World Series of Politics Episode 11: GeoComply’s Linsday Slader on Ohio

The geolocation specialist’s vice president, compliance says Ohio’s sports betting launch was one of the biggest market openings in the US to date.

Over the New Year weekend alone, GeoComply recorded more than 11.3 million geolocation transactions, and Slader says around 1.2 million accounts were set up in the first week of activity.

This episode also marks the World Series of Politics’ debut on Spotify! You can also listen on Apple Podcasts, and directly from this page.

Ohio betting flies out the blocks

There’s also a wider range of betting options than ever before, with 1,000 kiosks rolled out across Ohio, and it’s going to be interesting to see how this works in tandem with a widespread mobile offering. If it keeps up its early pace the Ohio sports betting framework could become a blueprint for other states. 

Lawmakers elsewhere are launching renewed pushes for legal betting, with a flurry of bills filed across the US. There are three already in Missouri, so could it be fifth session lucky for sports betting backers there?

Macau’s grand reopening and unrest in Brazil

Macau’s casinos. There are no Covid restrictions – for the first time since February 2020 – new concessions have been awarded, and visitors are flocking back, but with moving money now significantly harder will the return of visitors be enough to restore Macau to the pinnacle of the industry?

And there are yet more twists in Brazil, where former president Jair Bolsonaro’s failure to ratify sports betting regulations has been followed by civil unrest earlier this month. Does this mean the prospects for gaming expansion are more distant than ever?