Legislation News

More and more jurisdictions are opening up to online gambling (and the US is finally waking up to the opportunity this offers to bring in taxes). So this category collates all the latest news to allow you to stay up to date on where online gambling (and offline) is legal and where it is not.

If a US senator is going to push a Bill forward, you’ll read it here. If Dubai suddenly opens its doors to live casinos, it will be here too. Justice might be blind, but by reading these stories your eyes will certainly be wide open.

Mexico Border Towns to Fill Up with Casinos Next Year as Tamaulipas Relegalizes Gaming

December 07, 2018 By Philip Conneller

Up to 30 casinos are expected to appear on the other side of the Texas-Mexico border following the Mexican state of Tamaulipas’ relegalization of casino gaming. Last month, the Tamaulipas regional government reversed a 2017 decision to ban casinos and shut down strip clubs in the state. Lawmakers opted for prohibition because they believed the…Read More

Federal Sports Betting Bill Surfaces in Congress, Proposes Official League Data Mandate

December 05, 2018 By Philip Conneller

A draft of Senator Orin Hatch’s (R-Utah) threatened federal sports betting bill appeared on Capitol Hill Tuesday. The bill seeks to provide a uniform federal framework of sports betting regulation and would require states seeking to legalize sports gambling operations to have their rules signed off by the US Attorney General’ office. The AG would…Read More

Oklahoma Tribe Selected to Develop Arkansas Casino in Jefferson County

December 04, 2018 By Devin O'Connor

The Quapaw Tribe of Oklahoma and its Downstream Development Company has been selected by local officials in Arkansas to build and operate a casino in Jefferson County. In letters expressing their support, Jefferson County Judge Booker Clemons and Pine Bluff Mayor Shirley Washington (D) said the tribe has shown a deep commitment to investing in…Read More

Surprise Alliance of Leagues and Operators Emerges to Fight Threatened Intralot Sports Betting Monopoly in Washington DC

December 04, 2018 By Philip Conneller

MGM Resorts, DraftKings, and FanDuel have joined forces with the NBA, MLB, and the PGA in a bid to impose shared interests on Washington DC sports betting legislation. It’s the first known instance of sports betting operators and leagues — two groups whose interests have not always aligned — entering into joint lobbying efforts. The…Read More

Genting Dragged $66 Million into the Red After US DOI Nixes Tribal Casino Project

December 03, 2018 By Philip Conneller

Genting Berhad booked Q3 net losses of more than $66 million on Friday. The Malaysian casino giant largely blamed its jeopardized investment in a Massachusetts tribal casino project, which was torpedoed by the US Department of the Interior earlier this year. In a filing to the Malaysian Stock Exchange, Genting said it had included a…Read More

Virginia Casino Bill Coming in 2019, Measure Would Authorize Gaming Venue in Bristol

November 30, 2018 By Devin O'Connor

A Virginia casino bill that would end the state’s ban on commercial gambling will be introduced early next year after the legislature convenes for its 2019 session. State Del. Israel O’Quinn (R-Bristol) and Sen. Bill Carrico (R-Galax) held a press conference yesterday to discuss the merits of allowing a casino to be built in Bristol….Read More

Vietnam Casino on Phu Quoc Island to Welcome Citizens in 2019

The first Vietnam casino permitted to welcome citizens will open its doors in early 2019. (Image: Corona Resort)

November 30, 2018 By Devin O'Connor

A Vietnam casino yet to open on Phu Quoc island will be permitted to welcome citizens into the gaming venue once it does in early 2019. Vietnam lawmakers passed legislation in March 2017 that called for a test program to the federal ban on Vietnamese entering land-based casinos located in the country. The government recently announced…Read More

Kentucky AG Calls on Lawmakers to Legalize Casinos, Says Gaming Revenue Can Fix Broken Pension System

November 28, 2018 By Devin O'Connor

Kentucky Attorney General and 2019 gubernatorial candidate Andy Beshear (D) believes the legalization of commercial casinos can help fund the state’s pension system. Beshear, whose father Steve served two terms as Kentucky governor between 2007 and 2015 and also wanted to bring gambling to the Bluegrass State, says authorizing casinos and earmarking subsequent tax revenue…Read More

Louisiana Law to Protect Skilled Gamblers Unenforceable, Say Card Counters

November 23, 2018 By Philip Conneller

Blackjack card counters and other advantage gamblers in Louisiana finally thought they’d been dealt a decent hand when the legislature approved Act 451 — a law that prohibited gaming establishments from excluding patrons based on their skill levels at a certain game. The law, effective last August 1, largely flew under the radar because it…Read More

Long Opposed to Gambling, Virginia Introduces Two New Sports Betting Bills

November 22, 2018 By Cort Smith

Virginia has long been opposed to all forms of gambling, but it seems the state suddenly wants in on the action. Lawmakers there introduced not one, but two new bills this week aimed at bringing sports betting to its 8.5 million citizens next year. The first came courtesy of State Sen. Chap Petersen, (D-Fairfax City),…Read More

Oaklawn Horse Racetrack Unveils $100M Expansion Following Arkansas Casino Legalization

November 20, 2018 By Devin O'Connor

The Oaklawn horse racetrack in Hot Springs, Arkansas, is set to undergo a $100 million expansion following the state’s authorization of commercial gambling. Parent company Oaklawn Racing and Gaming announced Monday that the expansion will include the construction of a seven-story hotel, event center, casino, and additional parking. The project is to be completed in…Read More

Switzerland Legalized Online Gaming Kickoff Set for New Year’s Day

November 19, 2018 By Lucas Thomas

A law to regulate online gaming in Switzerland, passed by 73 percent of the country’s voters back in June, is set to be implemented on January 1, 2019. In accordance with the new law that legalizes online gaming, Switzerland’s Federal Council will begin to accept operator applications during the first six months of the new…Read More

Historical Horse Racing Expands Across Virginia, Colonial Downs Renovation Underway, Betting Parlors Announced

historical horse racing Colonial Downs Virginia

November 18, 2018 By Devin O'Connor

Casinos are banned in Virginia, but gaming venues featuring historical horse racing terminals are coming to towns across the state. In April, state lawmakers and Governor Ralph Northam (D) gave owners of the shuttered Colonial Downs Racetrack authorization to house the slot-like gaming machines. The legislation — House Bill 1609 — also approved up to…Read More

Canadian Sports Betting Laws ‘Mind Boggling,’ in Need of Change Say Politicians and Union Leaders

November 17, 2018 By Cort Smith

Politicians and union leaders are the latest to make a push to finally legalize single-game sports betting in Canada. David Cassidy, the president of the Unifor Local 444 union, confronted Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland on the topic during a meeting this week. While acknowledging that gaming law isn’t part of Freeland’s portfolio, Cassidy…Read More

Maryland Voters Support Sports Betting, But Their Voices Won’t Be Heard Until 2020

November 13, 2018 By Devin O'Connor

Maryland voters want sports betting legalized, but state law, which requires any form of gambling expansion to be approved through a ballot referendum, will keep the issue at bay until at least 2020. A poll released this week by the University of Maryland and Washington Post finds that 53 percent of registered voters approve of…Read More