Metro Report: Sports Betting in New York, Washington DC & Philly

.

Since the advent of Sports Betting the coverage of the New York, Washington DC and Philadelphia markets are essential to prognosticators. I would normally just focus on Las Vegas, Philly and Atlantic City but times have changed. So I will expand with my Gaming Guy News minutes into the 3 top cities on the East Coast.

The Giants are now in 2nd place in the NFC East. The Cardinals handle them easily and Daniel Jones did not look comfortable coming back from a hamstring injury. They are playing the Browns this week at home. Browns are favored by 3.5 in the opening line. After a thrilling loss to the Ravens on MNF in a game considered one of the best of the year, expect the number to go up.

The Washington Football team took over 1st place in the NFC East. After Dwayne Haskins came into the game for injured QB Alex Smith, the Washington defense rallied and took an interception to the end zone. They play the Seahawks at home this week and are 5.5 underdogs. While both team need the game, the betting public makes this number go to 6 or higher by game time.

The Eagles won for the 1st time in 5 weeks with Jalen Hurts having his 1st start as QB. He provided the spark the team needed and kept them in the race for the division. They are 1.5 games back with 3 to play. They have an 11% chance of winning the East. Their best scenario is to win out and Washington lose at least 1 of their next two games. They face the Cardinals this week and are getting 6.5. That line should stay static.

Sixers played a preseason game against the Celtics. They won 108-99 with the starters playing most of their minutes in the 1st half. No news on the James Harden watch. If the Sixers do go in on Harden ,the pieces they would have to consider moving are Tobias Harris, Matisse Thybulle and Mike Scott. The depth on the team would be lessened considerably. The addition of Harden would make the Sixers a championship contender. The Sixers have a projected win percentage of 58.5%. They would have to win 43 games to surpass that projection.

Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving looked impressive in his preseason game against the Wizards. Russell Westbrook and Bradley Beal  sat the game out. After the game, Westbrook and KD embraced and spoke briefly. That was good for both of them considering how their relationship frayed when KD left OKC 4 years ago. The Wizards have a projected winning percentage of 45,5%. To exceed that projection they would have to win 33 games.

Sports Business and Sports Betting in DC is doing well on the retail side. William Hill & Monumental Sports and Entertainment  are increasing their handle every month. The average bet on a kiosk is approximately $125.  Parx Casino in Philadelphia had a combine retail and online gross revenue in October of 3,2 million before taxes. Those numbers will increase when the NBA returns to action.

Follow me on Twitter for conversations and watch my videos on Instagram.

The Key Takeaways from the Bet on Sports America Conference

I was so impressed with the Bet on Sports America Conference that I wanted to follow up with 5 key takeaways for anyone that is working or interested in gaming, media and sports betting.

The advent of sports betting is in it's infancy. Sports betting has been legal in states outside of Nevada for just under 3 years. So many states have yet to legalize it. More over so many people are not aware that you can do it legally. Most sports books are populated by men. Hmm!!  Educate and Advertise. 

The pandemic has prompted an increase in online gaming and mobile sports betting. In October, Nevada books set a monthly record for betting handle at 659.6 million. 376.9 million was wager via mobile. Since we can't gather due to COVID the way to stay engaged with your players is remotely. Use all mediums available to you. Be consistent with your content and attempt to respond as close to real time as possible.

The partnerships between the media outlets and professional sports teams now have sports betting operators as a common denominator. Imagine if Google or Facebook enter the equation. They have the followers and could generate liquidity. Yahoo is involved and has it's own Sports division. Yahoo's sports betting platform is powered by BetMGM. 

Some of the professional teams that participated in the conference were the Sixers, Eagles, Flyers and New Jersey Devils.

The time is perfect for entrepreneurs and developers. If you can come up with an app or program that is easy to navigate and appeals to a gaming centric audience,  major corporations will find you. If someone comes up with a way to monetize Esports on a betting platform that makes gaming legislators and operators comfortable, they will be rich!  Nearly half a billion people play Esports or watch others play by streaming.

