Brazil has banned free bets and bonuses
Under the new law, bookmakers are prohibited from providing any form of rewards, even if they are only for promotion or advertising. The ban is due to concerns about the integrity of the betting market and a possible increase in gambling addiction. Operators must also only accept bets from registered customers and pay out winnings within 120 minutes after the end of a sporting event.
For the same reasons, Brazil has banned many types of payments, with the exception of electronic transfers.
Ontario has banned betting on WBA fights due to suspicions of “fixing”
According to the regulator, World Boxing Association boxing matches are not immune to the threat of match manipulation and insider betting. The ban is related to the fight between Telles and Navarro in December 2023 – experts identified suspicious betting schemes, and Telles’ manager made large bet on his fighter’s victory. The regulator stressed that if the WBA corrects the situation, betting on their events may be allowed again.
Players Sue DraftKings Over ‘Risk-Free Bet’
According to the terms of the promotion, the bookmaker guaranteed to return the player’s first bet in case of loss but in fact returned less than half of the amount. The players filed a class-action lawsuit in federal court in New York seeking compensation and claiming they were misled. The number of players who filed a lawsuit is unknown yet but the lawsuit is ongoing. DraftKings representatives are still remaining silent.
A gambling self-exclusion registry will be launched in the US this summer.
American gamblers will be able to self-exclude from gambling in all regulated states starting this summer, and a new nationwide scheme to protect gamblers across the country is due to launch in the upcoming months. The National Voluntary Self-Exclusion Program (NVSEP) will begin operating in the United States this summer, subject to regulatory and other necessary approvals. It will be initially launched in New England and will be expanded to other states in subsequent months.
NVSEP will allow users to self-exclude regardless of geographic location. In addition, the new framework integrates current regulatory information and evolving public health resources from across the United States. This is not the first nationwide scheme designed to help US gamblers. In June 2022, the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) opened the helpline to users across the country.
An American won two jackpots totaling $2.5 million in one day
In the US state of Florida, a lucky player won the jackpot twice in one day at the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood. First, a player who wished to remain anonymous won a $1.2 million jackpot playing Dragon Link slots, and later that same day he won $1.28 million on the same casino lobby. Hard Rock says this is the first known case of one player winning more than $1 million twice in one day on slots anywhere in the world.
Las Vegas Sands Corporation Lobbies for Legalization of Gambling in Texas
The Texas Resorts Alliance (TRA) sponsored by Las Vegas Sands has filed a petition to the state House of Representatives to legalize gambling. This is the initial stage of advancing a bill that must first be approved by the House, then the Texas Senate, and then put to a referendum. The initiative has failed to pass the legislature several times but TRA continues its efforts with the support of LVS whose leadership has additional motivation to grow its business in the region.
Late last year, Miriam, the widow of LVS founder Sheldon Adelson, purchased the local NBA team, the Dallas Mavericks. She is planning a renovation of the club’s home arena, as well as a series of projects in the city and state that will transform Dallas into one of the top five tourist destinations in the United States, Bloomberg reports. These plans also include opening a casino.
In New Jersey, betting volume exceeded $4 billion in the first quarter of the year.
New Jersey gamblers bet $4.1 billion in the first quarter of 2023, up 42% from $2.9 billion a year earlier, according to data from the state’s Department of Gaming Enforcement (DGE).
Online betting totaled $4 billion, up from $2.7 billion in the same period in 2023. March was the first month that DGE provided operator-specific revenue data. New Jersey is home to 17 online operators, making it one of the most competitive sports betting markets in America.
FanDuel has earned $136.8 million since the beginning of the year. The brand owned by Flutter Entertainment became the top grossing operator by a wide margin. DraftKings reported the second-highest gross revenue in New Jersey at $82 million. PointsBet ranked third in New Jersey for revenue at $55.6 million. BetMGM rounded out the top four with revenue of $16.9 million, while UK operator bet365 had revenue of $9.7 million.
American bookmakers are ready to enter the Brazilian market
Leading US bookmakers including DraftKings, MGM and Hard Rock are ready to launch in the Brazilian online sports betting market. The process of creating a regulated gambling market is currently ongoing in the country. Following the relaxation of online gambling laws in 2018, Brazil became one of the top 10 largest sports betting markets in the world. Currently, the licensing fee for new bookmakers is about $6 million, and operators will also have to pay 12% of gross revenue.
