Kentucky Sportsbooks Took $2.9 Billion in Bets in First 13 months
The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) Dec. 10 shared that from launch in September 2023 through Oct. 31, bettors laid down $2.9 billion in wagers and the state has reaped $46.1 million in tax dollars to help fund its depleted pension program.
Kentucky has eight live sports betting platforms, and at the Dec. 10 meeting, the KHRC approved renewals for all as well as awarding Prime Sports a service provider licence. Prime will partner with Churchill Downs to offer digital sports betting. Prime Sports is live in New Jersey and Ohio and its back-end partner Plannatech was awarded a licence in Arizona in August. The platform differentiates itself by promising not to limit bettors and welcoming sharps.
William Hill Fined in NJ
William Hill and back-end provider Amelco were fined $20,000 in New Jersey, the Associated Press reported Dec. 9. The company’s Atlantic City casino sportsbook allowed $25,000 in bets on games that were already completed, according to the story. The Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) said the sportsbook took wagers on college basketball games, hockey games and boxing matches that were contested over a two-day period in February and June 2022. According to the DGE, 42 bets on college basketball were accepted.
Owned by Caesars Entertainment, the William Hill sportsbooks paid out on 12 winning college basketball bets, while the rest were voided.
In other action, the DGE fined sports betting technology provide Amelco $10,000 for allowing PlayUp to take a bet in 2022 on Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg becoming the next U.S. president. Election betting through sportsbooks isn’t legal in the US, though a court recently allowed that derivatives exchanges could take such bets.
Sports Wagering Contributes $11.8 Million in Maryland
Maryland’s sports wagering market generated nearly $11.8 million in contributions to the state during Nov. 2024, the largest single-month total the program has produced since its launch in Dec. 2021.
Sports wagering contributions to the state are directed to the Blueprint for Maryland’s Future Fund, which supports public education programs. The largest previous single-month contribution was $9.4 million in Sept. 2024. Through the first five months of fiscal year 2025 (July 2024 through November 2024), sports wagering has delivered $40,065,740 to the Blueprint Fund, compared to $18,111,505 for the same period in FY2024.
FanDuel Rolls Out New RG Tool
FanDuel Dec. 10 rolled out its latest responsible gambling tool, called “MySpend.” Consumers can use the personalized dashboard to track spending and “net wins,” according to a company press release. Conceptually, the idea is that players will be able to track their spending patterns and manage budgets. Bettors are also encouraged to use FanDuel’s other RG tools, which include ways to monitor time spent betting, set their own bet limits and more.
“FanDuel believes our customers should always have a budget and plan in mind when they engage with our products, and we are thrilled to introduce My Spend to help customers track their spending and manage their play,” Alison Kutler, VP for responsible gaming and community impact at FanDuel, said via press release. “As we look to continuously raise the standard for what it means to be a responsible operator, we look forward to continuing to bring new and innovative ways to support our customers.”
In other news …
WagerWire secured “high-profile” investors for its recent funding round, the company announced Dec. 12. The sports betting marketplace added investor Danny Moses, former Pinnacle CEO Paris Smith, Pinnacle Co-Founder George Molsbarger and GoodPaper Ventures. Consumers on WagerWire can buy and sell existing sports bets.
The NBA was the most popular US professional league to bet on, according to a new report from bet-tracking app Pikkit. The company released its “Instant Replay,” a look back at the year, Dec. 9. According to the report, 34 percent of all bets among its 600,000 users were placed on the NFL, followed by 22 percent on Major League Baseball and 19 percent on the NFL.
Two Michigan bills, one that would increase the sports betting tax by .1 percent and another that would raise the iGaming tax 1 percent, dropped Dec. 5. Per Casino Reports, The higher tax rates would drive more dollars into local and state coffers.
IC360 appointed lobbyist Bill Pascrell III a special advisor, the company announced Dec. 10. Pascrell III played key roles in the repeal of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act and the legalisation of igaming in New Jersey in 2013.
According to a Pennsylvania television station, the state collected $2.3 billion in taxes in 2023, the most for any state in the US. New York collected the second most at $2 billion, and Nevada was a distant third at $1.2 billion.
