Casino.org reported last week on the potential showdown between two of the richest men on the planet. The rumors sparked some oddsmakers into determining hypothetical odds on what would likely be one of the most hyped fights in world history.

The celebrity news site said an official with the Italian government got ahold of Zuck to present him with the idea of hosting the fight in the Colosseum. TMZ claimed a source with direct knowledge told the website that an official with the Ministry of Culture was behind the Zuckerberg call.

Elon subsequently tweeted last night about the Colosseum rumor after White discussed the venue with the two sides.

Some chance fight happens in Colosseum

— Elon Musk (@elonmusk) June 30, 2023

Italian Government Says Nonsense

Musk’s tweet about possibly coming to blows with Zuckerberg inside the Colosseum garnered more than 309,000 likes and 18,000 retweets. But the Italian government quickly squashed the reports.

There has been no formal contact from the ministry nor any written document, even if the news appears tasty it is unfounded,” the Italian government statement read.

TMZ, for its part, isn’t backing down from its reporting. The tabloid outlet maintained the accuracy of its sources.

Sources with direct knowledge confirm again … the ministry first reached out to Mark Zuckerberg, then the request was forwarded to Dana White, and there was a follow-up and a call was set for next week. Our sources are scoffing at this, saying the ministry reached out because of the fight challenge,” the website explained.

The Colosseum would appear to be an unlikely candidate to host such a spectacle, as the elliptical amphitheater has been substantially ruined by earthquakes over its more than 2,000 years of standing. Known as one of the “New 7 Wonders of the World,” the Colosseum is a renowned symbol of Imperial Rome and remains one of Italy’s most popular tourist attractions.

The ‘Other’ Colosseum

The Roman Colosseum likely won’t be the place where Musk and Zuckerberg fight, but should the billionaires actually agree to fight, White might target the Caesars Colosseum on the Las Vegas Strip.

White has said in the past that Caesars Palace, where the Colosseum operates, is his favorite casino in town. That came as a surprise to some considering his close ties to billionaires Lorenzo and Frank Fertitta III, the brothers who own Station Casinos and Red Rock Resorts and developed the UFC into the globally recognized sport and brand it is today after acquiring the MMA league in January 2001 for just $2 million.

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The Seminole Tribe holds a monopoly on Las Vegas-style casino gambling with house-banked table games in Florida. The tribe owns and operates six brick-and-mortar casinos in the Sunshine State, with the portfolio highlighted by Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Hollywood and Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Tampa.

The Florida Legislature subsequently approved the revenue-sharing and gaming expansion agreement.

But the provision allowing the tribe to take bets over the internet prompted a legal fight. The lawsuit came from West Flagler Associates, which at the time owned Magic City Casino in Miami and the Bonita Springs Poker Room. The company has since sold Magic City but retains the card club.

Attorneys for West Flagler argued that Florida’s decision to allow the tribe to take sports bets over the internet violated the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act (IGRA). The company named the Department of the Interior as the defendant since its Bureau of Indian Affairs approved of the deal.

Federal judge Dabney Friedrich in DC’s district court agreed with the plaintiffs in a November 2021 decision that invalidated the compact and put the tribe’s sports betting operations in limbo. It was only weeks earlier that the Seminoles launched their Hard Rock Sportsbook app.

Court Rules IGRA Allows Online Betting

The Seminoles appealed Friedrich’s ruling to the US Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit.

At the crux of the matter is IGRA, the federal law that allows tribes to operate Class I and II gaming — defined as bingo games, pull-tabs and the like, and non-house-banked card games — on their sovereign lands. IGRA also allows states to enter into Class III gaming compacts with federally recognized tribes. Class III gaming includes slot machines, house-banked table games like blackjack, and sports betting.

Friedrich ruled that IGRA only allows states to reach Class III compacts for gaming that physically occurs on sovereign land. Since the Seminole-DeSantis compact permits sports bets over the internet, the state and tribe tried to circumvent that condition by claiming that the sportsbook computer servers would be on Seminole territory and therefore does not run afoul of that law.

The three-judge appeals court on Friday ruled unanimously that IGRA does not prevent the Seminoles from accepting sports bets remotely.

IGRA does not prohibit a gaming compact — which is … an agreement between a tribe and a state — from discussing other topics, including those governing activities ‘outside Indian lands,'” the court said in its 24-page ruling. “In fact, IGRA expressly contemplates that a compact ‘may’ do so where the activity is ‘directly related to’ gaming.”

“The Compact itself authorizes only the betting that occurs on the Tribe’s lands; in this respect it satisfied IGRA,” the ruling continued. “Whether it is otherwise lawful for a patron to place bets from non-tribal land within Florida may be a question for that State’s courts, but it is not the subject of this litigation and not fur us to decide.”

DeSantis spokesperson Jason Mahon said the state will continue working with the Seminole tribe “to ensure the success of this historic compact.” When the compact was signed in 2021, state fiscal projections forecasted that the state would receive more than $20 billion in tribal gaming revenue during the life of the 30-year compact.

IGRA Challenge Likely

Though the Seminole compact, at least for now, has been deemed legal and the tribe is legally allowed to reopen its online sportsbook, West Flagler could request a full “en banc” hearing by the appellate court. If the circuit refuses, the company’s final recourse would be the US Supreme Court.

It might not end there, said gaming attorney Daniel Wallach. Since the federal appeals court ruled that IGRA doesn’t explicitly prohibit the facilitation of a remote bet, tribes might also seek iGaming rights through their Class III compacts.

This would dramatically alter the national gaming landscape because it will now be the blueprint for online sports betting and internet gaming across the country,” Wallach told the Miami Herald. “They will be able to control the most lucrative forms of gaming on a statewide basis — to the detriment of non-tribal gaming operators.”

“It sets up a US Supreme Court battle over the breadth and scope of IGRA,” Wallach concluded.

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The feds allege KDY trafficked large quantities of marijuana, crack, and fentanyl into the city to be sold at “open-air markets” in the Kennedy Street neighborhood.

The gang laundered the proceeds of these illicit sales through the MGM National Harbor and via several shell companies, according to prosecutors. The indictment does not detail the methods the gang employed to allegedly wash cash through the casino.

“The Kennedy Street Crew (KDY) operated over an 11-block stretch, trafficking in large amounts of drugs and firearms and possessing numerous firearms in furtherance of its operations. Criminal organizations like this are a magnet for violence,” said US Attorney for DC Matthew Graves in a statement Tuesday.

Cycle of Violence

Prosecutors said KDY’s drug trafficking enterprise and the expansion and protection of its territory since June 2019 had sparked a rise in violent crime and homicides in the area. These outbursts of violence have resulted in the deaths of seven people, while countless others have been impacted by internecine gang fighting.

Put simply, the KDY crew is a driver of the cycle of violence associated with drug trafficking and firearms that has plagued the Kennedy Street Neighborhood for years,” prosecutors said in court documents.

KDY’S turf comprises the 100-1200 blocks of Kennedy Street in Northwest, Washington, DC, as well as the surrounding streets, according to prosecutors.

Federal agents arrested 12 KDY gang members and seized drugs and a huge stockpile of weapons, including machine guns, across 17 locations on July 26 and 27.

The 12 men are Kenneth Ademola Olugbenga, 27; Khali Ahmed Brown, 22; Miasiah Jamal Brown, 21; Tristan Miles Ware, 23; Herman Eric-Bibmin Signou, 23; Cameron Xavier Reid, 26; Aaron Deandre Mercer, 27; David Penn, 30; Ronald Lynn Dorsey, 29; Antonio Reginald Bailey, 22; Anthony Trayon Bailey, 27; and Angel Enrique Suncar, 29.

Police HQ Massacre

The Kennedy Street Crew came to national attention in 1994 when one of its members, Bennie Lee Lawson, then 25, walked into DC police headquarters and shot to death a police sergeant and two FBI agents who were working for the Cold Case team.

Lawson was looking for members of the Homicide Department who had questioned him a month earlier, but he entered the wrong room.

It’s believed the killer was motivated by his hatred of police and his fear that other gang members believed he had been cooperating with law enforcement. Lawson subsequently turned the gun on himself.

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In a new report to clients, Deutsche Bank analyst Carlo Santarelli noted that while the regional gaming space is stable, it’s out of favor with investors “given the perceived higher likelihood off negative revisions, relative to upward revisions, within the group.”

With today representing the end of the second quarter, investors will turn their attention to upcoming earnings reports from regional operators. Owing to a rough calendar in April and some gross gaming revenue (GGR) retrenchment in May, the June quarter could be tough on regional operators, but overall spending at these venues remains steady.

Relative to 2019, spend per visitor remains ~30-35% higher, driving continued GGR growth, despite admissions remaining ~20% below 2019 levels,” observed Santarelli. “Recall, we believe the spend per visitor increase relates more to mix, with the lowest spending customers accounting for the majority of the shortfall in admissions, while the remaining customers spend only marginally more.”

With the summer travel season here, the third quarter could be a make-or-break period in terms of 2023 share price performance for some regional casino stocks.

Macro Issues Still Pivotal for Regional Casino Stocks

While there’s little evidence of economic contraction on the Las Vegas Strip and Macau is rebounding in earnest, macroeconomic headwinds linger for regional casino stocks.

“From 2007 through 2019, average weekly earnings and regional GGR experienced a correlation of 0.88. Thus, we believe it is reasonable for investors to contemplate the relationship between real wages and GGR performance when looking ahead,” added Santarelli. “Given real wages have been down over the LTM period ending March, the healthy GGR performance, has been somewhat surprising, albeit it, favorable 1Q23 weather has helped.”

As of April, real wages declined nearly 4% since President Biden took office, according to the Repbulican-controlled House Budget Committee.

Personal Finances Impact Regional Casino Stocks

As Santarelli noted, household finances have “been a source of comfort for the gaming industry” over the past two years. That scenario was aided by massive government stimulus due to the coronavirus pandemic. However, the bill for that spending and other government spending is coming due in the form of higher inflation.

Recent data from the Federal Reserve indicate the US has $988 billion in credit card debt — a scenario made all the more ominous because the central bank is raising interested rates to combat inflation. As of yet, those situations aren’t punishing regional casinos.

“Despite savings trailing off meaningfully, from a Y/Y perspective in 2022, gaming spend, across our proxy set continued to grow, and accounted for ~2.6% of household savings flow for the year. This result surpassed levels last experienced in the 2010-2013 period, and was meaningfully above the normalized relationship over the course of 2014-2019,” concluded Santarelli.

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Timothy Mitchell, who is 6’ 5”, was captured on casino security video picking up the 4’ 11’’ woman and hurling her to the ground, Breaking AC reports. He then appeared to walk away before returning to attack the woman again while bystanders and security tried to protect her, according to prosecutors.

The woman was able to escape the attack by crawling out of her sweatshirt, while Mitchell was pulling it.

Denies Relationship with Victim

The victim had a prior relationship with the defendant. She had recently taken out a temporary retraining order on him, according to court records, and so the case is being treated as a domestic violence issue.

But in court, Mitchell denied ever having a relationship with the victim, claiming they met through an escort service.

I don’t know this girl from a can of paint,” Mitchell told the judge, as reported by Breaking AC. “I don’t even know her name. I call her Chrissy.”

The victim repeatedly refused medical attention after the attack and told responding police officers she did not want to press charges against Mitchell because she had outstanding warrants.

Deputy New Jersey Attorney General Nicole Wise told the judge that Mitchell was a danger to the community and should remain behind bars. She cited his extensive criminal history and the fact that he was on probation at the time of the attack.

“He only remained law-abiding for very short periods of time in his life,” Wise said. “And those times are when he was likely incarcerated.”

Violent Past

Mitchell’s rap sheet includes 13 indictable convictions, including seven that involved violence, per Breaking AC. One involved throwing bodily fluids at laws enforcement officers.

Judge Garrabrant agreed with the prosecutor’s analysis.

