This week’s casino news starts off with the news of Ontario coming online in the world of online sports betting. That’s our first story as we dive into the brands that are already up and running.
Ontario Province Kicks Off Regulated Online Betting
Canada just recently saw its most populated province start regulating online casinos and online sports betting. There are expected to be 13 online betting brands that will be hitting the market right off the bat with up to 30 on the way, according to iGaming Ontario. IGaming Ontario is the group that will be overseeing this newly-created market.
It has been a long journey to get to this point. The Executive Director of iGaming Ontario, Martha Otton, said that this is a “monumental day that establishes Ontario as an international leader in online gaming.” She also mentioned that this process was years in the making.
So far, Bet MGM, BetRivers, Caesars Entertainment, FanDuel, 888, Bet365, LeoVegas, and a few others have already gone live in Ontario. This isn’t too surprising considering that Ontario is the first market to go live in Canada. All of these operators are hoping to get in early to generate the most success.
U.S. Casinos Have Monumental Month In February
The United States commercial casinos couldn’t ask for a better month of February in terms of gaming revenue. The American Gaming Association just announced that the country had the highest-grossing month of February in history. The total was sitting at approximately $4.39 billion, a whopping 16.1 percent increase compared to February of 2020.
February also marked the 12th straight month that the country brought in over $4 billion in revenue. This is the first time that the United States has ever gone a full year with totals like that.
It’s safe to say that the country is recovering better than ever from the COVID-19 pandemic – at least in terms of casinos bouncing back. In just two months of the 2022 year, the country has brought in $8.92 billion worth of commercial gaming revenue. This is the most revenue that has ever been brought in to start a calendar year ever.
Maryland Casinos Have Strong Month Of March
Maryland had a strong month for gaming revenue. Their six casinos were able to combine for $170 million during the month. This marks the fourth-best monthly total in their state’s history. Not to mention that this was a very small uptick compared to the numbers that they brought in from March of 2021. A 0.8 percent increase to be exact.
March has just continued the trend of increased gaming revenue throughout the 2022 year for Maryland. January saw a 19 percent increase in year-over-year revenue while February one-upped that total by 29 percent.
In the state, the MGM National Harbor was the most successful casino. They were able to bring in roughly $67 million during the month which was a 1.9 percent increase year-over-year. Live! Casino & Hotel was directly behind them though with $62 million, a 1.6 percent increase themselves. However, Rocky Gap Casino performed the worst, though this is one of the smallest casinos available in the state. Rocky Gap brought in $5.6 million, still a 1.0 percent jump themselves. All in all, Maryland continues to recover well from the COVID-19 pandemic.