Preparing to launch
The Oregon Lottery is wasting no time in getting started with sports betting services. The lottery is planning to launch online sports betting operations by August. By early next year, restaurants and retailers that offer lottery games will also offer sports betting.
While the Oregon market is small, officials feel that sports betting will still make an impact on the economy. It has been estimated that as much as $330m (£254m) will be generated in sports betting handle within the first year of operations. The number is expected to reach the $680m (£524m) mark by the third full year.
The Oregon Lottery wants to launch quickly to take advantage of the sports betting revenues. The lottery is targeting an August launch for online betting and then move on to land-based installations.
Chief gaming officer of the Oregon Lottery Farshad Allahdadi said: “We have about 3 million eligible players in Oregon, many of whom bet illegally now. Our challenge is to create a compelling product that can draw a portion of those illegal bettors and attract a whole new group of customers.”
SBTech Global Technology
To offer sports betting, the Oregon Lottery is working with SBTech Global Ltd. The company will be responsible for providing the technology to start the sports betting industry in the state.
In Oregon, contractors for the lottery must complete and pass a background check before they will be allowed to work in the state. SBTech was reportedly given approval before the background check on the company was conducted by the state police.
SBTech is a well-known name in the gaming industry, located in the Isle of Man. Having offered services for years in Europe and Asia, the company is just now getting started in the United States. The company already has partnerships with Churchill Downs and other gaming entities in the nation.
While the Oregon Lottery was favored SBTech, another technology company that competed to offer sports betting tech in the state is protesting the decision. Scientific Games Ltd. sent a letter to the state back in March, asking officials to check on whether SBTech had conducted business in countries where gambling is illegal.
Scientific Gaming is claiming that SBTech has worked with 10Bet, a gambling site that is blacklisted by the Belgian Gaming Commission. In response to the claim, SBTech has stated they do not conduct business in any country where gambling is prohibited. According to the company, in the United States, they are operating via the Mississippi Gaming Commission approval. SBTech has received preliminary approval in New Jersey as well as Pennsylvania.