“His criminal history spans 25 years,” she said. “He has refused to remain law-abiding since reaching the age of majority.”

She ordered him to remain incarcerated pending the conclusion of the case.

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The suspect, identified as Andrew Warrender, 32, was shot in the thighs and abdomen by a security officer, police said.

The suspect’s AR-15 style rifle had jammed after he aimed it at several people and he later fired a shot, KLAS reported.

Warrender fell to the ground after he was wounded. He was hospitalized with several injuries. His current condition was not immediately available.

He was charged with two counts of assault with a deadly weapon, discharging a firearm in an occupied structure, and attempted murder.

The shooting appeared to be “an isolated incident,” according to Las Vegas Metropolitan Police Department (LVMPD) Lt. Noe Esparza.

Murder Suspect Arrested Near Vegas Casino

A suspect was apprehended recently outside of the Silver Nugget Casino on a murder charge stemming from a deadly shooting that took place last October.

He remains in custody at the Clark County Detention Center and is scheduled to appear in local court next month.

The victim was identified as Dion “Juice” Southern. He was shot in the face by a single bullet from a .40 caliber handgun on October 3, KLAS reported.

Earlier, Smith had aimed a firearm at Truby McDowell, according to police. She was Southern’s girlfriend, police added.

McDowell also had allegedly stolen Smith’s stash of suspected methamphetamine (meth). He had tried to flirt with her, but she told him that Southern was her boyfriend, police said.

The incident led Smith and his brother, Richard Allen Smith, also known as “Bounce,” to get into a dispute with Southern.

Marvin Smith then allegedly shot Southern. Southern fell to the ground. He died a short time later.

The Smith brothers allegedly fled from the crime scene on bicycles.

Alleged Kidnapper Identified After Police-Involved Shooting

The man who allegedly kidnapped a woman and two men last Friday has been identified and arrested.

Jeffrey Hair, 37, was charged with three counts of first-degree kidnapping with a deadly weapon, LVMPD police revealed on Monday. Other charges include evading, assault with a deadly weapon, and resisting a police officer with a deadly weapon.

He was wounded during a standoff with police that took place on East Charleston Boulevard near Lamb Boulevard in east Las Vegas.

The incident began when a kidnapping victim texted Henderson, Nev. police to report she had been kidnapped by Hair, authorities said.

Hair drove the victims to Boulder City. Boulder City cops soon spotted the victim and Hair in a vehicle near US-95 and Black Hills Drive.

Officers began to chase the vehicle. LVMPD then got involved in the chase.

The vehicle was spotted at Owens Avenue and Hollywood Boulevard in Las Vegas. The vehicle was forcibly stopped by officers.

Hair Threatened to Shoot

Two victims fled from the vehicle. Hair remained in the vehicle and threatened to shoot the third hostage who was still in the car. Hair had a 9mm handgun with him.

One victim suffered glass fragments in his eye and was seen by doctors at the hospital. The woman also was treated at the hospital for unspecified reasons.

It was later found out the kidnapped woman was dating both Hair and a second man at the same time, police said.

Collingwood was put on administrative leave pending review of the shooting. That is standard procedure in an officer-involved shooting.

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The pair of integrated resorts, which represent two of the six properties in the Sands portfolio, sit atop Insider Monkey’s rankings of the 12 most profitable casinos in the world, underscoring the importance of the Asia-Pacific region to gaming operators.

According to a report by Research and Markets, the global gambling industry was valued at $449 billion in 2022, and is projected to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 6.6%, reaching a valuation of $847.5 billion by 2032. The Asia Pacific was the leading region in the gambling market, accounting for 32.4% of the revenue of the global market in 2022,” according to the research firm.

Highlighting the importance of Macau on the global gaming stage, SJM Holdings’ Grand Lisboa Palace (12th) and Galaxy Entertainment’s Galaxy Macau (seventh) joined Venetian Macau as the Macau venues on the Insider Monkey list.

MGM Dominates US Rankings

In terms of number slots commanded on the list and number of highly profitable domestic gaming venues, MGM Resorts International (NYSE: MGM) dominates.

Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa — Atlantic City’s highest-grossing integrated resort — ranked sixth on the Insider Monkey list. In the fifth spot, was MGM National Harbor in Maryland, which was the top-grossing regional casino.

Those are among the reasons Wall Street is bullish on MGM stock. In a note to clients earlier this week, Jefferies analyst David Katz reiterated a “buy” rating on MGM while boosting his price target to $64, citing strength in the operator’s broader land-based casino portfolio and in its BetMGM online wagering unit.

“In short, we had previously reflected the strength in the Las Vegas market and MGM’s non-Vegas domestic properties, although Macau warranted higher estimates for the quarter,” wrote the analyst.

Wynn Earns Spot, Too

The only other Strip venue on the list was Wynn Resorts’ (NASDAQ: WYNN) Wynn Las Vegas in the 11^th spot. That venue is coming off a record-breaking first quarter.

Tribal-run casinos were well-represented on the most profitable list as Mohegan Sun and Foxwoods Resort Casino – Connecticut’s two casinos — placed tenth and ninth, respectively.

Parx Casino and Racing in Bensalem, Pa. is eighth on the list. That venue is owned and operated by privately held Greenwood Racing Inc.

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The stoic Dane and the Slovenian wunderkind will slug it out in the Alps once again in the most prestigious cycling race in the world. Vingegaard won the 2022 Tour de France last summer, and denied Pogacar a chance to win a third-straight yellow jersey. Pogacar rode to victory in 2020 and 2021, but finished in second place in 2023.

The 2023 Tour de France has 21 stages in 23 days. The Grand Depart will take place on Saturday in Bilbao, Spain with 176 riders. Le Tour makes its way from the Pyrenes to the Alps before concluding on the historic Champs-Élysées in Paris on Sunday, July 23.

Vingegaard Seeks Back-to-Back Maillot Jaune

Three-time Tour de France champion Greg LeMond said he thought that winning the Tour de France was the hardest thing he’s ever done, but he changed his mind when he had to defend the yellow jersey. LeMond reframed his thought and said that winning the Tour de France in consecutive years was the hardest thing he’s ever accomplished.

Vingegaard will face a tremendous amount of pressure to successfully defend his title and yellow jersey victory from last summer.

On the eve of Stage 1 in Bilbao, Vingegaard is the betting favorite to win the yellow jersey in consecutive years at +110 odds. He’s -400 odds to finish in the top three places and stand on one of the three podium slots in the final presentation in Paris at the conclusion of the Tour de France. Vingegaard is also -475 odds to finish in the top ten.

Vingegaard is fresh off a victory at the Critérium du Dauphiné, which is a precursor to the Tour de France. He’s in good shape and not nursing any injuries that Jumbo-Visma wishes to reveal.

Vingegaard made a name for himself when he took second overall at the 2021 Tour de France during a year in which he was expected to be the #2 rider on Jumbo Visma behind Primoz Roglic. After Roglic crashed multiple times and dropped out, Vingegaard became their primary rider and he gave Pogacar a good fight in the overall standings.

Jumbo-Visma is +1400 odds to win the team classification, as the sixth highest team on DraftKings’ futures board. Ineos Grenadiers are the defending team champions, and they assembled a super team once again, which is why they’re the betting favorite to win top team at +225 odds.

Pogacar on Mission to Snag Third Win Since 2020

After winning the yellow jersey for two years in a row, Pogacar had an off race last summer. He lacked a strong team around him compared to the attack dogs from Jumbo-Visma like Wout Van Aert, which didn’t help in his title defense. Then again, it’s a testament to a ride like Pogacar when he could come in second place in a grueling race and it’s considered a disappointing finish.

Pogacar is +115 odds to win a third yellow jersey in the last four years. He’s -400 odds to finish in a podium spot in the top three. He’s -390 odds to finish in the top ten.

UAE Team Emirates is +1000 odds to win the team classification this year. They have a more well-rounded squad versus last summer, and a slight favorite ahead of Jumbo-Visma (+1400) as the fifth-highest team on the futures board.

As expected, the 24-year-old Pogacar is a huge favorite at -500 odds to win the white jersey as the top Young Rider in the peloton this year. He won the white jersey last summer during his runner-up finish behind Vingegaard.

Slovenia has a lot to celebrate in the sporting world the last few years with the rise of Luka Dončić in the NBA, and Poagcar winning the Tour de France two tines.

Mark Cavendish on Cusp of History

While the top climbers garner most of the attention to determine the overall winner, there’s one veteran sprinter with a rare opportunity to make history.

British sprinter Mark Cavendish from Astana Qazaqstan is currently tied with Belgian superstar Eddy Merckx for total stage victories at 34 each. Cavendish, now 38, finished the 2021 Tour de France with 34 stage wins. He did not patriciate in the Tour e France last summer, but Cavendish is back in the saddle in 2023 for a shot at setting a new record.

There are only six flat stages on the 2023 schedule, and Cavendish has tough competition. You can back hm at +150 odds to win a stage, according to DraftKings.

Jasper Philipsen (Alpecin–Deceuninck) is the top sprinter in the peloton this year, and he’s the betting favorite at -400 odds to win at least one stage. The other top five speed demons include Fabio Jakobsen (Soudal–Quick-Step), Dylan Groenewegen (Jayco–AlUla), Caleb Ewan (Lotto–Dstny), and Mads Pedersen (Trek–Segafredo).

Cavendish is among the top six sprinters, but that doesn’t count Van Aert, who is not considered a sprinter even though he’s fast enough to win a sprint stage.

Time will tell how Jumbo-Visma will utilize Van Aert at Le Tour this summer. So long as Vingegaard is in contention for a podium spot and yellow jersey, then Van Aert will provide super-domestique duties.

If by chance Vingegaard crashes or doesn’t have a chance at the podium, then Van Aert could take shots as individual stage wins including the final stage in Paris. Van Aert is -360 odds to win a stage.

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Representatives of state governments, sportsbooks and vendors agree that they have a common interest in ensuring a positive experience for customers and fending off competition from offshore operators. Participants at the All-American Sports Betting Summit in San Diego this week agreed on the importance of a balanced approach to regulation.   

Work with regulators – they’re not cops, at least not most of them,” said Seth Schorr, CEO of Fifth Street Gaming, in a keynote speech at the conference. “In my experience, regulators, operators and vendors are all aligned, we all want the same thing: to maintain the integrity of the game. Pay your taxes so the community benefits. Take care of your customer. It’s bad business to let someone lose more money than they can afford. And never let minors gamble, we’ll leave that for Dave & Busters.” 

Massachusetts Gaming Commission Chair Cathy Judd-Stein said state regulators want to protect the integrity of wagers, protect consumers and ensure operators have responsible gaming programs in place. She said her agency listens carefully to operators, and she pointed to a recent compromise on affiliate marketing as an example of their willingness to address the industry’s concerns. 

“As a regulator, I do worry about overstepping, I do worry about over-regulating,” Judd-Stein told attendees during a panel discussion Wednesday.   

Offshore Books, A Common Foe 

She also noted that regulators, like operators, want to keep consumers away from offshore sportsbooks without legal protections.  

The goal is to “ensure the industry can not only compete with the illegal market but put it out of business,” Judd-Stein told the conference.  

Attorneys General Key to Enforcement 

In addition to the primary gaming regulator in each state, attorneys general are heavily involved in overseeing sports betting operations, said Jason Downs, co-chair of the state attorneys general practice group at Brownstein Hyatt Schreck.  

Issues such as data breaches, deceptive advertising and consumer privacy typically fall under an AG’s purview. Downs also pointed out that as elected officials, the AGs have a natural incentive to want to protect the voters of their states engaged in sports betting.  

The Democratic and Republican parties also have their own partisan organizations for AGs, but Downs said there were varying factors that could come into play when considering whether to engage in a partisan context.  

Regulation Seen as Opportunity 

While industry participants were critical of some particular rules – such as bans on wagers on in-state college sports or excessive restrictions on advertising – there was broad agreement that regulations were broadly beneficial.  

