What will sports-betting advertising be like once football season starts? Our prediction is for overkill, followed by backlash. As though to prove our point, FanDuel is unleashing a national ad blitz with a minute-long TV spot called “Anthem.” It’s so over the top, so relentlessly in your face that a certain amount of revulsion is all but inevitable. Judge for yourself:
Shades of the inescapable DraftKings/FanDuel DFS commercials of a few years back. Fortunately, the market will probably be self-regulating, or at least heavily filtered. The first layer of filtration is sports leagues themselves. The NFL has already limited sports-betting puffery to six spots per game. Consumer reaction will also play a role and, if that and other forces don’t keep things to a reasonable level, state regulators can make their displeasure known. In Europe and the United Kingdom, sports leagues have seen governmental intervention when gambling advertisements were felt to have gone too far and become too ubiquitous. Nobody wants a repeat of that scenario stateside, least of all betting providers.
Leadership in Lake Tahoe seem to be in a state of denial regarding the Caldor wildfire that is descending upon them. While gaming has been preposterously exempt from an evacuation order, at least partial shutdowns have been effected. “This is extremely serious,” intoned Gov. Steve Sisolak (D)—but apparently not sufficiently serious as is maximizing gaming revenue. One must have priorities! Casino executives themselves seem to be in a state of denial. What person in their right mind is going to drive to Tahoe to gamble in conditions like these? Kudos, at least, to Caesars Entertainment for making otherwise-empty hotel rooms available to tired firefighters and displaced employees. Ditto Paragon Gaming‘s Hard Rock Lake Tahoe and Bally’s Corp.’s Montbleu. Good. Keep up the good work. Now get those gamblers out of there.
Then-acting head of the Bureau of Indian Affairs Bryan Newland, via inaction, allowed the notorious new Seminole Tribe compact with Florida to go into effect. The next day his appointment was confirmed by the Senate, including Sens. Rick Scott (R) and Marco Rubio (R) of the Sunshine State. Was a quid pro quo at work? Opponents of the compact will probably argue that The Fix Was In when they get Interior Secretary Deb Haaland into court. But Haaland is not without friends, and they include the politically and financially Seminole Tribe itself. The latter has entered the lists of litigation, jousting for Haaland and against plaintiffs Magic City Casino and Bonita Springs Poker Room. The pair of litigants may seem like small fry, as Big Gaming is sitting this one out. That may have something to do with potential joint-venture opportunities with the Seminoles and a little bit to do with the ballot question being promulgated that would take control of sports betting out of the hands of the tribe. Either way, the compact stinks and should be either voided at the ballot box or nullified by the courts.
Speaking of ballot initiatives, California card rooms just gained three powerful friends in the form of FanDuel, DraftKings and BetMGM. The trio is backing an initiative to open the Golden State to online sports betting, which a rival, tribally backed one would not. The ballot drive is ostensibly about raising funds to fight homelessness and mental health (two goals we support) but let’s not be fooled about what’s really at stake. The initiative’s campaign manager, Dana Williamson, said tribes would be dealt in on the potentially mega-lucrative action: “Any online sports betting operator seeking to participate in the California marketplace must do so by partnering with a California tribe. A portion of the measure’s revenue is dedicated to uplifting tribal communities.” While card rooms are severely outgunned by tribes ($450K vs. $12 million) in the battle so far, the three new combatants deploy some heavy financial artillery of their own. Caught in the crossfire is Gov. Gavin Newsom (D), who could formerly count on tribes for campaign lucre but some of whose paleface allies are behind the new push. Tribes are supporting Newsom in his anti-recall vote … but might have second thoughts.
Jottings: Our man of the year may turn out to be a woman, specifically Scarlet Pearl Casino CEO Luann Pappas, whose must-vaccinate mandate for employees came down on July 27, making her the first in the industry (and at the forefront of a state mired in Third World health conditions). Said Pappas, “We’ve always been a leader, even in those things that are controversial, and we believed it was the right thing to do.” Amen, sister … The American Gaming Association has ratcheted up its Coronavirus vigilance prior to Global Gaming Expo. In addition to the pre-existing mask mandate, President Bill Miller will be requiring all attendees to have proof of vaccination. The news comes as a relief, although G2E will probably be somewhat less “global” than usual, thanks to the travel bans that are keeping many international attendees away … In a bit of political theatre, the Atlantic City Council voted in favor of a resolution urging New Jersey to do away with the smoking loophole that allows players to light up in casinos. That’s all well and good but as the councilors are puppets of Trenton, their proclamation is the roar of a paper tiger … Arizona giveth, Arizona taketh away. PointsBet was awarded a sports-betting license, only to see it quickly revoked, leaving partner Cliff Castle Casino high and dry. The state said it was all a big misunderstanding … Caesars Sports President of Trading Nick Bogdanovich has been shown the door. The former William Hill bigwig got his start writing tickets at the old Sands in 1986 … Admitting defeat, some North Carolina lawmakers are prepared to cave to the black market slot business by legalizing VLTs in the Tarheel State. The VLTs would be taxed at a steep 40% but such a massive gaming expansion is not going to pass without a fierce fight, already raging.
Wow this California jostling about sports betting is interesting, the Native American tribes want a monopoly on the action plus severely limited access, and the other two proposals include those same tribes who are trying to hijack this cash cow… When you posted that opinion “piece” from the Native American shill David, he tried to paint anyone not supporting their proposal as criminal money launderers, without specifics. The tribes in California are so powerful that even their rivals kowtow to them, in fact, this looks like an effort to embarrass them, and it’s effective. The card rooms are so evil for wanting to spread sports betting to every single potential bettor in California, and the casino owning tribes who want a monopoly and zero online wagering are hero’s… Good luck spreading that manure around…