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Massachusetts Online Lottery Launch Delayed to 2026 Due to Funding Issues

Massachusetts-online-lottery-launch-delayed-to-2026Massachusetts residents hoping to participate in the state’s online lottery will have to wait until April 2026 due to delays in receiving the necessary funding to develop the platform. Initially projected to launch by the end of 2025, the timeline has now been pushed back, state officials confirmed.

During a recent Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce meeting, State Treasurer Deborah Goldberg, Chair of the Massachusetts Lottery, revealed that the lottery’s online expansion has been slower than expected. This delay stems from the state not yet receiving the $2.5 million in government funding required to kickstart the project.

Lottery Director Mark Bracken explained that the 16-month timeline to implement the platform will not begin until the funds are allocated. “Unfortunately, we have not received funding yet to do anything with online lottery,” Bracken stated, noting that the money might not arrive until between November 2024 and January 2025.

Funding Delays Push Timeline

Massachusetts lawmakers passed legislation to legalize the online lottery in June 2024, with Governor Maura Healey signing it into law in July. However, the lack of immediate funding has hindered progress, meaning that the state lottery can’t move forward with hiring staff or engaging the necessary consultants to develop the platform.

Once the funding is secured, the Massachusetts Lottery will have 16 months to fully implement the online platform. This timeline pushes the expected launch to spring 2026, instead of the previously estimated fall 2025. Bracken reassured the public that the additional time would allow the lottery to launch a more refined and polished product. “We want this to be the best platform with the best offerings for our players,” he stated.

Financial Expectations Adjusted

The delays have also prompted a revision of the expected revenue generated from the online lottery. Initially, state officials anticipated the platform would bring in $100 million in revenue for the first fiscal year. However, that estimate has now been lowered to $70 million, with revenues expected to increase to $180 million by the second year and $230 million by the third.

The funds raised through the online lottery are earmarked to support early childhood education and care programs in Massachusetts. Despite the setback, the Massachusetts Lottery remains optimistic about the long-term success of the platform once it’s operational.

Gambling, Retail, and Government Impact

Bracken and Goldberg also addressed concerns that the launch of online sales could negatively impact traditional retail sales. However, Bracken dismissed these fears, explaining that, in states where online lottery platforms have been introduced, retail sales have often seen a boost. “In every state that had online lottery, their retail sales grew at a faster pace than states that didn’t have online lottery,” Bracken explained.

In addition, online players will be able to redeem bonuses in retail locations, which is expected to drive further foot traffic to brick-and-mortar lottery outlets. This approach aims to balance the growth of the online lottery with the continued success of traditional lottery retailers.

Preparing for Launch

Although the funding has yet to be finalized, the Massachusetts Lottery is already laying the groundwork for the platform. Officials have been in discussions with several platform providers and game vendors and have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to identify potential partners for developing the online system.

Once the platform is up and running, players can expect a full suite of digital lottery options, including traditional draw games and innovative e-instant games similar to online slots. Bracken hinted at the possibility of themed mini-games that put a new spin on traditional scratch tickets, providing a fresh experience for players while staying true to the lottery format.

The online platform will allow Massachusetts players to purchase tickets and play instant win games directly from their phones or computers, providing more convenience while also expanding the state’s gambling ecosystem.

Source:

When Massachusetts Expects to Launch Online Lottery, wbsm.com, October 21, 2024.

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French National Lottery Operator FDJ Reports €710M Revenue in Q1

fdj_revenue_increases_7_2pct_-to_e710m_in_q1La Francaise des Jeux (FDJ), the well-known French sports betting, lottery and iGaming operator, has announced its financial results for the first quarter of 2024 and the numbers show a significant increase in revenue.

The company’s revenue in the first quarter amounted to 710 million euros, representing an increase of 7.2 percent compared to the same quarter of 2023. Moreover, the company’s gaming revenue went up by 3.1 percent compared to the first quarter of 2023 to a total of 645 million euros.

The French operator was particularly pleased with the performance of its online games segment, which managed to bring in 100 million euros, a figure which represents almost 15 percent of the group’s total revenue.

The company’s target for revenue growth in 2024 is 8 percent, though, so it will have to do better in the following three quarters in order to meet it. However, with the European Football Championships and the Olympic Games coming up this summer, the company’s revenue from sports betting will surely receive a big boost in the second and third quarters.

The operator’s revenue from its lottery operations also registered an increase of 1.4 percent year-on-year during the first quarter, amounting to 504 million euros. Sports betting and competitive online gaming brought in 141 million euros in revenue, recording an increase of 9.5 percent over the first quarter of 2023.

A Good Start

Stéphane Pallez, chairwoman and chief executive of the FDJ Group, described the company’s results in the first quarter as “a good start” for the year, especially because all the group‘s activities registered growth, from the network of 29,000 retailers to the online gaming business.

