Captain Gambling: Weekly Industry News Update – 11/08/2020 

Captain Gambling: Weekly Industry News Update – 11/08/2020 

Welcome to Captain Gambling’s weekly industry news digest! Our experts are here to give you all of the latest updates regarding gambling legislation in states across the country as they happen. 

This week’s top stories:

• Maryland, Louisiana and South Dakota all vote to legalize sports betting
• New York & Ohio not likely to legalize full scale sports betting this year
• Casino reopening approved n Arizona
• What does a Biden presidency mean for the gambling industry?

Maryland, Louisiana and South Dakota

All 3 states that had legalized sports betting on the ballot on Tuesday voted yes, meaning some form of sports betting is now legal in 50 US states. The margins in each of the 3 states were fairly convincing, unlike the presidential election itself. Maryland passed with 68%, South Dakota with 58% and the vast majority of Louisiana parishes (their answer to counties) voted in favor. As the betting landscape in America continues to grow, we can expect plenty more states to legalize sports betting in 2021

New York & Ohio

The complicated legislative processes in both New York and Ohio states means that they’re not likely to see legal sports betting before the end of this year. The already complex process have been further drawn out thanks to the coronavirus pandemic and the Presidential election. Legalized betting has been in limbo in both states for a few months, and we most likely won’t see sports wagering made available until next year at the very earliest. 

Arizona

The Navajo Nation’s lawmakers gave the go-ahead to reopen the tribe’s 4 casinos, despite health ministers warning of growing coronavirus cases in the tribe. The tribe has casinos in birth Arizona and New Mexico, all of which have been closed since March. The Navajo Nation Gaming Enterprise got the green light to reopen its casinos at 50% capacity, but still need approval from the tribe’s president before they can officially open their doors to the public. Once the bill reaches Navajo President Jonathan Nez, he has 10 days to approve it.

Biden’s presidency and the gambling industry

While it will undoubtedly be quite far down on the agenda, there are some predictions we can make regarding what the Biden presidency means for the US gambling industry. Unlike Trump, Biden has said doesn’t support the Justice Department’s decision last year to reassert provisions of the 1961 Wire Act, a move that threatened America’s rapidly growing gambling industry. On the other hand, Biden’s strict coronavirus restrictions will likely lead to immediate, short term closures for casinos and retail betting shops.