On Monday, Gov. Glenn Youngkin and State Sen. Bryce Reeves, R-Spotsylvania, announced that Senate Bill 836 was signed into law and will come into effect on July 1, 2023. The objective of the bill is to create a problem gambling committee within Virginia’s Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services and prevent gambling addiction.

The proposed committee, which will be chaired by the Problem Gambling Prevention Coordinator at DBHDS, will facilitate cooperation between prevention and treatment providers and operators of legal gaming in the Commonwealth.

Gambling Expansion in Virginia Raises Concerns About Surge in Problem Gambling Among Youths

In December, Sen. Bryce Reeves (R-Spotsylvania) and Del. Paul Krizek (D-Mount Vernon) introduced Senate Bill 836 in a bid to tackle problem gambling and establish a Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee within the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services (DBHDS). The legislators were concerned that the gambling expansion would lead to a dramatic increase in problem gambling.

Reeves even cited a 2021 VA Youth Survey, according to which 21% of high school students in the state had gambled within the past year. The survey revealed that 64% of young adults aged 18-25 had gambled in the past 30 days.

Mr. Reeves expressed gratitude to Governor Youngkin, who supported the bill. He added that as a father, he feels obliged to do something to protect young people from gambling problems. He also said that the Virginia Gambling Hotline had seen a 143% increase in intake calls over the last three years.

Delegate Krizek explained that the state should focus on protecting locals from gambling addiction as the gambling industry in Virginia continues expanding rapidly. He said that people who start engaging in gambling activities at an early age are at a higher risk of developing gambling problems.

Virginia Offers Multiple Gambling Opportunities

Online sports betting went live in Virginia in January 2021. Currently, residents can pick from over a dozen betting platforms. Last summer, Virginia’s first casino, the Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bristol, opened its doors, operating from a temporary location. This is the first of the four approved casinos.

A piece of legislation allowed Bristol, Danville, Norfolk, Portsmouth, and Richmond to conduct public referendums, providing voters with the opportunity to decide whether or not they want a casino in their city. In November 2020, 71% of Bristol voters approved the idea. Other legal gambling opportunities in the state include historical horse racing machines and online lottery.

With so many legal forms of gambling, preventing problem gambling should be a priority, according to Krizek and Reeves. During the 2022 General Assembly Session, Senate Bill 366 and House Bill 571, seeking to raise the legal age to wager on historical horse racing machines from 18 to 21, were passed in an effort to combat gambling problems among youths.

Two Chinese top-flight basketball teams, the Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons, have both been disqualified from the playoffs and fined 5 million yuan (US$727,135) each for alleged match-fixing. On Monday, the league announced that both teams had been found guilty of deliberately losing Games 2 and 3 of their quarterfinal playoff series. Team coaches and general managers were restricted from participating in basketball activities for three to five years.

What Punishments are Imposed on the Two Teams?

Another match-fixing scandal shook Chinese sports to the core. This Monday, the Chinese Basketball Association (CBA) announced that the Shanghai Sharks and Jiangsu Dragons were disqualified from the 2022-23 season for “being passive in competition” during a CBA playoff game that took place on Friday. Besides, the two teams will have to pay a fine of 5 million yuan each. Li Nan, Jiangsu Dragons’ head coach, has been banned from coaching for three years, while Shanghai Sharks’ head coach Li Chunjiang is not allowed to coach for five years.

Shi Linjie, the general manager of the Jiangsu team, has been prohibited from participating in basketball activities for five years, while the Shanghai team’s general manager Jiang Yusheng was banned for three years. The punishments imposed on the two teams are the harshest in the league’s history.

In a Monday briefing, Yao Ming, president of the CBA, told reporters that both teams have a long history and are associated with some great players. He added that credibility is even more important than ability in sports and something must be changed to eliminate such incidents. Yao did not use the term “match-fixing” but “passive playing” to describe the incident.

Why the Game Raised Match-Fixing Suspicions?

The suspicious game flagged for match-fixing took place on Friday night when the Shanghai Sharks overtook the Jiangsu Dragons in the last minutes after the Dragons lost possession of the ball several times. The Sharks won the game 108-104, which unleashed a hail of negative comments on Chinese social media.

