Geoff Zochodne

May 31, 2024 | covers.com | Geoff Zochodne

Every sports betting advertisement in New York may soon have to deliver words of warning along with any words of encouragement. The New York State Senate passed Senate Bill 1550 on Thursday by a 57-0 vote, giving its seal of approval to a measure that will require all gambling and sports betting ads to include disclaimers about the "potential harmful and addictive effects" of wagering.

May 30, 2024 | covers.com | Geoff Zochodne

Intentionally or not, Michigan has thrown down the gauntlet. The Michigan Gaming Control Board, in issuing a cease-and-desist letter this week to offshore sportsbook Bovada for offering illegal online gambling, may have set a precedent other states could feel compelled to follow. At least that may be what the American Gaming Association (AGA) is hoping, as the industry group has lobbied for a federal crackdown on offshore and illegal gaming operators for years.

May 29, 2024 | covers.com | Geoff Zochodne

Call it favoritism — or maybe favouritism. A pair of bookmakers offering sports betting in Ontario say their users in the province were at least a bit more inclined to back their fellow countrymen than customers elsewhere when wagering on the winner of the 2024 RBC Canadian Open. The Open, which began Thursday morning at Hamilton Golf and Country Club in Hamilton, Ont., has 28 Canadians in the field, the most in the history of the tournament when co-sanctioned by the PGA TOUR.

May 28, 2024 | covers.com | Geoff Zochodne

The cost of doing business is on the verge of going up in Illinois for legal bookmakers. While there was some parliamentary drama, the Illinois House of Representatives ultimately concurred on Wednesday morning with a Senate amendment to House Bill 4951 that will increase the tax rate for legal sports betting in the state. The bill now needs approval from Gov. J.B. Pritzker, who initially sought a general increase in the tax for Illinois sports betting to 35% from its current 15%.

May 28, 2024 | covers.com | Geoff Zochodne

The biggest online sports betting operators in the U.S. are making ominous noises about a proposed tax hike in Illinois, including what it might mean for their clientele if the cost of doing business goes up. In short, the sportsbooks most used by bettors in the U.S. are suggesting they will offer worse odds, fewer bonus bets, and perhaps pull up stakes entirely. Whether they follow through remains to be seen, but operators are painting a dire picture of the future of Illinois sports betting.