In Maryland, Industry Rift Over iGaming Apparent
As during a state senate hearing last month, a Feb. 10 Maryland House hearing on iGaming displayed an industry at odds, according to iGB.
The house ways and means committee held a four-plus hour hearing on Feb. 10 on Rep. Vanessa Atterbeary’s HB 17. The bill would allow for statewide online casino licences tethered to existing casinos and digital sports betting licensees. It differs from a bill that passed through the House in 2024. Atterbeary said that in response to her colleagues’ concerns, HB 17 would ban funding accounts by credit cards.
She also suggested that a constitutional amendment might not be needed to add iGaming. Traditionally, any expansion of gaming in Maryland has gone to the voters. But Atterbeary pointed to the three referendums in Maryland that legalised video lottery terminals (2008), table games at land-based casinos and the addition of a sixth casino (2012) and in-person and online sports betting (2020). She said the voters have already spoken and embrace digital casino.
Atterbeary also touched on a subject that has become a top-level concern for the gambling industry – sweepstakes. The unregulated digital gaming platforms operate across the U.S., mostly in a gray area. That means they are not explicitly legal or illegal. The sites draw players in with free-to-play games, but consumers can ultimately buy and win “coins” or “tokens.”
Atterbeary and proponents of her bill said a legal market can create a framework to help tamp down the black market. She shared that the state had already sent letters to 12 sweepstakes operators. Surprisingly, she said, six replied and said they believe their business is legal in Maryland. But the state has no law it can cite to stop them.
Tysons Casino Efforts All but Dead for This Session
In Virginia, the push to bring a casino to Fairfax County near Tysons looks to be dead for this year after Senate Bill 982 did not advance out of a House subcommittee Feb.12. Normally, this would not be a death sentence, but that particular subcommittee does not have another meeting scheduled for this session.
SB 982 had been introduced by Sen. Scott Surovell, after a similar bill from Sen. Dave Marsden also failed last year. Surovell’s office confirmed to Virginia Business that the bill is “essentially” finished, although there is an outside chance that a House committee member could bring the bill back.
The movement has been very controversial, and has been especially opposed by Fairfax County lawmakers and constituents. Virginia has seen a flurry of casino activity in recent years, with facilities now in Norfolk, Bristol, Danville, Portsmouth and Petersburg.
“The voice of the people was finally heard today,” Paula Martino, president of the Tysons Stakeholders Alliance, said in a statement. “Thank you to the members of the Senate who voted no and to the House of Delegates for listening to the thousands of Fairfax County residents who expressed their opposition to the Tysons casino legislation. If this bill had passed, it would have not only wreaked havoc on our county and region, but it would have set a bad precedent in circumventing local authority and the will of the local community.”
New Anti-IGaming Group Forms
The National Association Against iGaming (NAAiG) Feb. 11 announced its formation and released an Innovation Group study that “debunks the myth that iGaming offers easy revenue for states.” According to a press release, the study shows that land-based casino revenue dropped 16 percent “on average” after iGaming was introduced in a state. The study also points to job losses when iGaming is introduced as well “significant losses” in economic output.
In the press release and on its website NAAiG does not indicate who its members are, though representatives from Churchill Downs, Inc. (CDI), the Cordish Companies and Monarch Casino are all quoted. Executives from Churchill Downs and the Cordish Companies have testified against iGaming expansion in several states over the last six months.
“iGaming is eroding our communities,” Shannon McCracken, Senior Director of Government Relations at CDI and NAAIG board member said in the press release. “This isn’t just about responsible gaming—it’s about protecting local family sustaining jobs and preventing financial harm. In Maryland alone, iGaming could cost $372 million in economic output, $342.6 million in lost casino revenue and nearly $110 million in annual wages. We must act now to protect our state and local economies nationwide.”
Google to Ban Affiliates From Promoting Social Casinos
Google on Feb. 10 released updated guidelines that include a ban on aggregators and affiliates promoting social casino games. The company says it will only allow the promotion of legal gambling and will require aggregators and affiliates to be licensed with Google. Failure to gain proper certification could result in an “account being prohibited from running ads until you apply for and receive certification,” according to a press release.
Google defines social casinos as “online simulated gambling-style games where there is no opportunity to win something of value.”
