World Series of Politics

It's a fiery one this week! World Series of Politics goes in hard on the Land of Lincoln, where another tax grab from the legislature puts further pressure on Illinois sports betting licensees.

Welcome back to the World Series of Politics podcast! This week Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann saddle up with Jonathon Kinchen to discuss US horse racing and horse race betting. JK to his friends, Kinchen is an experienced handicapper and pundit featured on Fox Sports so there's no one better to set out the current runners and riders in the race betting game. He tells our dynamic duo about how racing missed the first wave of US gaming expansion, but explains how it could make a comeback. Kinchen unpacks parimutuel wagering and the case for fixed-odds betting on horse racing, as well as explaining how the sport can attract a new generation of fans and bettors. We've also got some tips on Preakness, but with a shifting field, things may have changed..

Indiana igaming is dead, Nebraska sports betting won't happen until next year and we're not even getting clarity on sports predictions so there's plenty to discuss in the World Series of Politics!

After a quick stopover at the Grand Canyon Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann welcome Ali Bartlett to the World Series of Politics, talking everything Indiana. Fresh from her move to Greenberg Traurig, Ali joins our dynamic duo to talk about Indiana igaming. However it's not coming in the current session, after a bill sailed through the public policy committee, but failed to get a hearing in ways and means.

This week John Pappas makes his long-awaited debut on the World Series of Politics, joining Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann to talk futures contracts, some of regulated igaming's more surprising opponents and legislative progress in the current session. 

Welcome back to the World Series of Politics, where we're talking developments in Illinois and Hawaii, before welcoming Xace's chief banking officer Andria Evripidou for a deep dive on crypto's growing role in gambling.

The World Series of Politics is back from its Brazilian break as the business end of the US legislative season gets going, with bills flying across the states! You want sports betting bills? You want some icasino bills? We've got them and more, and there's even an opportunity to stop over in New York for a look at the (down)state of the casino process and touch on tax hikes in Ohio (again) in the latest episode of the World Series of Politics.

In this episode of the World Series of Politics hosts Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann welcome Aposta Ganga's Hugo Baungartner to assess the launch of regulated online gambling in Brazil.

This week Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann are talking all things ICE, as Clarion Gaming's Stuart Hunter makes his annual pilgrimage to the World Series of Politics to discuss the world's biggest gambling event.

Welcome back to the final World Series of Politics of 2024! We've had some laughs, spilled a few tears, and it's time to gather round the wireless, celebrate 2024's wins and look ahead to 2025.

The World Series of Politics is back with two special guests, as Sara Dalsheim and Abbey Block of Ifrah Law join our dynamic duo Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden to talk sweeps, lawsuits and some lessons from the Sunshine State.

Welcome back to the World Series of Politics! This week Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann digest last week's election results, digging into the ballot measures that prevailed and the ones that failed. The top of the ticket is also up for discussion. The Presidency, Senate and most likely the House are all under Republican control. Does that mean the federal regulation bill filed by Democrats Richard Blumenthal and Paul Tonko is dead in the water? Find out in another episode of the World Series of Politics!

Welcome back to the World Series of Politics! Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann are doing some crystal ball-gazing in this week's Halloween-slash-election special. We're back from G2E, Brandt is out of his pink suit, and we're getting down to the gritty business of polling, with Harrison Hickman of Hickman Analytics. While the top of the ticket is obviously dominating headlines, for the industry there's a lot more at stake, especially in the state of misery - sorry, Missouri - where Amendment 2 is on a knife edge.

Welcome back to the World Series of Politics! This episode Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden are joined by Joe Maloney, senior vice president of strategic communications at the American Gaming Association to get a flavour of what's on offer at this year's G2E.

Welcome back to the World Series of Politics! This week Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann guide you through the early weeks of the NFL's $35bn season and Washington D.C. sports betting finally getting competitive. If that's not enough we've also got Missouri sports betting confirming its place on the ballot and some rumblings about Arkansas igaming. Arkansas sports betting - limited to one casino and two racinos - hasn't quite hit the numbers so will replicating that model work for online casino?

Welcome back to the World Series of Politics! This week Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden are joined by attorney Stephanie Bell of Ellinger Bell to talk sports betting in Missouri.

We've got a betting scandal and the UK's General Election to cover on this episode of the World Series of Politics with Dan Waugh joining the party! We're just a day out from Independence Day in the US, and the UK is preparing for its own changing of the ruling classes, Dan explains on this week's episode.

We're hurtling towards a fully regulated online market in Brazil so it's high time to bring back the World Series of Politics' local expert Hugo Baungartner. Hugo joins Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden to discuss whether the government is set to finally hit its deadlines with the last dash towards the 1 January 2025 start date. And there's more! With a bill to legalise casinos, bingo, jogo de bicho and more, there could be an exciting new land-based market on the way...