Moreover, the revenue from sports betting and competitive online gaming registered an increase despite being compared to a quarter which had seen great numbers as an effect of the impact the World Cup in Qatar had on the entire sporting world.

In fact, revenue from the online sports betting division of FDJ, ParionsSport En Ligne, registered an increase of over 25 percent during the first quarter of 2024, well beyond the other segments of the company’s business.

In other news, the management of FDJ confirmed that the company was still keen on acquiring the Kindred Group, a major international conglomerate of sports betting websites and online casinos. The French company submitted an offer worth 2.45 billion euros in January, attempting to form the second largest operator in the European gaming scene.

Source: “FDJ revenue increases 7.2% to €710m in Q1″. iGaming Business. April 18s, 2024.

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Cayuga Nation Sues New York State Over Lottery Sales on Reservation

The Cayuga Nation is suing the New York State Gaming Commission (NYSGC) for selling lottery tickets on its reservation in the state’s Finger Lakes region.

Cayuga Nation, New York State Lottery, lawsuit, New York State Gaming Commission, NYSGC
New York State is violating federal law by deploying self-service kiosks, such as the one pictured above, on Cayuga Nation lands, according to a lawsuit filed by the tribe Thursday. (Image: News Agency Blog)

The Nation asserts that by federal law it is the only entity authorized to regulate the conduct of gaming on its lands. That’s in a complaint filed Thursday in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of New York.

Under the federal Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA), the state has no authority to offer gaming on the Cayuga’s sovereign reservation unless it is licensed to do so by the tribe, the lawsuit states.

Jackpocket App

Yet the state has deployed lottery terminals on the Cayuga reservation that dispense instant-win scratch-offs and tickets for draw games, according to the tribe. It has also issued a courier service license to Jackpot Inc, a company that enables users to play the New York Lotto and other NYSGC-licensed draw games via the Jackpocket mobile app.

Moreover, the Nation notes that lottery games are defined as class III gaming, akin to slot machines and roulette. The Cayuga themselves are prohibited from offering class III games on the reservation because they do not have a compact with the state.

Under IGRA, they can only offer class II gaming, such as electronic bingo and poker, at their four “Lakeside Entertainment” gaming venues.

The Nation has robust gaming operations throughout the reservation and uses the revenue to provide life-changing government benefits to Cayuga citizens,” said Cayuga representative Clint Halftown in an official statement. “New York State’s practice of authorizing lotteries on Reservation land causes grave concern to the Nation’s rights and ability to provide for Nation citizens.”

IGRA Trumps State Law

The Nation has already established in a federal court that “IGRA preempts all state and local legislation and regulation relating to gambling conducted on ‘Indian lands,’ as defined in that statute.” That ruling of July 2021 put paid to local attempts to thwart the tribe’s gaming operations.

The new lawsuit came after the Nation’s lawyers wrote to NYSGC and Jackpocket offering to discuss the lottery issue but received no response. The suit seeks declaratory judgment that the state is violating IGRA and an injunction to halt lottery terminals and Jackpocket’s operations on its lands.

“The Cayuga Nation has a responsibility to enforce its federally approved gaming ordinance and stop all unlawful gaming within the reservation, whether by the state or private individuals,” Halftown said. “The Cayuga Nation Council will not ignore the State’s gaming, especially the expansion to mobile gaming and the license to Jackpocket Inc.”

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Fanatics Sportsbook Bows in Connecticut After Reaching Lottery Partnership

The Fanatics Sportsbook went live in-person and online in Connecticut on Tuesday, less than two weeks after the sports betting operator struck a deal for market entry.

Fanatics Sportsbook Connecticut sports betting
Fanatics Sportsbooks are opening in Connecticut at 10 retail locations and online. Fanatics gained entry into the state through a partnership with the Connecticut Lottery. (Image: Fanatics Betting and Gaming)

Fanatics Betting and Gaming is a subsidiary of Fanatics Holdings, Inc. Earlier this month, the Connecticut Lottery Corporation (CLC) chose Fanatics as its new sports betting partner after Rush Street Interactive folded on the agreement in March.

A Fanatics spokesperson told Casino.org that Tuesday’s debut is a soft launch. Only the first 2,000 customers who download the Fanatics Sportsbook app in Connecticut and register an account will be accepted. Assuming there are no technical or regulatory glitches, the online sportsbook will open to more bettors on Monday, December 18.

Fanatics is additionally now the retail sportsbook partner of the CLC and is taking bets in person at 10 locations across the state, including at the XL Center in Hartford. Fanatics Sportsbooks are also located in Shelton, Stamford, Windsor Locks, Manchester, New Haven, New Britain, Milford, and Waterbury. Fanatics is working to open a sportsbook in Bridgeport at Total Mortgage Arena.

Connecticut marks the ninth state entry for the Fanatics Sportsbook.

