With New Hampshire launching sports betting this coming week, it was expected that they would be the last state to offer new sports betting options in the United States for 2019. However, one more state had a trick up their sleeve. Indiana will be offering a new option in the sports betting realm as BetAmerica plans on launching via operator Churchill Downs on December 30th. They will make the launch before 2020 as well as in time for the NFL playoffs which will help to generate revenues during the initial launch.
Ready To Go
The Rising Star Casino is operated by Churchill Downs and will be home to the new BetAmerica mobile sportsbook. The casino will be completing one portion of their sports betting plans with the launch of the retail outlet. They still have plans to launch two additional online brands in the future.
With plans to offer SBK Sportsbook and BetBull, Rising Star Casino still has a little more work to do with their online sports betting offering. With so many new operators in the mix for Indiana, brands will have to stay on their toes with promotions to ensure quality player traffic.
Should DraftKings Be Worried?
In Indiana, the top operator in mobile sports betting is DraftKings. The brand is essentially dominating in the new market across the United States due to their brand recognition among players and quality content, ease of use, etc. The brand is showing no signs of slowing down and developing partnerships in several states where sports betting is just beginning or in the works.
For Indiana, DraftKings will actually benefit from the launch of BetAmerica, now that a new deal has been announced by the brand. DraftKings will be merging with SB Tech, a company that already owns a platform where top brands operate, including BetAmerica.
Due to the new merger, BetAmerica will now be operating on software that DraftKings owns. So, aside from the competition, DraftKings will be able to earn money from the new operations in Indiana. Once the Rising Star Casino launches the SBK Sportsbook, DraftKings will also earn a piece of their revenues as well.
Sports Betting Boom in 2019
As the New Year comes to an end, it is important to reflect on how quickly the sports betting industry has grown in 2019. Since becoming an option in May 2018, when the United States Supreme Court ruled that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act was invalid, states have been legalizing the option and taking advantage of player interest.
So far this year, 13 states have legalized sports betting and offer services. Seven additional states passed legislation this year but have yet to get started. We are pushing near the half-way mark when it comes to total states in the nation getting ready to offer services.
As more states begin to legalize the option, others are going to get on board. It is expected that over the next few years, the majority of the states in the US will be offering sports betting within their borders. We look forward to seeing what 2020 will bring!
