The 9 Best Gambling Twitter Accounts To Follow
Like virtually every other industry, the legal US gambling industry is attempting to rebound from COVID-19. So far, the road to reopening has been a bumpy ride.
The ever-changing landscape and varied responses to outbreaks, coupled with the steady influx of new findings have made it challenging to stay on top of the situation.
Fortunately, there are experts we can turn to for guidance – people who follow the situation closely and disseminate that information to the masses on Twitter.
Below you’ll find Betting USA’s nine must-follow gambling accounts as the industry tries to navigate the pandemic and prepare for a post-COVID-19 existence.
This list of the best gambling twitter accounts attempts to cover as much of the industry as possible, with accounts selected for their knowledge and Twitter activity.
Nevada and Las Vegas: Jeff Hwang
Las Vegas is just one city, but it’s the epicenter of the gaming world.; its prominence challenged only by Macau.
There are a lot of people with their fingers on the pulse of Las Vegas. But when I need information and analysis on the city and COVID-19, I, like so many others, turn to Jeff Hwang.
The great thing about Jeff is he doesn’t pull any punches, especially when he holds a contrarian point of view as he put forth here regarding the reopening of Las Vegas.
California and Tribal Gaming: Victor Rocha
Victor Rocha is one of the most knowledgeable and plugged-in people in the industry, but he doesn’t post a lot of opinion or analysis on Twitter. Instead, his Twitter feed is more of a news aggregator focusing on California gambling and tribal gaming on the national level.
As such, following Victor is like following dozens of experts, and it ticks off two important boxes, California gaming and tribal gaming.
Financial Side of the Industry: Alfonso Straffon
Alfonso Straffon is a former offshore bookmaker turned industry commentator. Alfonso makes the list for his experience, as well as his laser focus on the industry’s stock and financial news. As such, you get a little of everything with Alfonso: news and info, analysis, and even some great stories.
Responsible Gambling: Brianne Doura-Schawohl
Gambling is expected to be on the agenda in statehouses across the country, and there’s a growing concern that lawmakers looking to fill budget gaps will ignore problem gambling. Or, as is being considered in Nevada, taking a chainsaw and cutting what are already woefully underfunded resources.
With that as the backdrop, enter Brianne Doura-Schawohl, the legislative director for the National Council of Problem Gambling. Brianne is active on Twitter, and when it comes to problem gambling and responsible gaming, very little slips past her.
Because this is such an important topic, we’ve included several other problem gambling accounts to follow:
- Keith Whyte @TheKeithWhyte1
- Julie Hynes @julhynes
- Jamie Salsburg @jamiesalsburg
The European Perspective: Alun Bowden
Did you know that there’s gambling outside of the US? That may come as a shock to some US-based bettors and industry folks, considering some of the commentary and gambling twitter threads.
But whether you’re aware of the European market or not, there’s only one person to follow, Alun Bowden, a core member of the excellent Eilers & Krejcik team. Bowden is a longtime cynic commentator on the industry, with a focus on European markets.
Online Poker Perspectives: Nick Jones
The COVID-19 shutdowns resulted in a renewed interest in online poker in the US. Unfortunately, the entire media industry has pushed poker to the backburner as it elevated online casino and sports betting. Well, almost the entire media industry.
One outlet that hasn’t abandoned poker is Poker Industry Pro and its sister site PokerFuse.com. Not surprisingly, the team at Poker Industry Pro is the best in the business when it comes to covering online poker.
Poker Industry Pro is led by the duo of Nick Jones and Michael Gentile, but it’s Nick who tends to post detailed Twitter threads covering many of the topics that are otherwise hidden behind the site’s paywall. Full disclosure, Poker industry Pro is a subscription site.
Advocacy and Best Practices: iDEA Growth
The iDevelopment and Economic Association (iDEA) “is a non-profit association seeking to grow jobs and expand online interactive entertainment business in the United States through advocacy and education.” In layman’s terms, the group lobbies for the gaming industry.
What you’ll find on the group’s Twitter feed is the latest news and research on the big policy questions of the day.
Legislative Developments: John Pappas
Few people follow gaming legislative developments closer than John Pappas. So, whenever new legislation is announced, a hearing is held, or a bill is signed into law, there’s one Twitter account everyone should turn to (after reading about it on Betting USA), and that Twitter account belongs to John Pappas.
John’s experience and industry and legislative contacts mean you get a rapid response to the news of the day.
The Betting USA Team
And of course, for the latest news and information on the legal US betting industry follow @betting_USA and our team and contributors:
- Mike Murphy @MichaelJMurphy
- Wes Burns @WesBurnsBetting
- Steve Ruddock @SteveRuddock
- Ryan Butler @ButlerBets
- Scott Longley @ConciseClear
- John Mehaffey @John_Mehaffey
Steve Ruddock is the content director for BettingUSA and the Editor-in-Chief of Gaming Law Review.
Steve has covered the legal and legislative developments in the US gambling sector for more than a decade for online and print publications.