Many basketball fans even raised suspicions of match-fixing mainly due to the Jiangsu players’ inactivity on the court, which resulted in a 10-0 run for Shanghai in the last minutes of the game. But what was even more suspicious was that Jiangsu’s coach Li Nan did not even call for a timeout to change tactics. On Saturday, the CBA announced that it will investigate the case.

Following Shanghai’s disqualification, their CBA playoff quarterfinals opponents Shenzhen qualify for the semifinals automatically. Shanghai Sharks accepted the punishment and announced that it will carry out internal investigations and focus on the team’s discipline. The Jiangsu team announced it will hire a new coach and manager as fast as possible.

On Monday, Louisiana’s legislative committee moved House Bill 564, sponsored by House Speaker Clay Schexnayder, R-Gonzales, that would allow local casinos to take fixed-odds bets on horse racing. Currently, the state’s casinos can offer pari-mutuel betting only, which is typical for racetracks. The bill also seeks to cut down the share of fixed-odds profits casinos contribute to the state’s licensed racing association from 25% to 15%.

The Legislative Effort to Benefit the Racing Association and Casinos

If the bill becomes law, it will bring the range of horse racing wagers types on par with most other bets at sportsbooks. The proposal did not face opposition in the House Commerce Committee. The executive director of the Louisiana Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association, Ed Fenasci, supported the legislative effort and explained that it would encourage more people to wager on horse racing, which, on the other hand, would boost revenues for casinos and the racing association.

If approved, the bill would also decrease the share of fixed-odds profits that casinos forward to the state’s licensed racing association from 25% to 15%. Fenasci told the committee that the casinos would not be able to make a profit if they have to give 25% of their revenue generated from fixed-odds betting to the racing association.

Pari-mutuel betting works in a very different way from fixed-odds wagering. The biggest advantage of fixed-odds betting is that it allows punters to place a wager at certain odds. This way, bettors can calculate the risk/return ratio and plan their betting strategy. Pari-mutuel wagering is also known as pool betting and allows sports fans to place wagers against other bettors rather than a bookmaker.

Louisiana Generates Over $26 Million Tax Revenue During the First Year of Legal Sports Betting

Sports betting is a thriving industry in Louisiana, and figures come to prove this. In January, the Louisiana Gaming Control Board reported that the state collected $26.5 million in tax revenue from the first 12 months of legalized sports betting.

Last December, the Louisiana sports betting industry generated a record-breaking revenue of $37 million. The majority of the revenue, and more precisely $30.5 million, came from mobile sports betting, while retail sports betting generated $6.4 million. Statistics show that football contributed the most to the total revenue generated by online and retail sportsbooks.

The December revenue marked the fourth time Louisiana sportsbooks generated over $30 million in a month. In November, the state’s sportsbooks reported a massive revenue loss of $25.3 million after Jim McIngvale, a furniture store magnate known as “Mattress Mack,” won $75 million by betting on the Houston Astros to win the World Series.

Last week, BetMGM in Pennsylvania released statistics, announcing that it experienced a significant increase in women’s basketball betting. The company reported that its betting handle for the women’s NCAA Tournament increased by 30%. According to a report released by Play Pennsylvania, many betting companies observed a significant increase in betting on women’s basketball during the NCAA Tournament, which is not surprising considering the rising popularity of the sport.

Women’s Basketball Continues to Gain Momentum Among Sports Fans

Women’s basketball has garnered a great deal of attention, which means that a growing number of people have started wagering money on it. Boardroom revealed that Louisiana’s victory over Iowa attracted 9.9 million viewers, which peaked at 12.6 million by the end of the game. It was estimated that the popularity of the game increased by 103% year-over-year million.

Front Office Sports added that the event attracted more viewers than any Major League Soccer game, any Stanley Cup game since 1973, 2023 Sugar Bowl, and other sporting events. This is a promising trend for women’s sports, which demonstrates the growing recognition of the skills of women athletes and, at the same time, promotes gender equality in sports.

