PlayUp USA partners with Wild Rose on Iowa iGaming project
Barely two weeks after receiving regulatory approval to operate a mobile sportsbook in New Jersey, PlayUp USA has secured a partnership that could see the company further its strategic expansion plan for the United States gaming and wagering market.
The Australian-based DFS-turned-betting operator announced this week that it had inked a new licensing deal for internet gaming in Iowa with Wild Rose Entertainment. The terms of the contract allow PlayUp to pursue a license to run an online casino platform in the state when the market is legalized.
The partnership with Wild Rose Entertainment is the second for PlayUp in Iowa, seeing that it has an existing agreement for online sports betting with Caesars Entertainment. The deal with Caesars also covers mobile betting in Indiana and iGaming in New Jersey.
The agreement with Wild Rose is subject to legislative and regulatory approval.
PlayUp says diversity is key to growth
PlayUp might be a new entrant in the regulated US market but the brand is well-known in Australia and New Zealand, where it has established itself as a leader in daily fantasy sports, sports betting, and horse racing.
Commenting about the recent market access deal, the Chief Executive Officer of PlayUp US, Dr. Laila Mintas, revealed that the brand is working on building a well-diversified portfolio in order to attain continuing growth and stability. She added that incorporating iGaming into the company’s offering was key to its diversification strategy, and went on to say that the brand would pursue market access in all states where the industry is legal as well as those that have plans to legislate it.
“At our core we are a daily fantasy sports operator. We are proud of those roots and that we are Australia’s number one DFS operator and offer some of the world’s largest DFS prizes,” said Dr. Mintas.
“We also view a diverse product portfolio as key to our long-term growth and stability. iGaming is central in that diversification and we are aggressively getting market access in all states that are offering it or will be offering it in the future.”
Iowa marks the second state where the brand has gained market access for iGaming, after New Jersey. However, the operator is still waiting to be cleared to launch its online casino offering in the Garden State, where it operates a mobile sportsbook through a partnership with Penn National Gaming’s Freehold Raceway.
PlayUp is also live in the state of Colorado with a mobile sportsbook.
IGA members to push for iGaming legislation
As states across the country continue to embrace internet casino gaming, the Iowa Gaming Association (IGA) President, Wes Ehrecke, has revealed that some of its members are in favor of legalizing the industry.
In his comments about the issue, Ehrecke said that a section of Iowa’s 19 commercial casino operators would support efforts to authorize iGaming and make interactive gambling accessible to players across the state.
Among the reasons cited by the IGA members who are in support of legalizing the industry include job creation and generating additional tax revenue for the state. The members also believe that the industry would enhance technological innovation.
On the other hand, some members of the Association have raised concerns regarding possible gaming expansion in the state, arguing that online casinos might kill the retail industry and in turn affect the livelihood of thousands of Iowans. Some of those opposed to the idea also say that making iGaming legal would lead to an increase in gambling addiction.
Nevertheless, legislative action is required to authorize the industry, and we can only wait to see if a bill proposing gaming expansion will be introduced in the legislature when next year’s session starts in January. Examples of states that have taken action to legalize iGaming are New Jersey, Nevada, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware, and most recently, Connecticut.