The Louisiana Gaming Control Board has reported an impressive $52.7 million in gross sports betting revenue for January. The figure reflects the aggressive marketing efforts of the Pelican State’s ten mobile sportsbooks, which actively courted and engaged the public. Increased spending also reflected positively on the state’s budget, bolstering community-focused initiatives.

Louisiana Remains an Attractive Market for Operators

Ten sportsbooks represent Louisiana’s sports betting sector, including well-known names like BetMGM, Caesars, FanDuel, DraftKings, PointsBet, Betway, and ESPN Bet. The state’s wagering scene remains dynamic, evidenced by Bet365 and ClutchBet’s recent entries in this jurisdiction as they attempt to disrupt the status quo and secure a sustainable market share. 

According to state regulations, digital operators in Louisiana have a promotional spend limit of $5 million per calendar year, encouraging companies to spend strategically to capitalize on high-profile events or bolster retention during slower months. January witnessed a record-high spending spree, with $13.8 million in promotional credits and bonuses, surpassing the previous record set in January 2022.

The Louisiana Gaming Control Board (LGCB), the state’s gambling regulator, closely monitors ongoing trends to ensure operators remain accountable and do not violate marketing rules. This comprehensive data also enables Louisiana authorities to adapt to industry developments, ensuring adequate customer protection and social accountability.

January Set the Stage for a Successful Year

Louisiana’s year-over-year handle saw a remarkable 22.7% surge, reaching $346.3 million, making it the third-largest total in Louisiana State history. Although 8.1% lower than the record set in December 2023, the figures indicate a robust and thriving sports betting market in the state. The online sector retained its dominance, recording a handle of $317.8 million, while retail sportsbooks collected $28.5 million.

January had remarkable revenue holds, with a 15.2% win rate. This result marked the sixth time in 25 months of mobile betting that the win rate exceeded 15%, more than double the industry standard of 7%. The high win rate and the significant promotional spend made the state eligible to tax approximately 74% of the gross revenue, collecting almost $39 million.

The report indicates a robust start to the year for Louisiana’s sports betting operators, showcasing the significant growth and potential of the market. Extra funds will bolster the state’s education programs and help finance gambling harm prevention initiatives. Despite the slight slowdown in January, next month’s results should more than compensate, bolstered by the traditional Super Bowl surge.

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Macau’s gaming market continues to show clear signs of recovery as the region’s industry posted a spectacular year-on-year growth of 686%. With China’s zero-COVID policy finally a thing of the past, the restrictions that weighed down on the industry have finally been lifted.

In August alone, Macau’s gaming industry reached a respectable $2.13 billion (converted to USD, current rates). While this result still lags behind the special administrative region’s pre-pandemic gaming levels, it marks a strong recovery that exceeds the expectations of many analysts.

The August 2023 results, for reference, were 29% lower than those recorded in August 2019.

Year-to-date revenue is up 295% at $14.11 billion, far exceeding the $3.58 billion Macau’s industry recorded for the same period in 2022.

In the meantime, Macau’s percentage growth in August was still lower than the outstanding 4,083% increase recorded in July 2023.

Macau’s Recovery Has Been Fluctuating

In June 2023, for reference, Macau posted revenue of $1.89 billion, with year-to-date reaching 54% of the pre-pandemic levels. While the zero-COVID policy is no more, its lasting impact continues to haunt the region. Despite everything, June was a favorable month, attracting many high-value players back to Macau.

The speed of Macau’s recovery has been fluctuating, making it difficult to make reliable predictions about the future. The overall trend is still overwhelmingly positive as the region continues to exceed the figures it recorded during the height of the pandemic. However, whether Macau will make a complete recovery or even exceed the pre-pandemic levels is yet to be seen.

During the pandemic, many of the Macau concessionaires demonstrated their trust in the recovery of the region, supporting their local arms with much-needed loans.

Macau’s Crackdown on Junkets also Impacts Its Performance

In the meantime, Macau recently curbed the influence of junket operators, resulting in a significant decline in their number. Prompted by the arrest and subsequent sentencing of Alvin Chau, Suncity’s former CEO, the crackdown brought the total number of Junkets from 200+ ten years ago to around 30 in 2023.

The VIP vertical in Macau brings around 15% of all revenues and from that total, junkets contribute 5% or less, MGM China’s president and COO, Hubert Wang, says. He also added that junket operators contribute as little as 3% of the revenues of MGM China’s profits.

In other news, Macau is now trialing iris check border controls. This has raised some eyebrows as experts believe that such controls might put off foreign tourists.