In the U.S., certified companies can advertise legal horse racing, lotteries, lottery couriers, online casinos and sports betting. Any advertising must include a warning about “addictive and compulsive gambling and related assistance information on the landing page or in the creative,” and cannot be targeted to those under the age of 21. In addition, according to the release, gambling advertisers may only promote gambling in legal gambling states.
The new guidelines indicate that there are 55 legal gambling countries in the world, and have a section with specific rules for each country.
Owensboro Racing & Gaming Opens in Kentucky
Churchill Downs’ (CDI) latest historical horse racing (HHR) casino, Owensboro Racing & Gaming, opened Feb. 12 in Owensboro, Ky. The 71,500-square-foot, $100 million facility features 600 HHR machines, a sportsbook, simulcast wagering and dining options. It will support purse funding for nearby Ellis Park in Henderson.
“Today marks an exciting milestone for our company as we expand our footprint in western Kentucky and further strengthen our commonwealth’s signature horse racing industry,” CDI CEO Bill Carstanjen said in a statement. “Owensboro’s newest entertainment destination will drive new tourism, entertainment and economic opportunities in eastern Daviess County.”
Mount Airy Casino Hit with Lawsuit Over Tips, Overtime
Pennsylvania’s Mount Airy Casino Resort has been hit with a class-action lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in the Middle District of Pennsylvania by former employees who allege that the casino failed to pay more than $5 million in wages and overtime to table games dealers.
According to a Feb. 11 report from the Times-Tribune, the suit alleges that the casino committed four violations: improperly claiming a tip credit and failing to inform employees, distributing pooled tips of hourly employees to “dual-rate supervisors,” improperly rounding time clock hours and miscalculating pay rates for overtime purposes. The suit is a class action because of the large number of employees who were potentially impacted.
Former NV Governor Named to Resorts World Las Vegas Board
Resorts World Las Vegas (RWLV) announced Feb. 10 that Brian Sandoval, current president of the University of Nevada, Reno and former governor of Nevada, has been named to the casino’s newly established board of directors. Sandoval now joins existing board members Jim Murren, A.G. Burnett, Michelle DiTondo and Tan Kong Han.
“Governor Sandoval’s leadership, vision, and extensive experience in both government and the gaming industry make him an extraordinary addition to our team,” RWLV CEO Alex Dixon said in a statement. “His appointment accelerates the property’s growth strategy.”
ICRG Relocates to Las Vegas
The International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG) has completed its relocation from Beverly, Mass., where it had been located since its inception, to Las Vegas, Nev. Christine Reilly, who had served as executive director from the beginning, lived in the Boston area but retired in 2024.
“We came to Vegas for several reasons,” ICRG President Art Paikowsky told CDC Gaming. “Most of our funders — Sands, MGM, and Caesars and Aristocrat on the slot-machine side — are based here, so it gives us immediate access. In the three and a half years I’ve been in this job, I’ve gone to the Boston office twice. I’m here all the time. We’re also making a statement that there’s no place like Vegas when it comes to gambling.”
Study: Baby Boomers Fuel Betting Growth
TransUnion Feb. 10 released its annual “U.S. Betting Report,” and one of the more interesting takeaways is that there was an increase of bettors in the Baby Boomer and Gen X categories, while participation by Millennials dropped by five percent. The report also revealed 25 percent of those polled said they had bet in the fourth quarter of 2024 vs. 24 percent in the fourth quarter of 2023.
Even though the survey showed that betting increased overall, the number of bettors who wagered $500 or more per month decreased, and that the most “active” bettors surveyed had a “more volatile financial behavior.”
While the poll reported mostly good news for the wagering industry, TransUnion cautioned that problem gambling remains a concern.
“The risks of problem gambling only increase as the industry continues to expand,” study authors wrote. “And the chorus of concern from regulators and consumer advocacy groups related to responsible gaming is growing alongside the industry.”
Steve Wynn Appeals to Supreme Court Regarding Defamation Rule
Earlier this month, former casino mogul Steve Wynn appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court to review and potentially overturn the “actual malice” standard for defamation as established by the landmark New York Times v. Sullivan case from 1964.
Essentially, the case set a precedent that in order for public figures to win libel suits, they must show that the offending material was published with actual malice, or with knowledge that it was false or a disregard as to whether it was false. The ruling has been challenged several times in subsequent years.
Wynn had previously sued the Associated Press over a 2018 report detailing sexual assault allegations against him. The report included citizens’ complaints that an AP reporter had obtained from the Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department. The suit was ultimately dismissed by the Nevada Supreme Court.
