Oregon Lottery Launches State’s Only Online Sports Betting App
The list of states offering legal online / mobile sports betting grew to eight after Oregon launched its long anticipated “Scoreboard” app last week.
The Scoreboard platform – which is available to bettors over the age of 21 who are physically located within Oregon’s borders – went live for real money wagering on October 17.
Scoreboard App Replaces Sports Action Game
State regulation of sports betting became possible in May of 2018, when the U.S. Supreme Court repealed the federal Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) of 1992. In 1989, however, the Oregon Lottery launched the “Sports Action” product, a game involving parlay card betting on NFL point spreads.
Based on the preexisting presence of its “Sports Action” game, Oregon was one of four states – along with Nevada, Montana, and Delaware – to receive a “grandfathered” exemption under PASPA. Because of this exemption, Oregon didn’t require legislative or voter approval to authorize full-fledged sports wagering following the fall of PASPA.
Per a statement from Oregon Lottery spokesman Chuck Baumann, the Scoreboard online / mobile app will replace the defunct Sports Action game, which local lawmakers outlawed in 2007:
“Rather than having a game like ‘Sports Action,’ that started and ended when the NFL started and ended, now we’ve got a true sports book with ‘Scoreboard.’
It offers NFL, NBA, major leagues, soccer, auto racing, cricket, darts.
There are all sorts of things – all the games that you would find on (a) sports book.”
The Scoreboard app offers moneyline, point spread, and prop betting on all forms of professional sports, but due to a state ban, collegiate athletics will not be found on the online / mobile menu.
Oregon joins Indiana, Iowa, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and West Virginia in the ranks of states where legal online / mobile sportsbooks are operational.
Exclusive App Operated by Lotto and SBTech
Chinook Winds Casino became the first brick and mortar sportsbook to open in Oregon on August 27.
While the state’s federally recognized Native American tribes are allowed to offer in-person betting, online / mobile apps like Scoreboard aren’t functional on tribal lands.
As the lone licensed operator permitted to offer online / mobile sports betting, the Oregon Lottery awarded the London-based backend software provider SBTech an exclusive contract in April of this year.
In a joint press release issued on Scoreboard’s launch day, Oregon Lottery director Barry Pack praised SBTech as the perfect partner for online / mobile integration:
“This is an exciting time for the Oregon Lottery, as we leverage technology to enable Oregonians to legally and safely bet on their favorite sports.
SBTech is an invaluable partner to us, and we look forward to using SBTech’s innovative products to provide an engaging, entertaining and seamless experience for our players.”
Melissa Riahei, who serves as president of SBTech US, celebrated the company’s collaboration with the first American state lottery to launch an online / mobile sportsbook:
“The Oregon Lottery is a true pioneer in this space, being the first lottery in the US to launch (online) sports betting.
We look forward to providing our innovative and experience-driven products, alongside our full range of managed services, to make this endeavor a huge success for the state of Oregon and its citizens.”
State Expecting Significant Revenue Via Northwest Monopoly
Barry Pack also spoke with KTVZ-21 News to discuss the benefits Oregon anticipates Scoreboard will generate:
“This game allows Lottery to attract new players – increasing revenue for important state programs without relying on current players to play or wager more.”
Oregon Lottery public information manager Matthew Shelby told KOIN-6 News that, in a fully mature market, Scoreboard is expected to produce “tens of millions of dollars” in annual revenue after winning wagers are deducted from total handle:
“A vast majority of the money goes back to the players.
We have projections based on what we’ve seen in other states that have legalized sports betting.
We’ve never had a full sports book available. We are as excited as anybody else in the state to see how players in Oregon react.”
Per a report from KATU-2 News, more than 16,500 bettors to register a Scoreboard account in the app’s first weekend have already placed over $500,000 in total wagers.
