US news diary (29 May - 4 June 2015)
A look back at some of the top stories from across the pond over the last seven days
California dreamingâ¦
Despite the odds being firmly stacked against it, California online poker bill AB 431 continues to make progress through the state’s legislature. Late last week the bill passed through the Assembly Appropriations Committee and onto the Senate floor, despite the Pechanga coalition doing pretty much everything in its power to hinder its passage.
Earlier in the week the Pechanga coalition sent a letter to the Committee saying that “issues that divide stakeholders remain unresolved” and moving the bill forward would be “directly counterproductive” to progress. Those issues are including a ‘bad actor’ clause which would essentially block PokerStars from the market, and whether the racetracks should be allowed in on the action.
Thankfully, momentum is building behind compromise and progress, and the Committee released the bill much to the delight of PokerStars and its coalition (the San Manuel and Morongo tribes and three of the state’s largest card rooms). The coalition said “success is within our grasp” and that it was confident a bill could get over the line this year.
That will depend on whether the various stakeholders can reach agreement over specific language to be included in the bill. HB 431 is currently a placeholder bill, which means it has no detail on license fees, tax rates, and eligible entities. Those details will be thrashed out at two hearings in June and July, with the outcome a real indication of whether California is finally moving towards getting this done.
FanDuel gets appyâ¦
Daily fantasy sports (DFS) operator FanDuel launched an Android app last week, giving users of smartphones on Google’s operating system access to real-money contests for the first time. The app is available to download directly from FanDuel’s website, and allows players to find contests, set and edit line-ups, and deposit cash.
FanDuel already has dedicated iOS apps for the iPhone and iPad, and CEO Nigel Eccles recently told eGR sister publication eGR North America that more than 50% of players are now coming through the mobile channel. Eccles also noted mobile had been a key factor behind the operator’s meteoric growth of late, and the firm would continue to innovate and invest in the channel.
Mobile looks set to become the latest DFS battleground between FanDuel and its fierce market rivals DraftKings, which launched its Android offering at the back end of last year. But mobile will not be an easy win for DFS operators, as the complex nature of fantasy sports, and the need to research and view stats while setting line-ups, makes it an awkward fit for mobile devices.
Bee Cave Games buzzing after investmentâ¦
Social and mobile developer Bee Cave Games has secured a $5.5m investment, taking its total raised capital to date to $10m. The funding came from Matrix Partners, the fourth time it has invested in the Texas-based firm, and Bee Cave said the raised capital would be pumped into product expansion.
As part of the investment, Josh Hannah, general partner at Matrix Partners, will join Bee Cave’s board of directors to help the company continue to scale. Hannah has good form, co-founding Flutter.com, which merged with Betfair to form the Betfair Group in 2002.