I think what we have seen is less of a resistance for collaboration between industry and regulators, and that conversation is so important to foster,” said Niki Metzgar-Schall, group general counsel for the chairman of the board at Pinnacle. “It’s so important to have because at the end of the day we all want the same thing. Operators are here to get customers in the door, let them deposit and pay them out. And if we can’t do that then we have failed our customers.” 

The spread of legal, regulated markets has also helped spur ancillary growth, such as the launch of new leagues like the XFL or USFL, observed Nick Giangreco, vice president of marketing at SCCG Management.  

“I think that with regulation of sports betting it justifies these, and it creates these monetization routes and fan engagement platforms that fuel these,” Giangreco said during a panel discussion Friday.  

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At the Australian company extraordinary group meeting (EGM) earlier today, 99.16% of PointsBet shareholders voted for the bid, which privately held Fanatics revised earlier this week, tacking on 50% to its original offer.

Some analysts and sports wagering industry observers believe DraftKings was acting as more than an irritant to Fanatics due to rumored acrimony between DraftKings CEO Jason Robins and Michael Rubin, his Fanatics counterpart.

‘Pivotal Moment’ for Fanatics

After being tied to sports betting industry consolidation rumors for an extended period of time and never striking deal, Fanatics is at the center of one of the gaming sector’s most noteworthy 2023 transactions.

This is a pivotal moment for Fanatics Betting and Gaming that will accelerate our growth in the legal online sports betting, advance deposit wagering and iGaming markets in the United States. Pending regulatory approvals in the various states in which PointsBet operates, we will have more details to share in the coming weeks on how the acquisition of PointsBet US businesses will bring to life our unique vision for Fanatics Betting and Gaming,” according to a statement from the Florida-based company.

While PointsBet (and others) significantly lag FanDuel and DraftKings in terms of US online sports wagering market share, the acquisition could be vital in helping Fanatics realize its goal of being live with mobile betting in at least a dozen states by the start of football season.

PointsBet Chairman Brett Paton noted PointsBet US is one of just seven operators in this country that have market share in excess of 1%.

Right Time for PointsBet to Depart US

By selling its US business , PointsBet can hone its focus on its Australian and Canadian operations and other opportunities. Paton acknowledged it had become too expensive for the company to compete in the US and that continuing to do so would have required further dilutive capital raises.

“The short answer is that despite having some strategic success, the costs of competing against the largest companies of their type in the world meant the business would not be cash flow-positive in the near term. Continuing to operate the US business would require significant capital and further capital raises,” he told investors.

Paton also acknowledged PointsBet US was sold at a loss. He didn’t elaborate on that point and noted the operator isn’t considering a sale of its Australian unit at this time.

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The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) said this week that a male and female were subsequently placed on the state’s Involuntary Exclusion List after Harrah’s security detected an unattended child in a vehicle. The couple, whose identity hasn’t been made public, entered the casino’s dealer school and human resources office and were inside for 14 minutes before being apprehended.

Caesars Entertainment, which operates the racino on the Delaware River waterfront, subsequently terminated the couple’s employment.

Pennsylvania law prohibits a person driving or in charge of a motor vehicle from leaving a child under the age of six in the vehicle unattended when the vehicle is out of sight or under circumstances that endanger the health, safety, or welfare of the child.

Unattended Children Remain a Problem

Pennsylvania casinos continue to report on incidences of children being left unattended in vehicles outside of casinos despite state efforts to warn the public about the physical dangers to the children and the possible penalties violators face.

The PGCB last year launched a campaign titled, “Don’t Gamble with Kids.” The PSA included television and radio ads, printed materials, and social media posts. Along with facing an involuntary ban from the state’s brick-and-mortar casinos, violators are subject to criminal charges that come with possible prison sentences.

A male sports bettor at Mohegan Pennsylvania was added to the Involuntary Exclusion List after he left his six-year-old child in his vehicle outside the Wilkes-Barre resort for 28 minutes to place a sports bet. The state gaming regulator said another male trying to access the Valley Forge Casino Resort in King of Prussia was added to the permanent ban list after security noticed a two-year-old child in his vehicle.

The PGCB said two of the other instances occurred at Rivers Casino Philadelphia. One case involved a male patron who left two children, aged six and 11, unattended while he went to the casino’s cashier cage to redeem vouchers. Another male patron was permanently banned after security discovered a three- and 13-year-old unattended in his vehicle while he sat inside at the casino’s sportsbook.

The state additionally said a male gambler at Rivers Casino Pittsburgh was added to the “black book” after leaving a five- and seven-year-old in his car while he visited the sportsbook for nine minutes.

State Crackdown

Permanently banning a patron from all Pennsylvania casinos for hopping into a casino for a short time might seem severe, but PGCB officials say it’s part of the state’s efforts to reduce such unattended children occurrences.

The Board’s actions serve as a reminder that adults are prohibited from leaving minors unattended in the parking lot or garage, a hotel, or other venues at a casino since it creates a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for the children,” a PGCB statement read. “Leaving minors unattended at a Pennsylvania casino also subjects the offending adult to criminal prosecution in addition to exclusion from all Pennsylvania casinos.”

The Board reports that since the start of 2022 through May 2023, there have been 370 incidents of adults leaving children unattended to gamble at Pennsylvania casinos. The incidents involved nearly 600 minors.

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Brazil’s Ministry of Finance plans to present a provisional measure (PM) on sports betting to Congress. José Francisco Manssur, a special advisor with the Ministry of Finance, shared the news with a Parliamentary Commission of Inquiry (CPI) this week.

The CPI is currently investigating allegations of widespread match-fixing in sports. This has become an additional catalyst for introducing regulations amid suggestions that Brazilian soccer is experiencing corruption at all levels.

New Regulatory Body to Take Over

The Ministry of Finance recommends creating the National Gaming and Lottery Secretariat, according to Brazilian media outlet Hoje Em Dia. This would be responsible for managing various aspects of the federal government’s gaming and lottery operations. It will encompass not only the setting up of betting facilities, but also overseeing all matters related to games and lotteries.

Manssur has indicated that the government intends to establish legal measures in the wake of the corruption scandal, which spilled out into soccer leagues around the world. This includes establishing clear regulations covering financial fraud associated with offshore betting platforms.

Each day that Brazil does not regulate this matter, it fails to collect BRL10 million (US$2.06 million). We need to create regulations for the collection of these taxes,” asserts Mansur.

The PM also reiterates that the government will mandate that operators be headquartered in Brazil. They will need to maintain certain levels of share capital and Brazilian employees. Neither of those levels has yet been defined.

There will also be advertising controls in place. The Ministry of Finance believes that operators have “taken over” Brazilian sports channels with their advertising.

Technology at the Heart of Brazilian Betting

The soccer match-fixing saga could lead to Brazil taking a heightened technological approach toward betting. In response to a question about the issue by Deputy Aureo Ribeiro, Manssur said that the government has a plan to thwart the manipulation of results in soccer matches.

That would lead to a rapid-response investigation of the bet. The agency could then, according to the results, order operators carrying that particular line to remove it from their boards.

The deputy director of the Department of Conduct Supervision of the Central Bank of Brazil, Valdemir de Sousa, also plans on getting involved. During the CPI meeting, he stated that the bank has begun to monitor account movements. This came after the bank began to see an increase in the volume related to bets.

In the first half of the year, the bank believes there was around BRL8 billion (US$1.64 million) in betting-related transactions.

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At the end of the day today, the leadership of the Joint Gaming Authority (GGL, for its German acronym) will witness a changing of the guard, as the current chairman of the board hands over the reins. Composed of delegates from the athletic administration departments of 16 federal states, the board of directors serves as the governing body responsible for overseeing and organizing the operations of the GGL.

Each year on July 1, there’s a transitional shift in the leadership of the GGL, where the chair rotates in a predetermined order based on the alphabetical arrangement of the states. Schleswig-Holstein is now ceding power to Thuringia, which could present a problem.

Monopoly State Takes Over

Sibbel was the GGL’s first chair following the creation of the unified regulator. He only took over at the beginning of 2023, but had spent the last six months of 2022 defining its operating parameters.

He highlighted the surge in popularity Germany’s gambling scene is enjoying, thanks to the noteworthy efforts of the GGL. In particular, he pointed out that the GGL’s dedication to combating illegal activities and its crusade against illegal online gambling is profoundly evident.

Götze expects to continue where Sibbel left off without a break in stride. He said in a (translated) statement about the transition, “All 16 countries support the GGL with conviction. Regulating the national gambling market in Germany is a challenging task. The GGL also has the support of the states under the leadership of the state of Thuringia.”

When the German states approved the latest gambling treaty, it included a caveat that allowed the individual states to determine how to establish their markets. Many opted for an open market that embraced different operators, but not Thuringia.

Instead, the state decided it wanted a gaming monopoly, arguing that this was the best way to offer consumer protections and generate the most revenue. However, as Finland recently confirmed, that’s not necessarily true.

GGL Continues to Refine German Gambling

The Fourth Interstate Treaty made clear the parameters of legal gambling in Germany. It stated that the act of gambling is permissible solely when conducted within the confines of governmental oversight and regulation.

The responsibility for this oversight, particularly of online gaming, was then given to the GGL. The regulator’s headquarters is in Halle in the state of Saxony-Anhalt, although the chair isn’t required to relocate.  

The primary objective of the GGL is to govern the German gambling industry through the evaluation and acceptance of global gambling propositions. Its crucial responsibility involves overseeing licensed providers to ensure adherence to legislation designed to safeguard players against gambling addiction and fraudulent activities.

GGL assumes the responsibility of providing guidance to politicians and organizations regarding unfavorable trends. It positions itself as a platform that caters to all stakeholders, including players, politicians, sports providers, individuals struggling with addiction, and those opposed to gambling.

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The report, “A Criminal Cancer Spreads in Southeast Asia,” takes a close look at the evolution of fraud in the region, highlighting Myanmar as a new major source of illegal activity. It asserts that Chinese criminal syndicates, with the help of the BGF, pose a global threat to internet users by engaging in cybercrime and financial fraud.

These organized crime groups operate along the border between Thailand and Myanmar, employing cyber-slavery to carry out their illicit activities. Where the groups previously sought to run their scams almost exclusively on Chinese nationals, they’re now branching out and going global.

Ignoring the Global Security Threat

China pushed the criminal groups and triads out of the country, and they sought refuge in countries in Southeast Asia, including in Cambodia, Laos, and Myanmar. There, they have established large compounds to conduct their activity.

The criminal groups’ tactics have evolved beyond illegal casinos and quick cash-grab schemes. They now use a fresh strategy, “pig butchering,” which Tower describes as a scam designed to “fatten targets up before [financially] slaughtering them.”

Tower explained that this form of fraud has its roots in China. It revolves around the perpetrator gradually forming a profound connection with the victim online, often of a romantic nature.

As the relationship grows stronger, the scammer continues to convince the victim to hand over more money. Eventually, the fraudster takes it all and disappears.

The targets are not only Americans, but also individuals hailing from various parts of Europe, Japan, and several other nations across the globe, Tower emphasized.

These criminal gangs operate in areas that are strategically situated along a 31-mile segment running parallel to the Moei River, right at the border between Myanmar and Thailand. The USIP report reveals the existence of not less than 17 distinct crime regions encompassing more than 1,235 acres.

They’ve been able to flourish because the BGF, at the very least, allows them. It’s more likely, however, that the border-patrolling militia provides support in exchange for compensation.

Eyes in the Sky

The compounds the criminals maintain need people to operate them. This has led to an increase in human trafficking that regional leaders assert is being addressed.

To fill in the gaps the governments can’t manage, the International Justice Mission (IJM) has recently partnered with Maxar, a space technology company. It is now using innovative means of tracking criminal proliferation in the region.

https://twitter.com/IJMUK/status/1671765818277781504

The IJM shared a series of images spanning three years that were meticulously captured by Maxar’s Earth-observing satellites. They provide evidence supporting the existence and growth of the criminal groups.

Satellite methods, aside from orbit monitoring, offer additional means to expose the tragic reality of human trafficking. The IJM isn’t the only group helping to shed light on the global issue, with Stanford University also playing a part. 

Stanford’s Human Trafficking Data Research Center leverages data from satellites, specifically those operated by Planet, a satellite company out of San Francisco, to carry out investigations on forced labor in regions affected by deforestation in Brazil’s Amazon rainforest.

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Could Siegfried & Roy have put the ultimate illusion over on their fans? According to a popular myth surrounding the German-born magic duo, Roy Horn was replaced by a lookalike before the launch of their long-running show at the Mirage Las Vegas in 1990.

According to the myth, Fischbacher replaced Horn after he died of a horrible disease in an attempt to preserve the famous act that generated a reported $45 million per year. In this story, Fischbacher replaced him with Horn’s younger cousin. He treated “Roy 2” to crash courses in animal training and illusion, gave him a piece of the duo’s action, and had him undergo cosmetic surgery to look more like Horn.

But some conspiracy theorists still believe this was the second tragedy to befall the act.

Lie of the Tiger

“The myth was widespread,” says Mike Weatherford, entertainment writer for the Las Vegas Review-Journal from 1987 to 2017. “Most conspiracy theories have some element of plausibility, and this was fueled by their playing in Japan while the Mirage was being built, which would have given them time to break in his cousin or whomever,” Weatherford said.

Not that Shirley MacLaine has ever been a reliable gauge for true things, but Weatherford remembers conducting a 1990 interview with the actress in which she 100% endorsed the myth.

She even said she knew someone who had attended his funeral,” Weatherford said, adding that he doesn’t remember if he was able to keep a straight face or not.

At one point, the R-J even saw fit to publish a denial from the Clark County Coroner’s Office that a death certificate was ever written for Horn.

Celebrity impostors weren’t entirely unknown to show business. Buy a ticket to prop-comic Gallagher at the time, and you could have seen either the real one, Leo Gallagher, or his lookalike younger brother, Ron Gallagher. (Leo eventually sued his brother for trademark violations and false advertising, and won.)

But the wholesale replacement of an A-list celebrity, both in public and private, went leagues beyond this. In fact, it was preposterous.

In case there are still any doubters out there, Weatherford said Horn spotted and greeted him backstage following a Siegfried & Roy performance at Radio City Music Hall in September 1989, which would have been no easy feat for a replacement.

Myth-Understanding

The replacement Roy myth gained traction because it was fun to speculate about. Finally, fans felt let in on a secret about an act that had kept such a notoriously tight lid on their personal lives. They searched for clues in the pair’s publicity photos and during their shows. Something seemed “off” about Roy, some insisted. He acted strange. He looked different. It was much like the “Paul is dead” rumor that dogged Paul McCartney at the time of the Beatles’ 1969 breakup.

I went to YouTube and looked at some early pics of Roy in his younger days and compared them with pics of the present Roy — they are clearly NOT the same man!!!!” a woman named Cheryl commented below a internet article about the myth at the time.

Of course, plastic surgery to look younger than his 46 years was an exponentially more plausible reason for any different look Roy might have sported at the time, and also something the private duo would never have copped to.

Nor was this the only myth to surround the legendary magic men. A 2020 podcast, “Wild Things: Siegfried & Roy,” theorized that the 2003 tiger attack was attempted murder, either by animal activists, a terrorist, or homophobes in the audience who did something to intentionally trigger Mantacore.

“Siegfried & Roy were always larger than life and never quite seen as real people,” Weatherford said. “I guess there was the occasional downside to that.”

Look for “Vegas Myths Busted” every Monday on Casino.org. Click here to read previously busted Vegas myths. Got a suggestion for a Vegas myth that needs busting? Email corey@casino.org.

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Former New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie (R) signed the Garden State’s 2013 iGaming Act into law in 2013. The bill amended the New Jersey Casino Control Act to permit Atlantic City casinos to partner with iGaming firms to operate interactive slot machines and table games over the internet.

Article 6C of the 1976 Casino Control Act was designed to assist the casinos down the shore.

The State and New Jersey’s general public possess a vital interest in the success of tourism and casino gaming in Atlantic City,” the bill justified.

iGaming has certainly achieved the economic benefits that lawmakers and the gaming industry hoped for. Since the first regulated bet was facilitated online in New Jersey on Nov. 26, 2013, internet casinos have generated about $6.3 billion in gross gaming revenue (GGR). The revenue is split between the physical casinos and their third-party iGaming operators.

Five-Year Extension

Article 6C permitted iGaming to run for 10 years. The statute said the online casino privileges for Atlantic City casinos are to expire after 10 years “unless reauthorized by law.”

State lawmakers in Trenton began working on an extension last year, but more pressing matters took precedence. The identical bills, Senate Bill 3075 and Assembly Bill 2190, were shelved in 2022. The legislature reintroduced the bills and gave them committee assignments earlier this month.

The bills now say that lawmakers are moving forward with a five-year extension. The statutes propose amending Article 6C to read:

“The authorization to conduct games through the internet … shall expire 15 years following the operative date.”

SB 3075 and AB 2190 have each cleared several committees and could move for full floor votes at any time. New Jersey’s legislative session runs through the end of the year.

iGaming Needed, Casino Execs Say

Atlantic City casinos have voiced frustrations in the past for media outlets highlighting the state’s monthly gaming revenue numbers showing big year-over-year jumps.

iGaming is nonetheless critical to the overall health of Atlantic City, the casino industry says. Mark Giannantonio, president of Resorts and the Casino Association of New Jersey, told the Associated Press this week that lawmakers not extending online casino privileges would be devastating.

The reauthorization of the internet gaming bill is vital to the continued success of the gaming industry in New Jersey and the programs that are supported by the taxes collect,” Giannantonio said.

New Jersey taxes GGR from iGaming at an effective rate of 17.5%. The state’s share last year from iGaming was $249.1 million.

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Egyptian-born Abdelaziz, also known as Gamal Aziz, was sentenced to 13 months in a federal prison in February 2022. That was after he was convicted of paying $300K to corrupt admissions consultant William Singer to get his unqualified daughter into USC as a basketball recruit.

Abdelaziz and private equity executive John Wilson were the only two of 33 defendants in the sprawling fraud case to go to trial.

Singer Sings

They argued they believed their payments were legitimate donations to the schools and that they were victims of Singer, who cooperated with federal prosecutors and testified against Abdelaziz and Wilson.

Abdelaziz and Wilson saw their convictions quashed in May by the First Circuit Court of Appeals, although appellate judges upheld Wilson’s conviction of filing a false tax return.

The judges wrote that the trial judge had mistakenly instructed jurors that college admissions constituted “property” that could be “stolen.”

They also determined prosecutors had failed to prove the defendants had agreed to join Singer’s wider conspiracy. This created a “significant risk” the two men had been convicted based on conduct other than their own.

Case Closure

In a filing to the US District Court in Boston on Wednesday, federal prosecutors said they won’t challenge the dismissed charges and requested that the court schedule a date for the resentencing of Wilson on the tax charge.

The filing brings to an end a scandal that highlighted how wealthy parents could grease the skids on their kids’ entry into top universities through generous “donations,” which in this case, were misappropriated by Singer and corrupt school officials.

Abdelaziz joined Wynn Resorts from Caesars Palace in 1998 to help launch the Bellagio. He was later president and COO of the MGM Grand, and then president and COO of MGM Resorts International.

In 2013, he rejoined Wynn Resorts as CEO of Resorts Development, and later as head of the Wynn Macau, before leaving the casino business for other ventures in 2016.

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The Nevada State Education Association (NSEA), which argues that public funds should instead be used to support local education, filed the paperwork with Nevada’s Secretary of State on Wednesday to form a political action committee (PAC) called Schools Over Stadiums.

“We are considering every path to prevent public funds from being used to subsidize a billionaire’s stadium,” NSEA spokesman Alexander Marks told the L.A. Times on Thursday.

Those paths include litigation and/or a ballot measure.

“Our priorities are misguided,” Marks told the Times.

According to a 2023 survey of public education looking at student success, student safety, and school quality, the website scholaroo.com ranked Nevada 48th of 50 US states, ahead of only Louisiana and Arizona.

Putting Their Rally Caps On

While beating the Oakland A’s hasn’t been very difficult this season — they’re dead last in their division at 21 wins and 61 losses — defeating the team’s plans to open a Las Vegas stadium by 2028 is more of a long shot.

Earlier this month, the Nevada Legislature approved, and Gov. Joe Lombardo (R) signed into law, SB1. The bill will provide $380 million in public funds toward the $1.5 billion the A’s and owner John Fisher estimate their new stadium will cost. Major League Baseball owners are expected to approve the A’s move from Oakland, the league’s first relocation since 2005, which had been considered the final step in the process.

Also working in the new PAC’s favor is the stadium construction’s proposed timeline. The stadium would be situated on the site of the Tropicana Las Vegas, which would first need to be imploded.  Considering that this process won’t start for at least two years, NSEA has some time to gather support for its cause.

In order to get a bill on the ballot, Schools Over Stadiums will need to collect nearly 150K signatures, with 35K valid signatures required from each of four petition districts.

What the A’s would do if the PAC succeeded in unwinding the stadium’s public funding is unclear. During testimony before the Nevada Legislature, Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority President Steve Hill said he believed the A’s would move to another city if they didn’t get public funding, probably from Portland or Salt Lake City.

Staying in Oakland is considered highly unlikely.

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Carly Nunes, 23, aroused the suspicion of lottery officials when she presented a torn and burnt winning ticket at Lottery HQ in Dorchester, Mass. in May.

She went missing for two weeks after she was indicted on June 12 for charges that included larceny from a building, presentation of a false claim, and witness intimidation.

Nunes was apprehended on June 27 and appeared in Brockton Superior Court the same day. She was held on $10K cash bail.

Tickets Left Behind

Nunes worked at the store formerly known as Savas Liquors in Lakeville, 40 miles south of Boston. In January 2023, a customer, now identified as Paul Little, walked into the store and purchased two Massachusetts State Lottery quick picks for the Mega Millions lottery, and two for the Mass Cash lottery, a subsequent lottery commission investigation discovered.

Two days later, another Savas Liquors employee, Joseph Reddem, drove Nunes and her boyfriend to Dorchester to claim the prize.

Along with the suspicious damage to the ticket, lottery officials overheard Nunes arguing with Reddem in the lobby. Reddem was allegedly demanding half the jackpot, while Nunes replied that she would only pay him $200K, according to prosecutors.

Real Winner Oblivious

Lottery officials interviewed Nunes, who claimed she bought the ticket after she finished her shift. She said she accidentally tore it when taking it out of her wallet, and the burn marks were the result of inadvertently placing it on a hot pipe.

Lottery investigators subsequently reviewed video footage from the store, which showed that Little was the real winner.

He had searched for his tickets when he got home, without success, but gave the matter no more thought. He was oblivious that one of the tickets had won until being informed by lottery officials.

Reddem has also been charged in the case and has pleaded not guilty to one count of attempted extortion, the district attorney’s office said.

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Already the largest online sportsbook operator by a wide margin, FanDuel is setting the pace in the world of mobile applications for wagering on horse racing, according to Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG). Pari-mutuel betting apps are young relative to their sports wagering counterparts, and some bugs still need to be worked out.

Apps generally did not score highly compared to their OSB counterparts, with testers reporting multiple bugs, broken buttons and a dearth of payment options,” noted EKG. “That is not unexpected, given these products are all relatively new to market and heavily reliant on third-party technology suppliers. But the missing polish compared to OSBs and OCs is noticeable.”

Still, the technological advances are critical at a time when there are some inklings of resurgent interest in wagering on horse races. FanDuel is 95% controlled by Dublin-based Flutter Entertainment (OTC: PDYPY). Boyd Gaming (NYSE: BYD) owns the other 5%.

Where FanDuel Horse Betting App Thrives

The intent of mobile betting apps is convenience, and that’s an area in which FanDuel excels in the pari-mutuel space.

As EKG observed, FanDuel is currently the only operator that allows a shared wallet and account credentials between its online sports betting and racing apps, and “does a good job of minimizing friction when switching between those products.”

“The vast majority of bettors using these OSB-branded racing apps will have been cross-sold from sportsbook and relatively new to horse racing. However, only FanDuel has proper instructional content for rookies,” added EKG.

DraftKings Solid Second

DraftKings (NASDAQ: DKNG) is the second-largest online sportsbook operator by market share behind FanDuel. The pair are the duo most frequently vying for the top spot among betting apps, so it’s not surprising that the former has its own solid horse racing app.

EKG observed the DraftKings racing app is in fine form, and may even have some advantages over the FanDuel equivalent.

“Perhaps unsurprisingly, DraftKings Horse was second-best in our rankings, and may even appeal more to a seasoned horse bettor, thanks to the widest range of markets in the testing pool and ‘Angles’ to prompt bets such as in-form trainers and jockeys for the track,” concluded the research firm.

EKG also tested related apps from BetMGM, Caesars, and PointsBet, noting those offerings “were a step (or more) behind the top two.”

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Currently, people with felony convictions are barred from working in Illinois casinos. But Senate Bill 1462, which was passed in May, is awaiting Governor J.B. Pritzker’s (D) signature and would allow some ex-cons to be hired.

If signed into law, the bill would allow people with felony convictions to apply for an occupational license from the gaming board, allowing them to work in casinos in nongaming positions.

The bill passed the Illinois General Assembly on a mostly party-line vote, 78-27, and has the support of labor unions and the Illinois Gaming Board.

State Sen. Robert Peters (D-Chicago) sponsored the legislation and expects Pritzker to sign the bill. The gaming board will review the types of convictions, the time since conviction, and the charges’ severity.

Under the proposed law, the Illinois Gaming Board will have the right to refuse a permit to “anyone deemed a threat to the state’s public interests or gaming integrity.”

Bill’s Potential Impact

At least 1.5 million men and women have been convicted of felony charges in Illinois, according to the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. Eligibility restrictions, even after probation and prison sentences have been satisfied, often remain in place, some for a lifetime.

Sen. Peters, the bill’s sponsor, says allowing nongaming employment in the casinos decreases the likelihood of people winding up back in prison, essentially allowing someone a chance to turn their life around.

Mass incarceration and profoundly deep income inequality are tied together,” Peters said. “There is an inherent contradiction in saying that you want to be tough on crime while you are leaving people out of economic opportunity.”

While some may see the legislation as controversial, it passed the State Senate and House with little debate.

Illinois Casino Jobs Market Growing

As previously reported by Casino.org, Illinois is one of the largest land-based casino markets in the US, outside of Nevada. With the Bally’s casino project adding to the number of casinos statewide, the state has an even larger demand to fill casino positions.

The $1.7 billion casino resort project will create some 3,000 permanent jobs, not to mention some 3,000 construction jobs. The facility at Freedom Center in River West is expected to open in 2026.

Bally’s Chicago posted more than 700 positions for its temporary casino at Medinah Temple earlier this year, which is slated to open next month.

It’s not just Chicago. Jobs fairs and postings have been in place for Hard Rock Casino Rockford, Golden Nugget Danville, Waukegan, Walker’s Bluff, and Wind Creek Casinos.

The post Illinois Casinos May Soon Allow Ex-Cons to Apply for Jobs appeared first on Casino.org.

Stake, which has had its run-ins with controversy, is looking to enter more regulated gaming markets around the world, including the US. Rush Street Interactive, long rumored to be a takeover target, checks a lot of boxes the prospective buyer is likely looking for.

Not many companies fit the description of large, regulated and for-sale. Rush Street Interactive is a logical fit, given it has long been up for sale, and holds online casino licenses that Stake would presumably covet,” noted Eilers & Krejcik Gaming (EKG) in the latest edition of the “EKG Line” report.

Stake also has a pending application for iGaming in Ontario, Canada, and is attempting to procure permitting in Australia’s regulated internet wagering market.

More Stake.Com Takeover Rumors

EKG added that Stake.com may have also evaluated deals in the fantasy sports and skill gaming industries. But the research firm didn’t identify companies the crypto casino operator considered.

As for Rush Street Interactive, that operator is affordable with market capitalization of $699.1 million, and is open to takeover discussions. In the US, Chicago-based RSI operates under the BetRivers and PlaySugarHouse brands, and is currently available with mobile or retail businesses in Colorado, Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia.

RSI also offers mobile sports betting in Ontario and could be appealing to a buyer because of its access to Latin America, including Colombia and Mexico.

With PointsBet’s US operations off the market, iGaming/sports betting consolidation speculation will shift, with RSI making for a predictable epicenter of those rumors.

Stake.com Looking to Go White from Gray

Currently, Stake.com is what’s known as a gray market operator. That label implies that while it’s not officially licensed and regulated on par with a white market equivalent, it is safer for consumers than a black market counterpart.

“It’s one undertaken by the likes of Entain and the Stars Group, among many others. It could also signal a float by Stake in the near future, perhaps as cofounder Eddie Craven switches focus towards his new business, Kick, a streaming competitor to Twitch,” concluded EKG.

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In early June, Rodgers was named in an NFL investigation for gambling policy violations. But the NFL had yet to issue his punishment until today.

On Thursday, the NFL officially suspended Rodgers and three other players after the league concluded its latest investigation into gambling violations.

At least one more player, who is also a member of the Detroit Lions, has yet to be named or suspended. The NFL is still investigating his case.

Four to Serve Suspensions

Rodgers appeared in 45 games with the Colts as a cornerback, and tallied three interceptions in his three-season career with the Colts. He mostly made small bets ranging between $25 and $50. But he also made a $1,000 prop bet on a rushing yardage over/under total. He won a wager that a running back on the Colts would hit the over in rushing yards for a specific game.

Rodgers and Berry were cut from the Colts in the wake of the betting scandal.

Taylor, a defensive end from Appalachian State, is currently a free agent. He never appeared in an NFL game, but spent time on the Lions practice squad in 2022. He earned a one-year ban for betting on NFL games.

Petit-Frere, a standout offensive tackle from Ohio State and a third-round draft pick, started 16 games for the Tennessee Titans last season.

The betting I engaged in was NOT NFL related and was legal under Tennessee law,” Petit-Frere said in an official statement to ESPN. “It is only being sanctioned because it occurred at the Titans facility.”

Petit-Frere claims he was unaware of the rule about making bets on his mobile device inside the team facility.

“I did not knowingly break the rules,” said Petit-Frere. “Even after attending a league presentation, I was unaware about the specifics around placing bets from a team facility.”

Petit-Frere was banned for just six games because he made a less severe violation. He bet on non-NFL games, which is acceptable according to the league’s gambling policy, but he made those wagers inside a team facility, which is why he was suspended.

The April Five

Five other players, including four from the Detroit Lions, were suspended in April for violating league-mandated rules. That was the first wave of suspensions the league office handed down.

Stanley Berryhill and Jameson Williams, both wideouts with the Lions, were suspended for six games each. They didn’t bet on NFL games, but made non-NFL wagers inside a team facility.

The NFL has set a precedent with these punishments. Players will get banned for one season if they bet on any NFL games, no matter if it’s a small bet or even a prop bet. The NFL will also suspend players for six games if they make any non-NFL bet inside a league facility.

Sports betting is now legal in 37 states. In the era of mobile app betting, the NFL first suspended a player for violations in 2019.

John Shaw from the Arizona Cardinals became the first player to get flagged by the league’s policy when he bet on games while he was injured. He sat out for a season.

Calvin Ridley, a star wide receiver from the Atlanta Falcons, was also suspended for a year for making bets in 2022 while he was on the IR.

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“Laying motionless following the injury, full medical staff came out, show halted,” reported Casino.org’s own Vital Vegas blogger Scott Roeben, who broke the news on Twitter less than an hour after the incident.

The performer, whose name wasn’t released, was strapped to a stretcher and taken to an area hospital from the stage after the curtains were drawn. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the mishap occurred during a new routine that only debuted during Wednesday’s 7 p.m. show.

After a heart-stopping pause of several minutes, the performance resumed, according to the R-J, and an announcement informed the shocked and concerned audience that the performer was OK.

In a follow-up tweet, Roeben shared more information from a fellow “O” cast member: “He back dove no hands onto head and neck” in two inches of water. According to the cast member, his prognosis is “good” and he “should be fine.”

Circus of Pain

The incident happened a day short of the 10-year anniversary of the only on-stage fatality suffered during one of Cirque’s Las Vegas Strip productions. On June 29, 2013, a cable connecting “Ka” performer Sarah Guyard-Guillot to her harness snapped, plunging the French acrobat almost 100 feet from the show’s rotating vertical stage to her death in a pit.

Cirque’s water-themed “O” opened at the Bellagio in 1998.

This is a developing story. Save this URL and check back for updates.

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Lillard signed a super-max contract extension with a no-trade clause, and he stated he intends to finish his career in Portland. He turns 33 in July and will earn $45.6 million this upcoming season. In the 2024-25 season, Lillard will earn $48.8 million. He gets a huge pay jump in the 2025-26 season with a $58.5 million salary. He has a player option in 2026-27 worth $63.2 million.

In the modern era of free agency, players are no longer loyal to the teams that drafted them. On the flip side, teams are ruthless when it comes to trading away fading stars if there’s a financial incentive to do so.

Lillard has been the subject of trade rumors over the past two seasons, and the chatter has been relentless this offseason. We must rewind a couple of seasons to see how the Trail Blazers arrived at their current spot, where they could even consider trading away one of the greatest players in franchise history.

All Downhill After 2019 Playoffs

The Trail Blazers peaked in the 2018-19 season when Lillard led them to a berth in the 2019 Western Conference finals. They won a thrilling semifinal series against the Denver Nuggets, which went a full seven games before they were swept by the Golden State Warriors in the conference finals.

The Trail Blazers hoped they could build upon that success, but that was the high-water mark of that era and not the start of a championship run.

The front office in Portland had a shakeup, and a new regime took over. They ousted long-time executive Neil Olshey and hired Joe Cronin as their new general manager.

The Trail Blazers also hired Chauncey Billups to coach the team and replace Stotts. During their rebuild, the Trail Blazers finished in 13th place in the Western Conference in the past two seasons.

Source of Lillard Trade Rumors

Lillard hasn’t been shy about his love of Madison Square Garden. The home arena for the New York Knicks is one of the greatest stages in all of basketball. Lillard was honest when he said that MSG was his favorite road arena and he thought it could be cool to play for the Knicks. The media went berserk with that statement, which fueled numerous “Lillard to the Knicks” trade rumors.

The Trail Blazers have a risky plan to reboot a team around Lillard, and there’s a small window in which to execute it, with Lillard not getting any younger.

The 2023 NBA Draft Lottery was a success for the Trail Blazers. They secured the #3 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, but there was speculation they would package the third-overall pick to bring in veteran players to help Lillard.

On draft night, the Trail Blazers retained the third pick and selected guard Scoot Henderson. Henderson was the top guard prospect in his draft class, but the Trail Blazers now have an abundance of guards, including Lillard, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe, who was the #7 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft. They have a deep backcourt, but the team needs to bolster its frontline this offseason.

Miami Heat Won’t Back Down on Lillard

The Miami Heat were exposed in the 2023 NBA Finals when they couldn’t keep up with the eventual champion Denver Nuggets. They lost shooting guard Tyler Herro to a fractured hand in the first round, and also lost guard Victor Oladipo to a knee injury, which could prematurely end his career.

The Heat need an additional playmaker and high-volume scoring guard on their roster if they expect to win a title with point forward Jimmy Butler and center Bam Adebayo.

The Heat had been pursuing All-Star shooting guard Bradley Beal for the past couple of seasons. The Washington Wizards discussed a trade with the Heat, but they traded Beal to the Phoenix Suns instead.

With Beal off the board, the Heat shifted their focus to Lillard. He’s exactly what the Heat need to help put them over the top in the Eastern Conference.

Lillard had a meeting with the Trail Blazers after the draft to discuss the future of the team. After the meeting with front office executives, Lillard told reporters that he didn’t request a trade. The Heat aren’t giving up, however, which is why the Lillard trade rumors won’t go away.

Rip City Futures, Lillard Trade Prop Bets

DraftKings posted a prop bet on Lillard’s team next season. He’s -300 odds to play the first game of the season with the Trail Blazers, and +225 odds to join the Miami Heat. The Brooklyn Nets are +600 odds to add Lillard in a trade, followed by the Pelicans (+2000), Boston Celtics (+2000), Philadelphia 76ers (+2200), Los Angeles Clippers (+3000), and Knicks (+4000).

The Trail Blazers are the 10th-lowest team on the NBA futures board at DraftKings. They’re +12000 odds to win the 2023-24 NBA Championship. The Trail Blazers won one NBA title in the 1976-77 season with center Bill Walton.

The Trail Blazers won three Western Conference titles, including in 1976-77, 1989-90, and 1991-92. Despite their success in the early 1990s, the Trail Blazers advanced to the NBA Finals twice, but lost to the Detroit Pistons in 1990 and to the Chicago Bulls in 1992.

In the NBA awards betting markets, Lillard is +2200 odds to win the 2024 NBA MVP. Henderson is +350 odds to win the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year, and he’s the second favorite on the awards board behind #1 pick Victor Wembanyama from the Spurs at -225 odds.

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Pent-up demand following COVID-19 was cited for the initial record run. But the rally has persisted long after life returned to normal.

Michael Lawton, the Nevada Gaming Control Board’s senior economic analyst, says that gaming remains steady, though the state’s monthly revenue reports might relay some year-over-year declines.

May 2023’s GGR win of $1.298 billion is a 0.84% year-over-year decline. But relative to May 2019, it represents a 38% improvement. GGR in March also represented a year-over-year revenue drop.

The state has recorded decreases in two of the last three months. Over the next year, every monthly comparison will be up against the highest monthly total for that particular month or the second highest total for that specific month,” Lawton explained.

“Needless to say, the comparisons are going to be the most difficult the state has ever faced,” Lawton continued.

Statewide slot revenue in May was $877.8 million. Tables and sports betting accounted for $411.2 million. While slot and table wins were down from May 2022, oddsmakers fared better on a strong 5.7% hold rate. The roughly $30 million won by the books was on a handle of more than $527.4 million.

Strip Mixed Bag

On the Las Vegas Strip, the most critical market of the Nevada gaming industry, May 2023 GGR came in at $715.9 million. While that’s a more than 2% year-over-year drop, it represents a 15% increase from April.

The Strip benefited from increased visitation, as the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority (LVCVA) said nearly 3.5 million visitors arrived at the destination last month. That’s a 1.5% bump on May 2022.

The visitor increase was led by the ongoing return of conventions. Convention attendance jumped 16% last month to approximately 453,900 travelers.

John DeCree, a senior gaming analyst at CBRE Equity Research, said the convention market still has a ways to go.

“Convention attendance was still 12.8% below May 2019, leaving plenty of more room to recover,” DeCree explained. “Occupancy on the Strip rose 150 basis points year over year to 87%, but is still 520 bps below the same month in 2019, likely due to the gap in convention attendance.”

Record Year

Nevada’s 2022-23 fiscal year has just one month left in what will be the state gaming industry’s all-time best 12 months. GGR from July 2022 through May 2023 totaled $13.9 billion, up almost 4% on the state’s 2021-22 fiscal performance.

In 2022, Nevada casinos won $14.84 billion off gamblers, marking a banner year for the world’s richest gaming market.

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The Indiana Gaming Commission and the operators of Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg reached a settlement on June 15 and released the document this week. In addition to the child support allegations, the Commission also said that Hollywood failed to comply with revenue reporting regulations and allowed vendors to work on its floor using improper credentials.

Indiana law requires casino operators to check a state database of child support scofflaws and to withhold any money those winners owe before disbursing sports betting payouts of $600 or more.

Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg failed to search eight individuals through the Child Support Arrears Delinquency Registry before handing over large payouts, according to a settlement released this week.

Gaming agents discovered the oversight during audits conducted in December 2022 and February 2023. Three of the individuals won taxable jackpots, and the other five won at least $600 on sports wagers.

In exchange for the payments, the Commission is agreeing to forego further disciplinary action related to the violations it documented. The settlement is split among the three violations: $8,000 for the child support allegations, $5,000 for the variance, and $3,000 for the improper use of vendor badges.

Revenue Variance

Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg also failed to notify audit staff at the commission of an investigation into a substantial variance discovered on its electronic gaming device drop that was discovered in March 2023.

The casino discovered a $146,748.47 shortage on two devices that had recently moved locations, according to the settlement. The shortage was split between bills ($58,637) and tickets ($88,111.50).

The devices had been moved in the middle of a weekly drop cycle, which caused boxes to be counted when they weren’t physically dropped.

Vendor Badges

Gaming agents also discovered that Hollywood Casino Lawrenceburg allowed a handful of vendors to work on the casino floor using a vendor and visitor badge instead of their own individual licensees.

In separate incidents in December, Acres Manufacturing and Global Surveillance Associates employees were allowed to work on the casino floor using vendor’s badges, according to the settlement.

“The employee holds an occupational license with the Commission and should have worked on his occupational license,” according to the settlement.

The settlement also detailed incidents in February when a trainee with Everi Games was issued a temporary badge that the commission hadn’t approved. The trainee had received a one-time approval the prior month to observe another licensee, but was advised that he could not perform work until he was licensed with the commission.

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Since the 2018 Supreme Court decision allowing states to decide whether sports betting should be legalized, 37 states have now done so. Sportsbooks, including DraftKings, FanDuel, and BetMGM, are likely to see even more increases in customer base. Analysts expect 32 million US adults to place a bet online by 2025, a nearly 40% increase over 2022.

States regulate how sportsbooks operate, and while they have wide latitude, there are signs of some pushback.

While the bill won’t be heard in committee until this fall, it comes at a time when audiences in the states appear to have negative sentiments toward gambling ads. Even though that seems at odds with the dollar amounts spent, some polls show negative response rates to ads.

Global Gambling Advertising Under a Microscope 

Beginning July 1, gambling advertising will be banned in Belgium. The government says the move is a crackdown on addiction and debt. The ban includes television, radio, cinema, magazine, and newspapers. Online ads and social media will also be prohibited.

In the UK, the Guardian recently announced it will no longer carry advertising for gambling. The daily newspaper highlighted the increased risk of gambling addiction and potential financial ruin.

Spain is also assessing the effect of restrictions on ads. In addition, Poland, the Czech Republic, the Netherlands, and Italy all have restrictions on gambling advertisements. Latvia, Moldova, Albania, and Kosovo additionally have across-the-board bans on gambling ads.

Ad Spend Back in the US

If you’re an NFL fan, odds are you have seen an ad or two. Football is king, and the NFL makes up most of the gambling ad spend in the US. According to iSpot.tv, College football, NFL preview shows, and NFL games account for more than half of TV impressions for sports betting ads.

The NBA comes in a distant second at about 8%. The MLB comes in third at 5%, followed by the NHL with 1.3% of ad impressions.

While sportsbooks maneuver to gain share, some advertisers are closely examining the role of gender in response to a growth in female sports.

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On Wednesday, the US Department of Transportation announced it had awarded $25 million for the construction of passenger stations in the high-desert California towns of Hesperia and Apple Valley.

“This will provide a direct link between the High Desert, Rancho Cucamonga, downtown Los Angeles, and our own East Valley, reducing the need to rely on personal vehicles for daily commutes, improving air quality, and closing the live-work gap for millions of people,” Raymond Wolfe, executive director of the San Bernardino County Transportation Authority, which received the grant, stated in a press release distributed on Wednesday.

So far, the US Department of Transportation also approved $1B in private activity bonds, with the actual borrowing up to the states of California and Nevada.

Off the Rails

Brightline West claims its $12 billion project will be the first truly high-speed rail system in America, with trains capable of speeds of 200 miles per hour whooshing past vehicular traffic along Interstate 15’s right of way. Brightline projects an average Las Vegas-Los Angeles travel time of 2 hours and 15 minutes.

According to Brightline West, the project will generate more than $10 billion in economic impact to California and Nevada.

Station to Station

In July 2021, Brightline purchased 110 acres for its Las Vegas terminus station at Las Vegas Boulevard between Warm Springs and Blue Diamond roads, only three miles from the southern end of the Las Vegas Strip. Brightline West is also expected to include a stop at the future Southern Nevada Supplemental Airport, which is expected to open by 2037 between Primm and Jean, Nev.

At its Southern California end, the high-speed rail will connect passengers to Metrolink’s San Bernardino commuter rail service for the final 40 miles to LA’s Union Station. Originally, plans called for a California terminus in Victorville, Calif. But in October 2022, Brightline brought its terminus 40 miles closer to LA by purchasing 5 acres for a station in the city of Rancho Cucamonga.

Slow Train Coming

Brightline West said it hopes to build its rail line in time for the 2028 Olympics Games in Los Angeles. Even by that optimistic timetable, the project will have taken nearly 20 years from the time it was first envisioned.

Planning for a high-speed rail link connecting Las Vegas with Southern California began in 2009. That’s when the Federal Railroad Administration completed a draft environmental plan for a project, which was then known as DesertXpress. Brightline acquired the project in 2018.

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Encore Boston Harbor employees represented by the Local 26 chapter of Unite Here last week voted to authorize a strike at the $2.6 billion integrated resort. That would happen as early as July 1 unless a new collective bargaining agreement is reached. Union officials said 98% of the votes cast were in favor of authorizing a walkout should Wynn Resorts not meet the trade group’s demands for a “five-star contract.”

Union reps announced Thursday morning that such an arrangement has been tentatively reached. The contract needs final approval from the casino’s union members, with that vote set for Friday, June 30.

Our bargaining committee is happy to report that this agreement achieves our goals of reaching a five-star contract equal to or better than the union standard at hospitality employers in Boston,” said Local 26 president Carlos Aramayo. “I am also happy that Encore Boston Harbor did the right thing by bargaining an agreement that guarantees jobs at the casino will be excellent jobs.”

Encore Boston Harbor is the richest casino in Massachusetts in terms of annual gross gaming revenue (GGR). The casino won nearly $729.7 million off gamblers in 2022. MGM Springfield was a distant second at $259.1 million.

Increased Wages

Unite Here Local 26 agreed to a temporary contract with Wynn Resorts for Encore Boston Harbor during the COVID-19 pandemic that saw workers’ wages set slightly below union contracts in place elsewhere in Boston.

While neitheer the union nor Wynn Resorts commented on specifics of the tentative agreement, it’s expected that the new terms bring Encore Boston Harbor employees in line with similar union contracts.

Wynn spokesperson Michael Weaver said it’s part of the company’s culture to provide strong, livable wages to its employees.

Our company is built on the fundamental philosophy that only talented and empowered employees, working in an environment in which they feel valued and well compensated, can deliver our signature Wynn and Encore guest experiences,” Weaver said. “Therefore, we are very pleased that we were able to reach an agreement with Unite Here Local 26 and Teamsters Local 25 that fulfills our company’s goal of providing outstanding benefits and overall compensation, among the highest for our industry in the state of Massachusetts.”

Along with Unite Here Local 26, some workers at Encore Boston Harbor are represented by the Teamsters Union.

