LegalSportsBetting Brief: NC To Launch Sportsbooks In 2021 12/8/2020

Missouri has pre-filed three bills to make sports betting legal during the 2021 session while DraftKings partnered with Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to make a push for 2021 sports betting legislation.
Governor Roy Cooper of North Carolina agreed to the ratified Tribal Gaming Compacts that will allow sports wagering to launch in the state in early 2021.
Flutter Entertainment now owns 95% of FanDuel in its latest purchase of more stake in the company and 888 Holdings will be opening a mobile sportsbook in Iowa in 2021.
fuboTV bought Balto Sports to further their expansion into the sports betting market.

ST. LOUIS – The sports betting world in the United States continues to make headlines as the industry grows with each passing week.

Missouri, who was very close to sports betting legalization in their 2020 session prior to the outbreak of COVID-19, has pre-filed three sports wagering bills to be heard in 2021.

DraftKings has partnered with Foxwoods Casino in Connecticut to push for legislation in 2021 that would legalize sports betting in the Nutmeg State.

Other news from the East Coast saw North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper agree to the terms of Tribal Gaming Compacts that will allow for an early 2021 launch of legal sports wagering in the state.

Outside of state headlines, sports betting companies have been making moves of their own.

Flutter Entertainment bought more of FanDuel, now owning 95% of the sports gaming conglomerate. 888 Holdings partnered with Catfish Bend Casinos in Iowa to unveil their mobile sportsbook platform in the state in 2021 and fuboTV purchased fantasy sports betting platform Balto Sports as they continue to get more involved in the gambling on sports industry.

Missouri Pre-Files Three Sports Betting Bills & DraftKings Push For Connecticut Bills

Missouri opened its window to pre-file bills for the 2021 session on December 1 and three sports betting bills have already been filed. These bills, Senate Bill 18 from Senator Denny Hoskins, Senate Bill 217 from Senator Tony Luetkemeyer, and Senate Bill 256 from Senator Caleb Rowden, all mirror previous proposals to legalize sports wagering in Missouri. It is the hope of sponsors that due to the familiarity of the text by lawmakers from prior sessions that discussions to make gambling on sporting events a legal activity in the state will move favorably in 2021.

DraftKings has partnered with the Mashantucket Pequot Tribe of Connecticut who runs the second biggest casino in the nation, Foxwoods Casino in Ledyard.

The Tribe, as well as others in the state, want exclusivity to legal sports betting as they have said they are entitled to it under the current gaming agreements they have in place with the state.

Policymakers have been hesitant to legalize a bill for strictly Tribal sportsbooks in Connecticut, however, this new partnership with one of the biggest names in sports wagering could be the push Tribes in the Nutmeg State need to make sports betting legal in 2021 on their terms.

North Carolina Governor Agrees To Tribal Sports Betting Expansion Compacts

North Carolina is one step closer to launching their two sportsbook venues at Harrah’s locations in the state now that Governor Roy Cooper has agreed to the amended Tribal Gaming Compacts.

The Governor’s decision is eight months overdue but he has finally granted his approval of the amendments. Once the required signatures are obtained followed by a 45-day opinion window in Washington. D.C., North Carolina should see legal sportsbooks launched by March 2021.

It could happen by the Super Bowl in February but actions would need to be taken immediately to allow for a launch by then. A more likely timeline might be a little before or during March Madness.

Flutter Take Hold Of More U.S. Sports Betting Action & 888 Holdings Set To Open In Iowa In 2021

Flutter Entertainment has purchased 37.2% more of FanDuel for a $4.1 billion price tag. Flutter began to purchase stake in FanDuel in 2018 when PASPA was repealed in the United States. The company now owns 95% of FanDuel.

The sports betting brand is often vying for the top sportsbook spot in the nation, competing with DraftKings and now Flutter owns the bulk of all FanDuel’s future successes in the sports wagering industry.

Iowans will be seeing an 888 Holdings sports betting platform open to them in 2021. The international sports wagering company is trying to make a name for themselves in the United States.

They offer both sports betting and casino gaming technology. Should Iowa ever legalize online casino games, 888 Holdings would offer those services to the people of Iowa. The partnership with 888 Holdings and Catfish Bend Casinos is what has made this sportsbook application launch in the state possible.

888 Holdings also struck partnerships in Indiana and Colorado. The deals are all part of the plan to grow the company’s market share in the U.S.

FuboTV Acquires Balto Sports

FuboTV continues to immerse themselves in the world of sports gambling as they have now acquired fantasy sports betting platform Balto Sports.

The television streaming service, which has already chosen to incorporate more sports wagering programming as well as statistics, odds, and wagers on the screen during other broadcasts now has its own fantasy sportsbook outlet in Balto Sports.

This will allow fantasy sports information to also have a spot with fuboTV’s streaming services.

What’s On Deck For The Week Ahead

Ohio Senate Bill 111 is still pulling to become legal before the end of the month. Discussions for the bill to legalize sports betting continue with amendments being made to appease lawmakers.

Currently, the bill allows retail sportsbooks only one skin for mobile sports betting operators as opposed to the three the original draft allowed.

The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (NJDGE) will be releasing their November 2020 sports betting information on December 14. October 2020 made a new national record for handle in the sports wagering market of the United States as the Garden State took in $803 million in bets for the month.

West Virginia saw an uptick of 8.7% in sports wagers placed in November compared to October. Handle for the state was recorded at $48,532,442. That’s a 47.2% increase from their November 2019 numbers.

The current record for monthly handle in West Virginia is $77 million which was reported for the month of September.

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Christina Monroe

Christina has been writing for as long as she can remember and does dedicated research on the newly regulated sports betting market. She comes from a family of sports lovers that engage in friendly bets from time to time. During the winter months, you can find Christina baking cookies and beating the entire staff at Mario Kart…the N64 version of course.