Indiana Gambling News Digest
If you have a stake in the Indiana gambling and wagering market, then you will find this news digest very helpful. All of the latest news and updates about Indiana’s gambling and wagering market has been enumerated in this in-depth news digest. Keep reading to find out about the past week’s most exciting events in the Hoosier State.
Indiana Gaming Commission Mandates Strict COVID-19 Protocols in All Land-Based Casinos Until June 1 2021
The Indiana Gaming Commission (IGC) announced last week that all casino employees and guests have to mandatorily wear face masks and practice social distancing measures until June 1 2021. Despite Governor Holcomb withdrawing the mask mandate with an official insistence, the IGC reported that the casinos themselves requested the State to continue practising all of the security protocols in place. According to the guidelines, all visitors have to wear a face mask at all times.
The rules also ask the casino to not hold any large events and attractions for the time being, in an attempt to avoid attracting large crowds. Face masks are also mandatory if someone wants to participate at any of the table games in Indiana casinos. Casinos will also be required to display signs and warnings about COVID-19 symptoms, operate only half their slot machines and conduct regular clean ups and disinfections of the casino premises.
The Hard Rock Casino in Gary and the Horseshoe Casino in Hammond have taken a different route – they have modified their floor plans to increase the amount of distance between each of their patrons. For example, the Horseshoe Casino has moved its poker tables to a different venue and all the slots have been moved into the large poker room. This will help them to ensure that all the social distancing regulations are properly met.
Self-serving food stations and buffets have also been discontinued for the time being. IGC and casino operators agree that these are only the bare minimum required to keep everyone safe. If proper safety is to be ensured, then casino operators are free to implement stringent procedures for mask wearing and disinfection. If the casino operators take an active role and play their part against the crisis, the industry can return to normal very shortly indeed.
Indiana Sports Betting Grows By 300% From March 2020 – Posting $316.7 Million In Revenue
Here is the latest Indiana sports betting news, concerning the market activity in the newly legal state. The market is doing fabulously well, with the IGC reporting a 300% increase in revenue from March 2020. In march, the total number of bets made were worth $316.7 million – which is more than $240 million than the wagers of March 2020. The industry even managed to grow a whopping 15.6% from February to March 2021.
Even legalized sports betting tax paid by operators and players to the state doubled over this month – with more than $2.5 million in revenue going into the state’s coffers. This is a 55.4% increase in revenue, and many experts say that the NCAA March Madness is one of the main reasons behind this impetus. In fact, basketball bets were the most valuable – accounting for more than $160 million of the total bet amounts.
Basketball is extremely popular in the Hoosier State, and it also happens to be the hosts for this year’s edition of March Madness. A huge volume of the betting revenue can be attributed to basketball fans from different states who travelled to IN to watch their favourite players in action. According to Jessica Welman, the lead analyst at PlayIndiana.com, this kind of active, large scale betting event is a very uncommon sight in Indiana.
DraftKings and Fanduel are the biggest sports betting operators in Indiana right now, since they are associated with the Ameristar Casino and Blue Chip Casino respectively. Together, these two operators accounted for more than 64% of all the money that was wagered in March 2021. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic shutting down casinos and dealing a blow to the Indiana economy, the sports betting scene of the Hoosier state has managed to stay afloat very well.
Indiana USL Team Indy Eleven Teams Up With RSI BetRivers for a Multi-Year Sponsorship Partnership
There’s some exciting news for soccer fans in Indiana. The well-loved United Soccer League team, the Indy Eleven has teamed up with BetRivers, a sports betting platform owned by Rush Street Interactive (RSI). BetRivers has signed a multi-year partnership with the team and is now the official sports betting partner of the Indy Eleven. BetRivers will now be able to place its logo on the sleeves of all of the 2021 jerseys of the team.
Greg Stremlaw, the President and CEO of the Indy Eleven, has said that the team was in the market for a sports betting market ever since late-2019. After legalization, the Indy Eleven have become one of the first teams in the USL to team up with a nationally recognized iGaming and sports betting platform. This partnership is a pivotal moment for the team and Stremlaw also thanked BetRivers for providing this opportunity to the team.
Mattias Stetz, the COO of Rush Street Interactive (RSI), has also remarked that BetRivers is very excited to explore this new multi-year partnership with Indy Eleven. The goal of these two organizations is to provide Indiana soccer fans with the very best betting and entertainment available. Digital integration is one of the major perks that BetRivers will receive from this partnership with the team – as well as logo placement on all its promos and appearances.
Swiss sports data provider SportsRadar had an instrumental role in bringing this agreement to fruition. This collaboration is the most recent attempt in an overwhelming series of team-ups where professional sports teams are seeking out well-known sports betting platforms for sponsorship. With online sports betting and wagering being legalized all over the United States, this is truly a watershed moment in the history of the industry. The sports betting industry will never be the same.
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