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.
Pennsylvania sports betting revenue: It will be interesting to see if the ramp-up of Pennsylvania’s sports betting handle continues into January or falls off due to fewer NFL games. Indiana, a state firing up in a similar manner to Pennsylvania, saw handle grow 5.6% in January over December. Iowa, meanwhile, saw handle fall 2.1% as it continues to be handcuffed by in-person registration. Either way, Pennsylvania is expected to be one of the top states by sports betting handle in its first full year of mobile operations, in the mix with New Jersey and Nevada for the top three spots in the US.
Boyd Gaming reports earnings Thursday: Boyd Gaming is always an interesting call to listen to for anyone involved in sports betting due to their market-access agreements with Flutter’s FanDuel Sportsbook and with MGM Resorts. Boyd CEO Keith Smith said he doesn’t expect sports betting revenue to begin moving the needle for the company until later this year. Smith could also update on how retail sports betting has led to increased revenue and handle for other areas of Boyd’s casinos.
Colorado could approve sports betting rules: According to the agenda of Colorado’s gaming regulator, it looks like sports betting rules could be finalized as of Thursday. Regulators have been working to make sure anyone that is licensed is able to go live May 1, the first day a sports bet can legally be accepted in the state. The meeting could also include the first seven master license holders. We know one of the three partners for two of the casinos up for licensure: Double Eagle Casino partnered with PointsBet while Saratoga Casino partnered with Betfred.
