Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB covers the news that you may have missed over Friday, Saturday, and Sunday. This week, we look at an FBI arrest in DC, as well as a California bill that would allow tribes to sue cardrooms.
New York Senator Joe Addabbo continues to push for and vent his frustration about the status of three downstate NYC casino licenses. Per Action Network, Addabbo was vocal during the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga, NY earlier this month.
“Why not codify the timelines? Why not give definitive answers to why we’re not doing this on a timely basis when we did three licenses upstate in a fraction of time?” Addabbo asked during a conference panel. “Because we’ll have this same panel here five years from now.”
At issue is the timing of awarding three casino licenses. Eleven entities are bidding for the licenses, which are currently scheduled to be awarded in the middle of 2025. Casinos would be able to open as early as early 2026. Tax revenue from the casinos is earmarked for the city’s Metropolitan Transportation Authority.
In 2022 Governor Kathy Hochul signed a casino bill that Addabbo co-sponsored into law. But since then, the process has become convoluted and the timeline has slowed down. While the state’s gambling commission will ultimately issue licenses, bidders must get approval at the local level first. In some cases, bidders need a variance to get land for proposed projects rezoned.
Addabbo is flummoxed about the slow timeline which, he says, leaves tax dollars on the table. But he also said the why behind the delays is not a question he can answer.
“It’s a question we should not be asking of this panel, but of the governor,” Addabbo said.
A Massachusetts court last week denied DraftKings’ motion to dismiss a lawsuit involving a $1,000 new-customer promotion, MassLive reported on Friday. The Public Health Advocacy Institute (PHAI) at Northeastern University School of Law in Boston and the school’s Center for Public Health Litigation filed the suit on 8 December 2023. The groups claim the promotion is “unfair and deceptive”.
The plaintiffs claim that the details of the promotion were not clear in the offer. Customers were required to deposit $5,000 (€4,475/£3,786) and bet between $15,000-$20,000 on certain bets in order to get the bonus bets. The plaintiffs also say they did not understand that the bonus bets would be paid out in DraftKings credit rather than cash. The case will move forward and the next court date is 10 December.
Aristocrat’s new iGaming White-Label division late last week entered into an agreement with Vickers.bet. Under the terms of the deal, Aristocrat Interactive’s suite of iGaming and sports content and technology will be available on the Vickers.bet platform. This includes access to online casino games and international horse racing.
The deal is the first in the UK since Aristocrat rolled out its White-Label division.
“This partnership highlights part of our strategy to expand Aristocrat Interactive’s footprint in the UK market at a time when many B2B providers have faced challenges,” Aristocrat vice-president Freddie Bowring said via press release.
The sentencing hearing for admitted Southern California illegal bookmaker Wayne Nix has been postponed again. Initially set for March, Nix’s sentencing was set for 25 September, but the US Attorney’s office last week told iGB that it has been delayed. Certain documents in the Nix case are under seal and a new date has not been released. Nix previously pleaded guilty to multiple federal charges earlier this year.