Only the Beginning

Encore Boston Harbor’s market share in Massachusetts continues to increase, and the Las Vegas-based company has big plans in store for the resort’s future. Wynn officials are seeking state and local approval to expand the casino’s footprint south across Broadway.

The proposed $1.7 billion project would occupy a 13-acre parcel of land. The blueprint includes a WynnBet Sportsbook, 20,000 square feet of new restaurant space, a 999-seat theater, a 2,200-space parking garage, and a new “Memoire” nightclub. The expansion would be connected to the main resort via a pedestrian bridge.

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German needed only 99 pitches to retire 27 consecutive batters. The Yankees scored 11 runs against the A’s, which marked the most runs a team scored in a perfect game.

Something I’m going to remember forever,” German told the YES Network after the game. “Part of history. I felt an amount of pressure that I never felt before.”

The last perfect game in the major was thrown on Aug. 15, 2012, by Felix Hernandez of the Seattle Mariners. There have been 40 no-hitters tossed since Hernandez’s perfect game.

German bounced back with a perfect game in his next start, and fans hope this rare and historic moment can energize the Yankees in the second half of the season.

Rollercoaster Season: Suspension to Perfection

German wasn’t even supposed to be in the starting rotation this season. He was among three pitchers fighting for the fifth spot in spring training. However, the rotation was decimated by injuries, and Frankie Montas, Carlos Rodon, and Luis Severino all began the season on the IL, so German earned a spot by default.

German was flagged by umpires during a game against the Toronto Blue Jays in May for using a sticky substance. The MLB suspended German for 10 games.

“This has not been an easy week or time for him,” Boone said. “For him to go out there and paint that masterpiece was really just a lot of fun just to be able to watch.”

After shutting down the A’s, German improved to 5-4 on the season. He has a 4.54 ERA and 1.05 WHIP.

He’s had a rough last couple starts and he’s kind of been dragging a little bit,” said catcher Kyle Higashioka. “I kind of always felt like of anyone, he has a really good chance to do something like this, and for it all to come together tonight is just amazing.”

“We’ve seen him flirt with outings like that over time,” added Boone.

German came close to a no-hit bid in 2021. But that was broken up in the eighth inning by the Boston Red Sox.

Yankees History: German with 4th Perfect Game

German pulled off the 13th no-hitter in Yankees history. But it was only the fourth perfect game for the Bronx Bombers.

Don Larsen might have pitched the most historic perfect game in MLB history. Larsen’s moment of perfection occurred in Game 5 of the 1956 World Series, when he mowed down the Brooklyn Dodgers.

The Yankees only waited one season before their next perfect game. David Cone threw the 16th perfect game in MLB history when he shut down the Montreal Expos in the summer of 1999.

The Yankees waited 24 years before one of their hurlers again etched their name in the history books. German became the 24th pitcher in history with a perfect game. He also became the first pitcher from the Dominican Republic to toss a perfect game.

Here’s a fun stat: the Yankees won the World Series in the other three seasons that one of their pitchers tossed a perfect game.

Larsen threw a perfect game during the 1956 World Series, which the Yankees would go on to win in seven games. The Yankees were unstoppable at the end of the 1990s, and they won three-straight championships. They won the World Series in 1998 in the same season Wells threw his perfect game. They followed up with another title in 1999 in the same season that Cone achieved perfection.

Betting the Post-Perfecto Yankees

The Yankees are 44-36 and currently in third place in the AL East. They trail the first-place Tampa Bay Rays by 9.5 games. The Yankees are one of six teams on the AL wild-card bubble. But if the season ended today, they would punch their ticket to the postseason.

Even though the Yankees are in a tough divisional battle, only three teams in the American League have more wins. In overall MLB standings, just seven teams in baseball won more games than the Yankees this season.

The Yankees had bad luck in the first half of the season with injuries to their starting pitchers and sluggers like Aaron Judge and Giancarlo Stanton. Despite the setbacks, the Yankees are still in playoff contention.

The Yankees are +700 odds to clinch the AL Pennant and return to the World Series for the first time since 2009. The Yankees are +1300 odds to win the 2023 World Series as the sixth-highest team on DraftKings’ MLB futures board.

The Yankees have a 64% chance to advance to the playoffs, according to FanGraphs. They have a 4% chance to win the World Series.

The Yankees are -225 odds to advance to the playoffs, according to a prop bet by DraftKings. If you want to bet against the Yankees, the Bronx Bombers are +190 odds to miss the postseason.

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Lady Luck is located at Nemacolin, a luxury resort in Western Pennsylvania just north of the West Virginia border. The resort was founded by 84 Lumber magnate Joseph Hardy and today encompasses more than 2,000 acres. The resort has been privately owned by Hardy’s daughter, Maggie Hardy, since 2002.

Hardy hasn’t been happy with her latest gaming partner and is taking matters into her own hands. Instead of renewing its Churchill Downs pact, Nemacolin, effective immediately, is managing the casino.

The Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) this week agreed to renew Lady Luck’s Category 3 resort casino license for five years, with Woodlands Fayette, LLC, the operator. Woodlands Fayette, LLC, is Hardy’s company that operates the Nemacolin resort.

Lucky Streak Cools

In a brief statement, Churchill Downs, Inc., said it sold its Lady Luck operational assets to Woodlands Fayette, LLC, “for an immaterial sum.” The casino’s 167-person workforce has been retained by Woodlands.

Management of Lady Luck Casino Nemacolin was recently transferred from Churchill Downs, Inc., to self-management with the assistance of gaming consultant RRC Gaming Management,” a statement from the PGCB read. RRC is a Las Vegas-based casino consultant.

From its opening in July 2013 through May 2023, the casino has won $289 million from its slot machines and table games. The casino delivered the state $139.9 million in gaming taxes during that period.

Lady Luck currently features 600 slot machines and 26 table games. The casino doesn’t operate a sportsbook.

While Lady Luck has been profitable for Hardy, the businesswoman is hoping to turn around the casino’s fortunes after revenues declined in recent years. Lady Luck generated gross gaming revenue of $35.2 million in 2015, but gaming revenue last year totaled just $22.2 million.

Casino Overhaul

With Churchill Downs being shown the door, Lady Luck’s new gaming management has big plans for the resort casino. Lady Luck representatives, in applying for the casino’s license to be renewed, presented improvement plans to the PGCB.

Lady Luck is separate from the actual Nemacolin resort. The standalone casino is about 1.5 miles south of the resort lodge along National Pike.

The casino is open daily from 9 a.m. until 2 a.m. Wednesday through Sunday. The casino is closed on Mondays and Tuesdays. The casino is served by a resort shuttle for Nemacolin’s overnight guests.

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With the July 4 holiday and summer vacation trips topping agendas for many Americans, some states are taking a different path to keep people engaged in the wide world of sports wagering. And Oregon is stepping up to the plate with some usual offers.

One example is the American Cornhole League World Championship in late July. Then there’s the Tour de France beginning July 1 and Major League Baseball’s Homerun Derby on July 10.

Typically, summer isn’t the busiest time for sports betting, but there are many opportunities for fun wagers on lesser-known events,” said Kerry Hemphill, Oregon Lottery’s sports betting product manager.

Since we mentioned Independence Day, we should also mention Nathan’s Hot Dog Eating Contest. To be fair, betting on devouring hot dogs isn’t an option just relished in Oregon. Since 2020, states including Arizona, New Jersey, New Hampshire, Colorado, and Michigan have made wagers on the event legal for licensed sportsbooks.

By the way, Joey Chestnut will return to defend his title this year. Chestnut has been the king of the Coney Island event for seven years and is a 15-time winner.

On the women’s side, Miki Sudo has won eight of nine contest titles since Nathan’s began the women’s division in 2011.

States are Measuring the Competitive Eating Market

Competitive eating isn’t just a Coney Island thing. There are 17 major league eating contests around the country this year, according to a study by Gambling.com

Hemphill, Oregon’s lottery sports betting product manager, maintains that lesser-known sporting events can be lucrative and offer opportunities for fun and win. Call them a recipe for summer fun without worrying about indigestion.

Back to the Beaver State

Oregon launched digital sports betting in October 2019, and the state lottery is a powerhouse.

While the state looks to offbeat betting to keep fans engaged this summer, don’t expect the expansion of tribal casinos there. In April, Governor Tina Kotek expressed opposition to expanding tribal casinos and the overall expansion of gambling.

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The NCAA has for years mandated that all of its student-athletes refrain from betting on any sport that the NCAA sanctions. College athletes who violated the directive in the past have faced severe punishment, including the potential loss of a full season of eligibility.

This week, however, the NCAA Division 1 Legislative Committee endorsed new criteria for how the association will go about penalizing sports betting rules violators in the future.

The association said change is needed, as sports betting continues to expand across the US. Sports betting is legal in 34 states, plus Washington, DC.

These new guidelines modernize penalties for college athletes at a time when sports wagering has been legalized in dozens of states and is easily accessible nationwide with online betting platforms,” said Alex Ricker-Gilbert, athletic director at Jacksonville University and chair of the Division I Legislative Committee.

“While sports wagering by college athletes is still a concern — particularly as we remain committed to preserving the integrity of competition in college sports — consideration of mitigating factors is appropriate as staff prescribe penalties for young people who have made mistakes in this space,” Ricker-Gilbert added.

Bans Eased

Under the new NCAA sports betting rules, student-athletes will continue to face a loss of a season of eligibility when it is determined that the student-athlete engaged in “activities to influence the outcomes of their own games or knowingly provided information to individuals involved in sports betting activities.”

For bets of $200 or less, the student-athlete will face only remedial education classes.

For bets between $201 to $500, a 10% loss of a season of eligibility is on the table. For bets ranging from $501 to $800, a loss of 20% of a season of eligibility will be considered.

For bets in excess of $800, the student-athlete could lose 30% of a season of eligibility. For cumulative wagering activities that greatly exceed $800, the NCAA said reinstatement staff will consider whether the additional loss of eligibility, including permanent ineligibility, is appropriate.

Rules and prevention classes are required for all tiers.

NCAA Sports Betting Benefits

The NCAA easing its penalties on student-athletes who violate the association’s sports betting protocols comes in conjunction with the organization recently expressing its intent to better capitalize off the expanded gaming. Earlier this month, NCAA President Charlie Baker said the NCAA has “a major opportunity to get into the sports betting space.”

But Baker says maintaining the integrity of its competitions is paramount. The NCAA boss explained that high sports betting participation rates among college students — an NCAA-commissioned study finding that nearly 70% of students living on a college campus have gambled on sports during the past 12 months — “puts student-athletes in a very difficult position.”

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Nicholas Calisi, 54, pleaded guilty to the charges in February, along with alleged Genovese soldier John Campanella, 48. The latter was sentenced to 13 months in prison on Tuesday. Both men had faced a maximum of 20 years in prison.

A capo, or captain, is a ranking given to a made member of a Cosa Nostra group who typically leads a crew of soldiers. The capo supervises the criminal activities of his crew, providing them with support and protection. In return, the capo typically receives a share of the illegal earnings of each of his crew’s soldiers and associates.

Retired to Florida

Calisi’s lawyer, Lawrence DiGiansante, argued that his client ceased involvement in racketeering when he moved to Florida from New York several years ago to care for close relatives, as reported by The New York Post.

“He made a decision about his family,” DiGiansante said, before qualifying he was referring to his blood relatives and not the Genovese crime family.

They were committed to “preserving and augmenting the power, territory, and financial profits of the Enterprise through intimidation, violence, and threats of physical and economic harm,” according to the indictment.

‘Not a Rotary Club’

John Campanella’s lawyer, Stacey Richman, had an unusual request for the judge. She asked that her client should be permitted to communicate with fellow mobsters while in prison.

This is not a Rotary club, this is not a community organization,” snapped the judge while denying the request.

New York State Attorney General Letitia James said in a statement last year that the defendants were getting their just desserts.

