THIS WEEK IN SPORTS BETTING NEWS – NOVEMBER 12TH, 2021

Chris Altman Sports Betting Expert

5 minute read

PENN NATIONAL WILL LAUNCH THESCORE BET IN CANADA

Penn National, parent company of a number of high-profile betting websites in the US and elsewhere, is going to launch their platform theScore Bet in Canada.

Score Media and Gaming was acquired by the Penn National Gaming group in October 2021. theScore Bet and Barstool Sports are the two sportsbooks run by the group, and it seems like their intention is to corner the Canadian market with theScore Bet (specifically in Ontario).

Ontario, as far as is known, is poised to be the only competitive iGaming and sports betting marketplace in the country. Each province can legislate betting as they see fit, and in the case of Ontario, regulators there have opted to allow numerous betting platforms to compete in an open market. Compare this to British Columbia, for example, that has a lottery-run model with only one available sportsbook.

While Penn National is pushing theScore Bet in Canada, they’re also going to be using the sister site, Barstool Sports, for similar promotion of the Penn National Group in the country. As the market develops, we’ll have more information about what will be available through theScore Bet- stay tuned.

STILL HOPE REMAINING FOR NC’S SPORTS BETTING BILL

There’s a relatively standard process for passing a bill into law in the US. Typically speaking, once a bill enters the “committee” phase, it must be scheduled for review. If it doesn’t get scheduled to be picked up by a committee for further review, we will say that the bill “died in committee”: a common fate for many a piece of sports betting legislation.

North Carolina’s SB 688 was expected to meet a similar fate: lawmakers had promised to consider the bill in committee, but delays and scheduling issues led many to believe that the bill wouldn’t have a chance in 2021. However, in a surprise move, the bill passed the North Carolina House Commerce Committee by a vote of 12-4.

Note the “SB”: this means it’s a Senate Bill, and if it’s already being considered by multiple House committees, that’s a good sign that it might pass its way to Governor Roy Cooper’s desk. We’ll keep you updated on whether or not the bill makes it through the House Judiciary Committee.

MD REGULATORS DELAY INITIAL DECISION ON SPORTS BETTING

In 2020, Maryland voters opted “yes” on a referendum to allow online sports betting. As the legal betting package developed, it became clear that it was to be one of the most optimistic in the country.

With no cap on available licenses and a forward-thinking approach towards improving diversity in the betting marketplace, this set of bills is a model for the sports betting industry as a whole.

However, having a completely open marketplace with built-in actions to support minority- and women-owned businesses also meant that a lot more structuring had to be put in place. Some of those sports betting revenues will go back into education and grants for the diversity support structure.

We’re still waiting for the Maryland Sports Wagering Application Review Committee to start moving forward with the licensing process, and it’s starting to frustrate Governor Larry Hogan, who says:

If, in fact, they don’t act immediately and approve those, and if the legislature has their way in violating the law, then it’s going to be at least a year or more before anyone gets the ability to do gambling in Maryland, sports betting, and potentially it could kill the entire deal.”

NEW YORK ANNOUNCES LICENSEES FOR SPORTS BETTING

One of the jewels in the US sports betting crown is New York. As New York’s economy rivals that of a majority of entire countries, having a legal online sports betting platform would be a massive boon to lawmakers and operators looking to break into the market in the Empire State.

After a gubernatorial shake up and some less-than-clear legislating, it became apparent that online sportsbooks might have a fighting chance at becoming legal by 2022. Now, that process is well underway, as a number of qualified operators have secured a sports betting license in New York State. They include:

• FanDuel
• Bally Bet
• BetMGM
• Caesars
• WynnBET
• DraftKings
• Resorts World
• Rush Street Interactive
• PointsBet

New York is expected to go live with online sports betting by January 2022, but is more likely to launch just before or during the Super Bowl.

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