SBC Americas

Trio of gambling bills gain approval in NY Senate committee

Lawmakers in New York are taking steps to improve problem gambling treatment.

A trio of measures in the Empire State are being considered in the Senate as pieces of legislation that provide additional funding for problem gaming treatment while ensuring safe and fair practices for marketing and use by qualified patrons.

Earlier this week, the three bills were approved by New York’s Senate Racing, Gaming, and Wagering Committee and will now head to the Senate floor for further consideration.

The progression of the bills comes during Problem Gambling Awareness Month.

Senate Bill 1550, introduced by Sen. Leroy Comrie, is being considered in the Senate as a measure that ensures safe marketing practices. The bill requires all gambling and sports betting ads to “include warnings about potential harmful and addictive effects of gambling.” SB 1550, which is also backed by Sens. Liz Krueger and Luis R. Sepúlveda, also mandates that the state’s Gaming Commission work with the commissioner of ..

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DraftKings unveils My Stat Sheet tool to promote responsible gambling

DraftKings has launched a new tool to help promote responsible gambling.

My Stat Sheet will allow players to “assess, track and interact with their personal stats” through a series of charts and filtering options.

The new feature will empower players to make data-driven decisions on their own play and therefore promote responsible gambling.

“As sports betting technology continues to evolve, DraftKings remains committed to continuously enhancing our robust responsible gaming program,” said DraftKings Chief Compliance Officer Jennifer Aguiar. “The My Stat Sheet tool will help customers evaluate their play and make informed choices.”

Players using the tool will be able to view a range of data points including time spent on platform, deposits and withdrawals, wagers placed and contest involvement. Users will also be able to view their win/loss record across a monthly, yearly and lifetime view.

“Responsible gaming has always been a core priority at DraftKings,” said DraftKings Presiden..

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March Madness to bring in a new era for bettors and operators

The start of March Madness on March 19 will usher in a new era for states, operators and bettors.

Research has found that March Madness is a major catalyst for first-time bettors while this year’s tournament coincides with the opening of the North Carolina online sports betting market as well as marks the first time that ESPN Bet and Fanatics have been live during the tournament.

Effective retention strategies key for operators

Research by Optimove on the betting trends of the 2023 tournament found that March Madness is a catalyst for new bettors and could result in an 87% increase in betting. It also found that new bettors were more likely to bet on the first or second round of the event compared to the later stages.

Despite this, only 50% of new players returned after placing their first bet.

As a result of this, the CRM marketing solution provider recommended that sportsbooks should focus on post-initial interaction engagements, offering personalized experiences and incentives ..

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Former Jaguars employee sentenced to six years in prison for embezzlement

The former Jacksonville Jaguars employee who embezzled more than $22 million has been sentenced to more than six years in prison.

Amit Patel will spend the next 78 months in federal prison after being sentenced on Tuesday in a U.S. District Court. Last December, the 31-year-old pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in an illegal monetary transaction after misusing the team’s virtual credit card and falsifying records between 2019 and 2023.

“I stand before you embarrassed, ashamed and disappointed by my actions,” said Patel during his sentencing hearing. “I can never truly convey how sorry I am to everyone affected by my actions.”

Patel, who originally faced up to 30 years in prison, has also been ordered to serve three years of supervised release after his prison sentence and pay $21.1 million in restitution.

Last week, prosecutors had recommended a seven-year sentence for Patel.

Patel used Jaguars to fund gambling habit

The former finance manager il..

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Lawmaker in PA to introduce bill that prohibits credit card use for gambling

A lawmaker in Pennsylvania is planning to introduce legislation that bans the use of credit cards to fund sports betting, daily fantasy contests, iLottery and online casino activities.

Sen. Wayne D. Fontana has sent a memorandum to all members of the Pennsylvania Senate to give notice of a pending measure that will aim to prohibit the use of credit cards for gamblers in the state. Fontana’s consumer protection bill is being introduced to curtail problem gambling as online gaming and sports wagering continue to grow in the state.

