News and Analysis
Number of Legal Super Bowl Bets Smashes Records
First and foremost, a massive congrats to the Kansas City Chiefs, who stole the show, trophy, and prize pot from the grips of the San Francisco 79ers in this year's action-packed Super Bowl game on Sunday.
Turning toward the betting stats, GeoComply, which collects data from states with legal sports betting, registered new records, with a whopping 14,750 transactions per second pre-kick-off (almost double that of last year).
GeoComply also reported a 15% uptick in active betting accounts (8.5m across 28 states), with 1.7m new users registering in the two weeks before the Super Bowl.
GeoComply founder Anna Sainsbury commented that the figures were a credit to the achievements of the legal betting market, the progression and growth of which laid the groundwork for the historic Super Bowl figures.
While we're still waiting on the exact handle and revenue figures, last week, the American Gaming Association forecast the event would create a betting handle of approximately $23.10bn.
Alabama House Approves Casino and Sports Bill
Alabama's House of Representatives has passed HB 151 by a considerable margin of 70-32. The bill seeks to approve legal casinos, lottery, and sports wagering and will now move to the State's Senate.
As the bill requires a constitutional amendment, it will require approval via public referendum later in the year if it progresses past the Senate. If and when Alabama citizens vote in favor of the bill, it will create a regulated gambling industry in the state for the first time.
HB 151 is accompanied by HB 152, which includes the provisions for a gambling tax regime and details of revenue distribution and regulatory enforcement.
Wynn Interactive Sells New York License
Wynn Interactive has agreed to sell its New York operator license to Penn Entertainment and ESPN Bet, which plans to launch in The Empire State later this year.
While this is a monumental move for Penn Interactive and ESPN Bet as it gives the company access to one of the most prominent sports markets in the US, it's a further reduction for WynnBet in what has already been a punishing 12 months.
In August 2023, Wynn Interactive announced that its US division was "underperforming" and closed its digital platforms in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Louisiana, New Jersey, Tennessee, Virginia, and West Virginia, leaving Michigan, Nevada, Massachusetts and New York open but under review.
The news of the company's NY license sale comes almost simultaneously with WynnBet announcing the closure of its Massachusetts platform, instructing players they have until March 13th to withdraw their funds.
With things not looking good for WynnBet, which now only remains active in Nevada and Michigan, it seems there's no stopping ESPN Bet, which is already live in 17 states since taking over as Penn International's sports betting partner in late 2023.
Stakelogic Gets Green Light in Rhode Island
Games provider Stakelogic has secured provisional supplier approval in Rhode Island ahead of the market launch, which is expected next month. Stakelogic is already approved in Michigan and Pennsylvania, making Rhode Island its third US state.
Stephan van den Oetelaar, CEO of Stakelogic, commented: "Gaining the Rhode Island license is a significant achievement in our ongoing US market journey. Our team is excited to introduce our content and technology in Rhode Island.
This expansion is a testament to our commitment to excellence and our strategy to be at the forefront of the online casino industry in North America. We are grateful to the Rhode Island regulators for their trust and cooperation and look forward to making a positive impact on the local gaming scene."
BetMGM and X Become Exclusive Partners
In the first-ever partnership of this kind, BetMGM has become the official US Live Odds Sports Betting partner of social media platform X. The agreement will see the social media platform integrate BetMGM's odds on the platform, with live betting links available, creating a seamless user experience.
BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt said, "X is the center of the sports world's conversation 24 hours a day, seven days a week…Being directly accessible within that forum is an unprecedented opportunity to expand our reach to a passionate and engaged audience. We look forward to adding intel and content that enhances the platform's interaction around sports."
While this provides an unparalleled opportunity for BetMGM, already the USA's third-largest sports provider with a 17% market share, it also sparks questions regarding responsible gambling and age-gating on social media. More specifically, whether X's current age-gating practices on content are up to the job of protecting underage audiences from viewing this content and how the platform aims to protect vulnerable users from this seamless, 24/7, and integrated service.
Game of the Week
Raging Rex 3, Play'n GO, RTP: 96.20%
Set on 6x4 reels with 4096 ways to win, Raging Rex returns players to the Cretaceous period in a race against time and nature for survival. You'll spin to win as the Raging Mama Rex stomps across the reels, creating chaos and potentially huge prizes of up to 30,000x in this new and action-packed prehistoric online slot.
Aside from making base game wins, from left to right for 3+ matching symbols, you'll also get the chance to earn a selection of bonus features, including:
Re-Spins
This base game bonus triggers when the Rex hits the reels. The number of Re-Spins corresponds with the reel that Mama Rex lands on (6 for 6, 5 for 5, and so on), and during the spins, she acts as a Stacked Wild, subbing and increasing the chances of line wins.
Free Spins
Get 3-6 Scatter to trigger 7-13 Free Spins. Before the round starts, you'll get to pick between the three Free Round modes explained below.
- Feeding Frenzy: One dinosaur symbol will be selected as the prey for the round, and the Rex is active on the reels. During this round, the Rex stalks the prey, and if they land on the same reel, the Feeding Frenzy meter is filled one point. For each point in the meter, a multiplier is added.
- Hatchling Mania: Mama Rex's baby Hatchlings are leaning to hunt in this Free Spins round. During the game, Hatchlings can drop onto the reels, stick, and walk with each spin; they can also come with a 2x or 3x multiplier.
- Survival: This is a new type of round, and it's played on 12 individual reels with a 2x2 Rex collector symbol in the middle. You start with 3 lives and need to survive as long as possible. Each spin costs one life and presents a new challenge, while each win resets your lives to 3. This round is a high-stakes experience that you should try at least once!
Ready to spin and see if you can win up to 30,000x your bet in this epic slot? Then it's time to set your bets from $0.10-100 and see how long you can survive the reels. You can check it out now at these Play'n GO casinos in the USA.