US SPORTS BETTING

Without question, the gambling story of 2018 came in May, when the US Supreme Court’s dismantled the 1992 Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act. The year began with legal single-game wagering in just one state and is ending with legal betting in eight states, with a number of other states expected to follow early in 2019.

The deal-making between European betting giants and US gaming firms was already well underway before the Court rendered its verdict and only accelerated from that point forward. GVC Holdings launched a joint venture with MGM Resorts, while Paddy Power Betfair opted for total control by acquiring the US operations of daily fantasy sports operator FanDuel.

William Hill had a head start on all its European rivals, having bought into the Nevada sports betting market years ago, while also setting up a sportsbook-in-waiting at New Jersey’s Monmouth Park racetrack. And while Hills has done alright for itself in snaring its share of action in legal betting states, the company found itself chasing some unlikely frontrunners.