The World Series of Politics is back after some technical hitches, and we've got a lot to catch up on! Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden wade through misery in Minnesota, dealings in D.C. and Delaware, before taking on some ill-conceived Illinois revenue raids.

Maryland is the last great hope for igaming regulation in 2024, and the World Series of Politics brings in The Analysis Group to put the question of cannibalisation to bed once and for all. Mickey Ferri and Laura O'Laughlin join Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden to discuss the recent study showing online casino actually expands the market, rather than eating away at the land-based share.

We're deep into legislative sessions across the US but Brandt Iden and Brendan Busssmann are here to run you through the states to watch in the World Series of Politics! Whether it's Georgia going to the voters or Minnesota taking its sweet time, we've got all the latest happenings in US regulation ready to review.

The World Series of Politics welcomes its very first Congresswoman, with Representative Dina Titus joining Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann. As Representative for Nevada's 1st congressional district and co-chair of the Congressional Gaming Caucus, she is a crucial industry advocate at federal level.

The World Series of Politics is back with Clarion Gaming managing director Stuart Hunter joining to offer a sneak peek at what the gaming industry can expect at ICE 2024.

The World Series of Politics is back from its festive break with the low down on what sort of regulatory progress the gaming industry can expect in 2024.

The industry was shocked when a new mobile betting ballot measure landed in California after last year's bruising fight, but tribes are up for the next battle Pechanga.net's Victor Rocha tells the World Series of Politics. Rocha, one of the most eloquent and influential voices in the Indian Gaming Association, tells Brendan Bussmann and Robin Harrison how any 2024 fight will shake out.

The World Series of Politics is recovering from a busy G2E, and our dynamic duo reflects on the show floor conversations in episode 23. Everyone has their voice back just in time to talk igaming, taxes and Florida.

On the 22nd episode of the World Series of Politics, Brendan Bussmann and Robin Harrison are joined by Mike Whittle, senior vice president and general counsel at professional baseball team the St. Louis Cardinals to discuss the development of sports betting in Missouri. Multiple attempts to legalise sports betting in the Show-Me state have fallen flat over the years. Two of the most recent attempts involved Senate Bill 30 and House Bill 556, which progressed somewhat before being struck down or fizzling out. But change could be on the horizon. The St. Louis Cardinals is part of a coalition of professional sports teams in Missouri that filed new petitions last month to bring sports betting to Missouri.

On the 21st episode of the World Series of Politics, hosts Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann are joined by Neil Montgomery, founding and managing partner at Montgomery & Associados and Hugo Baungartner, VP for global markets at Aposta Ganha to take an intercontinental deep dive into Brazil. But before heading over to LatAm, our hosts discuss the progress made in Florida since episode 20 was released. In the weeks since, West Flagler filed the court en banc to rehear its case. Instead of dismissing this petition, the court has asked the Seminoles for a response - which is due on 31 August. Meanwhile, Brazil regulated sports betting in July, after president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva signed the Provisional Measure. This officially implemented the sports betting regulations that had been approved in Law No 13,756 in 2018. But these included a few “surprises”, says Montgomery, including heightened GGR tax, more marketing restrictions and an increased licence fee.

It's the 20th episode of the World Series of Politics, and Brandt Iden, Brendan Bussmann and Robin Harrison are joined by two legal experts to pick through the Florida sports betting case in this special episode.

Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Idean dive headfirst into Canada's only open betting and gaming market with Paul Burns of the Canadian Gaming Association (CGA).

We're missing Brandt Iden this week, but Brendan Bussmann is joined by iGB's Robin Harrison for the conversation with the Member of Parliament for Shipley on the Gambling Act review.

Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden are on the trade show circuit, but still found time to talk about the latest developments in US sports betting legislation, as well as more from Brazil.

The development of sports betting in Brazil has been happening over the last 20 years, with people waiting eagerly for just as long, says Hugo Baungartner, the special guest this week on World Series of Politics.“It's the giant,” he says. “Everyone is talking about it. Everybody wants to come to Brazil.”He notes that law has been in place to allow sports betting in Brazil since 2018, but that there has been no regulation yet, and nothing was made official by then-president Jair Bolsonaro.But this regulation is imminent, Hugo insists, with ministers working for Brazil's newest president Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva preparing a law that could be signed in the coming days.

Last week the World Series of Politics asked where all the regulatory wins were in the 2023 legislative session, and around a day after it went live, Kentucky sports betting was signed into law.

We're deep into the legislative session, but it's been slim pickings for US sports betting to date as Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden recount on episode 14 of the World Series of Politics.

He's a former Secretary of the Environment, and Texas' longest-serving Governor, and now Rick Perry is joining Brandt Iden and Brendan Bussmann on the World Series of Politics. Governor Perry believes legislation from Senator Lois Kolkhorst and Representative Jeff Leach, that paves the way for a public vote on sports betting regulation, is the best way to bring legal wagering to the Lone Star State.