According to experts, the feud between Iowa’s Caitlin Clark and Louisiana’s Angel Reese was the most exciting part of the game. The two women are among the best college basketball players. The current NCAA champion, Angel Reese, averaged 23.2 points per game and 15.4 rebounds, while Caitlin Clark averaged 27.8 points, 8.6 assists and 7.1 rebounds per contest this season. And namely the strong personalities of the players contributed to the growing popularity of women’s basketball.

Christian Cipollini, Sports Trader at BetMGM, stated that this year’s tournament was the first time the betting action on women’s basketball was comparable to an NFL game.

The Rise of Sports Betting in the United States

The popularity of sports betting has been growing in the United States ever since 2018 when the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 was declared unconstitutional and overturned. From then on, states were allowed to decide whether and how to regulate the sports betting industry. At the moment, over 30 states have already legalized sports betting, with Pennsylvania being among the first to do so.

Last year, the state reported a record-high sports wagering handle of $7.25 billion, which represents a 10.67% increase when compared to the previous year’s handle of $6.55 billion. Many states in which sports betting is still illegal eye the opportunity to regulate the industry and attract fresh money flow to their coffers. Only a handful of states oppose the idea of legalizing sports betting.

The incoming Reform-Eesti 200-SDE coalition urged Estonian lawmakers to introduce a ban on gambling ads, explaining that such a move would help people with a gambling addiction. Minister of the Interior Lauri Läänemets supported the proposal, explaining that gambling problems ruin people’s lives and break up families. The new coalition also hopes to improve gambling addiction counseling. Ad experts warn that such a ban would affect tax revenues from advertising.

The Removal of Betting Ads to Reduce Gambling-Related Harm

The new Reform-Eesti 200-SDE coalition suggests that the country should impose a ban on gambling commercials in a bid to protect people from developing gambling problems. The coalition also asks for strengthening gambling addiction counseling and providing gambling addicts with proper treatment.

Returning Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets explained that although some types of gambling commercials are prohibited under the Estonian Advertising Act, people are bombarded by sports betting ads “from morning to night”. He added that such commercials have a negative influence on people who struggle with problem gambling and expressed hopes that gambling commercials will soon be removed from the streets in Estonia.

On January 1, 2023, the Saku Suurhall, a multi-purpose venue in Tallinn, was rebranded to the Unibet Arena to show appreciation to its new sponsor – the Swedish-based gambling company Unibet. Diana Lints, a lawyer with the consumer authority in Estonia, explained that the rebranding does not violate the Advertising Act because the restrictions mostly apply to the proper use of trademarks and brands.

Läänemets said that if the country implements a gambling advertising ban, it is unclear whether Unibet Arena will have to change its name.

What Would be the Results of a Gambling Advertising Ban?

Joel Volkov, Creative Director at Tank in Tallinn, said that a gambling advertising ban might divert advertisers’ attention to social media, which cannot be fully monitored. Besides, such a ban would result in a significant decrease in advertising revenue.

Tõnis Rüütel, director of the Estonian Gaming Operator Association, explained that the measure would lead to strained ties with Estonian sports leagues and clubs because most of them have sponsorship deals with big gambling companies. For example, Coolbet sponsors the Estonian ice hockey league, while the Finnish casino Paf is the name sponsor of the country’s basketball and hockey leagues.

Rüütel admitted that the proposal to ban gambling advertising surprised him because the current regulation is already quite stringent. He revealed that in recent years, the Association has been discussing a potential update of the advertising rules with the Consumer Protection and Technical Regulatory Authority (TTJA) and the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Communication.

On April, 10, Harrington Raceway and Casino, a casino resort and racetrack located in Harrington, Delaware, disclosed a data breach to the Maine Attorney General after finding out that cybercriminals accessed sensitive consumer information saved on the company’s servers for two weeks.

In an official filing, the company revealed that hackers gained access to people’s names, Social Security numbers, driver’s license numbers, passport numbers, government identification numbers, and military identification numbers. Shortly after that, Harrington started sending letters, informing all affected consumers about the incident.

More Details About the Data Security Incident

According to the company’s filing with the Attorney General of Maine, the data breach occurred between December 12, 2022, and December 27, 2022. Harrington first noticed suspicious activity on December 27, which prompted the company to launch an investigation with third-party cybersecurity experts to find out whether consumers’ personal information was exposed.

