The licence for the Keystone State follows on from the company’s entry into the New Jersey market in April 2021. As a result, Enteractive will be able to roll out its (Re)Activation Cloud platform which enables sportsbook operators to target, and engage with, specific player segments.

Mikael Hansson, Enteractive CEO, said: “With this Pennsylvania licence in addition to our licence in New Jersey, we’re available to support player retention for sportsbooks in the two largest online gambling states of the US.  

“With some leading US brands already working with our stateside teams, our journey across the pond gets more exciting each day.”

In addition to player reactivation services, Enteractive will also carry out “one-to-one conversations with players”. This is something that the company believes will “act as a frontline protection against problem gambling”.

Andrew Foster, Chief Business Officer at Enteractive, added: “After the early success Enteractive has seen in the US market and the positive way players are responding to our one to one personal approach, we’re proud to announce that we are expanding our reach into Pennsylvania state. 

“It’s encouraging to see that the US audience is as appreciative of a personal, qualitative approach as the other global audiences we engage with on behalf of operator brands.”

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Senate Bill 2510 (SB 2510) seeks to amend the Mississippi Code of 1972 to explicitly prohibit the operation of online, interactive, or computerized sweepstakes casinos in the state. 

The bill also would prohibit online sports pools and racebooks, thus significantly tightening the Magnolia State’s regulatory stance on online gambling. 

It reads, “The offering for play or operating an online or interactive platform that offers for play such games within the State of Mississippi shall be deemed unlawful under the provisions of this section.” 

Harsh Penalties for Online Sweepstakes Operators

SB 2510 would introduce strict penalties for those found to breach the proposed legislation. Any individual or entity caught operating online sweepstakes casinos would face felony charges. The proposed penalties include fines of up to $100,000 per violation and a maximum potential prison sentence of ten years. 

Additionally, the bill grants law enforcement the authority to seize and destroy gaming machines or devices associated with illegal online sweepstakes operations. Violators would also face asset forfeiture, losing rights, privileges, or properties tied to unlawful gaming activities. This also applies to Mississippi’s riverboat casinos. 

The bill specifies that prosecutions may occur in the county where the offense occurred or in Hinds County. 

Mississippi Joins Broader Crackdown on Sweepstakes Gaming

The proposed ban on online sweepstakes gaming in Mississippi aligns with broader efforts across the United States of America to either bring the industry under regulatory oversight or to prohibit them outright. 

In New York, Sen. Joseph Addabbo wishes to ensure that “New Yorkers are protected from gambling operations that have the potential of becoming more problematic without proper legislative action, such as unregulated sweepstakes casino operators.” 

He added that vulnerable parts of the population are targeted by sweepstakes and a desire to bring regulated iGaming to the state to offer a “safe, effective alternative for online casino enthusiasts.” 

The Senator concluded, “I encourage my colleagues and the Governor to take action against unregulated sweepstakes casinos while reconsidering the benefits of allowing legal iGaming operators to provide sanctioned services in a popular and ever-growing industry.”

Meanwhile, New Jersey Assemblyman Clinton Calabrese introduced Bill A5196, which aims to regulate sweepstakes casinos rather than outlaw them. The proposals would require sweepstakes operators to obtain a casino service industry enterprise license, bringing them under the same regulatory framework as other means of online gambling in NJ.

The Future of SB 2510

SB 2510 is the only gambling-adjacent bill introduced by the Mississippi Senator for this legislative session. It has been referred to the Judiciary, Division B Committee for further deliberation.

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The course will be tailored specifically to student-athletes, who the two bodies have identified as susceptible to risky gambling behavior. 

Tailored Responsible Gambling Education for Canadian Student-Athletes

The course will launch at eight universities and colleges nationwide, beginning in the Spring term 2025. The RGC and NFL have embedded a ‘robust evaluation framework to measure the effectiveness and impact of the training.’ The pilot scheme’s results and lessons will then be used to adjust the material ahead of its rollout to 30 educational institutions in the 2025-2026 school year. 

Sarah McCarthy, Chief Executive Officer of the Responsible Gambling Council, said in a release. “Student-athletes face unique pressures from academics, athletics, and the accessibility of sports betting, making them vulnerable to risky gambling behaviors.”

She continued, “Our partnership with the NFL is a crucial step in supporting this group by providing the education and tools needed to make informed decisions. Early responsible gambling education helps student-athletes build capacities to succeed both on and off the field.”

The program aims to provide students with the ability to: 

• Understand the dangers, risks, and odds of gambling and how players will likely lose over time.
• Recognize their unique susceptibility to risky gambling behavior.
• Identify the signs of gambling-related harms and their potential impact on players and loved ones.
• Learn about resources available for those experiencing gambling-related harms.