Brandt Iden is back on the World Series of Politics after his break over ICE London, rejoining Brendan Bussmann to discuss a flurry of sports betting activity across the US. Brandt Iden is back on the World Series of Politics after his break over ICE London, rejoining Brendan Bussmann to discuss a flurry of sports betting activity across the US. Missouri, Georgia, New York and potential federal legislation is in their sights this week.

The special guests keep coming on the World Series of Politics, with Geocomply's Linsday Slader joins Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden to discuss Ohio's sports betting launch.

The World Series of Politics welcomes its second guest, Light & Wonder's global head of government affairs Howard Glaser, to discuss the prospects for igaming in the US in 2023.

We're live from Las Vegas for episode nine, with Brendan Bussmann of B Global Advisors and Brandt Iden of Fanatics discussing the contrasting fortunes of two gambling hubs. While Las Vegas is booming, Macau has effectively been cut off from the world for the past three years. With the concession renewal process now complete, how can it recover? Back in the US, the importance of regulation has been highlighted by the American Gaming Association's report, which revealed $510.9bn is being wagered offshore every year. But its publication has coincided with a flurry of negative publicity in the US media. Considering the tax burden on the industry, and the economic benefits it creates, is this in any way justified?

In episode eight of the World Series of Politics, Brendan Bussmann of B Global Advisors is joined by Brandt Iden, now Fanatics Betting and Gaming's newly-appointed vice president of government affairs. Our dynamic duo start off by picking over the wreckage of California's sports betting ballot measures, reflecting on what went so disastrously wrong. Next they run the rule on the other states where the Midterms have heralded change. Brandt admits he was surprised by the Democrats' clean sweep in Minnesota, pointing out that the party's strong relationships with the tribes could pave the way for regulatory progress in 2023. Texas is also looking increasingly ripe for change, Brendan points out, with growing momentum towards some sort of legal gambling. What that is, however, remains unclear - as Brandt says, all eyes - and industry efforts - are likely to be focused on the Lone Star State next year. And with Maryland launching mobile sports betting last week, there's a bet on the line - who wins?

Ahead of the 2022 US midterm elections, Brendan and Brandt take a look across the US, including a final examination of whether there's any hope of the people of California voting to legalise sports betting. In Texas, there may be less clarity as the industry may have to consider whether to prioritise sports betting or casinos, while Brandt is "optimistic" that sports betting legislation could be passed in Georgia once a new legislature is elected.The pair look further afield as well, pondering the impact of Lula da Silva defeating Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil's presidential election, while in the UK, Brandt throws his name into the ring as a prime ministerial candidate, but Brendan has other ideas.

The World Series of Politics welcomes Bill Miller of the American Gaming Association as first guest. American Gaming Association and G2EMiller joins Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden to look back on this year's Global Gaming Expo. Miller discusses this year's G2E After almost 25,000 descended on the Sands Convention Centre earlier in October. He also talks about US gaming industry's post-Covid recovery, and the threat of the illegal market. Maryland sports bettingThis episode also features Maryland, where lawmakers have taken a step towards launching mobile sports betting after a heavily fraught process. There's a wager on the line between our hosts on this one, just to up the stakes further.Brendan also discusses the state of play for Macau casinos, where recovery his hindered by China's zero Covid policy. There there's even more intrigue around Brazil sports betting with the presidential run-off closing in.

Just in time for G2E, iGB brings you episode five of the World Series of Politics. We kick off looking at Brazil, where the competing presidential candidates go into a run-off at the end of October. Also coming into Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden's sights this week are Indiana and igaming, Ontario's enforcement action and when California will actually have legal sports betting.

It's a busy episode this week, with Brendan Bussmann and Brandt Iden kicking off by discussing the latest twists in the Wire Act saga. Could this mean the issue of whether it applies to sports betting or all forms of gambling is dead and buried once and for all? Also up for discussion is sports betting activity around National Football League kickoff, and some debate around when in-stadium books can be open. The episode goes further afield to scrutinize Brazil's presidential election, and that this means for the industry.

The third instalment of the World Series of Politics has Brendan and Brandt updating listeners on the early stages of Kansas' legal sports betting market - and Missouri residents trying to take advantage. They also ponder the National Football League kick-off, Arizona's market one year on, and Brendan returns to one of his favourite subjects, New York's mobile tax rate.

In the second episode of the World Series of Politics, Brendan Bussmann of B Global and Brandt Iden of Sportradar discuss developments in Kansas - where regulators have made haste to launch sports betting on 1 September. Brendan and Brandt also look to California, where interest groups have already spent $350m on campaigning for and against ballot initiatives that could bring sports betting to the Golden State, with plenty of time for campaigning to ramp up.

In the first episode of the World Series of Politics, Brendan Bussmann of B Global and Brandt Iden of Sportradar give listeners an idea of what's to come in this new look behind the curtains of legislative developments. Also up for discussion is Massachusetts, after lawmakers beat the buzzer with a consensus on legal sports betting.