Casino Player December 2022

PLAYING THE BOOKS

BETTING THE FAVORITE

Sports Betting a Losing Ticket in California Elections ➤ by Sean Chaffin T he NFL season is heating up but football of another type may also be a major focus for many bettors in the coming weeks as well.This month’s Betting the Favorite takes a look at the

The initiatives promised to funnel tax funds to help the homeless, the mentally ill and those with gambling addiction. Plans also called for helping shore up the finances of poorer tribes in the state. California has a unique mix of commercial casinos, tribal properties and legalized card rooms that offer poker and other similar games. The card rooms opposed the measures because they would be locked out of the industry altogether.They argued that a handful of wealthy and powerful tribes would be given“a virtual monopoly on all gaming in California.”The rejection is a prime example of the issues that can arise with so many political interests involved in this type of legislation. Reaching any kind of compromise among so many competing groups, including horse tracks,won’t be easy. As Gambling and the Law blog publisher I.Nelson Rose notes: “California has a population greater than Canada, and sports betting will be a multi-billion-dollar business, probably the largest in the world. Having so much money at stake, and greed, make a compromise more difficult.” SuperBook Sports is based out of the famed SuperBook Westgate LasVegas.Behind legendary odds makers Jay Kornegay and John Murray,SuperBook has built a loyal and growing customer base. Kornegay, the vice president of Race & Sports Book Operations at SuperBook,commented,“I am excited to launch our sports betting in Iowa. From my time in this business, I’ve known sports fans in Iowa to be among the most loyal and knowledgeable.” Kornegay added.,“We’re off and running and we welcome new sign-ups to compare us against the others.We focus on building the best odds anywhere we operate, and we offer several generous odds boosts and other promotional bets.” In Iowa, customers can download the SuperBook Sports app from the Apple App Store by searching for SuperBook Sports Iowa. Customers on Android can download the app in the Google Play Store.

World Cup as well as Ohio betting goes live on NewYear’s day and looks like it may be a huge market for the industry. California voters also recently decided that it just wasn’t the right time or right proposal to legalize sports betting in the state. The wagering windows won’t be opening anytime soon in California. Voters overwhelmingly rejected two different ballot measures in November that would have legalized betting in the state. At least $460 million was spent in trying to coax voters into legalization. All that turned into a losing ticket and what could potentially be one of the biggest markets in the country remains closed. “Supporters and opponents of the dueling measures flooded voters with a blast of advertisements on propositions that would have legalized sports gambling by allowing it at tribal casinos and horse tracks or through mobile and online wagering,” ESPN noted of the ballot measures.

SUPERBOOK LAUNCHES SPORTS BETTING IN IOWA S uperBook Sports, a highly respected sports wagering company based in Las Vegas, is now live in the Hawkeye State. Sports bettors in Iowa can download the SuperBook Sports Iowa app or visit www.ia.SuperBook.com and start wagering on their favorite sports and teams today.

“We’re excited to bring the SuperBook brand and our decades of experience to the state of Iowa,” said SuperBook Chief Executive Officer Mark Lipparelli.“From the Cyclones and Hawkeyes to the Field of Dreams, Iowa has one of the best sports traditions in the country. Many sports fans from Iowa have undoubtedly visited our iconic Las Vegas sportsbook,and now they can access those same great betting options from home.” With the addition of Iowa,SuperBook’s reach now extends to six states:Arizona, Colorado, Nevada, New Jersey,Tennessee, and now Iowa.Announcements on additional states are just around the corner.

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