The company confirmed unauthorized access to certain systems within its IT network on February 1, 2023. It also announced that the cybercriminals may have stolen confidential information disclosed between December 12 and December 27. After Harrington became aware of the data breach incident, it began reviewing the affected files, attempting to find out to what information hackers gained access and who are the affected consumers.

Harrington completed the process on April 10 and immediately filed a notice of data breach with the Maine Attorney General. The company also informed all consumers whose information was exposed. While the investigation into the Harrington Raceway and Casino data breach is ongoing, it is essential for individuals impacted by the incident to take steps to protect their personal information. Regular monitoring of credit reports, bank accounts, and other sensitive data is crucial to identifying potential fraud or unauthorized use of information.

Harrington Raceway and Casino Experienced “Technical Difficulties” Last Year

But this is not the first time Harrington Raceway and Casino experienced technical issues. On December 29, Harrington’s operations were temporarily disrupted due to “technical difficulties” as announced by the company itself.

The racino remained closed for just one day, but its announcement on social media, stating that the company called in cyber security experts, made many people worry about their personal information. However, the company did not specify whether or not people’s confidential information was impacted.

Last May, Harrington Raceway and Casino announced that it entered into a partnership with International Game Technology (IGT), according to which IGT is to deliver its state-of-the-art technology to power Harrington Raceway and Casino and provide consumers with a breathtaking experience. Under the multi-year systems deal with IGT, the racino will reward players via a variety of IGT solutions.

A pair of legislative efforts seeking to improve responsible gambling practices and ensure customer protection in the state were approved on the state legislature’s final session day this Monday. The two bills are now awaiting Governor Wes Moore’s signature. If approved, Senate Bill 620 and House Bill 802 would limit partnerships between colleges and sportsbooks. The other legislative effort aims to audit handicappers and touts in the state. But industry experts claim that the measures may turn out to be not so efficient.

Maryland to Restrict College Partnerships with Sports Betting Operators

SB 620 and HB 802 seek to prohibit colleges from entering into partnerships with betting companies. The two legislations do not explicitly ban such deals, but only a specific element associated with them, and more precisely partnerships under which a sports marketing entity or another institution of higher education receives compensation for a student who participates in certain sports wagering activities.

Under the provisions of the bills, details of contracts between sportsbooks and universities must be made public. But it is unclear whether this applies to the partnership between the University of Maryland and PointsBet as the legislation would be enacted after the deal was sealed.

A series of articles in the New York Times inspired Sen. Shelly Hettleman to create SB 620. One of the said articles even made PointsBet and the University of Colorado end their partnership as it was revealed that the latter received financial compensation for customers who used a specific promotional code sent to the university when registering with PointsBet.

At the end of March this year, the American Gaming Association announced that it no longer allows the gambling industry to partner with colleges to promote gambling activities.

Maryland’s Sports Handicapper Audit Bill

Sponsored by Senators Craig Zucker and Shelly Hettleman, SB 621 seeks to permit the Maryland Lottery, the authority in charge of sports betting in Maryland, to hire independent auditors to examine sports betting handicappers and look into their records. The objective of the bill is to remove shady touts from the sports betting industry.

Although the logic behind the legislative effort is clear, industry insiders believe that the legislation will be useless because Maryland’s licensed sportsbooks are reputable and are unlikely to provide misleading sports betting content. Besides, the Maryland Lottery can penalize operators caught violating the law. Another fact that makes the bill inefficient is that shady touts operate outside regulated markets and use social media to attract followers. Thus, independent evaluators may appear to be powerless against touts who provide misleading content.

Golden Nugget Casino is expected to open its doors in Danville, Illinois, by the end of April. But community members have expressed their concerns that the gambling venue will increase the rate of people affected by gambling disorders. Kerric Kiley, president and director of Alpha Omega Counseling Services, said that he does not mind gambling but the presence of a casino that provides multiple options may be a problem for vulnerable people living in the area.