Lottery Sportsbook

Connecticut expanded gaming in 2021 when Gov. Ned Lamont (D) reworked the state’s two Class III gaming compacts with its tribal partners. The revenue-sharing arrangements were amended to allow the Mohegan Tribe and Mashantucket Pequot Tribal Nation, which respectively own and operate Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods, to conduct iGaming and both retail and online sports betting.

In exchange for the expanded gaming, the tribes agreed to partially cede control of its gaming monopoly by allowing the Connecticut Lottery to venture into sports betting. The CLC can operate online and retail sports betting, but not online slot machines and table games, as the tribes can.

The CLC picked Rush Street Interactive as its sportsbook partner in August 2021. The interactive gaming unit of Chicago-based Rush Street Gaming pledged to direct at least $170 million to the Connecticut Lottery during the 10-year agreement.

Rush greatly over-projected the market and fell far short of coming anywhere near its $17 million a year tax pledge. Per revenue reports from the Connecticut State Department of Consumer Protection, Rush Street’s SugarHouse Sportsbook has contributed roughly an average of $300K a month to the state from its online and retail wagering operations.

Rush terminated its CLC agreement, and though a separation fee is presumed, the amount wasn’t publicly disclosed. Fanatics’ agreement with the CLC also has not been made available.

Connecticut taxes sports betting revenue at 13.75%.

Staunch Competition

Fanatics in Connecticut is going up against two industry leaders in DraftKings and FanDuel. Mohegan is partnered with FanDuel and Foxwoods with DraftKings for their iGaming and sports betting operations.

FanDuel is the state sports betting leader. In October, FanDuel’s 13.75% tax on its online sportsbook win amounted to a little more than $1 million. DraftKings paid the state more than $866K. The Connecticut Lottery’s online sportsbook tax totaled $152,600.

Fanatics CEO Michael Rubin isn’t shunning away from the DraftKings and FanDuel-dominated market. The billionaire says it’s his mission to make Fanatics one of the largest sportsbooks in the country.

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The 2023 National Basketball Association Draft Lottery

the_2023_national_basketball_association_draft_lotteryOn Tuesday, May 16th, 2023 the National Basketball Association draft lottery day has finally arrived, and the NBA is about to find out which franchise will possess the number one overall draft pick that will enable them the chance to select Victor Wembanyama in next month’s 2023 NBA Draft.

The NBA Draft Lottery Process

The 2023 NBA draft lottery will be held on Tuesday night in Chicago, Illinois where 14 – NBA franchises will ultimately have a chance to win the number 1 overall draft selection for the 2023 NBA Draft which will be held on June 22nd, 2023. The Detroit Pistons, the Houston Rockets, and the San Antonio Spurs all have the best possibility of winning the number one overall draft pick at 14 % each.

The NBA draft lottery revolves around 14 ping – pong balls going into a machine, and the 1st – four balls that come out will be matched to the predestined NBA teams that are assigned to them determining the order of the first several picks of this year’s 2023 NBA Draft this upcoming June.

The results from Tuesday night’s NBA draft lottery will be nationally broadcasted on ESPN even though the official National Basketball Association draft lottery itself actually occurs about an hour before air time in a secured room.

Each NBA franchise will have one representative in the room as well as some league officials, lottery observers, and some major sports media outlets will also be in the set room, but no one will be allowed to leave the room or communicate with anyone else until the results are eventually displayed on tv to the general public.

The NBA draft lottery originated way back in 1985. Throughout the first 5 – years, the NBA draft lottery teams (7 in 1985 – 1988, and 9 in 1989) all had an the same or an equal chance of winning the number one overall pick.

Odds started to be weighted way back in the year of 1990. During those 33 – years, the NBA franchise with the best odds of winning the number one pick only prevailed to go on and get it just 11 – times, or 33.3 %, but the NBA team holding (or tied for) the best odds entering the NBA draft lottery won the number 1 pick 7 – times over the course of last 8 – years.

Victor Wembanyama

The now 19 – year – old Wembanyama just so happens to be a 7 – foot 3 – inch power forward / center that can do it all on the hardwood. The young phenom from France is just now finishing up his 3rd – professional basketball season overseas, and he has been the consensus number – 1 2023 NBA draft pick for quite some time now.

Victor Wembanyama has the overall size of a center, the shooting touch of a wing player, and the passing ability as well as the ball handling skills of a point guard too. He is predicted to be the best number one overall draft pick entering the NBA in quite a long time.

Victor Wembanyama’s Basketball Career Achievements, Honors, & Awards

  • Pro A Champion (2022)
  • LNB All – Star Game MVP Award Winner (2022)
  • 2 – Time LNB All – Star Selection (2021, 2022)
  • 2 – Time Pro – A Best Young Player Award Winner (2021, 2022)

Sources:

The Associated Press News Services. “Draft Lottery day arrives, with the NBA about to learn where Wembanyama is going”. The Associated Press. Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

Basketball Reference News Services. “Victor Wembanyama”. Basketball Reference. Tuesday, May 16, 2023.

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