Former Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid died Tuesday after a four-year battle with pancreatic cancer. He was 82. Reid began his political career in Nevada, starting in the state assembly before becoming Lieutenant Governor in 1971. Reid joined Congress after Nevada Gaming Commission stint In 1977, he took on the […]
Gambling Industry
PSA Report Shows Millions of Cards Still in Grading Backlog
PSA, the market leader in sports card grading, announced this month the return of another of its grading tiers, but the December blog post shows that the company still has a long way to go to clear its backlog. PSA will reopen its Regular grading service level, although at a […]
Flightline Unwraps 2021’s Best Beyer With Malibu Stakes Victory
As trainer John Sadler put it after watching his star runner Flightline on Sunday, “Christmas came a day late.†For Sadler and the connections of the 3-year-old son of Tapit, Flightline’s performance in Sunday’s Grade 1 Malibu Stakes at Santa Anita Park was the gift that keeps on giving. And […]
HISA, USADA Fail to Reach Agreement on Drug Testing, Enforcement
The Horseracing Integrity and Safety Authority (HISA) announced Thursday that it suspended talks with the US Anti-Doping Agency (USADA) to help enforce HISA’s Anti-Doping and Medication Control program. The two entities broke off negotiations on Thursday after failing to reach terms on an agreement. The USADA was seen as an […]
Judge Sentences Trainer Jorge Navarro to Five Years for Horse Doping
Former trainer Jorge Navarro, one of the pivotal figures in a federal investigation into alleged doping of Thoroughbreds, was sentenced to the maximum five years in prison Friday. Along with the sentence, Navarro was ordered to pay more than $26.8 million in restitution. That figure represents the amount of earnings his […]
UFC Owner Endeavor to Buy 10 Minor League Baseball Teams
Endeavor Group Holdings has agreed to buy 10 Minor League Baseball teams, including the affiliates of prominent MLB franchises like the New York Yankees and the Atlanta Brave. One of the teams, the Oklahoma City Dodgers, is currently co-owned by Endeavor President Mark Shapiro. Endeavor got its start as a […]
California Senator Feinstein Calls Out CHRB on Medina Spirit Investigation
California Democrat Senator Dianne Feinstein, one of the Senate co-sponsors of the Horse Racing Integrity and Safety Act of 2020 and a frequent critic of horse racing, wrote a letter to the California Horse Racing Board seeking transparency in the sudden death of Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit. In the […]
Argentinian Star Otamendi Assaulted in His Home; Cash, Watches, and Jewelry Stolen
Nicolas Otamendi, a defender for Argentina and Benfica, and his family suffered a major scare in their home in Portugal late Sunday night when the player was assaulted by a gang of thugs wearing gloves and balaclavas. The robbers left with watches, jewelry, and cash valued at around $330K. The […]
Hard Rock to Buy the Mirage from MGM for $1 Billion
Hard Rock International announced on Monday that it will buy the Mirage Hotel & Casino for $1.075 billion. The Florida-based company will also spend $1.5 billion to remodel the resort, adding another hotel tower. MGM Resorts will net $815 million from the sale after taxes and fees. Hard Rock International […]
Sports Card Podcaster Mike Gioseffi ‘Cautiously Optimistic’ About Fanatics Deal
Fanatics, the company known primarily as one of the world’s foremost suppliers of sports team gear, shocked the trading card industry earlier this year when it scooped up the licenses to produce cards for the three most popular sports of baseball, basketball, and football. Likely soon to be out of […]
49ers Enterprises to Buy Leeds United for $530 Million
The ownership of the 49ers group has a deal in place to buy Premier League club Leeds United in a deal valued at more than $530 million. The Athletic reports that the San Francisco 49ers investment arm has the option to acquire 100% control of the Yorkshire club until January […]
Opening a Sports Card Store Part 6: Reflections on the First Six Months
After more than half a year in operation, my store, Cullman Sportscards & Fun Shop, has already experienced its share of ebbs and flows, and I’ve learned lessons that I’ll take to heart here at the end of the year to carry over into 2022. Here are some things I’ve […]
US Government Won’t Send Diplomatic Delegation to the 2022 Winter Olympics; US Athletes Will Still Attend
The US government will stage a diplomatic boycott of the 2022 Winter Olympics held in Beijing, China in February. In her daily press briefing at the White House, press secretary Jen Psaki announced that the US won’t send an official delegation to the Beijing Games because of concerns regarding human […]
Baffert Attorneys: Test Proves Cream Caused Medina Spirit’s Positive Test
The attorneys for Medina Spirit’s owner and trainer, Amr Zedan and Bob Baffert, issued statements late Friday claiming that tests performed by a New York laboratory confirmed their position that the Kentucky Derby winner’s positive test for the corticosteroid betamethasone came from the ointment Otomax and not an injection. Baffert’s […]
Junket Operator’s Arrest Drives Macau Casino Stocks Down
Macau casino stocks tanked this week after the arrest of 11 junket operators. Alvin Chau, Suncity Group Holdings’ CEO, was among those detained. The region’s casino stocks were already struggling due to new virus concerns, but the specter of more regulatory crackdowns pushed them lower still. During the ’08-’09 financial […]
Fenway Sports Group Pays $900M for Pittsburgh Penguins Majority Stake
Fenway Sports Group (FSG) plans to take a majority stake in the NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins. The deal, which still needs NHL owners’ approval, is reportedly valued at $900 million. The Penguins will join Fenway Sports’ portfolio of teams that include the Boston Red Sox, the Salem Red Sox, Liverpool FC, […]
Failed Sports Betting Deals: DraftKings, Entain, WynnBet and Austerlitz
Over the past month, two big sports betting deals have gone bust. DraftKings dropped its $22 billion offer for Entain while, meanwhile, Wynn Resorts called off the merger of WynnBet with Austerlitz Acquisition. And in the blink of an eye, the red-hot sports betting market has started to cool. Once […]
Italy Finance Police Investigate Juventus over Transfer Activity
Italian finance authorities raided Juve’s offices in Turin and Milan, seeking papers relating to player moves between 2019 and 2021. Juventus is Italy’s most successful club, winning 36 Serie A titles. Juve is listed on Milan’s stock exchange and its largest shareholder is Exor. Anna Maria Loreto, a Turin prosecutor, […]
Latest Cryptocurrency Sports Deals Include LA Arena, Brady and Ohtani
The number of cryptocurrency deals in sports continues to climb. Crypto.com recently made headlines with a record-breaking $700 million naming rights deal for LA’s Staples Center. Meanwhile, the NFL’s Tom Brady and MLB’s Shohei Ohtani are cashing in with cryptocurrency hookups. In 2021, the value of cryptocurrencies soared. As a […]
Bettor Turns $50 into $1.1M Thanks to Ravens’ Game-Winning TD
Devonta Freeman’s last-minute touchdown secured the Baltimore Ravens a narrow win over the Chicago Bears on Sunday. It also proved to be gold for a bettor who turned $50 into more than $1 million. The Ravens’ result was the final one the bettor needed to secure a $1,133,530.50 payout on […]