Month: May 2024
Odds Shorten on Minnesota Sports Betting Becoming Legal in 2025
Efforts to legalize sports betting in Minnesota failed earlier this month for the sixth year in a row. Minnesota Rep. Zach Stephenson is optimistic about sports betting’s odds of passing in the General Assembly next year. Though 2024 wasn’t the year when a sports betting bill crossed the finish line, a compromise has finally been…
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Enthusiasm for Commercial Casinos in North Carolina Fades Among GOP Leaders
Republican leaders in North Carolina last year unsuccessfully tried to legalize commercial casino gambling after a faction of their party refused to get on board. The party gridlock could keep gaming talks out of the Raleigh capital this year. North Carolina House Speaker Tim Moore, who is running for Congress, once supported bringing Las Vegas…
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Campaign for Fairer Gambling Says Sportsbook Firms Using ‘Dubious Claims’ in Illinois
Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker (D) is pushing to boost the state’s sports betting tax to 35% from 15% to raise needed cash and that’s not to the liking of the gaming industry, which one group says is employing “dubious claims” in a bid to defeat the governor’s plan. Illinois Gov. JB Pritzker signs a bill…
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Effort to Increase Massachusetts Online Sportsbook Tax Fails
A legislative effort in Massachusetts to jack up the state’s effective tax rate on gross revenue won by online sportsbooks in the commonwealth failed on Thursday. Massachusetts state Sen. John Keenan wanted the state to receive more money from online sports betting operators like DraftKings and FanDuel. His motion to increase the state’s tax on…
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Bill to Outlaw Casino Smoking in Rhode Island Faces Long Odds
Rhode Island lawmakers earlier this month shelved legislation that would force the state’s two brick-and-mortar casinos to go smoke-free. As the legislative session approaches its summer conclusion, the odds of the two measures passing seemingly lengthen. A woman smokes a cigarette while playing a slot machine at Bally’s Twin River Lincoln. State legislative efforts to…
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Bally’s Asks Rhode Island Officials for Higher Casino Credit Limits
Rhode Island-based Bally’s Corporation is seeking the freedom to issue larger credit lines to its high rollers. Bally’s officials celebrate the completion of the company’s $100 million overhaul of its Twin River Lincoln casino in Rhode Island in April 2023. Bally’s is now seeking permission to extend higher credit lines to VIP gamblers. (Image: The…
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Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin Vetoes Skill-Gaming Bill on Lack of Regulatory Safeguards
Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin (R) has vetoed legislation passed by the state General Assembly that sought to authorize skill-gaming machines and create a regulatory framework for the slot-like devices. Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin has vetoed legislation to authorize skill games in the commonwealth. The governor said the statute failed to come with certain “safeguards” he…
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Maryland to Buy Historic Pimlico Race Course for $1
The Stronach Group, owner of Baltimore’s Pimlico Race Course – home of the Preakness Stakes – will sell the historic track to the State of Maryland for $1. The Preakness Stakes, above, is the second biggest horse racing event in the US and culturally important to Maryland, which hopes to consolidate all racing at a…
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New Hampshire Bans Greyhound Simulcasts
On Tuesday, New Hampshire’s Republican Governor Chris Sununu signed a bill to prohibit greyhound simulcasting from Jan. 1, 2027. The state joins Kansas, Colorado, and Massachusetts in recently outlawing the broadcasts, in which races are streamed in real-time enabling bettors who are far from the racetrack to wager on races. Greyhound racing is a dying…
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Texas House Candidate Opposes Casino Gambling
Texas political newcomer Cheryl Bean, who will take part in a legislative primary runoff later this month, has repeated her opposition to casino resorts in the state. Cheryl Bean, pictured above. In her race for a spot in the Texas House, she is opposing casinos. (Image: Texas Right to Life) In her race to capture…
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