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Top stories around our network this week
The Southeastern quadrant of the U.S. has been slower to embrace legal sports betting than much of the country, and the past week brought news about how some of that is changing and some of it is stuck in limbo.
The coming week is a big one for Kentucky, where retail betting began on Sept. 9. That’s because in the second phase of implementing the state’s new sports betting law, mobile betting is to start next Thursday. In most states where both in-person and digital betting are allowed, the online version ends up representing 90% or more of wagers.
Seven major mobile operators entering Kentucky have been taking pre-launch registrations, with most providing special bonus offers for their new customers. The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission shared that more than 60,000 accounts have been created, and it reported that $4.5 million has been wagered since retail sports betting went live Sept. 7. In advance of the mobile launch, the commission agreed to add wagering markets for Formula One Racing, National Rugby League/Australia, Professional Fighters League (MMA), Bellator (MMA), and the Universal Tennis League to its bet menu.
There can be no similar sense of eager anticipation of convenient access to legal sports betting in Florida, due to the ongoing court battle between a parimutuel operator and the U.S. Department of the Interior. The latest legal wrinkle is that the skirmish that appears headed to an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court will prevent the Florida Seminole Tribe from resuming operation of its Hard Rock Bet platform for at least several weeks, but more likely months or even years.
Things don’t look quite so gloomy in North Carolina, but don’t tell that to the sportsbook operators. They know they will be able to launch mobile betting in the state sometime in the first half of 2024 — with the North Carolina Lottery Commission still developing regulations to guide that — but the sportsbook companies were thrown a curveball by lawmakers this week. The legislature adopted a new budget that includes a provision requiring operators to partner with sports teams or venues in the state instead of applying directly to the lottery commission for the right to do business.
Those three states drew our attention this week, but is much broader than that, scouring news in the sports betting industry every day across the country. Articles linked below show the depth and breadth of that coverage.'And for additional gaming industry news, be sure to check out , including its weekly Double Down column and podcast.
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