SBC Americas

Online sports betting in Nebraska ? The bill that would allow the state's public to vote on whether to legalize online sports betting has finally been sent forward to the full Senate floor ??? Sen. Eliot Bostar’s LR 20CA?would place a constitutional amendment to allow sports wagering on the 2026 ballot. The bill proposes allowing up to six online sports betting platforms to partner up with licensed racetracks and offer digital wagering within?#Nebraska But there’s still a long way to go. To go any further in Nebraska’s single-chamber legislature, it must secure a two-thirds majority in three separate floor votes Full story by Tom Nightingale ??

Could prop bets on college sports be banned? ?? A bill filed in Congress by Washington's Michael Baumgartner, who is also chair of the College Sports Caucus has tabled the PROTECT Student Athletes Act ?? that aims to do just that, with March Madness underway ?? ??? "This bill doesn’t ban betting on college sports games, but it targets wagers on student athletes’ individual performances" ??? "We are witnessing a troubling rise in harassment of college athletes on campuses, as well as an alarming increase in cases of student-athletes being coerced into throwing games for financial gain" A study last fall from the?NCAA?and?Signify?found?that thousands of “angry sports bettors” were abusing student-athletes in public posts on social media. Tom Nightingale with the full story ? ??

Major acquisition news ?? ?? Sportradar has agreed to a blockbuster deal to acquire IMG ARENA, with a total financial consideration of $225 million ?? Its financial structure calls for $125 million to be paid to Sportradar with up to $100 million in cash prepayments made by Endeavor to rights holders ?? The deal will allow Sportradar to diversify its product offerings while solidifying its position as one of the largest data and content providers in sports ?? ?? ? ??? Carsten Koerl “Sportradar’s success is driven by the breadth of its sports coverage, its broad product portfolio and leading technology, and its global distribution network,” “Given our proven track record of maximizing ROI through our global betting rights deals and our strengthened position across tennis, basketball and soccer, we are confident in our ability to realize the full economic potential of this portfolio.” Justin Byers with the ? on a huge story ?? https://lnkd.in/ecRbQtJx

?Stop! Or the Terps will do something. Maryland regulators have sent a cease and desist letter to sweepstakes juggernaut VGW asking the company behind Chumba and Luckyland to exit the state. But will the company leave?

Problem Gambling Awareness Month (#PGAM) is the perfect time for FanDuel to announce a new show on FanDuel TV featuring spokesman Craig Carton talking with other problem gamblers about the reality of their condition in a frank and honest manner.

March is proving to be a busy month for DraftKings counsel, as another lawsuit has been cleared to move forward. In this case, the MLBPA is arguing that DraftKings does not have the right to use player NIL and stats in its sportsbook app and social media and the court has to determine whether or not free speech and fair use covers sports betting. More on where the judge's head is at on the issue????

??A new report on offshores from Citizens JMP suggests that the customers flocking to offshores are not necessarily looking for what regulated sportsbooks offer... “The improvement in underlying technology (risk management) and fruitless spending dissipating resulted in players migrating back offshore as more restrictions were placed on wagering to minimize risk,” said client note authors?Jordan Bender?and?Eric Ross. “We believe the lack of KYC, compliance, bet limits, credit/crypto, etc., are the main selling points for these players to stay offshore.”

Sue Schneider of Defy the Odds has an important question and some quality answers when it comes to #innovation. ???"While legalization and regulatory processes are now the norm in many jurisdictions around the world, it’s become more and more costly. For example, startups which want to do business in states and provinces in North America need to apply for licenses in each jurisdiction. Those application fees add up and can be prohibitive.?That’s one reason why some startups will attach themselves to one of those Tier 1 companies from the outset."

????High 5 Games is facing criminal charges in Connecticut related to its sweepstakes site High 5 Casino. There are over 1,000 counts, each carrying a $2,500 fine and up to a year in jail. The slots supplier also had its CT license suspended. Could this be trouble for the company in other states?

????We've got late Friday breaking news!!???? Underdog Fantasy has reached an agreement with the NY Gaming Commission to exit the state effective immediately and pay a $17.5 million fine. The action is not because the state concluded peer-to-peer fantasy is an issue, but rather because when the company's license was obtained these types of games weren't part of the agreement. More details on the scoop from Jessica Welman: