Bovada, the US brand of international sports betting and online casino operator Bodog, has announced that it will no longer be offering its services to bettors in the State of New York.

What is it?

In the latest episode of the Legal Sports Report, the hosts discussed a range of developments in the US sports betting space, with Bovada’s withdrawal from New York the biggest story of the week.

Who is it?

Adam Candee, Co-Host, Legal Sports Report

Dustin Gouker, Head of Content, Legal Sports Report

Matt Brown, Managing Editor, Legal Sports Report

What is being said?

Gouker remarked: “We know that New York has legalised sports betting and is working towards a launch, probably sometime next year. That is what has changed, but what hasn’t changed curiously is the legal status. The fact there is a legal status has not changed the fact that it was illegal for operators to serve New York in the first place.”

In theory they have been serving New York for the past several years with not just sports betting but also casino and poker as well. I think it is good news that operators are taking the temperature after legalisation and saying ‘we’re a little worried about this’.

“We even have some background here, someone familiar with the decision seems to think that they are fearful of prosecutors in New York. The federal prosecutors were famously behind the online poker crackdown back in 2011. 

“It’s an interesting development, I’m not sure if everyone will be doing this but there are a lot of eyes on New York as it opens up for online sports betting, we’ll see if Bovada or any other bookmakers get any cold feet as regulating gambling rolls out across the US.”

Brown added: “To Bodog’s credit, they did at least give people some ideas as far as cross cells were concerned, because they were the first company to use poker to drive people to sports and sports to drive people to poker. 

“During the poker boom there was PokerStars and Party Poker and Full Tilt, but none of those had another entity, whereas Beaudog has the sportsbook and the poker room, as well as a little online casino. They encompassed the whole cross-cell thing really well. I knew tons of people who got exposed to sports betting or to poker through the whole cross-cell thing they had going on.”

Why should I watch it?

To hear about the latest major developments in the US sports betting industry, as regulated online betting and gambling continues to roll out across the country.

Where can I see more?

Source – Legal Sports Report YouTube Channel