SBC Americas

Although she could not attend in person, Congresswoman Dina Titus still made her presence felt at last week’s SBC Summit North America.

In a 15-minute video message played at the event, Titus reiterated her support for repealing the federal excise tax on sports betting and also laid out five recommendations for sports organizations to combat sports betting issues within professional sports.

Federal excise tax on betting handle

Titus, who co-chairs the Congressional Gaming Caucus, has been an opponent of the federal excise tax on sports wagers for over a decade. Currently, a sports betting operator is required to pay a 0.25% tax on its total sports betting handle.

In her video message, she said that the tax “serves no dedicated purpose” and instead “penalizes” the regulated industry. She added the tax “empowers illegal operators” as they can attract customers by offering better odds due to not paying the tax.

Titus has put forth numerous bills over the past decade to repeal the fe..

Optimove has added Enteractive’s outbound calling to its CRM marketing platform’s Multichannel Marketing Hub.

The feature will sit alongside its existing suite of marketing channels such as email, mobile, and SMS, and can be used to aid player retention and identify problematic gambling issues.

“Sometimes you need a bit of human touch,” said Dan De Souza, director of igaming partnerships at Optimove. “We’re thrilled to kick off this strategic partnership with Enteractive. This new marketing channel represents a significant addition, offering operators an impactful avenue to rekindle connections with inactive players and bolster their efforts in addressing problematic gambling issues more effectively.”

According to Enteractive, the personalization of outbound calls can help to reengage with previous players but also identify signs of problematic gambling behavior.

“Addressing player churn is a pivotal marketing challenge within the iGaming industry, and this partnership marks a sign..

Investors in Boyd Gaming have voted against commissioning a study to evaluate the implementation of a smoke-free policy at the company’s gaming facilities.

Boyd shareholders voted on Monday to reject a proposal that required company management to generate a report on potential cost savings from implementing a smoke-free policy. Boyd, which operates 28 properties in 10 states, reported more than 63.6 million votes against the study with 18.5 million in favor, according to a filing with the SEC.

“The proposal asks for a report on implementing a smoke-free policy, but we believe this proposal is the first step toward forcing our company to unilaterally adopt such a policy, regardless of the actions of our competitors,” said Boyd in an April letter to shareholders.

Boyd shareholders have rejected the proposal despite efforts to ban smoking by nonprofit healthcare system Trinity Health and Americans for Nonsmokers’ Rights (ANR).

The Nevada Tobacco Control and Smoke-free Coalition has al..

In Massachusetts, like in many states, things are changing fast in gaming.

The state launched digital sports betting in March 2023 and experienced an immediate influx of sports betting products, services and advertising. To say Bay Staters took to online sports wagering enthusiastically would be an understatement.

“It’s been a shock to the system, for sure,” Massachusetts Council on Gaming and Health (MCGH) CEO Marlene Warner told SBC Americasat the SBC Summit North America Player Protection Symposium. “Everyone had high expectations for online sports wagering in Massachusetts and the numbers have far, far, far exceeded those expectations.”

With more than 1.6 million sportsbook accounts active in Massachusetts since March 2023, the state has emerged as one of America’s fastest-growing gaming markets. It generated $594.9 million in gross gaming revenue in its first full year, with total tax revenue reaching $118.5 million. That latter figure is double what the state had expected pr..

Following the announcement of ESPN Bet as the official betting partner of the PGA Championship, the PGA of America has confirmed that it has partnered with the American Gaming Association’s (AGA) ‘Have a Game Plan. Bet Responsibly’ campaign.

The partnership will feature co-branded responsible gaming content, educational materials, and strategic activations across the PGA of America’s digital and social platforms throughout next week’s PGA Championship at Valhalla Golf Club in Louisville, KY.

“As the PGA of America welcomes ESPN BET as the Official Sports Betting Sponsor of the 106th PGA Championship, it is core to our values to ensure golf fans have the right tools in their bag to bet responsibly,” said PGA of America Chief Commercial Officer Jeff Price. “Activating AGA’s Have A Game Plan campaign during this year’s PGA Championship and beyond will be an integral part of our strategy as interest in golf wagering grows.”

Introduced by the AGA in 2019, the Have a Game Plan campaign ai..

According to NCAA Managing Director Mark Hicks, the organization has a pretty clear understanding of the scope of bettor harassment on social media. Speaking to Entain’s SVP of American Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling Martin Lycka as part of the SBC Summit North America Player Protection Symposium, Hicks cited data from ethical data group and NCAA partner Signify collected during March Madness earlier…