Catena Media gears up for new state launches as Kansas confirms 8 September start

(PRESS RELEASE) -- Catena Media, the leading online sports betting and casino affiliate in North America, is finalizing preparations to launch sports betting affiliation activities in Kansas in early September after the U.S. state announced the go-live date for legal sports betting.

Kansas Governor Laura Kelly last week gave the go-ahead for sports betting operators to start receiving bets on mobile platforms on 1 September, with an official launch on 8 September, the day the NFL season opens.

Catena Media is already offering pre-launch offers for operators in Kansas, and has detailed plans in place for Kansas and other upcoming US states. These include Ohio, which is due to legalize sports betting on 1 January 2023, and Maryland and Massachusetts, which are expected to open their sports betting markets in 2023.

The four states have a combined population of 27.9 million, which is higher than New York, Catena Media’s largest state market. Ohio is the seventh most populous state, with 11.8 million inhabitants. Massachusetts has around 7 million inhabitants, making it similar in size to Arizona, where Catena Media successfully launched sports betting affiliate operations in September 2021. Maryland’s population stands at 6.2 million.

Kansas, with a population of 2.9 million, is the fourth state or province to open for online sports betting or casino in North America this year, after New York and Louisiana opened their sportsbook markets in January and Ontario in Canada legalized online sports betting and casino in April. Up to a dozen operators will be active in the go-live, including many of Catena Media’s top partners.

In Kansas, Ohio, Maryland and Massachusetts, Catena Media will leverage its national reach and leading sports betting brands in the pre-launch period. LegalSportsReport.com, TheLines.com, Lineups.com and GamingToday.com are well positioned to take advantage of the forthcoming launches. The group also has regional sites in place that will help maximize affiliation opportunities in each market.

Dustin Gouker, Catena Media Vice President of North America, Content, said: “Our strong portfolio of national and regional sites puts us in a solid position ahead of the huge customer acquisition period we see when any new state launches sports betting. We are excited about this next wave of regulated legal online sports betting in the US.”

Catena Media has pioneered affiliate marketing for online sports betting and casino in North America. To date, the group has rolled out operations in 19 states in an expansion that is driving rapid growth. Full-year revenue surged 116 percent in North America in 2021 and this year has continued strongly, with a revenue increase of 28 percent in the first six months from EUR 34.6 million to EUR 44.4 million, equal to a 60 percent share of group revenue. In July, year-on-year revenue in North America increased by 33 percent.