.
- The application process for a license has to take place before September 1st, 2022. Applications for licenses can only be submitted once this application process has been put into motion.
- The Kansas Racing and Gaming Commission will regulate sports betting and historical horse racing machines. It will also issue sports betting licenses and supplier licenses.
The state of Iowa showed that sports betting revenue grew 37.7% in April 2022, compared to the same month last year.
The Iowa Racing and Gaming Commission said that sports betting revenue hit $12.4 million last month.
It was still a substantial month on month drop, according to the gambling authority, although this was expected due to the light sports schedule in April.
Key points of Iowa Sports Betting Report for April
- The majority of Iowa’s sports betting was done online. $155.2 million was wagered remotely, while only $21.8 million was spent in retail.
- The best performer in the sports betting market was FanDuel’s sports book at Diamond Jo in Dubuque. The group generated $4.1 million in April and owned over 10% of the market.
- The second-best performer was DraftKings partner Diamond Jo in Worth, which reported on $1.7 million last month.
- 88% of the online betting market was handled by four entities – Crown IA Gaming (DraftKings), American Wagering Inc. (Caesars), Betfair Interactive US LLC (FanDuel) and BetMGM LLC (BetMGM).
- Several operators of online sportsbooks in the Iowa market reported that they experienced losses in April 2022. These include Circa Sports, Betfred Sports, Fubo and the Hard Rock.
- Iowa raised $300K more in taxes in April this year when compared to the previous year.