Share
Attorneys Tom Hartmann and Louis Trombetta are FanDuel’s new Directors of Government Relations. Their appointments come just a few weeks before state legislatures across the US convene their 2025 regular sessions.
That includes Florida and Illinois, where Hartmann and Trombetta have connections in government and experience in gaming matters. Discussions pertaining to online casino regulations have been ongoing in both states and others, where Hartmann’s and Trombetta’s presence could aid FanDuel’s interests.
Hartmann, Trombetta join FanDuel
According to a press release, hiring Hartmann and Trombetta is a move to strengthen FanDuel’s “relationships in existing states of operation and new states into which it aims to expand.” Hartmann’s and Trombetta’s experience qualifies them for that purpose.
Hartmann is an attorney who formerly worked as the Chief Counsel to the Speaker of the Illinois House of Representatives and the House Parliamentarian. In those roles, he was part of Illinois’ most recent gaming expansion in 2019 that brought online sports wagering to the state.
Trombetta is also an attorney who formerly served as the Executive Director of the Florida Gaming Commission. He was the first person to serve in that role.
The timing of Hartmann and Trombetta joining FanDuel is interesting given the status quo for potential online casino regulation in Florida and Illinois.
Florida, Illinois among potential expansion spots
There are no regulatory structures governing online casino play for real money in either Florida or Illinois. That could change in 2025 in both states, however.
Legislation to regulate online casino play has been filed in recent years in Illinois and bill sponsors are returning to Springfield for 2025. In Florida, online casino regulation could move even more quickly.
Seminole Gaming CEO Jim Allen has shared that the Seminole Tribe of Florida wants to expand its control over online gambling in the state to include online casino play. While that would require action from the legislature and Gov. Ron DeSantis, the Tribe’s initiative was behind the legalization of online sports wagering in Florida.
FanDuel already has a foothold in Illinois through its operation of its own online sportsbook and racebook in the state. FanDuel also owns a “racino” in Illinois.
In Florida, FanDuel would need to broker a deal with the Seminole Tribe to offer its online casino product there. If the amended compact resembles the framework for sports wagering, though, that would be a possibility.
Hartmann and Trombetta could shorten the odds that FanDuel is able to launch its online casino in their realms of influence. FanDuel might look to expand those realms as well.
Other immediate impact avenues for Hartmann and Trombetta
Illinois isn’t the only place where FanDuel already operates and there is some momentum toward online casino regulation. FanDuel could also deploy Hartmann and Trombetta in Louisiana, New York, and Wyoming.
Wyoming Rep. Robert Davis has committed to filing a bill to regulate online casinos in 2025 and FanDuel offers sports wagering online there. In Louisiana, a committee has been meeting on the subject of online casino regulation.
New York Sen. Joe Addabbo has been vocal on the issue of expanding the state’s online gambling industry to include online slots and table games. Addabbo could push for that expansion again in 2025 after doing so in 2024.
How much pull Hartmann and/or Trombetta will have outside of Florida and Illinois is uncertain but their experience should qualify them to engage with stakeholders on FanDuel’s behalf anywhere.
