Casino City’s Friday Five: US sports betting boom edition
Let’s begin with some big payouts:
5. $790,000 jackpot won at Fremont Hotel & Casino
A downtown Las Vegas regular from Hawaii turned her visit to Fremont Hotel & Casino into a nearly $790,000 jackpot playing Aristocrat’s Buffalo Inferno slot game on Wednesday.
Louise, a regular visitor of the California Hotel & Casino, decided to stop by the Fremont on Wednesday morning and hit the $789,062 progressive jackpot. Originally, she thought the payout was only $79,000, but it turned out to be 10 times that amount.
Her luck at Fremont wasn’t finished. While waiting to be paid on her huge win, Louise hit a second jackpot of more than $5,000 on a nearby machine.
Wow! Visitor from Hawaii and Downtown #LasVegas regular hits $790,000 #slot jackpot at Fremont Hotel & Casino:https://t.co/O5E6098cFB pic.twitter.com/AJSV4WRDK9
— Casino City (@casinocity) September 17, 2020
4. Massive jackpot taken home from Pearl River Resort
Dominique R. of Kosciusko, Mississippi, was playing the Wheel of Fortune slot machine at Golden Moon Hotel & Casino when she won a huge jackpot worth $1,235,666.25.
“When I won, I didn’t realize that it was as much as it was and it still doesn’t seem real,” said Dominique R. “My husband was with me and he was so excited and was jumping up and down. He told that me that I just don’t know how life changing this is for us.”
CONGRATS, DOMINIQUE R. of Kosciusko!
— Pearl River Resort (@PRRofficial) September 15, 2020
“When I won, I didn't realize that it was as much as it was and still doesn't seem real. My husband was with me and he was so excited and was jumping up and down. He told that me that I just don’t know how life changing this is for us.” pic.twitter.com/N4qFvhvS2L
3. Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas to reopen on 30 September
MGM Resorts International announced on Monday that Park MGM and NoMad Las Vegas will open their doors on 30 September, completing the reopening of all of its properties around the world following closures earlier this year amid the COVID-19 crisis.
Upon reopening, Park MGM/NoMad will be The Strip's first fully smoke-free casino resort.
"Opening Park MGM and NoMad represent significant milestones, as they are the last of our properties to welcome back employees and guests alike," said Bill Hornbuckle, MGM Resorts CEO and President. "The last six months have presented extraordinary challenges and I could not be prouder of the MGM Resorts team for the tireless effort required to get us here. There is much work ahead as we remain focused on the health and safety of our employees and guests, but this is an important moment for us."
Some of the safety protocols being implemented at the property are list below:
- Employee screening, temperature checks and COVID-19 specific training
- COVID-19 testing for employees as they return to work in partnership with the local medical community
- Employees and guests are required to wear masks. Complimentary masks are provided as needed
- A physical distancing policy has been implemented, with floor guides serving as reminders
- For areas where physical distancing presents challenges, plexiglass barriers have been installed, or other measures will be used to reduce risks
Let's clear the air. ?? We'll be reopening our doors on Sept. 30 as The Strip’s first fully smoke-free casino resort.
— Park MGM (@parkmgm) September 14, 2020
Learn more:: https://t.co/V0DS2J97vG pic.twitter.com/YlxHmYmpOw
2. Virginia Lottery Board approves sports betting regulations
On Wednesday, the Virginia Lottery Board today formally approved a regulatory framework for legal sports wagering. The statute authorizes a minimum of four and a maximum of 12 licenses for internet-only sports betting platforms that could begin operating in early 2021.Under the legislation, betting will be permitted on most major league and college sports, although not on games featuring Virginia college teams. Bettors will be able to place wagers on professional sports, certain college sports, and other sporting events, as well as on the performance statistics of individual athletes.
“We have received and evaluated several hundred comments and suggestions submitted by citizens, sports betting and casino operators, and most of the major professional sports leagues, including the NFL, MLB, NBA and the PGA,” said Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kevin Hall. “A lot of helpful feedback was provided during the public comment period, and the updated regulations approved by the Lottery Board today incorporate many of the suggestions from stakeholders and citizens.”
1. Sports betting in US sees incredible August numbers
The return of professional sports in the U.S. brought a boost to sportsbooks in the country. With the NFL underway, it can only help produce even greater numbers in September.
Handle for New Jersey sportsbooks hit an all-time record of $668 million in August, the highest monthly total ever for any U.S. state, with mobile wagering accounting for 90.1% of the handle. The state’s handle is up 127.5% from $293.6 million in August 2019 and blew past the state record $562.7 million handle set in November. No state has ever drawn in more in bets in a single month, beating Nevada’s all-jurisdiction record of $614.1 million set in November 2019.
Pennsylvania saw its own records broken in August. Pennsylvania sportsbooks enjoyed their best month since the state launched the legal sports industry in November 2018.
The record $365 million handle was the highest since the state launched legal sports betting in late 2018 and represents year-over-year growth of 234.7% from August 2019.
Illinois also brought in some big numbers with the help of their remote registration. The Illinois Gaming Board announced Thursday that 230,000 mobile sports betting accounts have been created, a number that would have been a fraction of that with the state’s in-person registration requirement in effect.
Through July, Illinois sportsbooks have accepted $61.8 million in bets, with $52.5 million coming in a July that was mostly void of major U.S. sports, according to official reporting released earlier this week.
On top of that, sports betting made history in the U.S. when the first sportsbook opened in a professional sports complex. William Hill opened a sportsbook inside Capital One Arena in Washington D.C. in August and in its first full month it saw some impressive numbers.
69,085 bets, totaling $9.1 million, were placed in August at the William Hill sportsbook at Capital One Arena in Washington, D.C., in August, per DC Lottery revenue report.
— David Payne Purdum (@DavidPurdum) September 17, 2020