Spin Cycle: Bay State Twofer, Garden State Getaway Highlight Week In Gambling

Welcome to “Spin Cycle,” Casino Reports’ weekly Friday roundup of all things impactful, intriguing, impressive, or idiotic in the gambling industry. Pull up a chair, grab a stack of chips and a glass of your beverage of choice, and take a spin with us through this week’s news cycle …

Massachusetts bill: Regulate iGaming, prohibit sweeps

The presence of a bill to legalize online casino gaming in Massachusetts is nothing new — two of them have been very slowly working their way through the system in the Bay State throughout 2025. But House Bill 4431 — which was actually first filed on Jan. 16 but went unnoticed until it was referred to the Joint Committee on Economic Development and Emerging Technologies on Monday — adds another wrinkle.

The legislation from Rep. David K. Muradian Jr. doesn’t just seek to regulate iGaming. At the same time, the bill it would add Massachusetts to the growing list of states proposing a ban on sweepstakes gaming sites.

The bill declares it unlawful “to operate, conduct, or promote online sweepstakes games withing the commonwealth” and singles out the “dual-currency system” characteristic of some of the platforms the bill is seeking to stamp out.

A spokesperson for the Social and Promotional Games Association (SPGA) issued this response to Muradian’s bill: 

“Lawmakers moving to ban sweepstakes while introducing iGaming demonstrate a poor understanding of the sweepstakes model and undue deference to iGaming lobbyists. Instead of a blanket ban, Massachusetts could embrace oversight and regulation, securing millions in potential tax revenues, instead of deciding for its residents what games they can — and can’t — play on their mobile phones.”

As for the iGaming legalization side of the bill, it would set a 15% tax on operator adjusted gross revenue and allow each of the state’s three land-based casinos to partner with up to three mobile skins. It would go into effect Jan. 1, 2026, if approved, but general industry expectation is that none of the Massachusetts iGaming bills will gain approval this year.

Novig or go home

On the heels of New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy signing a bill last Friday to ban sweepstakes sites in the Garden State, Novig, which operates what has been described as a “sweepstakes exchange,” informed its New Jersey customers that it was exiting the state.

An email sent last Friday to New Jersey users read: “We are reaching out to inform you of a change to your Novig account. Due to new legislation, Novig will be required to restrict platform usage for users located in the state of New Jersey starting August 15, 2025.”

Novig is a New York-based company that launched its sweepstakes-style prediction markets in 42 states in 2024. Just last week, it closed an $18 million Series A funding round.

Grinding slots

Michael “The Grinder” Mizrachi, who combined skill and luck to maximum effectiveness to win the World Series of Poker Main Event for $10 million last month, has decided to pursue another form of gambling glory where skill figures not to be so important.

The 44-year-old Poker Hall of Famer announced this week that he is headed to the Bahamas this fall to compete — sort of — in the World Tournament of Slots, which runs Oct. 22-26 at Atlantis Paradise Island.

We used the words “sort of” because the Grinder won’t be grinding this one out — he gets to cut the line. The plan is for 500 other players from around the world to compete for the $1 million top prize, and then Mizrachi will have a heads-up slots showdown against the WTOS champ.

House Rules: Insights from around our network

BASH UNIT: BetBash 2025 delivers, speed networking again proves revealing [by Richard Schuetz]

ACTION AND REACTION: The great gambling class action wave: a payout for lawyers, not players [by Jeff Edelstein]

KEW IT UP: A world of support: Resorts World’s casino bid backed at hearing [by Chris Altruda]

DID NAZI THAT COMING: X account ‘powered by’ Kalshi veers into hate speech, company severs ties [by Brant James]

THE TIMES, THEY ARE EXCHANGIN’: FanDuel’s bold prediction market news stirring things up [by Jill R. Dorson]

JACK OF DIAMONDS: Remembering Poker Hall of Famer Jack McClelland: ‘a giant in our industry’ [by Eric Raskin]

GETTING BETR ALL THE TIME: Betr Arcade, part of Jake Paul-fronted gambling app, launches in 29 states [by Brant James]

REVE-NEWS, MICHIGAN EDITION: Michigan online casino revenue edges over $250 million for July, third highest ever [by Chris Altruda]

REVE-NEWS, PENNSYLVANIA EDITION: Pennsylvania July online casino revenue second most all-time, up 30% over 2024 [by Chris Altruda]

HOTLINE, COLD SHOULDER: New Jersey Council rejects arbitration request over 1-800-GAMBLER [by Ella Gorodetzky]

CLOSED BOOK: Las Vegas trailblazer Vaccaro retires [by Jill R. Dorson]

Small stakes and hot takes

This week on the Casino Reports podcast Low Rollers, I welcome Rutgers statistics professor and serious sports bettor Harry Crane to discuss his experience at this year’s BetBash in Las Vegas and what the biggest issues facing bettors are at the moment. Here’s a taste:

Guest co-host Adam Small and I also discuss why Circa Sportsbook won an untethered license in Missouri and why it can afford to set a $10 bet minimum in Illinois, all the latest prediction market news regarding FanDuel,DraftKings, Kalshi, and others, and the implications of sweeps operator VGW partnering with a California tribe — plus Adam’s tales from Florida of alligators, snakes, and aggressive ducks. Full episode:

The Shuffle: Other news and views

CONTEMPLATING CASINO: iGaming, a form of online gambling, debated by Virginia legislators [Virginia Public Radio]

DESERT DESIST: Arizona continues to crack down on illegal online gambling operations [KVOA.com]

QUEENS GAMBIT: Citi Field casino has ‘a very good shot,’ but is still risky, New York state senator says [CBS News]

ON THE ONE HAND: Vegas tourism is down, some blame Trump’s tariffs and immigration crackdown [The Nevada Independent]

ON THE OTHER HAND: Las Vegas tourism head calls narratives about the city’s visitation false [CDC Gaming Reports]

ENCOURAGING NUMBAHS: MGM Springfield reports steady job count, underage access progress [Mass Live]

HOLD YOUR HORSES: British racing to hold one-day strike in tax protest [BBC]

MAC ON TRACK: Nebraska Racing and Gaming Commission approves Lake Mac Casino and Racetrack [KNOP News 2]

THE HOUSE ALWAYS WINS: Las Vegas resorts defeat hotel rate price-fixing class action in US appeal [Reuters]

The Bonus Round

Completing the Spin Cycle with some odds and ends and our favorite social media posts of the week.

• Pretty much every deal the NFL makes is news, and it’s certainly news here at Casino Reports when the NFL announces it’s entering the world of social casino. The league has teamed up with Aristocrat for a free-to-play game called NFL Super Bowl Slots, available to players 18 and over. The game has the endorsement of the NFL Players Association and lined up Dallas Cowboys star Micah Parsons as a brand ambassador.

• BetMGM and AGS are bringing home the bacon. (As long as you call either New Jersey or Michigan home, that is.) The online operator and the game developer announced this week the debut of two new titles in the Rakin’ Bacon! series, for both brick-and-mortar and mobile casinos. Rakin’ Bacon! Jackpots Bonus Wheel is available now at Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa, MGM Grand Detroit, and the BetMGM iCasinos in both states, and Rakin’ Bacon! Jackpot Bonus Board is scheduled to debut in the same venues in mid-September. “Rakin’ Bacon! is a proven brand with broad appeal,” said AGS Vice President of Interactive Zoe Ebling (a recent guest on Low Rollers). “This launch is another step forward in our player-first strategy and our commitment to bridging physical and digital play in ways that drive real engagement.”