The Responsible Gambling Council will support upskilling those who deliver the course across all participating campuses. 

Anna Isaacson, Senior Vice President of Social Responsibility for the NFL, said, “We are proud to support the Responsible Gambling Council in this important initiative.” 

She added, “Our shared goal is to equip these student-athletes with the tools and knowledge to navigate gambling risks, fostering a safer and more responsible environment. We also hope to gain insights that will be invaluable in shaping future responsible gambling efforts to benefit all those who play and engage with our game as fans.” 

Expanding Responsible Gambling Efforts Across North America

The partnership with the RGC builds on the NFL’s existing collaboration with the National Council on Problem Gambling (‘NCPG’), which is specific to the United States. In August 2024, the NFL Foundation made a $6.4 million, three-year commitment to the NCPG after an initial $6.2 million grant in October 2021. 

The NFL and NCPG partnership has thus far helped deliver upgraded technology and data collection across the 28 contact centers, the nationwide licensing for the 1-800-GAMBLER phone number, and education schemes to those considered most at risk from problem gambling disorders. 

The program has provided approximately $1 million in grants to 26 gambling prevention schemes spanning 17 states, impacting the lives of over 40,000 individuals. In addition, over 750,000 people have visited the ResponsiblePlay.org website, which was launched in 2021. The site offers advice on how to keep gambling fun, information about problem gambling, and the assistance available should they be impacted. 

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The bills, HD 4084 and SD 2240, present a framework to regulate iGaming and propose that the Commonwealth establish an Internet Gaming Fund to collect and distribute funds from MA’s online casino proceeds.

What could MA online casino look like? 

Representative Daniel Cahill and Senator Paul R. Feeney introduced the proposed Massachusetts iGaming legislation, which offers a dual licensing system: Category 1 licenses tied to existing casino operators and Category 2 licenses for independent entities.

The bills allow for six Category 1 licenses. Each existing land-based casino operator will be permitted to partner with two online platforms. In addition, there will be four untethered Category 2 licenses. 

Under the proposed rules, each operator would be required to pay a $5 million licensing fee for a five-year term, and gross revenue generated from MA online casino would be subject to a 20% tax rate. This is broadly in line with other states that have legalized iGaming. 

As aforementioned, the tax revenue generated would go to the Internet Gaming Fund, which would then distribute proceeds as follows:

• 45% to the General Fund;
• 27.5% to the Gaming Local Aid Fund;
• 17.5% to the Workforce Investment Trust Fund;
• 9% to the Public Health Trust Fund;
• 1% to the Youth Development and Achievement Fund.

No revenue projections for casino operations are available, although the Massachusetts Gaming Commission is studying the potential impact of expanded gambling legalization.  

One notable provision is the authorization of a second brand exclusively for online poker. Per Section 6(b)(1) of SD 2240: “Each internet gaming platform shall be offered under a single distinct brand, except that each internet gaming platform may use a second distinct brand to offer poker.” 

The legislation also includes mechanisms to encourage interstate collaboration. Section 24 of SD 2240 permits the MGC to establish “internet gaming reciprocal agreements” with other jurisdictions, enabling Massachusetts to join multi-state player pools for games like online poker.

It could pave the way for Massachusetts to join the Multi-State Internet Gaming Agreement, which already exists to increase player liquidity in online poker. Nevada, Delaware, Michigan, New Jersey, and West Virginia are the states currently signed up. Pennsylvania is expected to join the agreement shortly. 

Massachusetts Lawmakers Busy with Gambling

The Bay State joins Maryland, New York, Wyoming, Indiana, and New Jersey as states with online casino adjacent legislature filed. 

In addition to online casino legislation, Sen. John Keenan has filed SD 1657, calling for vast changes to sports betting legislation. This legislation would include a blanket ban on in-play wagering and prop-style bets and mandatory affordability checks for anyone wagering over $1,000 a week. Keenan also proposes a tax hike on online sports betting to 51%, matching that of states such as New York and Rhode Island. He proposed a similar amendment in 2024, which the Senate quickly dismissed. 

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Bill S2614 also seeks to legalize online lottery sales and games. The main difference between 2025’s attempt and 2024’s is a three-year timeout period for unregulated businesses offering sweepstakes. The bill guarantees $25 million of tax revenue annually for casino employee development and training. 

Online sweepstakes casino legislation is becoming a hot topic. New Jersey Assemblyman Calabrese filed a proposed amendment to State legislation to regulate the products like other online gaming products. 

Sweepstakes are in the firing line

Sen. Addabbo has also shown a willingness to curb the rise of sweepstakes casinos, either by regulation or prohibition. In a release, he said, “One of my primary objectives as Gaming chair is ensuring New Yorkers are protected from gambling operations that have the potential of becoming more problematic without proper legislative action, such as unregulated sweepstakes casinos operators.” 

