44 PUBLIC GAMING INTERNATIONAL • JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023 Mass Lottery to Introduce its First $50 Instant Ticket Allwyn to acquire the Camelot Lottery Solutions Group from Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan Board The Camelot LS Group, headquartered in Chicago, operates the Illinois Lottery under a private management agreement through its operating company, Camelot Illinois LLC, and partners with the Arkansas Scholarship Lottery to enhance its lottery operations. Furthermore, the group includes a technology arm that provides products and services to lotteries and their players throughout Europe and North America. No changes are planned to the Camelot LS Group leadership team in connection with the transaction, and the business will continue "to enhance the performance of the lotteries it supports," says Allwyn. Following the transaction, the proven leadership team will have access to the in-depth experience developed by Allwyn over more than a decade of operating and improving lotteries across Europe. Allwyn operates lotteries in Austria, the Czech Republic, Greece and Cyprus and Italy. Camelot Group is an affiliate of Camelot UK Lotteries Limited, which Allwyn agreed to acquire from Ontario Teachers’ last month. Camelot UK is the current operator of the UK National Lottery under a license that runs until 31 January 2024. Earlier this year, a subsidiary of Allwyn was awarded the license to operate the UK National Lottery under the Fourth License, which runs from 1 February 2024 for 10 years. Upon completion of the transaction, the companies of the Camelot LS Group will become wholly owned subsidiaries of Allwyn. The transaction is anticipated to close in the first quarter of 2023, subject to satisfaction of customary closing conditions. The terms of the transaction were not disclosed. Scientific Games Announces Jim Schultz as Head of Public Policy and Government Affairs SCIENTIFIC GAMES NAMED ATLANTIC LOTTERY’S PRIMARY SCRATCH’N WIN GAME PARTNER IN CANADA Pollard Banknote’s New Digital Press Showcases The Beauty Of Québec Wildlife In New Boréal Instant Tickets Pollard Banknote’s new digital printing technology offers endless creative possibilities, enriching instant play experiences and bringing with it a new era of game concepts and options. Digital printing technology allows for an increased number of distinct ticket images within an instant game while also enhancing the ticket graphics, resulting in visuals that are crisp, dynamic, and rich in detail. SPORTS BETTING AND CASINO GAMBLING New AGA Report Shows Americans Gamble More Than Half a Trillion Dollars Illegally Each Year Americans gamble an estimated $511 billion each year with illegal and unregulated sportsbooks, iGaming websites and so-called “skill games,” according to a new report from the American Gaming Association. This illegal wagering robs state governments of $13.3 billion in tax revenue annually, nearly $2.5 billion more than legal operators generated in 2021 ($11.7 billion). It also costs the legal gaming industry $44.2 billion in annual revenue, or nearly half of the $92 billion in combined commercial and tribal revenue in 2021. Americans wager an estimated $337.9 billion with illegal online iGaming websites, with a loss of $3.9 billion in state tax revenue. With $13.5 billion in estimated revenue, the illegal iGaming market in the U.S. is nearly three times the size of the legal U.S. iGaming market, estimated to be $5 billion in 2022. Unregulated gaming machines also continue to proliferate, with an estimated 580,651 unregulated machines in the U.S. With 870,000 regulated machines in casinos and slot routes, that means 40% of all gaming machines in the U.S. are unlicensed. “All stakeholders—policymakers, law enforcement, regulators, legal businesses—must work together to root out the illegal and unregulated gambling market. This is a fight we’re in for the long haul to protect consumers, support communities and defend the law-abiding members of our industry.” AGA (American Gaming Association) Chief Wants Indictments Soon for Illegal Sports Betting, iGaming Operators The issue of illegal sports betting and iGaming is on the radar of lawmakers in Washington, as well as the FBI. NY Mobile sports betting generates $909 million in net tax revenues a year after launching, more than any other state (but not nearly as much as the NY State Lottery!) More than $16 billion in bets have been placed, resulting in nearly $1 billion in state revenue. (If that amount was spent on lottery tickets, the net benefit to the state would have been over $3 billion instead of just $1 billion!). The state has collected a nation-leading $709.2 million in taxes on mobile sports bets and an additional $200 million in licensing fees, generating over $909 million in total revenue 12 months after the first mobile bets were placed. Since mobile sports betting began last year, the state has recorded more than 3.8 million unique player accounts, which conducted over 1.2 billion transactions. New York’s lottery ended the 2021-2022 fiscal year with $3.6 billion in net funds being transferred to good causes NY officially solicits bids for fullfledged casino with license fee set at $500M Racino operators at Aqueduct and Yonkers and others are expected to put in bids of at least $500 million each to try to win the right to open any of three new casinos in and around New York City, according to media reports this week. Bidders have until Feb. 3 to declare their interest and send in questions to start the process. Business Owners, Operators, Unions Team Up to Support NY Casino In Times Square When Gov. Kathy Hochul signed off on the authorization for three downstate New York casino licenses, eyes lit up. Commercial gaming would make its way to New York City, the center of the entertainment world. And the intention of many was to find a way to set up NY casino gaming near the absolute hub of NYC: Times P U L S E
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