Iowa became the 11th U.S. state to legalize sports betting last week.
Reynolds had not previously said whether she would sign the law. Lawmakers passed the measure last month with bipartisan support.
The legislation allows Iowans 21 years and older to wager on sporting events at any of Iowa’s 19 casinos and online if they visit a casino once in person to prove they are at least 21. It also legalizes bets on fantasy sports through websites and apps like DraftKings and FanDuel.
There are certain restrictions. While Iowans can bet on the result of college games, the law does not allow in-game proposition bets on college sports, like how many points a certain player will score.
A sports betting bill in Louisiana advanced out committee on Tuesday.
Still, more hurdles remain, including a possible review from the conservative House budget committee before the measure can reach the House floor.
Republican Sen. Danny Martiny’s bill would allow wagering on professional, college, Olympic and international sports events at Louisiana’s 16 casinos and four racetracks.
The Kenner senator said Louisiana residents already are betting on sports through bookies, online offshore sites and neighboring casinos in Mississippi. He said Louisiana should regulate and tax the activity, with the dollars largely earmarked for early childhood education.
“This is an industry that currently operates underground. It’s here,” Martiny said. “We have all of the ills of (sports) gaming, but none of the benefits, none of the financial benefits.”
West Virginians could soon have access to a mobile app which will take legal sports bets.
At Wednesday’s state Lottery Commission meeting, director John Myers confirmed that Lottery officials were on pace to complete testing of the casino’s mobile app as early as the end of the day.
“The idea at this time is that we will finish our testing, which involves several things,” he said.
Lottery security and technology staffers have to verify that the app can perform several functions required by law, including verifying the player’s identity before accepting wagers and accurately using geo-location technology to verify that the individual is within the state border when any bets are placed.
Once the testing is successfully completed, Myers said, the Lottery will issue a letter of approval, giving Hollywood Casino the go-ahead to proceed with the mobile app launch.
The New Orleans Pelicans won the No. 1 pick (which will presumably land them Duke’s Zion Williamson) in the NBA Draft Lottery last week. The good fortune shortened the Pelicans odds to win the 2020 NBA title from 300-to-1 to 25-to-1.
“We think it’s a lot more likely that Anthony Davis decides maybe New Orleans isn’t so bad now that they’re getting Zion,” Westgate director John Murray told ESPN. “We’re not going to raise the Knicks’ odds yet, but this may reduce their chances of landing Kevin Durant.”
One St. Louis Blues fan could win $100,000 if his favorite team wins the Stanley Cup Final.
The only reason Scott Berry was in Las Vegas back in January was to operate a booth at a sales conference. A casual gambler, he likes blackjack and craps but hadn’t gotten a chance to hit the tables on this work trip.
But before his trip to McCarran International Airport to head home, the St. Louis native made a few fateful futures bets on his favorite teams — $400 on the St. Louis Blues to win the Stanley Cup at 250-1 and $100 on the St. Louis Cardinals to win the World Series at 15-1 — at the Caesars sportsbook at Paris Las Vegas.
Four months later, his Blues bet — which would win $100,000 — has a legitimate chance to cash as St. Louis heads into the Stanley Cup Final.
“I bet with the heart on this one,” Berry told ESPN. “Before I hit my flight I decided that had I been here gambling I probably would’ve lost around $500, so I pulled that out of the bank account. My max withdrawal was $500, so that was all I could take out. I put $100 on the Cardinals at 15-1 and dumped the rest on the Blues.”
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