“For years, members of the Genovese crime family have terrorized New York communities with violence and illegal businesses,” James said. “These individuals allegedly made their money through illegal gambling and loan sharking — saddling victims with incredible debt that they cannot repay.”

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IPI promised the CNMI the world with its Imperial Palace casino, but fell way short of keeping its promise. It began running into legal and financial troubles that included hundreds of millions of dollars in unpaid bills and visits by the FBI. Accusations of human smuggling, sexual harassment, and money laundering permeated the resort.

Then, COVID-19 arrived and caused more problems. The casino has been closed for four years, which IPI said was because of the pandemic. It used that as an excuse in its fight with the CNMI to retain its exclusive gaming license. But that excuse didn’t impress the appeals court judges.

Motion Denied

The CNMI’s casino regulator, the Commonwealth Casino Commission (CCC), wanted to remove IPI’s exclusivity last year. It argued that the company had repeatedly failed to meet its obligations to both the US territory and its business partners.

IPI, which has had a propensity to manipulate the system, argued that a force majeure clause of its contract prevented the license revocation. The company sought relief in a CNMI district courtroom and won.

That led to a lengthy process involving court-ordered arbitration, which only recently wrapped up. The results and the mounds of information accumulated over the past several years then made their way to the Court of Appeals.

Specifically, the appeals court judges agreed with previous remarks the CCC had made. The CLA allowed for a force majeure claim for disputes, but the types of disputes were clearly defined.

The Court of Appeals pointed out that a dispute does not cover “issues relating to … proceedings regarding revocation or suspension of this license.” In other words, IPI cannot use a force majeure argument to save its exclusivity.

What Happens Next

Furthermore, the judges’ ruling indicates that the language of the CLA “makes clear that license revocation proceedings are not arbitrable disputes under the agreement.” They disagreed with the district court’s previous ruling and reversed it. In addition, they stated, “IPI’s motions for judicial notice of materials outside the record are DENIED.”

There’s no guarantee that the CCC will immediately seek to revoke IPI’s license – the commission has been virtually bankrupt since last year because IPI hasn’t paid its annual fees. However, at least the regulator knows that it has the legal grounds to try to convince lawmakers to back it up if it does.

Some CNMI legislators have already shown support for creating an open gaming market. Dumping IPI would make that happen.

Casino.org has reached out to the CCC for comment.

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The General Directorate and Regulation of Gambling (DGOJ, for its Spanish acronym) reports that gross gaming revenue (GGR) for the first quarter of the year was €304.9 million (US$332.22 million). This represents an increase of 50.9% compared to the same period last year.

That number also represents a drop of 2.7% against the results of the last quarter of 2022. This isn’t a large surprise, as Q4 is often a slower time of the year because of the approaching holidays.

Double-Digit Growth

The total GGR includes €130.6 million (US$142.3 million) in online sports betting, a year-on-year jump of 42.8%. Online casino gaming added 47.02%, closing at €143.3 million (US$156.13 million). Bingo and poker also saw growth, adding 1.1% and 8.97% in their respective GGRs.

Poker’s improvement came from an increase of 5.01% in activity compared to the previous quarter, and 24.92% compared to the same quarter of the previous year. In contrast to Q4 of last year, tournament poker increased by 8.42%, while cash games decreased by 2.72%.

In spite of the year-on-year improvement, the betting segment showed a decrease compared to the previous quarter. It lost 7.65%, but retail sports betting did, as well. That segment receded by 11.21%

Online bets on horse races were down, losing 5.92%. However, wagers on “other” sports were up 37.7%. The DGOJ didn’t break down what that segment included.

In the casino segment, there was growth of 0.64% compared to the fourth quarter of 2022, and a year-on-year variation of 29.2%. This annual growth occurred mostly in slot machines, with 31.3%, and in live roulette, with 32.2%.

Deposits and withdrawals by players increased from a year ago by 22.7% and 15.68%, respectively. With respect to the previous quarter, deposits decreased by 0.31% and withdrawals increased by 0.78%.

Regulatory Reforms Aren’t Hindering Growth

Spain has been introducing a number of reforms to its gambling industry over the past several years, including greater restrictions on marketing and sponsorships. Using the latest figures as a guide, two years after many changes were made, it’s obvious that the reforms aren’t hindering growth.

Marketing spend in the quarter was €93.3 million (US$101.66 million), broken down into affiliate spending at €11.8 million (US$12.85 million), sponsorships at €1.22 million (US$133 million), promotions €50.2 million (US$54.7 million) and advertising €30.03 million (US$33.01 million). Compared to the previous quarter, this expense decreased by 13.08%, and it also represents a dip of 0.81% from a year earlier.

Advertising presented a drop with respect to the quarter and the previous year of 22.8% and 12.75%, respectively. Affiliate spending decreased by 19.9% from the prior quarter, and increased by 32.45% from the first quarter of last year.

The monthly average of active game accounts is 1,158,628, which implies a decrease of 2.57% compared to the previous quarter and an annual increase of 11.06%. The monthly average of new accounts is 111,390 users, with a quarterly decrease of 15.78% and an annual drop of 2.68%.

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The US tops the WSOP bracelet list with 1,453, according to The Hendon Mob, with Canada (78) and England (60) in second and third. Even Morocco and Kosovo have been on the list for a couple of years.

Thanks to strong performances that included beating several high-profile players, Moldova and Poland now appear on the list for live tournament wins. With more poker ahead in the ongoing series, there’s still a chance for these two countries to add more hardware to their collections.

Poland Earns WSOP Bracelet Through Horecki

The WSOP $1,500 Seven-Card Stud Eight-or-Better event attracted 566 entries, including tournament regulars like Brian Rast and Sergio Braga. Another long-time regular was there, as well, still looking for his first WSOP title 17 years after his first live cash.

Horecki overcame considerable odds to get to the final table, and subsequently, take home the win. He was near the bottom of the standings when the last day of action began, but played smart to move up the pay ladder.

That included surpassing Rast, a six-time WSOP bracelet winner and three-time Poker Players Championship winner, who exited in seventh place. It also meant having to face Matusow in the final heads-up battle.

As players continued to fall and the field shrunk to just two, Horecki and Matusow locked horns. Horecki started off with a massive chip lead. But Matusow, a 2023 Poker Hall of Fame finalist, repeatedly clawed his way back to life.

Eventually, the end was in sight. Matusow was on the ropes with a chip stack that was dwindling quickly. An all-in shove and an answered plea to the poker gods didn’t deliver the right cards. He had to settle for second place and $95,957.

Horecki broke his dry spell in spectacular fashion, pushing his lifetime live poker winnings to almost $1.6 million. His last first-place win came six years ago when he won the €330 Seven-Card Stud tournament in the WSOP Circuit series in Rozvadov, Czech Republic.

Poland already had a WSOP bracelet, but through an online tourney. Dominik Panka won it in the $2,100 No-Limit Hold’em – Bounty Championship online event in 2021.

Moldova in the Books

Moldova never had a WSOP bracelet winner until Pavel Plesuv, although plenty of his compatriots have tried. Dragos Trofimov is probably the most recognizable, having spent a long time close to the top of the country’s all-time moneymakers.

When Plesuv sat down for the WSOP $1,500 Millionaire Maker No-Limit Hold’em event, he probably didn’t expect to emerge as the winner. He’s Moldova’s leading poker player and had around $5 million in winnings before the game. However, he’s never managed to find a WSOP bracelet event title.

After five days spent navigating through a field of 10,430, that all changed. Plesuv began to realize what was in the cards when he made it to the final table, and the potential outcome became clearer on one massive hand.

In a massive coup, Plesuv scored a straight holding A-2 when the board gave him the runners he needed. He was heads-up against Andreas Kniep, who had baited him into going all-in and began to gloat.

The German poker pro’s reaction turned solemn as the cards were revealed. He realized his pocket Aces were dead and was about to leave in fourth place.

Only a few short hands later, Plesuv hoisted the bracelet as he celebrated with his friends and family, $1.2 million richer. Ribouchon would take $1 million for his second-place finish.

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Virginia legalized commercial casino gambling in 2020 in five cities, including Richmond, Norfolk, Portsmouth, Danville, and Bristol. Casinos, whether they be permanent or temporary gaming facilities, have since opened in Bristol, Portsmouth, and Danville.

The 2020 casino law additionally brought sports betting into the regulated environment, with oddsmakers allowed to take bets both in-person and online.

Virginia lawmakers previously expanded gaming in 2018 by authorizing historical horse racing (HHR). The pari-mutuel wagering machines can be found at the Colonial Downs Racetrack in New Kent and at six off-track betting parlors.

The statute specifically states that “a comprehensive program for the prevention and treatment of problem gambling in the Commonwealth” be established through the creation of the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Fund. The account is funded with gaming taxes from casino gambling and sports betting.

Agency Readies Work

The Virginia General Assembly earlier this year forwarded Senate Bill 836 to Gov. Glenn Youngkin’s (R) desk, which he signed. The statute formally created the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee. The act becomes law on July 1.

Anne Rogers has been appointed the chair of the Problem Gambling Treatment and Support Advisory Committee. Rogers is the problem gambling prevention coordinator at the Virginia Office of Behavioral Health Wellness.

Other committee members include Dr. Carolyn Hawley, who is the executive director of the Virginia Council on Problem Gambling. The agency is a nonprofit that’s supported by several gaming companies invested in the commonwealth, including Caesars Entertainment, DraftKings, Barstool Sports, and Colonial Downs.

The Virginia Council on Problem Gambling works to increase education about the potential harms of excessive gambling. The organization maintains a neutral stance on gambling.

Additional committee members include Virginia Lottery Executive Director Kelly Gee, Virginia Racing Commission Executive Secretary David Lermond, Rivers Casino Portsmouth Director of Compliance Colleen Carraccio, and Julie Hynes, senior manager of responsible gaming for DraftKings.

Problem Gambling Data

The National Council on Problem Gambling says about 1% of the US adult population is estimated to meet the criteria to be considered to have a severe gambling problem. The DC-based nonprofit believes another four to six million people have a mild or moderate gambling disorder.

With gaming expansion continuing at a rapid pace in Virginia and across the US, responsible gaming officials are concerned about possible rate increases. As sports betting and iGaming continue to proliferate, NCPG Executive Director Keith Whyte said earlier this year that “youth gambling has emerged as a significant and growing public health issue.”

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Sky Warrior, the company that apparently handles the credit lines for Baha Mar, claims it extended the former Atlanta Falcons outside linebacker $100K to gamble there in November 2021. It claims that Biermann drew $52.5K in chip markers, but never repaid the amount as promised, according to the suit, which was first reported by TMZ.

Sky Warrior, which claims they are unable to reach Biermann or retrieve the money from his bank account, also seeks to recoup interest and attorney’s fees.

Baha Mar is a 1,000-acre resort on the Bahamian island of New Providence. Owned by Hong Kong-based Chow Tai Fook Enterprises, it opened in April 2017 with 100K square feet of gaming space.

The Game is Up

Problem gambling is an overriding theme in Biermann’s ugly divorce from his estranged wife, “Real Housewives of Atlanta” star Kim Zolciak. In documents obtained and reported on by Radar Online, Biermann, 37, accused Zolciak, 45, of “spending substantial time and marital funds on gambling and other games of chance,” and asked the court to force her to submit to psychological evaluation.

The unhappy couple starred together in “Don’t Be Tardy,” a Bravo TV show chronicling their dysfunctional relationship that ran from 2012 to 2019. In Season 3, Zolciak admitted: “I took a really big hit in the Bahamas last time I went … like a quarter of a million dollars. A lot of money. Yeah, crazy, and I never went back.”

The pair separately filed for divorce in May 2023, after 11 years of marriage. Both seek sole physical custody of their four preteen children.

Biermann and Zolciak also allegedly owe the IRS more than $1 million, according to TMZ, and he’s also being sued for allegedly missing lease payments on a Rolls Royce.

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