Martin Lycka: NFL season grabs all the hype, but what about internet casino?
Martin Lycka - The NFL season gets all the attention, but what do you think about internet casino?
Martin Lycka – SVP American Regulatory Affairs & Responsible Gambling at Entain – takes a look at all the buzz surrounding the new NFL Season and questions why the internet poker and casino sectors seem to be lagging behind.
Here we go again. The National Football League's 102nd Season has started. There will be drama of Hollywood quality, great victories, and terrible defeats. The rise of new heroes is possible, and the endurance of battle-hardened veterans will amaze us. You can banter with your NFL friends, laugh at your opponents' losses, or celebrate your team’s triumph in Fantasy League.
Most states that recently regulate their sports betting market are eager to open them up at the start or in the time leading up to the Super Bowl LVI.
You will find glamorous customer packages and glitzy deals. It will be possible to hear predictions from old and new sports betting ambassadors. You can find power rankings and their ebbs & flows on betting websites and elsewhere.
Other states that have not yet allowed sports betting in their bailiwicks, will continue to work hard to get regulation in place so that they can be ready for the start of next season 103; and if that fails, then 104.
Sports betting seems to be the most talked about topic at the moment. This is not surprising considering the thrill that it generates, as well as the involvement in big leagues and great athletes.
An analogy of maelstrom and whirlwind would not be appropriate considering the recent storm-related events in South Carolina and East Coast. So let's just say the sports betting regulation in the United States is as unstoppable Patrick Mahomes III every time he dons a Chiefs jersey.
This isn't true for poker or online casino. It is different from sports betting. To get the green light, an internet casino didn't have to wait for 2018 Indeed, the early days of internet casino saw Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey and New Jersey allowing at least some forms.
These three trail blazers are only being followed by a handful other states. For now, West Virginia and Pennsylvania are the only states to follow them.
It is quite bizarre to observe the rather pedestrian evolution of US internet casinos markets, given the European experience and the Ontario experience. In both cases, all product verticals (will be) were regulated simultaneously.
This sentiment is further reinforced by the fact internet casino, just like sports betting, beats all revenue records in every state that allows it. Is it possible that internet casino has become a distant relative to its sports betting sibling, at least for the moment?
First, we should remember that internet casino and poker had to defend themselves against a legal challenge by certain land-based casino quarters through Wire Act based litigation. Trump administration might have rewarded their loyalty with an overly broad interpretation of Wire Act that would have prevented cross-border transmissions casino and poker data.
This interpretation was eventually rejected by the courts. It could open the doors to interstate poker, and in some cases, provide liquidity for casino players. It is clear that the Biden administration will not stand in its way.
Pennsylvania supports Michigan's efforts to revive the liquidity sharing agreements New Jersey, Nevada, and Delaware signed many moons ago. However, West Virginia, which wants to be a part of the shared liquidity fray as soon possible, has been holding off while the two larger states have been wasting their time, leaving us all, liquidity sharing supporters, hanging.
We'll be watching closely, hoping that 2021 will be the year when all the stars align for a major liquidity rollout.
If and when other states allow internet gambling in their territory, the liquidity pool could grow even further. Representatives from North Dakota and Illinois have tried to pass legislation that would allow internet poker and casino.
They either ran out of time or were confronted by powerful forces such as the operators of video gaming terminals, which have so far thwarted any attempts to increase the product range available on US internet gambling markets.
Despite these setbacks, there is still hope for the future. There is nothing to dislike. Regulating will increase tax revenue and eradicate the black market. As always, regulation will increase our chances of helping those who are on the slippery slope to gambling addiction.
It will not be happening tomorrow. It's pretty much already happening.
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