Spin Cycle: Whyte NCPG Exit, Betfred Nevada Exit Highlight Week In Gambling

Welcome to “Spin Cycle,” Casino Reports’ weekly Friday roundup of all things impactful, intriguing, impressive, or idiotic in the gambling industry. Pull up a chair, grab a stack of chips and a glass of your beverage of choice, and take a spin with us through this week’s news cycle …

Whyte out

The National Council on Problem Gambling dropped a bombshell of sorts on the industry Thursday, issuing a release that, after more than 26 years as executive director of the NCPG, Keith Whyte departed that position at the start of the week. No reason was conveyed in the release, nor was it indicated whether this was Whyte’s decision or the NCPG’s.

“On behalf of the entire board, I want to thank Keith for his leadership and contributions to the organization during his tenure,” NCPG Board of Directors President Susan Sheridan Tucker stated. “During this transition, our mission to lead awareness and advocacy efforts to reduce gambling harm remains our top priority, and we are confident in the team we have in place to seamlessly carry out this vital work.”  

The board appointed Nancy Green interim executive director while it searches for a permanent replacement for Whyte.

In a LinkedIn post Thursday evening, Whyte offered no hint as to what was behind his exit.

“After more than 26 years as Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling it is time for a new challenge,” he wrote. “What an honor It has been to advocate on behalf of problem gamblers and their families for almost three decades. … I will continue to work on responsible gambling and gambling addiction issues and look forward to a time when comprehensive prevention, education, treatment, enforcement, responsible gambling, research and recovery services are available, accessible and affordable for all. Watch this space-lots more to come!”

Sportsbook comings, goings, and earnings

The gambling operator news spigot was turned on full blast the past week — here’s a quick roundup of some of the biggest stories:

• Betfred informed its customers that it has closed all retail operations in Nevada. That leaves Pennsylvania as the only state in which Betfred still operates. (In the Keystone State, Betfred has both a retail and online presence.)
• BetMGM announced Monday that, despite running into some “customer-friendly results” on NFL bets late in 2024, as most sportsbooks experienced, it is not revising revenue guidance downward like Flutter/FanDuel did last week. BetMGM will report an EBITDA loss for the year of about $250 million, in line with previous expectations.
• The ESPN Bet brand is expanding, as PENN Entertainment and ESPN announced 10 brick-and-mortar properties across six states are each becoming an “ESPN Bet Sportsbook.”
• Meanwhile, on the digital side, ESPN Bet is set to launch its mobile sportsbook in Washington, D.C., through a partnership with Monumental Sports & Entertainment (owner of the Capitals, Wizards, and Mystics). There is no launch date indicated yet for ESPN Bet in the nation’s capital.

The seven-state itch

GeoComply shared data this week illustrating that demand for regulated online sports betting is very much present in states that have not legalized the activity, with the company’s ping counts revealing massive numbers of geolocation checks in at least seven such states.

Alabama, Georgia, Minnesota, Mississippi, Nebraska, South Carolina, and Texas each saw geolocation checks in the millions during football season (specifically, from Sept. 5-Jan. 5), with Mississippi — where retail betting is legal but mobile betting is not — topping the list with 9.98 million hits.

Each of these states is considering sports wagering legislation this year.

GeoComply passed along infographics showing the ping locations in each state. Here’s Texas, for example:

The year-over-year increase in active accounts was highest in South Carolina, up 436% compared to the previous football season. 

“The remarkable year-over-year increase in active accounts from South Carolina is directly linked to North Carolina’s launch of statewide mobile sports betting in 2024,” GeoComply noted. “This data point alone provides clear evidence of how legalized sports betting in one state can influence consumer behavior in neighboring states. South Carolina residents are signaling a strong desire for the same legal options their northern neighbors enjoy.”

Put on your Ruby slippers …

If your company has the word “Ruby” in its name, and you have news to announce, may as well do so on a Tuesday, right?

This Tuesday, slots game developer RubyPlay announced its arrival in the U.S. market, specifically via the BetRivers New Jersey online casino, debuting with five “premium slot games.” Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers platform is also available in Pennsylvania, Delaware, Michigan, and West Virginia, and RubyPlay’s games may come to some of those states soon.

“At RubyPlay, we’ve always focused on creating memorable gaming experiences, and we’re confident that BetRivers players will find our games captivating and rewarding,” said RubyPlay Chief Product Officer Dr. Eyal Loz in a press release.

