Tour of Sports Betting News in America

With about half the states in America still undecided on the question of sports betting and online casinos/sports betting, there is a lot of news circulating within the U.S. gambling community. Let's take a tour of what has been going on in the last week.

Louisiana Moves Step Closer to the Open of Sports Betting

With most of the issues resolved, it's starting to look like sports bettors in Louisiana will be able to wager on the New Orleans Saints and the rest of the NFL by the opening week of the 2021 season.

Just this week, reports came out, indicating the state legislature was close to resolving an issue related to how the sports betting tax revenue is going to be split. As soon as that issue has been legislated, Gov. John Bell Edwards should be in a position where he can sign both key sports betting bills (HB 697 and SB 24/7).

According to the new laws, 55 of the state's 64 parishes will be offering residents an opportunity to bet on sports. Sportsbooks could be located in retail casinos, bars/restaurants, betting kiosks, and through the lottery. Of course, online sports betting will also be available.

Maryland Records Strong Gaming Numbers in May

Thanks to the efforts of Marylands six retail casinos, the state was able to generate over $172 million in gaming revenue in May. They managed to do that without any participation from sports betting, which is currently going through the legislative process. Once sports betting windows open, the state's gambling revenue numbers are expected to go through the roof.

The state's three leading contributing retail casinos included MGM National Harbor at $68.4 million, Maryland Live! at $61.4 million, and Caesars Horseshoe Baltimore at $19.5 million. For what it is worth, this record handle created $73.4 million in tax revenue for the state.

Could Sports Betting Be Coming North of the Border?

While Canadian sports bettors can legally bet on sports through offshore bookmaking sites, operators taking bets on Canadian soil are not permitted. All of that could be changing as a repeal bill that would effectively remove the federal ban on sports betting recently made it through a senate committee.

Much in the same way the U.S. Supreme Court removed the U.S. ban, the Canadian legislature could vote to open the sports betting floodgates for Canadian citizens. According to Canadian Gaming Association CEO Paul Burns, the next step in the process would be for the full Senate to listen to and vote on the merits of a new bill. Realistically, there is a possibility sports betting could become a reality on Canadian soil by the start of the NFL regular season, which starts in September.

Given the passing of a sports bill in Canada could affect a number of bordering U.S. states, this is a story worth watching. For sure, states like Michigan and several states in the upper Northeast will be paying very close attention to the sports ticker.