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Weekly News – 06/23/2021

Chris Altman
Chris Altman Sports Betting Expert
6 minute read

THIS WEEK IN LEGAL SPORTS BETTING — MAINE SPORTS BETTING MOVES ANOTHER STEP CLOSER

Best US Sportsbooks · Weekly Update

June 23rd, 2021 Weekly Report

This week in legal sports betting news, we saw some movement with our neighbors to the north with Canada sports betting. We also saw progress when it came to Maine sports betting and Massachusetts sports betting news. Plus, Ohio sports betting could be coming some time soon in the near future. Keep reading to learn all you need to know about legal sports betting news from this week.

If you want to find out more on some major topics not covered in this article you can check out the rest of VegasInsider with our exclusive bet365 bonus code, FanDuel promo code or DraftKings promo code for example!

CONTENTS

CANADA SPORTS BETTING MAY SEE THE LIGHT OF DAY SOON

This week, a vote may decide the fate of Canada sports betting. A bill that would end the federal prohibition when it comes to single-game sports wagering requires a vote this week. However, there is other business set to be discussed before bill C-218 gets the floor.

Proponents of the bill are fairly confident that it will be able to pass. And, the provinces themselves appear to be ready to introduce single-game wagering. A launch date that appears realistic that has been floated is in the Fall, September 6th. However, it could pretty much launch immediately in British Columbia, this is according to the British Columbia Lottery Commission.

A realistic date for the launch of single-game wagering when it comes to Ontario could be the end of 2021, this is according to the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario. So, it is very likely that we will see Canada sports betting in more than one province before the end of the year.

MAINE SPORTS BETTING IS ANOTHER ONE TO WATCH

There are a few states that are making moves to legalize, including potential Maine sports betting progress. Despite the fact that the sponsor of a Maine sports betting bill has spoken out against a proposed tethering agreement, the bill has moved forward. The bill that would legalize sports betting in the Northern state is headed to the state House.

The sponsor, state Senator Louis Luchini has an issue with a specific clause. This clause would require mobile sports betting operators to partner with local gambling outlets, such as OTBs and casinos, in order to obtain a license. However, it appears this may be the only way for the legislation to move forward in the state.

State Senator Luchini feels that this tethering move would be bad for the state’s constituents. He does not feel like it would be a competitive move. And, he feels it would give casinos too much power in the state to decide who would be able to operate.

Luchini feels that the open market would be a better bet for Maine sports betting. He would prepare an open marketplace. He does not one a landscape where digital operators would have to pay their land-based competitors in order to operate in Maine. He does not like the resulting market-access, which he feels would give Maine sports betting worse odds.

However, Luchini’s colleagues still passed the legislation, in a vote of 23-12. Last Wednesday night, three amendments were added to LD1352, the proposed sports betting bill. The main amendment was the tethering to mobile betting licenses. Also, license fees were raised to $100,000 for two years.

The bill now has to go to the state House. The state of Maine has a backlog of bills that need to be addressed in a special session. The House could begin discussions on this bill starting this week.

As the bill has bipartisan support in strong supply in the state Senate, it is likely to pass the state House. However, Maine Governor Janet Mills could still veto the sports betting legislation like she did to a Maine sports betting bill in 2020, last year. But, this was due to social concerns that seem to have been addressed in the new provisions in the new 2021 legislation. These provisions deal with advertising and responsible gaming.

State Senator Luchini had been working closely with Mills’ office on the current iteration of the sports betting bill.

ARIZONA SPORTS BETTING TAKES ANOTHER STEP

On Monday, a period for public comment on the proposed Arizona sports betting rules is set to close. Arizona sports betting, however, is set to launch for the start of the NFL season to capitalize on football betting. Currently, the date for the launch of sports betting in the state is in the Fall, on September 9th.

MASSACHUSETTS SPORTS BETTING HAS MORE WORK TO DO

After a meeting of the joint committee from last week, there is a lot of work that needs to happen for Massachusetts sports betting. The joint committee now has to work on condensing over twenty sports betting bill proposals in the state into just one sports betting bill. So, it may be a little while yet before we see legal sports wagering in the state.

HOW CLOSE IS OHIO SPORTS BETTING TO REALITY?

Now, the proposed Ohio sports betting legislation from the Ohio state Senate has moved to the Ohio state House. Supporters like state Senator Kirk Schuring are hopeful that the House will have the bill passed before the end of the month. However, it is unclear whether this quick path will be taken by the House.

HOW IS SPORTS BETTING REVENUE DOING STATESIDE?

It is always a good idea to check out the sports betting revenue overall in the United States to see how likely more states are to legalize. This is because many states are looking for ways to add revenue to their tax dollars. And, legal sports betting is a great way for many states to add that kind of revenue — as long as it is successful.

Just one state was able to report an increased sports betting handle last week. However, the sports wagering calendar does slow down when it comes to the end of May. So, that is not entirely unexpected.

In April, NJ sports betting operators saw a handle rise of 14%, to $814 million, but overall sports wagering revenue fell by around 3%. In May, neighboring state Pennsylvania had a handle drop to $447 million, of around 7%. But, in the opposite of what happened in New Jersey, Pennsylvania sports betting operators saw a revenue increase of 4%.

Unfortunately, Michigan sports betting took a dip with its lowest full month of handle on record last month in May. The lowest handle was $257.7 million.

Of the states discussed, Iowa sports betting saw its handle drop the least amount of the three. This is with a $114.9 million handle from May for Iowa sports betting. This is down only 2.9% from the previous month, April.

Written by Allie Nelson, our US Sports Betting Industry Expert. You can learn more about our author's expertise.

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Chris Altman

Chris Altman

Chris Altman is a sports betting writer and content expert with almost a decade of experience. He's covered everything, but his current focus is on reviewing sportsbooks and online casinos and keeping tabs on sports betting legislation. Chris has been with VegasInsider since 2019 and has freelanced in the sports betting content industry for years. More from Chris Altman
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