Matthew Waters and the team at Legal Sports Report highlight some of the key US sports betting issues to look out for in the week ahead.
Unibet launches in Pennsylvania: Kindred’s Unibet-branded online sportsbook and casino will soft-launch Tuesday with 140 games, which will give it the largest online casino library in the state. That’s nearly double its closest competitor at Hollywood Casino. Android users will get access to an app that can be downloaded directly from the website but iOS users will have to wait with no target date for the Apple app. The brand will have some extra marketing help to gain share in the state after signing an agreement to be the official casino partner of the Philadelphia Eagles.
Can mobile extend handle lead in Iowa?: Iowa’s handle in September was split almost evenly with mobile slightly leading retail with 56.6% of the market share. Iowa is one of the few states that requires in-person registration, meaning a trip to a physical casino is needed to start betting online. People have now had another month to register those accounts, so one would assume mobile’s market share should grow. All casinos in the state are not yet operating mobile, either, so the market has more room to grow in later months. PointsBet, which is partnered with Catfish Bend, expects its mobile app to be live by the end of the year.
New Jersey’s sports betting figures for October: We’ll know Thursday whether FanDuel kept its market share lead or not in New Jersey when the Division of Gaming Enforcement releases October’s handle and revenue totals. The state hit a record handle total in September of $445.6 million, though it wasn’t enough to top Nevada’s $546.2 million. It will also be interesting to see how much the growing online market in neighboring Pennsylvania might be affecting New Jersey’s handle.