Don't be afraid to fail. If you're not taking risk on new technology and concepts now, when will you? I'll give you one concept. Meet with other industries that you can partner with. Make sure the partner aligns with your mission statement and core values. Don't sleep on small local businesses as a way of helping generate interest in what you are doing.  

This is the 4th conference that I have attended this year. 3 of them were after the pandemic shutdown in March. Add that to my expertise about casino operations along with my education regarding sports betting and you get a composite view of gaming  If you want more information or insight, we need to talk. In closing I want to quote Ben Franklin. "An investment in knowledge pays the best interest."

If you want a recap of the entire conference click here.

My website is  smartresponsiblegaming.com.  Follow me on Twitter and Facebook for conversations & Instagram for photos/videos.

The Twitter Expansion of GTLivechat and GTLHottopics

Robert M.Mims

I want to share some exciting news about my plan to expand my engagement on Twitter. At the start of the NBA shutdown due to COVID 19, I started a doing a twitter chat 3 nights a week. The conversations included sports, sports business and sports betting. It was expanded to include music from contemporary artists and delve into their music catalogues. The audience grew exponentially over the 4 months and expanded to cover both the east and west coast.  The chat achieved approximately 30,000 impressions during the ESPYS on June 21st.

Since sports have returned the format has changed. The conversation or threads can't last as long in the evening because the games are rightfully taking center stage. A mid day version of the chat was added to engage the audience longer. This addition captured positive results. With the NFL coming in two weeks, it makes sense to expand the coverage, Start on September 1st, the chat will be on 4 nights. Those nights will be Sunday, Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. A mid day version will happen on each of the aforementioned days of the week with Wednesday included at noon. 

The night chats will start at 7:30 prior to an NFL game. The conversation before any other game(NBA,MLB,NHL,WNBA or Tennis) will start 30 minutes before the contest.  There will still be polls that will gauge your opinions, questions that pertain to your sports betting selections and data that will help you make an informed decisions. We also highlight our followers by sharing their tweets and applaud their creativity when they include a GIF. On Thursday, there is a women in media segment that spotlights the achievements of  female athletes, reporters and business executives. On Fridays, we will still do Shout Outs and #FF. If you follow we follow back. 

Nkeshi Free 

The chat are cohosted by Nkeshi Free. She adds the creative side to the collaboration and is knowledgeable in all sports. Her twitter handle is @KeshisCuties. My twitter handle is @GamingguyM.

Tuesday is the #GTLHottopics day. All other days we use the #GTLivechat.

You can get updated information at smartresponsiblegaming.com

What's Next?

 

I am starting to look at universities and colleges this fall. Hold up. I am not thinking about taking a course or getting my Masters. I plan to offer my presentations virtually. I have visited several schools in this immediate region. They include Saint Joseph University, Temple University, Drexel University, Penn State, Delaware State University and Stockton University. Since the COVID pandemic makes going to the schools a risky venture even for a gaming professional like myself, I decided to use technology and make things easier. 

I am looking at schools not only in the mid Atlantic region but any state that is considering  adding  sports wagering to it's gaming statues. This includes Virginia, Washington DC, Alabama, California, Connecticut, Florida and Georgia. The states of Illinois, Indiana and Colorado have recently legalized sports betting so I would anticipate ther would be some interest there as well.

So many educators will be curious why sports betting is a topic that their student would want to learn about. I will share two reasons. One is it is a revenue generator that is part of every professional sports pre game telecast.  Second are the business partnerships that are associated with sports wagering include the professional sports leagues, casinos, hotels and major restaurant chains. Each of these organizations will be employers for many of your students that are majoring in Hospitality, Tourism, Marketing, Business Management and Graphic Design. 

