Friday, May 1, 2026

Sports Betting Operators in for Long Haul

  • As sports betting surges, operators are working to establish long-term relationships.
  • Penn National and Rush Street Interactive each announced 20-year partnerships.
Design: Alex Brooks/Front Office Sports

As sports betting surges, operators are working to establish long-term relationships. 

On Tuesday, Penn National Gaming Inc. announced a strategic partnership with Capital Region Gaming allowing the Pennsylvania-based gaming company to operate in New York once state lawmakers approve mobile sports wagering. 

The deal lasts for 20 years. Capital Region operates Rivers Casino & Resort in Schenectady, New York, giving Penn National an immediate home. 

“Gaining potential access to what could become one of the nation’s most lucrative sports betting markets has been a major priority for our company,” said Jon Kaplowitz, Penn National’s senior vice president of interactive gaming.

But Penn National isn’t the only sports betting operator getting in on the action early and establishing a long-term foothold across the U.S.

  • On Monday, Rush Street Interactive, Inc. announced that it will offer its online casino and sports betting platform, BetRivers.com, for up to 20 years in Ohio, Maryland, and Missouri. 
  • RSI currently operates in eight states with a combined population of over 68 million. With the addition of Ohio, Maryland, and Missouri, RSI could reach more than 35% of the U.S. population.
  • This past September, Flutter Entertainment and Scientific Games agreed to a five-year extension after first partnering in 2000.
  • In 2019, PointsBet agreed to a 20-year partnership with Hawthorne Race Course in Illinois.

Everyone in the gaming industry will be locked up in contracts until 2040 before we know it.

This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.

Sign up for
The Memo Newsletter

Get the biggest stories and best analysis on the business of sports delivered to your inbox twice every weekday and twice on weekends.

This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Kalshi's logo is displayed on a smartphone placed on a reflective surface onto which a betting curve is projected in Creteil, France, on March 9, 2026, during a major scandal and a $54 million lawsuit concerning bets related to recent strikes in Iran. (Photo by Samuel Boivin/NurPhoto)NO USE FRANCE

CFTC: ‘Biggest Issue Is Manipulation’ in Sports Event Contracts

Michael Selig says his agency is in talks with “all the major sports leagues.”
Aug 23, 2025; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; A general view of the MLB logo before the start of a game between the Cincinnati Reds and Arizona Diamondbacks at Chase Field.

Sportradar Refutes Claims It Works With Illegal Betting Companies

The company is an integrity monitor for leagues including the NBA and MLB.
Jul 25, 2025; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; FanDuel Sportsbook at Meadowlands Racing & Entertainment.

Warren Buffett Calls Sports Betting a ‘Tax on Stupidity’

The billionaire doesn’t like “things that make a sucker out of people.”
Brendan Sorsby runs with the ball during the Texas Tech football team's spring game, Friday, April 17, 2026, at Jones AT&T Stadium.

Texas Tech QB Sorsby to Seek Treatment for Gambling Addiction

The NCAA has reportedly opened an investigation into Sorsby’s betting activity.

Featured Today

INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA - MARCH 25: Caitlin Clark of the Indiana Fever sits on the baseline and makes photographs during the Indiana Pacers game against the Los Angeles Lakers at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on March 25, 2026 in Indianapolis, Indiana.

Why Athletes Are Moonlighting As Sports Photographers

Athletes are swapping courtside seats for sideline cameras.
Quinnipiac women's varsity rugby
April 21, 2026

The Death of Quinnipiac Women’s Varsity Rugby

The sudden decision at Ilona Maher’s alma mater left players blindsided.
April 17, 2026

The Lawyer Steering the NIL Era

In the new era of college sports, Darren Heitner is everywhere.
blake griffin
April 14, 2026

Inside Blake Griffin’s Rookie Season at Prime Video

The six-time All-Star was initially hesitant to enter the media space.
Michael Selig, U.S. President Trump's nominee to serve as Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) chairman, testifies in a Senate Agriculture Committee hearing on his nomination on Capitol Hill in Washington, D.C., U.S., November 19, 2025.

Trump Calls It a ‘Casino.’ CFTC Chief Defends Role As Regulator

“We can’t have them be the Wild West. That’s why we’re taking action.”
An overall look at the newly opened MGM Grand Detroit sports betting & entertainment venue called BetMGM Sports Lounge at its casino in Detroit, Michigan on Wednesday, March 11, 2020.
April 21, 2026

‘Purely Gaming’: Inside the Tribal Fight Against Prediction Markets

A California tribal leader tells FOS “we have the truth on our side.”
The logo of the 2026 NFL Draft is showcased at the big screen inside the theater Wednesday, April 22, 2026 from outside Acrisure Stadium in Pittsburgh, Pa.
April 23, 2026

NFL Draft Odds Chaos Pits Insiders Against the Market

There’s been plenty of line movement for the No. 2 pick.
Sponsored

Why Brandon Marshall Bet on Athlete-Owned Media

Brandon Marshall on athlete media, life after football, building I AM ATHLETE.
April 9, 2026

College Athletes Are Ignoring NCAA Gambling Bans

“We were going to bet regardless,” says one former D-I athlete.
Jan 14, 2025; Washington, DC, USA; Sen. Richard Blumenthal, D-Conn., delivers remarks during a Senate Armed Services committee hearing on the expected nomination of Pete Hegseth to be Secretary of Defense on Tuesday, Jan. 14, 2025 in Washington, DC.
March 31, 2026

‘Astonishing and Appalling’: Senator Blasts MLB-Polymarket Deal

A Connecticut senator says prediction markets are part of an “addiction conspiracy.”
March 30, 2026

NFL Warns Prediction Markets Operators Over Vulnerable Bets

Ongoing litigation in the burgeoning industry has muddied the waters.
The March Madness logo is pictured during a second-round game in the NCAA men's basketball tournament between Nebraska Cornhuskers and Vanderbilt Commodores at Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Saturday March 21, 2026.
March 23, 2026

Coinbase Takes Heat for Pushing March Madness Markets

Viral posts showed that users feel pummeled by sports event contract promotion.