He continued, “Many sweepstakes’ operators are located offshore making enforcement limited or impossible, and our most vulnerable populations, youth and elderly are most often targeted which is why I want to act to address this existing loophole. The use of money to play a game and win more money is simple gambling and should be safely regulated.” 

Addobbo is looking to states such as Michigan, Idaho, and Washington, which have already taken action, and is pushing for the legalization of iGaming “as a safe, effective alternative for online casino enthusiasts.” By regulating online sweepstakes casinos and pursuing iGaming, the Senator believes the State of New York is demonstrating its commitment to dealing with problems such as gaming addiction while increasing the tax purse. 

He concluded, “Without an option for safe, regulated online gaming, many individuals will fall victim to sweepstakes casinos that entice customers through free play advertising with the potential for prizes through the purchase of gold coins. I encourage my colleagues and the Governor to take action against unregulated sweepstakes casinos while reconsidering the benefits of allowing legal iGaming operators to provide sanctioned services in a popular and ever-growing industry.” 

Downtown and unions remain the biggest hurdles to NY iGaming

Industry analysts maintain that the legalization of online casino in New York has only a slim chance of passing. Historically, unions and downstate casinos have expressed vocal concerns about the cannibalization of brick-and-mortar casino revenue despite case studies suggesting this may not be the case.

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The multi-year agreement will allow the iGaming and sports betting operator to gain exclusive intellectual property rights for slots, table games, and ‘non-traditional’ casino games. 

In addition, BetMGM will be featured as a sponsor in select weeks of the upcoming seasons of both shows, showing ‘never-before-seen partnership integrations’ for both shows. Further details on the activations remain unknown but have been promised throughout 2025. 

Adam Greenblatt, Chief Executive Officer at BetMGM, commented, “This partnership unlocks various ways for BetMGM and Fremantle to collaborate and expand our brand. Family Feud and The Price is Right are two of the most popular game shows in North America, and we look forward to bringing their fun and excitement to our online casino in various exciting ways.” 

“This partnership unlocks various ways for BetMGM and Fremantle to collaborate and expand our brand,” said Adam Greenblatt, Chief Executive Officer, BetMGM. “‘Family Feud’ and ‘The Price is Right’ are two of the most popular game shows in North America, and we look forward to bringing their fun and excitement to our online casino in various exciting ways.”

Fremantle, part of RTL Group, produces and delivers content across 27 territories. The company’s notable shows include Got Talent, Priscilla, and House of Kardashian. It boasts over 495 million fans worldwide and 300 billion views for content across all platforms. 

In a release, Suzanne Lopez, COO of Fremantle North America, said, “Our exclusive deal with BetMGM and our premier game show IP represents a significant milestone for us both. This innovative collaboration paves the way for in-game branding across diverse online casino categories, while also providing opportunities for integrated TV sponsorships. It’s all about enhancing how fans of “The Price Is Right” and “Family Feud” connect with the shows in fresh, immersive ways.”

BetMGM is no stranger to TV sponsorship

The Entain and MGM Resorts International joint venture has already made a foray into television, launching a new Wheel of Fortune-themed slot with game developer IGT in April 2024. This follows its collaboration in March 2023 to create the USA’s first brand-led online casino product. 

BetMGM has sponsored Wheel of Fortune twice, most recently sponsoring the Big Winners Tournament for a week in September/October 2024. Each day, a daily progressive jackpot started at $5,000 and increased with each spin. The jackpots were then combined into a tournament jackpot, which the winners of the first four days competed for on the final day of the activation. 

New properties to add to an extensive library 

The difference between the Wheel of Fortune campaign and the newly announced Fremantle deal is that BetMGM has acquired the intellectual property rights for both “The Price is Right” and “Family Feud” enabling the company to create exclusive new content. 

The company’s online casino offers over 3,500 titles in North American markets. The jackpot network includes over 20 titles, including MGM Grand Millions, Bison Fury, and Dead Sea Scrolls. BetMGM also operates under the Borgata Casino, Party Casino, and Party Poker brands. 

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The company stated in its Q3 trading update in October last year that group EBITDA was expected to be near the top of its guidance range of £1.04bn to £1.09bn, a range published in the company’s H1 results in August.

Entain noted that following operator-friendly sports results during Q4, group EBITDA is still expected to be at the top of the guidance range.

As for BetMGM, the brand reported in July in its H1 24 update that, in line with 2024 being an investment year, H2’s EBITDA was expected to be similar to the -$123m EBITDA reported in H1.