I have found that the interest in the gaming industry has never been higher. Within the past 3 years the taboo of "What is the line and did they cover ",has disappeared. The average age and demographic of a sports bettor is between 23 -34 and predominately male. In an American Gaming  Association survey found that 45% of the core bettors are in this group. The technological evolution and the use of mobile devices lend to the expansion of gaming and the opportunities to be a part of it. 

If you think your students would like to learn about how gaming and sports betting in particular is changing how we view a professional games and interact with each other then we should have a conversation.

Smart Responsible Gaming

Responsible Gaming never felt so good!

I want to announce the unveiling of our website, Smart Responsible Gaming.com. From the end of March, I have had time to think about what would be useful to people during a pandemic and serve an audience that actively consumes gaming and sports.

I wanted to include some of the popular aspects that sports aficionados could appreciate. They include Esports, Sports Betting and Casinos. There are sections that give nutritional and fitness information.Videos are included.

There is a Twitter section that highlights GTLHottopics. This is a segment that covers the trending topics in the sports betting and sports business world. You can see all of the tweets that come from Smart Responsible Gaming. The social media links to Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn are prominently featured as well. 

There is a blog series that is devoted to helping anyone navigate a return to work after Covid-19.If you are looking for specialist advice on a subject related to sports and gaming, you can use the email, info@smartresponsiblegaming.com. This is in the event that your question is not covered by the information on the website.

I am proud of what we were able to accomplish during this pandemic. It has heighten my creativity. I hope you like it and check back periodically for updates. The next step on the journey is...

                                                               Can you say Webinar!😊😊

G2E 2019 Instagram Review

If a picture could talk it would share hundreds of words. The following photos are from the G2E in Las Vegas. A slide show of them will appear on Instagram. I attend every year and this was my best social experience of all the previous conferences. That is the direction of the gaming industry. Be prepared to ride the wave. What worked 20 years ago is not resonating with the 35 and under crowd. If you are not sure how to do it just ask me. I'll share what I know. Enjoy the photos.

FanDuel CEO Matt King

CNBC's Contessa Brewer 

Aristocrat launches "Crazy Rich Asians" Slot Machine

Sara Sloan

Gamblit Gaming

Gaming Guy and NHL commissioner Gary Bettman

Walt Fales and Matt Kenagy -Creators of The Linq Sports Book

SBTech Chairman Gavin Issacs

Diversify and expand the game!

                               Check out my video and follow me on Twitter and Instagram.
                                                  #Sportsbetting #Casino #Marketing #Gaming

Sports Wagering and Business This Week

This will keep you current with the industry. These post will include trends about the sports betting market and information about what state is planning to offer it next. This will be a winning situation for a sophisticated operator and his constituents.

SugarHouse and Rivers Casino Pittsburgh collaborated with the direction of Rush Street Interactive to start a season long NFL Promotion that will have weekly prizes and a grand prize of $125,000 dollars. The is a fee of $150 per person to enter  with a limit of 25 entries per registrant. This contest is easy and should attract many sports bettors. You have to pick the games straight up and the person with the most wins is in the running for the money. For the weekly prizes, the tie breaker is the total points on the Monday Night Football Game. The second tie breaker is who submitted their entry first. For more details click here.

Parx Casino opened it's Sports Book as part of a 10 million dollar expansion on 8/9. It is a roomy 7400 square feet that includes a 156 foot media wall that can show up to 36 games at one time. There are 18 kiosks,200 seats and 3 VIP areas. 

The initial figures of the online gaming revenue in Pennsylvania are in. Here is the list of how each casino did. The 1st two months show a trend of more bets being placed on line than at the brick and mortar facilities. This replicates how bets are made in New Jersey. I anticipate that the percentage of online bets for Pennsylvania Sports Betting should approach 80% by the end of September. 

In Washington DC ,there will not be any sports betting to start the NFL season. There are still several issues involving logistics and regulations. The interest is high with several bars and small business owners making plans to apply for sports wagering permits that would allow for betting on site. The Monumental Sports and Entertainment appears to be targeting the spring of 2020 to have a venue ready that will include betting on sports and dining.

