This was another very active week for U.S. gaming. Several state legislative calendars were advancing while operators’ earnings reports delivered a mixed message regarding the overall state of the market. The regulatory discussion about how best to regulate responsible gaming is also continuing to gain momentum. Below is a summary of all that happened this week.

Legislative and Regulatory Updates

The most active “front” of this week was at the level of State Legislatures, where multiple bills related to gambling progressed to committees or added additional sponsors.

State legislators:

1. Georgia: Sports Betting Bill passed Senate Regulated Industries Committee by a vote of 6 – 3 and will now go before the Full Senate for final voting. As proposed, the number of licensed operators would be capped at sixteen (online), while an eighteen percent tax on Gross Gaming Revenue would be applied. Despite continued opposition from religious interest groups; they are likely to fail in their efforts to prevent the Senate from voting on it.
2. Missouri: In response to the failure of a Ballot Initiative related to sports betting last year, a new version of the bill proposing to legalize sports betting was introduced into the House. The key difference is that the proposed Tax Rate is ten percent instead of eighteen percent which had been one of the main issues for the gambling industry last time around. Also, there is reportedly greater lobbyist support for operators than previously existed when trying to pass this legislation.

3. Minnesota: Tribal Gaming Compacts remain the major impediment to legalized sports betting. Again this week, negotiations between the state’s Indian tribes and Commercial Sportsbook operators over Terms of Access to the Market collapsed leaving any reasonable expectation of a Launch beyond 2026.
4. Texas: There were no developments toward passing Constitutional Amendment(s) necessary to allow Gambling in Texas. Not surprisingly, in the current Legislative Session. The likelihood is that Gambling will come back in the 2027 session; however, possibly with better backing from Pro-Sports Franchise Owners, as those teams have invested in areas directly adjacent to potential gambling areas.

Operator News at a Glance

Responsible Gambling in Focus

A significant number of conference attendees, regulators, and media have been engaged in conversations about responsible gaming this past week. Two events were the primary cause of these discussions.

New Jersey’s Division of Gaming Enforcement issued an updated advisory on how to manage VIP programs; it is now required to document whether or not a player has passed an affordability test prior to enrolling them into higher tiered premium programs. This advisory does not impose a minimum expenditure amount on participants (VIP), however, it clearly indicates that regulatory action will be taken against those who do not follow due process when enrolling new VIP members. Industry legal counsel is currently reviewing the ramifications of the advisories.

Additionally, the American Gaming Association (AGA) recently released their annual Responsible Gaming Progress Report. In this report, they reported that national registration levels for Self-Exclusion Programs increased by 18%. The AGA cited this increase in self-exclusion program participation as evidence that increased public education efforts are having success in reaching larger segments of the population. However, critics such as the National Council on Problem Gambling believe that the AGA’s reporting of these statistics under represent the influence of increasing gaming opportunities on the overall rate of problem gamblers registering to participate in self-exclusion programs.

What to Watch Next Week

• Georgia senate vote regarding a sports betting floor vote is due to happen at some point this week. The result of that vote will most certainly impact many other legislative attempts for sports wagering laws in neighboring states.
• Operator Report by Michigan Gaming Control Board (monthly) – First complete dataset showing operators response to required responsible gaming prompts.
• DraftKings Investor Day – Management team is expected to answer questions about DraftKing’s Prediction Market Strategy immediately after Kalshi has announced an expansion into its Sports Contract Offerings

The Number of the Week

$14.3 BILLION: The U.S. total sports betting handle for March 2026 as per the consolidated regulatory filings by all licensed states. This is an annualized rate of 9%, a small decline from the 11% in March 2025, as expected with a matured industry. As can be seen in other established state markets; New Jersey, New York, and Illinois account for approximately 40 percent of the overall national totals.