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The true test of legalized sports betting as it relates to the return of major sports is upon us.
Two professional leagues have started postseason play as MLB continues to move forward. This is the rebound time for legal operators everywhere. And they’re already reaping the rewards.
More on that in a minute. But first, on to the Rewind:
DraftKings lays roots in New Hampshire
As it has so frequently over the past few years, DraftKings Sportsbook made its way into yet another state.
The rising legal sports betting power opened its retail sportsbook at The Brook, complete with betting kiosks and video walls within the property’s “Stadium” sports entertainment area. It is the eighth retail location from DraftKings and first physical sportsbook in New Hampshire.
Obviously knowledgeable regarding the prevention of COVID-19, Eureka Casino Resorts, which acquired and rebranded The Brook last year, “spent months” designing a plan to help keep staff and guests safe and sanitized. According to the release, that included physical distancing as well as hand sanitizing stations throughout the sportsbook while also requiring guests and employees to wear masks.
The Stadium area features couches and movie theater-style seating as three cinema-sized screens and hundreds of TVs are scattered throughout.
This expects to be the first of several physical locations in New Hampshire for DraftKings Sportsbook. The operator intends to open at least four retail sportsbooks throughout the state.
DraftKings is already active in New Hampshire, as it rolled out its online sportsbook in December 2019. It still stands as the lone legal provider in the state.
PGA Tour dives into sports betting
Over the past few weeks, the PGA Tour has made lengthy strides accepting and embracing the legalization of sports betting.
The professional golf association partnered with DraftKings Sportsbook, amending the two parties’ standing relationship by making DraftKings an official betting operator of the Tour. Soon after, the PGA Tour did the same deal with BetMGM, one that allows both operators to use tour logos in marketing and roll out betting-related programming as well as golf highlights.
Now, the PGA Tour has started incorporating betting odds during tournaments.
Over the weekend, the Wyndham Championship wrapped up the regular season of the Tour. It was during the opening two rounds of this tournament that the PGA Tour included odds-based content along with its Featured Groups coverage.
Leading up to said coverage, analysts from GolfBet provided their top picks and golf bets for the upcoming rounds. And throughout each round, the Tour incorporated limited odds-based graphics.
No doubt this was foreshadowing of what could come as the PGA Tour moves forward.
Major sports return means New Jersey sports betting rebound
This was the time bettors, operators and regulators alike had awaited: the return of major sports.
Toward the tail end of July, we welcomed back MLB action as well as the NBA. Even if only for a few days, the heightened interest in these leagues would surely be reflected in the revenue report.
Indeed that was the case in New Jersey, as 17 operators in the state accepted more than $315 million in wagers last month (nearly 94% of it online) after the state reported a mere $165 million in June.
Retail locations such as Meadowlands Racetrack certainly benefited, as the track posted $14 million on its own. But the story with New Jersey sports betting, as it has been since the third month of the industry’s existence in 2018, was the mobile share.
The vast expanse of online sports betting in the Garden State was already in place well before the coronavirus pandemic shut down everything. Having the ability to tap into that world seamlessly now definitely helped bolster New Jersey sports betting.
It will have the same effect throughout August, and no doubt in September when the NFL kicks off.