Iowa is the latest state to introduce sports betting. They will allow mobile gaming anywhere within state borders but to participate you must go to a casino to open an account. You have to register in person. There are several mobile platform providers that include William Hill and Caesars Interactive. Iowa has taken a smart approach by starting to take bets before the onslaught of NFL and College Football.

If you want me in real time you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates! You can also see my post on Bettors Insider  one of the top sites for sports betting and gambling.

Are you in a state that is considering Sports Betting?

If you are in a state that is contemplating enacting Sports Betting, I would encourage you to make a prudent decision based on facts and not hyperbole.I will share 3 points to consider in this post.

Are you prepared to work off a small profit margin that is not guarantee a projected hold percentage similar to a slot machine or casino table game?

What is your state tax rate proposal on Sports Betting? 

Is mobile wagering part of your Sports Betting strategy?

If you answered yes to question 1 and 3 then I would look at sports betting as a consideration sooner than later. This urgently increases if no state near you has it. Washington DC acted quickly to exercise a competitive advantage over Virginia and Maryland. That move should pay dividends this year. 

The second question about the tax rate should be open to a fair agreement with the operators and the state. The definition of fair is marked by impartiality and honesty; free from self interest or favoritism. So if the propose tax rate exceeds 20% making a sustainable profit is achievable based on demographics and handle. A tax rate higher than 25% is not in the operators best interest long term. Read the definition of fair again. High taxes limit reinvestment opportunities. State legislatures and operators should work together as partners to insure success.

This fall I will continue visiting colleges and universities in the Mid Atlantic Region to promote the opportunities that gaming and sports betting can provide. So far I have spoken to students at Temple University and St. Joseph University. There is a fee associated with the speaking engagement. This is to cover the cost of travel and accommodations.  Check out the video to get a glimpse of what the possibilities that await you in Washington DC and New York City.

                              Mims Video

Follow me here for my blog posts. You can read my articles on Bettors Insider about casino,esports sports betting and entertainment.

If you want me in real time you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates!

Friends of Gaming Guy M

This is the video that I wanted to share with you. This is part of my new marketing and promotion strategy on Instagram. I am targeting the age demographic of 22-65. The cities include in the strategy include Philadelphia, Atlantic City, Washington DC, New York and Las Vegas.

                              Mims Video

Follow me here for my blog posts. You can read my articles on Bettors Insider about casino,esports and sports betting.

If you want me in real time you can follow me on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates!

Sports Wagering and Business This Week

This will keep you current with the industry. These post will include trends about the sports betting market and information about what state is planning to offer it next. This will be a winning situation for a sophisticated operator and his constituents. 

This week SportTechie 2019 State of the Industry took place at the Barclays Center in New York. The theme of this year's conference was Sports Betting. Here is the link to the post that was part of the coverage from Bettors Insider. It include a quote from Rob Manfred, the commissioner of MLB.

The Sloan Sports Conference was held in Boston on Friday and Saturday. Some of the notable participants included Adam Silver, Commissioner of the NBA, Josh Harris and Scott O'Neil owners of the Sixers, Doug Kezirian , sports analyst from ESPN and Kip Levin, President of FanDuel. The panels about Sports Legacy and Sports Betting captivated interest. This Conference focuses on the balance between Sports Business and Analytics. The opportunities for an innovative mind are limitless. You can view some of these panel discussions on YouTube.

ESPN will start a new show call The Daily Wager on March 11. Kezirian will host this hour long show that will provide gambling content on ESPN News every night at 6PM. He will have guest analyst that are outside experts and ESPN personalities give their views.

                 Next week we will resume the Sport Betting 101 Series with a post on Future bets.

Sports Business and Wagering This Week

This will keep you current with the industry. These post will include trends about the sports betting market and information about what state is planning to offer it next. This will be a winning situation for a sophisticated operator and his constituents. 