House Rules: Insights from around our network

LEGISLATION INUNDATION: Busy week of new gaming bills and proposals includes online casino in Wyoming and Indiana [by John Brennan]

SQUARE DANCE: Illinois lawmaker wants to put your Super Bowl squares in a box [by Jeff Edelstein]

ILOTTERY LEAP: Sales dip spurs Tennessee Lottery to begin online sales, relying on interpretation of existing lottery law [by Brett Smiley]

MORE LIKE, INTRA-NOT, AM I RIGHT?: DC sports betting provider Intralot fined $5M for ‘deceiving city officials’ [by Eric Raskin]

WHAT A RUSH: Rush Street’s first year as Delaware iGaming operator produces 9x increase in gross winnings [by Chris Altruda]

EVERYTHING’S BIGGER … : Why Texas, not California, may be the true top prize for commercial sportsbooks [by Matthew Bain]

FISTFUL OF DOLLARS: New Jersey Lottery to host Rock Paper Scissors contest [by Jeff Edelstein]

THE ENGLISH WAY: The UK’s 2023 gambling white paper: A model or a warning for gambling regulation worldwide? [by Sam Davies]

GETTING CRABBY: Maryland latest to take aim at ‘sweepstakes’ operators with cease-and-desist letters [by Chris Altruda]

HUMAN NATURE: From fruit trees to slot machines: How evolution made gamblers [by Jeff Edelstein]

PROXY POLICE: House study bill filed in Iowa would make proxy betting a felony [by Chris Altruda]

Low stakes and hot takes

This week on the Casino Reports podcast Low Rollers, my co-host Jeff Edelstein and I welcomed noted responsible gambling policy expert Brianne Doura-Schawohl to offer her insights on problematic VIP hosting practices. Here’s a taste:

We also covered what DraftKings is trying to accomplish with its deal with Delta Airlines, the D.C. AG fining Intralot, which Manning brother is the chalk in Kick of Destiny 3, and more. Full episode:

The Shuffle: Other news and views

MISSION ACCOMPLICE’D: Vegas man arrested in connection with Jontay Porter betting scheme [ESPN.com]

EASY MONEY: Circa Million NFL contest winner turns ‘afterthought’ into $1M [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

GIMME A BREAK: Bally’s seeks key property tax break for $1.7B Chicago casino [The Real Deal]

FUNDING THE FIGHT: Human trafficking ‘extremely pervasive’ in Atlantic City — groups fighting it get $15K from Hard Rock [Press of Atlantic City]

COMING SOON?: Major North Las Vegas development could break ground this year [Las Vegas Review-Journal]

COMMISSION COMMITMENT: Youngkin wants to create committee to oversee all gambling in Virginia [WTKR 3]

A STRONG DECEMBER: New York falls just short of online sports betting handle record in December [iGaming Business]

COLOR LINE: The problem with legal gambling that everyone seems to be ignoring [Esquire]

SUPREMELY COMPROMISED: SCOTUSblog Publisher diverted millions from law firm to pay gambling debts, indictment alleges [The Washington Free Beacon]

SHINING STAR: FanDuel is now in Puerto Rico [Caribbean Journal]

CONEY CONUNDRUM: Coney Island casino’s future a crapshoot after community board committee votes ‘no’ [Brooklyn Paper]

The Bonus Round

Completing the Spin Cycle with some odds and ends and our favorite social media posts of the week:

• Among the many organizations in the gambling community that stepped up to help in the face of the L.A. wildfires, here’s one worth highlighting: Kindbridge Behavioral Health and Kindbridge Research Institute announced Wednesday the launch of an initiative to provide free crisis counseling and mental health support to those affected. For more information, visit kindbridge.com/wildfire-support or call 1-877-426-4258.

• In the spirit of the rule, “if you don’t have something nice to say, don’t say anything at all,” I now present, without comment, a link to the news that prediction market operator Kalshi has named Donald Trump Jr. a “strategic advisor.”

• Here’s a fun one worth highlighting: Last Thursday, a Wheel of Fortune slots player at the Encore in Las Vegas turned a $9 spin into a $1,183,315 jackpot win. Think of all the vowels you could buy with that money …

• DraftKings introduced last week a modified version of its NBA “King of the Court” promo, called “King of the End Zone.” The idea: Place a TD-scorer bet on someone in one of the wild card games, and if that player scores the longest touchdown of the day, split $2 million in bonus bets with everyone else who had that player. Well, when little-used Bills receiver Curtis Samuel found the end zone Sunday for a 55-yarder, only 146 DK customers had him — meaning they each received a $13,699 bonus bet! (For the record, Samuel scored one TD the entire regular season, and it was a 12-yarder.)