Welcome to iGB’s State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we covered throughout the week and quick scoops on others we found interesting.

The Queens casino is controversial among politicians

Businessman Steve Cohen’s plan to build a casino in Queens next to the Mets’ Citi Field earlier this week won approval from a city councilman, but a state senator said Cohen had not been “open and transparent,” according to the report New York Post.

State Senator Jessica Ramos, who appears to support a Genting Resorts World project, objected to Cohen’s lobbying strategy. Any downstate casino requires legislative approval in Albany. Cohen is partnering with Hard Rock on his planned project.

Queens City Councilman Francisco Moya told NYP, “If we do not take advantage of this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, we will ensure that the area around Citi Field remains unused parking for the foreseeable future; and we are permanently hindering Queens’ future growth potential. Let’s not let that happen.”

In March, the New York State Gaming Commission announced that it would not decide who would receive the three available licenses until the end of 2025.

Louisiana bans prop betting for college players

The NCAA publicly advocated for a nationwide ban on supplemental betting for college players last week, and Louisiana regulators subsequently announced on April 1 that they would ban this betting market starting August 1:

Alabama’s slimmed-down gambling bill heads to conference

The Alabama House of Representatives declined to approve a scaled-down version of the sweeping gambling bill it sent to the Senate on April 4, and the matter will now head to a conference committee, it said Associated Press.

The House previously passed a gambling bill that would have given the state 10 brick-and-mortar casinos, lotteries, and retail and digital sports betting. The Senate eliminated all sports betting, installed electronic slot machines at dog tracks and reduced the number of retail casinos.

Each proposal would be a constitutional amendment that would benefit voters. Lawmakers have more than a month to hold a session and send a proposal back to the House and Senate. The legislative session is expected to adjourn on May 20.

New offers

According to a, Circa Sports began accepting bets in Kentucky on April 1, marking the company’s first launch since it began operations in Illinois last September Company press release. With the launch, Kentuckians now have eight betting platforms to choose from. Circa Sports is also live in Colorado, Iowa and Nevada.

In Mississippi, DraftKings opened a new brick-and-mortar casino at the Golden Nugget. The book features the largest seamless screen on the Mississippi Gulf Coast, the company announced. And in New Jersey, Prime Sportsbook launched March 31 in New Jersey, its second market after Ohio.

Poll: Nevadans want a lottery

A Noble Predictive Insights Survey A survey of 829 registered voters from February 27 to March 5 found that 75 percent of Nevadans support the creation of a state lottery. Nevada is one of five US states that currently does not have a lottery.

According to the poll, support for a lottery is bipartisan, with 82 percent of Democrats in favor versus 71 percent of independents/others. Whether or not to allow a lottery is one of five ballot measures Nevada voters will consider in November.

Digital sports betting is NOT coming to Nebraska

According to a public opinion poll that showed 57% of respondents would vote yes to a constitutional amendment that would extend legal sports betting to online platforms, supporters will not pursue one Lincoln Star Journal. Although the number is more than the 50% needed to pass an amendment, it is not high enough to convince supporters to move forward.

“If you’re at 57 (% support), there’s a chance you could lose unless you really invest significant resources,” WarHorse Gaming’s Lance Morgan told the Star-Journal. “It doesn’t make sense to go to war unless you have a war chest ready.”

WarHorse partnered with BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings and FanDuel to conduct the survey.

LSU-Iowa women’s game record

Although none of the major operators released specific numbers, all reported that the LSU-Iowa women’s basketball elite game on April 1 represented the highest bet on a women’s sports event in history. According to ESPN, viewership for “Sweet 16” increased 96 percent.

Led by superstar Caitlin Clark, Iowa defeated LSU to reach the Final Four, which begins April 5 in Cleveland. The Connecticut-USC game was also among the top three women’s sports events with the most bets, according to BetMGM data USA today.

ICYMI on iGB

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Responsible gaming has been a top priority in Ontario for two years

Bally shareholder criticizes “regrettable” takeover offer

DOI asks SCOTUS for further extension in Florida sports betting case

Fanatics goes live in Arizona