Some of the biggest names in the US sports betting industry, including FanDuel, SportsBet, DraftKings and Caesars have removed bets on sports leagues in Belarus and Russia, as part of sanctions directed against Russia for its attack on Ukraine.

On Thursday last week, DraftKings announced that it would be halting all bets on Russian sports organizations, teams or leagues in both countries. Later, other sports betting operators announced that they were also taking down these markets from their sites.

Heading its tweet message with a Ukraine flag, DraftKings said that its ban applied to US B2C operations as well as its global B2B operations.  DraftKings has an office in Kyiv.

“As of today, we will no longer offer betting on sports leagues and events in Russia and Belarus, such as the KHL,” tweeted DraftKings. “DraftKings has no direct commercial relationship with any Russian or Belarusian league, team or sports organization. Our customer Experience team is prepared to answer questions from any customers impacts by this change.”

The ban will be a blow to many Russian sports leagues, but the one that is set to feel it most keenly is the country’s leading hockey league, KHL which is in the middle of its playoffs.

Others that will be affected are table tennis, badminton, basketball, soccer and volleyball fans.

A new measure is being backed by professional sports teams in Missouri has advanced to the full House, bringing the state closer to legal sports betting than ever before.

The proposal, which is the result of a collaboration between the St. Louis Cardinals and others, emerged with a 4 – 2 vote from the House Special Committee on Public Policy.

It is believed that sports betting could bring nearly $100 million in revenue to the state, as well as $11 million to local governments if the proposal is successful.

Gambling expansion will also bring in funds to sports teams, casinos and betting platforms.

Key features of the Missouri sports betting proposal:

• The 13 casinos in the state will be allowed to offer sports betting.
• Betting on college sports will be allowed, but not on high school athletic events.
• Professional sports teams will be allowed to allow betting at their stadiums through partnerships with established sportsbooks such as DraftKings and FanDuel.

Up until now, the question of gambling expansion has been stalled because of the problem of the controversial subject of video lottery terminal legalization.  For the first time, this debate is being kept separate from gambling expansion plans.

“To have this legislation stand on its own, with VLTs debated on a separate track, we feel that we have the best chance of getting something done this year,” said Cardinals President William DeWitt III.

According to a new poll published in the Los Angeles Times, Californians remain divided over the future of legal sports betting in the most populous state in the US.

Around half of Californian voters support legal sports betting, while one in five remain undecided.

The Golden State remains one of the last states to remain out the sports betting race, with 33 states currently allowing betting on college and professional sporting events. This includes all those states that border California, meaning that many of its residents can easily cross the border to bet on sports.  California loses millions of gambling dollars each year because of this.

Proponents of groups that are pushing to legalize sports betting in California are worried that there is no overwhelming support for the idea, as was the case in other states. They fear that the tens of millions of dollars that they are investing in pushing legislation could be wasted in a state that is so divided in its opinions.

This November, groups on both sides of the argument are gearing up for a massive – and expensive battle – as Californians go to the polls to vote on the issue.  It’s expected that there will be at least four propositions relating to gambling on the November ballots. It is still unclear which way the votes will go, however.

A legislative analysis has predicted that legalized sports betting has the potential to generate $15 million in tax revenue for the state of Missouri each year.

House Bill 1666 was analyzed, and the findings will be discussed in a proposal to legalize sports betting in the state in a House committee this week.

All in all, the House Committee on Public Policy is due to hear three different sports betting bills, in a new push to finally legalize and regulate the market in the Show Me State.

Despite the fact that all the professional teams in Missouri have reached an agreement with land casinos to legalize sports betting, it has been disagreements in the Legislature which have stalled efforts so far.

It has not been for lack of trying that Missouri hasn’t yet joined the 32 other states which allow some form of sports waging.

Since 2019, more than 20 bills have been filed, however none of them have successfully reached the final stretch.

Proponents of legal sports betting in Missouri want to make the state competitive with other surrounding states and benefit from the gambling dollars that such an industry will drum up.

Last year, new Jersey brought in nearly $50 million in tax revenue, while Pennsylvania collected $38.7 million in 2020.

If the first thirty days of New York’s fledgling mobile sports betting industry are anything to go by, things are looking very promising. Reports show that New Yorkers wagered around $2 billion over the course of the month since the Empire State launched its legal online sports betting market.

New York launched its market on January 6th, and numbers were recorded until February 6th by the state’s Gaming Commission.

Key figures from the report show:
– $600 million was wagered on football.
– $540 million was wagered on basketball
– $80 million was wagered on ice hockey.
– Gross gaming revenue for the first 30 days reached $138.5 million.
– $70.6 million in tax revenue was generated for the state due to its 51% tax rate.
– 187 million transactions were made during the period.

New York Beats New Jersey’s Record

New York has now beaten the US monthly handle record for the first 23 days of legalization in a state. The last record was held by New Jersey when it launched in October 2021 and consumers wagered $1.30 billion.

Consumers in New York wagered $1.63 billion in the first 23 days, in comparison.

“Over the past month, we’ve seen how mobile sports wagering can be an economic engine for New York, driving significant funding to our schools, youth sports, and so much more,” said NY governor Kathy Hochu. “As this new industry continues to grow, New York will make sure we have the resources and guidelines in place to make it a success for all.”