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Jackpots are every gambler’s dream and the leading sports betting and iGaming operator, BetMGM, continues to award its players with life-changing prizes. Since the start of the year, through this month, the company has awarded close to $75 million in progressive jackpots. A comparison to the $104 million in jackpots awarded through 2022 shows that this year, BetMGM is expecting to shatter its previously set record.

A breakdown of the $75 million in progressive jackpots shows the strong presence of slots from Entain, developed and made exclusively available for BetMGM’s Online Casino. In total, some $30.4 million of the total were awarded via Entain’s unique titles, that stand out with thrilling and engaging features.

Currently, BetMGM Online Casino offers more than 1,500 games. Additionally, the operator’s online casino is home to the exclusive jackpot network that connects more than 20 games, including fan favorites like Bison Fury, MGM Grand Millions, Loot’En Khamun and Mirage Mega Magma, among others.

Besides the slots from Entain, titles from leading iGaming industry suppliers, including Light & Wonder, NetEnt and IGT helped deliver more life-changing jackpots for BetMGM’s customers. The total sum of such jackpots for the first half of 2023 hit $44.3 million, BetMGM confirms.

BetMGM Remains Focused On Delivering Thrilling Experiences

Additional details released by BetMGM reveal that some $18.8 million in jackpot prize money were distributed in Pennsylvania, while New Jersey saw some $23.2 million in jackpot prize money. For the first half of 2023, the highest total of jackpot prize money was distributed in Michigan, a total of $27.4 million. The leading betting and iGaming operator released details regarding the biggest jackpots won through June this year. The list includes:

• MGM Grand Millions Megaways $799,048 jackpot that dropped on May 15 in Michigan
• MGM Grand Millions $1 million jackpot that dropped on March 4 in Pennsylvania
• Fjord of Riches $1 million jackpot that dropped on April 4 in Pennsylvania
• Luck O’ The Jackpot $2.4 million jackpot that dropped on June 6 in New Jersey
• MGM Grand Millions $2.8 million jackpot that dropped on January 7 in New Jersey

Oliver Bartlett, BetMGM’s director of online gaming, shared his excitement and said that the company is proud to continue to award life-changing jackpots to its players. “Curating an engaging selection of jackpot titles is a key focus and our progressive jackpot pools offer fantastic options to all players,” he added. Finally, Bartlett pointed out that BetMGM is looking forward to surpassing the previous record for awarded jackpots this year while at the same time, bringing unique iGaming experiences.

Only recently, a million-dollar jackpot dropped at the Borgata Hotel Casino and Spa, the leading MGM Rewards destination in New Jersey that delivers unique gaming and entertainment options. On July 14, a lucky visitor under the name of Jin hit the Bonus Spin progressive on Spanish 21, resulting in a jackpot win of a staggering $1.5 million.

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Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood, the premium casino, entertainment and leisure destination in South Florida, awarded more than $1 billion in jackpots in both 2021 and 2022. The venue offers a massive 150,000-square-foot gaming floor that is home to 2,700 of the most popular slots. Additionally, Seminole Hard Rock also offers electronic craps and roulette, video poker and amenities for non-smokers.

As a premium casino and entertainment destination, the venue continues to attract plenty of visitors and lucky ones go home with hefty jackpots. Now, a report released by CDC Gaming suggests that halfway through the year, Seminole Hard Rock has already surpassed the billion-dollar mark for jackpots paid.

A lucky visitor from Fort Worth, Texas, secured a $13,100 jackpot via the Dragon Link slot game on July 7, 2023. This marked a milestone moment as it surpassed the $1 billion-dollar mark for jackpots paid by the venue, marking a third year in a row for this particular achievement.

As more jackpots drop at Seminole Hard Rock, the venue is getting closer to having 323,000 jackpots for 2023 so far. Given the jackpots that dropped this year and the ones from 2022 and 2021, more than $4 billion were awarded so far and that amount is only going to grow further by the end of the year. Yet, it remains to be seen if the venue would be able to surpass $2 billion in jackpots for this year.

Jackpots Continue to Drop at Seminole Hard Rock

Bo Guidry, Seminole Hard Rock’s president, explained that the continuously dropping jackpots reaffirm the venues’ commitment to delivering supreme experiences. “We pride ourselves on providing guests an experience unlike any other right here in sunny South Florida,” he said.

“Awarding more than $1 billion in jackpots three years in a row showcases that we are all about the guest experience first and foremost.“

Bo Guidry, president at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood

Late in June, one lucky visitor of Seminole Hard Rock secured a significant jackpot while playing on Aristocrat Gaming’s Dragon Link slot machine. The lucky man from Marco Island, Florida, hit a $1,042,996.95 jackpot from the Dragon Link slot game after placing a $50 wager. The win came after earlier last month, another lucky visitor from Naples, Florida was able to hit a $1.2 million jackpot with a $25 bet.

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