wagering who knowingly uses a wire communication facility for the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of bets or wagers or information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on any sporting event or contest, or for the transmission of a wire communication which entitles the recipient to receive money or credit as a result of bets or wagers, or for information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers, will be fined or imprisoned, or both. However, the Wire Act notes that it shall not be construed to prevent the transmission in interstate or foreign commerce of information for use in news reporting of sporting events or contests, or for the transmission of information assisting in the placing of bets or wagers on a sporting event or contest from a state or foreign country where betting on that sporting event or contest is legal into a state or foreign country in which such betting is legal. In 2018, the DOJ reversed its previously-issued opinion published in 2011, which stated that interstate transmissions of wire communications that do not relate to a “sporting event or contest” fall outside the purview of the Wire Act. The DOJ’s updated opinion concluded instead that the Wire Act was not uniformly limited to gaming relating to sporting events or contests and that certain of its provisions apply to non-sports-related wagering activity. In June 2019, a federal district court in New Hampshire ruled that the DOJ’s new interpretation of the Wire Act was erroneous and vacated the DOJ’s new opinion. The DOJ had appealed the decision of the district court to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit, which reaffirmed the district court’s decision on January 20, 2021.
Sportsbook
We previously operated our online sports betting platform in New Jersey pursuant to the transactional waiver order referenced above. On November 25, 2020, we obtained regulatory approval in New Jersey for the issuance of a casino license to us as an “internet gaming affiliate” of GNAC. GNOG LLC’s agreements with a tribal casino in Michigan and with Greenbrier Hotel Corporation in West Virginia allow us to conduct online sports betting operations in those states. In Virginia, we were granted an untethered temporary sports betting permit by the Virginia Lottery, and we have partnered with the Virginia Sports Technology Group, LLC, which has retained an equity interest in Golden Nugget Online Gaming VA, LLC, to operate online sports betting in Virginia. GNOG LLC’s market access agreement in Illinois will also allow us to conduct future online sports betting operations in that state. On May 14, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court issued an opinion determining that the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, which we refer to as “PASPA”, was unconstitutional. PASPA prohibited a state from “authorizing by law” any form of sports betting. In striking down PASPA, the Supreme Court opened the potential for state-by-state authorization of sports betting. Several states and territories, including Arizona, Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, Maryland, Michigan, Mississippi, Montana, Nebraska, Nevada, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Puerto Rico, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Tennessee, Washington, D.C., Virginia, West Virginia and Wyoming already have laws authorizing and regulating some form of sports betting online or in brick- and-mortar establishments. Sports betting in the United States is subject to additional laws, rules and regulations at the state level.
Data Protection and Privacy
Because we handle, collect, store, receive, transmit and otherwise process certain personal information of our users and employees, we are also subject to federal, state and foreign laws related to the privacy and protection of such data. The regulatory framework for privacy issues is rapidly evolving and is likely to remain uncertain for the foreseeable future.
Competition
Given that the U.S. online gaming market is vast and rapidly expanding, we believe any company competing for the time and disposable income of customers within such market to be a competitor. Currently there are several online gaming companies in the U.S. that provide iGaming, online sports betting, or both, including, but not limited to, DraftKings, FanDuel, Betfair, Caesars Entertainment, BetMGM, Roar Digital, Penn National Gaming and Rush Street Interactive. We currently compete with FanDuel, DraftKings, Caesars Entertainment, Roar Digital, Rush Street Interactive and Hard Rock, among others, in New Jersey and expect to compete with Rush Street Interactive, FanDuel, DraftKings, PokerStars, Kindred and Penn National Gaming, among others, in Pennsylvania and FanDuel, DraftKings, Roar Digital, Penn National Gaming and Rush Street Interactive, among others, in Michigan when it begins operations in those states. Additionally, we expect competition from new entrants over time.