According to Penn State’s 2022 Online Gaming Report, more than 36% of online gaming participants in the Keystone State reported at least one gambling problem. The report was conducted in partnership with the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board and the state’s Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs. Another factor in Fontana’s decision to a propose new bill is the average credit card balance for Pennsylvania residents being over $5,640.

Pennsylvania Senators h..

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Revamped West Virginia problem gambling bill passes into law

What started out as a bill to provide West Virginia universities with anonymized player data to study problem gambling ended up as a law that could establish West Virginia University as one of the premier higher education institutions on the East Coast for gaming-related degrees.

And that is the version of the bill passed by the Senate and concurred by the House this weekend.

The House passed the original version of the bill, sponsored by Delegate Shawn Fluharty, but a Senate committee substitute revised large swaths of the language. For example, the word “required” was removed from the section involving operators providing player data and the new version does not seem to mandate the data is provided. The new section reads:

“For the purposes of research only, West Virginia University shall be permitted to analyze transactional data and metrics of the type collected and maintained by the West Virginia Lottery as of March 1, 2024, related to gaming operations conducted in the state. F..

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Self-exclusion sports betting bill en route to Gov. Justice’s desk

The West Virginia Legislature has passed a self-exclusion sports betting measure into law.

The bill, which is headed for Gov. Jim Justice’s desk, means that an individual can be banned from sports betting if they have “harassed or shown a harmful pattern of conduct directed at a sports official, coach or any participants of a sporting event.”

House Bill 4700 passed out of the Senate with an amended title of “banning certain persons from sport wagering activities” on March 8. The House then passed the Senate’s amendment on the same day allowing for the legislative action to be completed before the close of the 60-day legislative session on March 9.

The legislation, introduced by state Delegate Shawn Fluharty in January, has been added to the existing West Virginia Lottery Sports Wagering Act, which was signed into law in 2018.

The bill states that anyone found guilty will be notified of the commission’s intent to ban them from sports betting and also the person will be given a heari..

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Former Jags employee used team funds to gamble and buy $47K Tiger Woods club

A former Jacksonville Jaguars employee has had details of his fraudulent use of the team’s virtual credit card released ahead of a sentencing hearing next week.

According to a filing in the United States District Court for the Middle District of Florida, former Jaguars employee Amit Patel embezzled more than $22 million from the team to fund personal purchases, including luxury trips and daily fantasy sports contests on FanDuel and DraftKings. Patel, who worked in the team’s finance department, pleaded guilty in December 2023 to one count of wire fraud and one count of engaging in an illegal monetary transaction. The 31-year-old admitted to improper use of the Jaguars’ funds while also creating and falsifying team accounting records.

Patel committed his crimes between September 2019 and February 2023 and faces up to 30 years in prison for his actions, which were mainly attributed to a gambling addiction.

“Almost the entirety of the funds Mr. Patel used from the VCC were spent on the..

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Massachusetts set to halve problem gambling fund

Massachusetts Governor Maura Healey’s proposed budget would cut casino gambling revenues earmarked for a public health fund in half, according to the Boston Globe. The Executive Office for Administration and Finance said the $6m cut was forced on the Governor by lower-than-expected tax revenues. “This is the absolute wrong time to be scaling back funding…

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FanDuel announces $300K donation for Problem Gambling Awareness Month

FanDuel has announced that it has donated a total of $300,000 to gambling charities as part of Problem Gambling Awareness Month (PGAM).

It will donate $150,000 to the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) to support its Agility Grants Program and another $150,000 to the International Center for Responsible Gaming (ICRG). Additionally, it has partnered with Kindbridge Behavioral Health and joined its pilot program.

“Our team works year-round at FanDuel to equip and support our customers to play responsibly,” said Alison Kutler, FanDuel Sustainability and Responsible Gaming Vice President. “As we mark Problem Gambling Awareness Month, I’m excited to work with a growing roster of partners to expand access to problem gambling support resources.”

Agility grant

The NCPG’s Agility Grants program, which is funded by the NFL, provides funding to non-profit organizations across the U.S. for problem gambling prevention in areas that currently have no services to expand existing programm..

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