The Washington Wizards and NBC Sports Washington started a gambling focused telecast that gives the viewer the ability to make a bet in real time while watching the game at home. "If this performs well, we would seriously contemplate a larger rollout of similarly programmed events and potentially tie to an actual betting experience," said  Zach Leonsis, senior vice president for the ownership group, Monumental Sports and Entertainment.

In New Jersey, approximately 75% of the sports betting wagers were made online during the month of December. That percentage has increased every month since the start of legal wagering and the introduction of  mobile apps. This trend should not be overlooked. The numbers reported by New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement give the first sign of  market saturation. There is a correlation between a decrease in the amount wagered in New Jersey in December and the opening of sportsbooks in Pennsylvania.

In Pennsylvania, Harrah's Philadelphia and Valley Forge Resort will enter the sports betting retail market in 2019. The date has not been determined for either at the time of this post.

All of the home teams won during the Divisional round of the NFL Playoffs. Three of the 4 covered the point spread. While the Eagles were eliminated they went down fighting and covered as a 7 point underdog.

Each of the increasing popular Sports Betting 101 Series will be part of this so you can have each post together. Since we add a new post to that series every week you will always see the previous 3 with this feature. We encourage you to follow and stay relevant.  

The Las Vegas Experience

Straight Bets and Parlays

Point Spread and the Money Line

                                                      

                                                             Enjoy the NFL games!

If any organization wants to innovate your Sports Betting operation from your competitors then watch what we post in 2019.

                                    Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates!

                                    Check out the app, Smart Responsible Gaming at thegamingguym.com/

Sports Betting 101: The Point Spread and The Money Line

The point spread is what separates the winners from the losers. This makes a game that would have minimal interest generate betting action. Imagine the Sixers playing the Bulls. With no point spread, the only people that would bet on the Bulls would be their family members. When the point spread of 11 is attached to the game the public now will make a decision that is based on the value of the number. If the line was 25 then the value would lie with the Bulls. If the line was set at 1 then the advantage would clearly be with the Sixers. The 11 is a good example of a number that will generate interest on both teams.

The Money Line is the amount of money a bettor must risk to bet on a team without the spread. Your team must win the game. The amount you risk is based on the strength and popularity of the favorite team.  If the favorite is the Sixers over the Bulls, that money line would be -600 to get 100. But if you took the Bulls, the money line would be +450 if you bet 100. You can bet less than the stated amount but your payout is based on money line ratio. if you bet 6 dollars on the Sixers you would win $1. If you bet that same $1 on the Bulls and they win, you get $4.50. 

With both of these wagers you get your money back plus your winnings if you pick the correct team.

                                    Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates!

                                   Check out the app, Smart Responsible Gaming at thegamingguym.com/

Sports Business and Wagering this Week

This is a new feature that will post every Friday. Starting today, we will give you the latest news about Sports Business and Wagering that occurred in that calendar week. This will keep you current with the industry. These post will include trends about the sports betting market and information about what state is planning to offer it next. This will be a winning situation for a sophisticated operator and his constituents.

 
This week DC approved Sports Betting. While this market will be lucrative the restrictions on the use of mobile devices is a detrimental to everyone. This aspect of the legislation should be revisited.

Watch for any news about Sports Betting out of New York. With the amount of professional teams and population that have loyalty to them, this market will become the largest on the east coast. Poker play would get a huge shot in the arm as well.

Each of the increasing popular Sports Betting 101 Series will be part of this so you can have each post together. Since we add a new post to that series every week you will always see the previous 3 with this feature. We encourage you to follow and stay relevant.  

Things the Bettor needs to know
Why the bettor should wager with a legal operator
The Las Vegas Expierience

Happy Holidays!

                             Follow on Twitter, Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for updates!

                                   Check out the app, Smart Responsible Gaming at thegamingguym.com/