“Despite the customer-friendly US sports results seen during Q4, particularly in October and December, BetMGM reiterates its previous FY24 EBITDA guidance of approximately -$250m,” the company reported.

Over the next two months, Entain’s full trading performance and outlook for 2025 for both the overall group and the BetMGM brand will be published, with a BetMGM update scheduled for 4 February, while Entain’s FY24 Results are slated for 6 March.

Alongside Entain, Flutter Entertainment announced last week that US sports customer-friendly results had created an estimated adverse gross gaming revenue impact of $438m, with estimated reductions in revenue and adjusted EBITDA of approximately $390m and approximately $260m respectively, for the period 12 November to 31 December.

The current NFL season “has been the most customer-friendly since the launch of online sports betting with the highest rate of favourites winning in nearly 20 years”, according to the operator.

Flutter’s 2024 US revenue is estimated to be approximately $370m lower than its previous guidance midpoint at around $5.78bn (previously $6.05bn to $6.25bn). 

After incremental one-off cost mitigation, the company’s US adjusted EBITDA is expected to be around $205m lower than the previous guidance midpoint at approximately $505m (previously $670m to $750m). Flutter is scheduled to publish its Q4 earnings and formal guidance for 2025 on 4 March.

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Johnson has been with Light & Wonder since 2017, and has been at the heart of driving the international commercial efforts of the Gaming business.

He transitions from his previous role as Senior Vice President and International Managing Director, as he continues to be at the forefront of Light & Wonder’s igaming evolution.

As part of his new role, Johnson will report directly into Light & Wonder President and CEO Matt Wilson and join the Company’s Executive Leadership Team.

Before joining Light & Wonder, Johnson worked across a range of businesses and industries. He started out in Investment Banking, where he specialised in mergers and acquisitions and cross-border transactions. Simon has held leadership roles in Private Equity, Telecommunications, and Financial Technology businesses in operations that ranged from startups to FTSE100/Fortune 500 multinational companies.

Light & Wonder continues to fuel growth through its third-party content offering having recently secured a strategic partnership with Bragg Gaming Group.

That collaboration meant that Bragg’s collection of in-house and subsidiary studio content will become available on Light & Wonder’s aggregation offering. This will see slot titles from Bragg studios such as Atomic Slot Lab, Indigo Magic, Wild Streak Gaming and Spin Games integrated onto Light & Wonder’s online ecosystem.

Matevž Mazij, CEO at Bragg Gaming Group, praised Light & Wonder, describing the firm as “a world-leading platform and games” adding that the group can see “huge benefits” from the partnership.

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The firm’s TournEvent platform is being integrated into Gate City Casino, a large casino in New Hampshire. The platform has been expanded into historical horse racing markets via the installation, a development which Everi asserts is bringing ‘cutting-edge slot tournament capabilities’ to Gate City Casino players.

Delaware North-operated Gate City Casino has over 500 HHR machines while TournEvent has been integrated with over 5,000 electronic gaming machines at over 400 casinos across North America.

Michael Carruthers, Vice President of Gaming Operations for Delaware North, said: “This launch provides players at Gate City Casino with an enhanced gaming experience, powered by Everi’s leading tournament platform. 

“Our players remain eager for competitive play, and based on Everi’s nationwide success with TournEvent, we know players will enjoy the incredible atmosphere during these tournaments.”

Headquartered in Las Vegas, Everi is active across multiple markets, but the rapid growth of regulated betting and gaming in the US has proven to be a particularly attractive market for the company.

The firm has signed deals with the likes of Great Canadian Entertainment. 2024 has proven to be a significant year for the company in other ways, as back in July it was acquired by Apollo Global, a major multinational investment firm. 

Jesse DeBruin, Everi Senior Vice President and Gaming Leader, said: “We are excited to launch the award-winning TournEvent platform with Gate City Casino, the perfect venue to introduce our dynamic tournament experience to players in the HHR market. 

“These efforts are indicative of Everi’s dedication to supporting the growth and success of new gaming markets with state-of-the-art solutions while expanding TournEvent’s reach to meet the evolving demands of the gaming industry.”

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It comes following a strong year of engagement for sweepstakes casinos, in spite of opposition to the vertical, which have argued that they are unregulated casinos masquerading as social casinos. 

Gantz explained that sweepstakes casinos are a subset of freemium operators which means that they offer both free and paid-for features.

“In the US, it’s lawful in virtually every state to use sweepstakes to promote a product, service or brand with a sweepstakes giveaway,” Gantz continued.

“The general rationale for all sweepstakes in the US is simply that although there is a chance and a prize, there is no consideration for the sweepstakes because no purchase is necessary to enter or win. Free entry is the basic premise of legality for every sweepstakes in the United States, including the ones that are being offered by what is being called sweepstakes operators.”

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