We hope everyone had a leisurely Labor Day weekend filled with betting on the first full weekend of college football action (and a personal thank you from me goes out to Stanford -6.5 and Auburn -3.5 for covering in the spread in the final minute of their games).
Now, the big boys get ready to suit up on Thursday, September 5 when the Green Bay Packers travel to Chicago to take on the Bears.
Wagering on the 2019 NFL season is already in full swing, but what’re the latest happenings in the world of legal sports betting? Let’s dive in and find out.
And there’s no bigger news this week than Indiana officially becoming the 13th state to offer legalized sportsbooks to the public when three casinos opened their doors on Sunday.
Because sportsbooks have not launched in Illinois, operators in the Hoosier State are expecting to see a huge influx of Chicago residents crossing the state line to place wagers on the NFL regular season opener.
But perhaps more impactful news that broke yesterday was the Fox Corp, owned by Rupert Murdoch, launching the FOX Bet sports betting platform in the New Jersey market—becoming the first major media company to offer a sportsbook.
The website and mobile app are a rebranding of the BetStars brand, and users with existing accounts will be transferred to the new FOX Bet platform. Pennsylvania will be next to launch the app—likely within the next couple of weeks—after it receives the go-ahead from state regulators.
Three of the four pre-approved brick-and-mortar casinos in New York have launched sportsbooks, and Resorts World Catskills in Monticello announced this week it would have sports betting ready before the NFL season kicks off on Thursday.
British betting giant Bet365 will be the sportsbook provider at the upstate casino, and Resorts World also stated that it’s partnering with IGT and Betgenius to help strengthen its offerings available to New Yorkers.
While North Carolina will likely have sports betting available at two tribal casinos at some point during the football betting season, lawmakers managed to pass S 574 last week.
After a debate over whether to merge the existing North Carolina Lottery Commission with a yet to be established North Carolina Gaming Commission—a proposition that ultimately failed—the Senate voted 44-1 and the House voted 97-12 in favor of the bill to study the impact on sports betting in the state and to keep the two commission’s separate.
If Gov. Roy Cooper signs the bill into law, both commissions will study the possible positive and negative effects of a full expansion of NC sports betting. A final report on its findings must be submitted to the Joint Legislative Oversight Committee and are due on April 15, 2020.
Early last week, Oregon became the 12th state to offer a legal sportsbook when the Chinook Winds Casino opened its oceanfront sports wagering lounge in Lincoln City on Tuesday, August 27.
The Chinook Winds lounge is the first sportsbook in the state, and with the lottery’s Scoreboard app not expected to launch at least for another few weeks, it’ll be the only location in the Beaver State ready in time for the NFL season.
Lastly, West Virginia finally ended its summer-long mobile betting drought on Monday, August 26, when FanDuel launched its website and app in the state. DraftKings has since brought its Internet-based services online—giving the state two legal options for smartphones, tablets, and computers.
William Hill is also expected to bring its platform to the Mountain State in the coming months, but a launch date has not been officially announced.
Don’t forget: You can stay in-the-know by checking out the SportsBetting.Legal US sports betting bill tracker! See precisely when lawmakers in your state introduce legislation, so you know exactly when to expect regulated sportsbooks to come to your neck of the woods.
And remember: It’s never too late to bet on football! With college football beginning and the NFL regular season kicks off in just a couple days, we’ve compiled a list of the best betting sites for wagering on football during the 2019-20 season!
