SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.
DraftKings Seeking Early Entry Into Illinois Sports Betting Market
It appears that DraftKings is following competitor FanDuel’s lead in Illinois. According to the latest update on the Illinois Gaming Board website, DraftKings (Crown IL Gaming LLC) applied for a management services license for sports betting on April 28, which may indicate that the company is seeking a quicker way into the Illinois market rather than enduring the waiting period for online-only sports betting platforms.
A DraftKings representative told Sports Handle via email this week that the company doesn’t “have any comment to provide regarding the MSP application/license in the state.”
Full story here.
Michigan Gaming Control Board Pulling Out All Online Stops
The Michigan Gaming Control Board looks to be leaving no stone unturned amid a recent flurry of moves to accelerate online gaming availability that could potentially help lessen a huge gap in projected revenue in the Wolverine State as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Friday’s announcement that the MCGB began accepting online gaming supplier license forms as part of the Michigan sports betting and online casino industry was the latest effort to help address an expected shortfall of $3.2 billion this year according to state finance officials. According to the state’s Budget Office, Michigan has $1.2 billion in its Rainy Day Fund.
Full story here.
Caesars Entertainment’s Bid To Build Casino Sportsbook In Virginia Is A Winner
While still miles from crystallization, Virginia’s nascent casino and sports betting market took some additional shape this week with the city of Danville’s announcement that it had selected Caesars Entertainment to be its “preferred casino gaming operator.”
“We received several outstanding bids from a variety of companies competing to be Danville’s choice for a resort casino,” Danville Mayor Alonzo Jones said Monday. “The Caesars bid stood out as the best for our community.”
Full story here.
‘The Match: Champions For Charity’ Tale Of The Tape: Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning vs. Phil Mickelson And Tom Brady
As Memorial Day weekend approaches, American life remains upended by the COVID-19 pandemic. There will be no NBA or NHL playoffs this weekend, no hot dogs at the nearest MLB ballpark, and, well, you know the routine by now. The masterful 10-part Michael Jordan/Chicago Bulls documentary The Last Dance, plus the NFL Draft and a trio of recent UFC events, allowed scores of Americans to take refuge for a while in sports and the spirit of competition.
Full story here.
FoxBet Goes Live With Mobile Sports Betting In Colorado
FOX Bet became the sixth mobile app to go live in Colorado when it launched on Tuesday morning, offering fans up to $1,000 in free signup bonuses. FOX Bet is also live in New Jersey and Pennsylvania.
The first sports bets were taken in Colorado on May 1, when BetRivers, BetMGM, DraftKings, and FanDuel all launched mobile platforms amid the coronavirus crisis. Since then, BetMonarch launched last week, and Smarkets is expected to go live later this week, according to a source.
Full story here.
New York Horse Racing Resuming, New Jersey Expected To Soon Follow
“When we go back, we go back together,” New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo said in March of joint plans among his state, New Jersey, and Connecticut to begin reopenings of business sectors once the danger of the COVID-19 pandemic had somewhat abated.
On Saturday, Cuomo announced that New York racetracks could begin holding races, with no fans, as soon as June 1. And on Tuesday, as Belmont Park announced its schedule for June 3 to July 12, the Belmont Stakes was announced to have a June 20 race date without spectators and at a shorter 1 1/8th mile distance, turning the traditional last leg of the Triple Crown into the “opening act” in this topsy-turvy sports year. (The Kentucky Derby has been rescheduled for Sept. 5 and the Preakness for Oct. 3.)
Full story here.
