Bally’s Intralot agrees £243 million acquisition of evoke; New Mexico AG files illegal gambling lawsuit against Kalshi; People Inc. bids for full ownership of MGM Resorts; Arizona to issue new sports betting licences; plus the week’s other news from North America.
Arizona seeks to issue new sports betting licences
Arizona’s Department of Gaming has announced it will open a new licence application window for sports betting on 26 June, which will run until 10 July.
There are currently 14 brands live in the Grand Canyon State, of the 20 allowed by law.
The peak of 18 active licensees ended in November 2022 with the exit of Fubo.
Since then the likes of Betfred, Betway, Unibet and WynnBet have all left the market, while bet365, Fanatics and Plannatech have joined.
The total in Arizona will drop to 13 as Sporttrade has announced it is leaving the sports betting sector but was still live in March 2026.
Any new brand will face a fight to gain share in Arizona because the top four brands held 83 per cent of wagers in Q1 2026.
Missouri
Sports wagers in Missouri fell to $273.4 million in April, the lowest total monthly since the market opened in December 2025. The division of wagers was $269.9 million from mobile betting and $3.5 million from retail betting. Taxable revenue was $20.3 million, with $19.9 million coming from mobile betting, not far behind the $20.8 million earned in March. (Premium)
Virginia
Virginia’s sportsbooks reported wagering growth of just 0.6 per cent in April, with wagers growing to $613.9 million. Mobile sports betting increased by 1 per cent to $608.5 million but retail betting in the state’s casinos was down by 11 per cent to $5.4 million. Monthly gross win margin improved to 11.3 per cent from 10.3 per cent and meant that total gross win rose by 11 per cent to $69.7 million. (Premium)
New Hampshire
New Hampshire’s gaming revenue grew by 26 per cent to $42.6 million in April, with a strong showing from the state’s video lottery terminals (VLTs), which rose above $20 million for the first time and accounted for almost half of the monthly total. Historic horse racing revenue dropped by 48 per cent to $12.6 million and was the lowest monthly total of 2026 so far. Charity gaming also had a revenue fall and was down by 5 per cent to $9.3 million. (Premium)
Colorado
Colorado’s 33 land-based casinos posted gaming revenue of $94.0 million for April, a 3 per cent improvement on last year. All of the growth came from slot machines with a 3 per cent rise in revenue to $80.9 million. Revenue from table gaming fell by 0.5 per cent to $13.2 million, which was the lowest monthly total of 2026 so far, and included $4.3 million from blackjack and $2.8 million from baccarat. (Premium)
South Dakota
South Dakota’s casinos reported a 13 per cent rise in gambling for April to $144.7 million, with all of the growth coming from gaming. Wagering on slot machines grew by 12 per cent to $136.2 million, while table gaming bets grew by 23 per cent to $7.8 million. Sports betting fell by 6 per cent to $596,884, the lowest level since July 2025. Monthly gambling revenue was at its highest in six months on $13.8 million, of which $12.3 million came from slot machines. (Premium)
Rhode Island
Wagering on iGaming and sports in Rhode Island topped $185 million in April, rising by 14 per cent to $186.8 million. There was a 21 per cent rise in iGaming bets to $153.8 million, which made up for a 10 per cent decline in sports betting to $33.0 million. Online sports betting fell by 12 per to $28.4 million, while retail betting in the casinos rose by 1 per cent to $4.5 million. Monthly combined revenue climbed by 36 per cent to $10.1 million and comprised $6.3 million in iGaming revenue and $3.8 million in sports betting revenue. (Premium)
In the state’s land-based sector, Rhode Island’s two casinos won revenue of $55.0 million in April, an increase of 5 per cent year-on-year. Table gaming revenue rose 15 per cent to $10.4 million, while revenue from slot machines climbed 3 per cent to $44.6 million. Twin River reported $41.9 million in revenue and Tiverton Casino $13.1 million, up by 7 per cent and 2 per cent respectively. (Premium)
Nevada
Gambling revenue in Nevada rose by 5 per cent to $1.30 billion in April as all sectors showed year-on-year growth. Slot machine revenue rose 4 per cent growth to $919.3 million, while Baccarat grew 20 per cent to $132.2 million. Twenty One’s growth was more modest at 4 per cent to $77.3 million, while Craps managed 34 per cent growth to $33.6 million and Roulette revenue was down by 18 per cent to $28.7 million. The state’s sportsbooks took revenue of $43.7 million, including $35.0 million in mobile betting revenue. (Premium)
Allwyn reported a 21 per cent increase in net revenue to €1,204 million for the first quarter of 2026, including net revenue of €239 million from North America, driven by the consolidation of PrizePicks. (Premium)
Loto-Québec reported a 3.2 per cent increase in total revenue to CA$3.09 billion for the fiscal year ended 31 March 2026, generating more than CA$1.5 billion in net profit for the fourth consecutive year. (Premium)
Scientific Games digital president Matt Lynch speaks to Gaming Intelligence about the company’s efforts to make the lottery industry more progressive and focused on the next generation of players. (Free)
Bally’s Intralot and evoke have agreed an all-share transaction that will see evoke shareholders receive 0.537 new Intralot shares for each evoke share. (Free)
People Incorporated (previously IAC) has made an offer to acquire all of the shares in MGM Resorts International that it does not already own for $48.30 per share in cash. (Free)
