Fanatics Sportsbook began taking wagers in Iowa on 6 February 2024, with Catfish Bend Casino serving as its licence partner, the report said. The launch followed Fanatics’ $225 million acquisition of PointsBet’s US entities and included plans to rebrand the casino’s retail sportsbook.
Fanatics’ Iowa launch adds a mobile sportsbook, while the planned rebrand changes Catfish Bend Casino’s retail sportsbook identity.
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Fanatics launched its Sports & Casino app in the United States on 2 September, combining sportsbook, online casino and prediction-market products, according to the company. The app uses one account and a shared FanCash balance, while available products change according to the customer’s location; the source says its sportsbook operates in 23 states and Washington, DC, and its casino in four states.
Fanatics launched its sportsbook in Virginia and bet365 began operating in Louisiana, the companies said. In Virginia, existing PointsBet customers could transfer their account details, balances, rewards and responsible gambling settings to the Fanatics app; Kentucky’s Sports Wagering Advisory Council also approved PENN’s ESPN BET rebrand.
Maryland’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission awarded MSF Sports a retail sports wagering facility licence on Wednesday, according to reports. The Maryland State Fairgrounds is expected to host a DraftKings sportsbook, but no opening date has been announced; the site must complete technical checks with the Maryland Lottery before opening.
The New York State Gaming Commission approved Fanatics Betting and Gaming’s acquisition of PointsBet New York LLC at a meeting on Tuesday, the company said. The unanimous vote clears the transaction, but Fanatics gave no timetable for replacing the PointsBet brand with its sportsbook app. The commission also adopted rules to ban pick’em-style fantasy contests.
Maryland’s Lottery and Gaming Control Commission issued sports wagering licences to seven mobile operators and cleared them to launch at 9 a.m. on 23 November, the state agency said. The operators are Barstool Sportsbook, BetMGM, BetRivers, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, FanDuel and PointsBet; three other licensed operators were still completing operational requirements, with launch dates not determined.