The Opening of the New Golden Nugget Casino to Affect the Number of People With Gambling Problems in Danville

According to Mr. Kiley, the use of a given service increases when you increase access to it. He explained that a growing number of residents fall victim to companies that offer various gambling options. Mr. Kiley added that placing a bet on anything one could think of has never been easier because people have the option to wager in the comfort of their homes.

A study conducted by Health Resources in Action (HRiA) revealed that approximately 400,000 Illinois residents struggle with a gambling addiction and another 700,000 show warning signs of a gambling problem. The organization has joined forces with the Illinois Department of Human Services (IDHS) to promote a campaign called “Are You Really Winning?”.

HRiA Managing Director Jennifer Cyran explained that the objective of the two organizations is to help people realize they have a gambling problem and offer them recovery options. Ms. Cyran added that people with a gambling disorder are provided with a list of resources.

She said that Illinois residents can also join the so-called self-exclusion contract if they want to exclude themselves from gambling opportunities in casinos in Illinois and other states. She elaborated that if someone who has already signed up for the self-exclusion contract decides to gamble and wins something, they will have to forfeit the amount won.

The New Casino in Danville Will Offer Unlimited Gambling Options

In April 2022, construction workers broke ground on the new Golden Nugget Casino in Danville. The casino project reportedly created over 300 jobs and would help local businesses to grow. The gambling venue is set to open somewhere in April 2023. But even Golden Nugget staff could not confirm an exact opening date in front of FOX Illinois, explaining that the gambling establishment had not met the requirements of the Illinois Gaming Board yet.

Last year, James Wilmot, President of Danville Development, revealed that Golden Nugget Casino in Danville will have two sit-down dining restaurants, a sportsbook, almost 500 slot machines, and 14 table games. The casino is expected to generate $5 to $7 million in tax revenue. Mayor Rickey Williams Jr. said that the generated revenue would be used to pay off local pension debt.

This Monday, the state Senate voted against a bill sponsored by Rep. Greg. Stemen, R-Fargo, that would have legalized sports betting in North Dakota. The legislative effort failed to pass the House on a 16-30 vote after it was approved by the House of Representatives by a narrow margin of 49-44.

Previous Attempts to Regulate the Sports Betting Industry

The Senate killed House Concurrent Resolution 3002, seeking to pave the way for legalized sports betting in the state. If the measure was approved by the Legislature, it would have been presented on the November 2024 general election ballot so voters could decide whether to allow sports betting in the state or not.

All previous attempts to legalize sports betting in North Dakota have failed. In 2021, a measure seeking to regulate the industry passed the North Dakota House but was killed in the Senate twice. In 2019, lawmakers introduced HB 1254, seeking to regulate sports betting and task the state Attorney General with overseeing the industry.

In February, the Senate killed legislation that would establish a sports betting task force responsible for developing an implementation plan for sports betting regulation. Last month, the Senate voted against amendments to the resolution introduced by the Senate Judiciary Committee that would require the Legislature to authorize betting on professional sports only. In January, the House voted against the proposed amendments, too.

Backers and Opponents of the Bill Clash in the Senate

The legislation has attracted staunch endorsement and stalwart opposition. Proponents of the bill pointed out that by regulating the sports betting industry, the state will boost its coffers and ensure better consumer protection. They added that the fact that sports betting is illegal in North Dakota does not stop punters from wagering on various sporting events.

Some senators who opposed the bill explained that they viewed the measure as a way to encourage gambling. Sen. David Rust, R-Tioga, said that gambling in the state has already grown exponentially and that he was against expanding the industry. Sen. Janne Myrdal, R-Edinburg, said that the sports betting industry uses athletes, turning them into “human commodities”.

Backers of the legislative measure explained that the said measure only aims to regulate the industry and ensure consumer protection. Sen. Scott Meyer, R-Grand Forks, said that the bill does not seek to expand the industry because many people in South Dakota already bet on sports. Meyer told the Senate that the state cannot protect people who need help by not taking action.

According to American Gaming Association data Stemen, 138,000 North Dakotans wager over $300 million on sports annually. At the same time, offshore sportsbooks generate $30 million in revenues without paying taxes and license fees to the state. Currently, only tribal casinos in North Dakota are allowed to offer online sports betting to locals under tribal-state compacts.