New Mexico has joined the battle against prediction markets and illegal gambling with a lawsuit against Kalshi. (Premium)
Ainsworth Game Technology chairman Danny Gladstone and company secretary Mark Ludski have both resigned after recent media reports of personal payments made to them over eight years ago. (Premium)
IGT has appointed gaming industry veteran Patrick Ramsey to the board of directors of Voyager TopCo, the parent company of IGT and Everi. (Free)
Allwyn has appointed former Virginia Lottery executive director Khalid Jones as CEO of Allwyn North America. (Free)
1X2 Network has entered its second US state after launching its online casino content in West Virginia. (Free)
Colorado Governor Jared Polis has signed bipartisan legislation into law to prevent harms caused by addictive sports betting practices. (Premium)
A Philadelphia Democrat is pushing Pennsylvania legislators to attach consumer safeguards to any future regulation of skill games. (Premium)
Virginia Governor Abigail Spanberger has appointed Kevin Hall to serve as executive director of the Virginia Lottery. (Free)
Rhode Island’s sports betting market, defined for years by a single state-regulated app, is now at the center of a legislative fight that could reshape where and how residents place their wagers. (Premium)
Legislation that would prohibit online micro betting in New Jersey cleared the Assembly Tourism, Gaming and the Arts Committee this week. (Premium)
Two House lawmakers from opposite sides of the aisle have joined forces to introduce legislation directing the federal government to investigate the public health consequences of the nationwide spread of sports betting. (Free)
This week’s games round-up from Gaming Intelligence features Relax Gaming, Play’n GO, Yggdrasil, Imagine Live, and Bragg Studios’ Atomic Slot Lab. (Free)
bet365 has expanded its free-to-play fantasy sports offering to the United States and Canada through an expanded partnership with LOW6. (Free)
A group of nine Democratic members of the House of Representatives sent a formal letter to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) this week, requesting an investigation into whether online prediction market companies present a different appearance to the public than to regulators. (Premium)
Canada’s Ontario Lottery and Gaming Corporation (OLG) has introduced a new safer gambling approach for online players under the age of 25. (Free)
A bill requiring online sports betting operators in New York to issue monthly financial summaries to customers has cleared both legislative chambers and now awaits a signature from Governor Kathy Hochul. (Premium)
Accel Entertainment is expanding its presence in Louisiana with the acquisition of Rice Palace Truck Stop Casino. (Free)
BETER has expanded its presence in the US after securing approval this week from Kentucky Horse Racing and Gaming (KHRG) and the Illinois Gaming Board. (Free)
The National Indian Gaming Commission (NIGC) has appointed William (Billy) Kirkland as its newest associate commissioner. (Free)
The Wisconsin-based Potawatomi Sportsbook has been unveiled as the official sportsbook partner of the NFL’s Green Bay Packers. (Free)
The Nevada Gaming Control Board has been handed another legal victory in its ongoing campaign against prediction markets, with a court issuing a preliminary injunction that bars Polymarket from conducting business in the state. (Premium)
Federal lawmakers are moving to block members of the US military from participating in online prediction markets. (Premium)
Illinois lawmakers approved a $56 billion State Budget after an overnight session that pushed voting into the final hours of their spring session. (Premium)
Massachusetts has broken new ground in sports betting consumer protection by becoming the first state to require licensed sportsbooks to formally explain why they restrict accounts held by profitable bettors. (Free)
Kambi Group has agreed a long-term extension to its partnership with Desert Diamond Casino, operator of four land-based casinos in Arizona. (Free)
Merv Digital Solutions has agreed a deal to provide digital marketing support to the Pennsylvania Lottery. (Free)
George Santos, the former New York Congressman who served time on federal fraud charges before receiving a presidential commutation, is now the subject of a fresh federal investigation. (Premium)
Sales of the Rhode Island Lottery fell by 7 per cent in April to $24.7 million, driven by lower instant game sales. (Premium)
Arizona is looking to grow its regulated sports betting market beyond the 14 sportsbooks that are currently licensed in the state. (Free)
iGaming Ontario has strengthened its board of directors with the appointment of Alfredo Tan as a board member. (Free)
Polymarket has begun asking some users to verify their identities as it cracks down on IP addresses associated with VPNs. (Premium)
IGT is extending real-money gaming beyond the casino floor at the Prairie Band Casino & Resort in Kansas. (Free)
Fanatics Betting and Gaming is continuing its presence in NASCAR as a sponsor of the New York Racing Team. (Free)
Allwyn-owned PrizePicks has been unveiled as the presenting partner for HMA, one of the largest sports networks on YouTube. (Free)
Polymarket is expanding the reach of its prediction market event contracts through a partnership with the football-focused website OneFootball. (Free)
Sportradar has secured a multi-year extension of its data and audiovisual (AV) betting rights agreement for the Wimbledon tennis championships. (Free)
Aviator Studio has launched its free-to-play crash game in the US through a partnership with Delaware North-owned Ruby Seven Studios. (Free)