Update: WynnBET gained access to the eighth US state on January 21 as it announced plans to launch sports betting operations in Ohio. The company said its market entry will depend on licensing conditions, legalization, and regulatory approvals.
Elite Casino Resorts link-up
WynnBET announced on January 15 that it has secured market access in Iowa, as the mobile casino and sports betting operator partnered with Elite Casino Resorts. The multi-year deal with Iowa’s top integrated resort company marks the seventh state in which WynnBET has secured a market presence.
The partnership will give sports fans in Iowa access to mobile betting markets through WynnBET, which will be operating through Elite Casino Resorts’ Riverside Casino and Golf Resort.
partnership will give sports fans in Iowa access to mobile betting
WynnBET has both a mobile casino and sports betting app up and running in New Jersey, with just a mobile sportsbook currently live in Colorado. It is also nearing launch in Michigan. The operator already has partnerships in Massachusetts, Nevada, and Indiana. It also submitted licensing applications in Virginia and Tennessee.
Rapid US expansion
With the online gambling sector quickly expanding in the US, WynnBET is accelerating negotiations to obtain market access in over a dozen other jurisdictions. Sportsbooks are now in operation in 19 states as well as in Washington, D.C. Another few states are set to launch sports betting over the course of 2021, while others are still considering legalizing the activity.
fast-tracking negotiations to obtain market access in over a dozen other jurisdictions
As well as becoming an official gaming operator of NASCAR last October, WynnBET stated in its press release that it has other partnerships in the pipeline. The operator only launched its first platform in August 2020 in New Jersey.
Wynn Interactive, a joint venture between Wynn Resorts and UK-based social sports betting operator BetBull, is the operator of WynnBET. The deal, agreed in November 2020, saw Wynn Resorts fully acquire BetBull for an undisclosed price.
Iowa sports betting success
Sports betting became legal in Iowa in 2019. The requirement for customers to register in-person for an online sports betting account recently expired on January 1, 2021.
The state’s sports betting handle has hit record highs for each of the past four months. December 2020 handle amounted to $104.8m, with a large portion coming from online betting. Total revenue for sportsbooks rose 76% year-on-year to $7.5m, with William Hill operations leading.
Both Betfred USA Sports and Bally’s Corporation have agreed on deals to launch their own respective online sportsbooks in Iowa through partnerships with Elite Casino Resorts properties. The casino company also launched its own sportsbook in the state called Elite Sportsbook.