The Breeders’ Cup announced this weekend that it began reviewing whether Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert can send his horses to this year’s event, set for Nov. 5-6 at Del Mar. The process began in the wake of the New York Racing Association’s scheduled Sept. 27 hearing for the […]
Gambling Industry
LA Clippers Intuit Dome Sets Record for Naming Rights, Toilets
Software provider Intuit will pay $500 million for the naming rights to the LA Clippers new arena. That 23-year contract set a record in the NBA. Meanwhile, the Intuit Dome will set another record — one for the highest toilet ratio in the league. The LA Clippers currently play at […]
Sports Betting Boosts NFL Opening Week Ratings and Ad Spending
CBS and NBC both reported a double-digit ratings increase for last week’s NFL games. Meanwhile, the NFL’s sportsbook partners treated viewers to roughly 100 ads. In related news, sports betting activity was at an all time high during the NFL’s opening week. Last season, NFL ratings slumped for the first time […]
Kentucky Downs Wrap: Bettors, Rosario Make it a Record-Setting Meet
Whether it was riding or betting, records fell in bunches during Kentucky Downs’ recently completed six-day meet. The boutique, all-turf track located on the Kentucky-Tennessee border destroyed its previous handle record, both for a single day and for the overall meet. Kentucky Downs came in with a six-day, all-sources handle […]
Casino Stocks Crash as Macau Considers Tighter Regulations
Shares of casino stocks tanked on Tuesday after Macau announced it will revise its gambling regulations. In just one day, casino companies operating in the world’s largest gambling center lost roughly $18 billion in stock value. On Tuesday, Macau’s Secretary for Economy and Finance announced a 45-day consultation period for […]
NFL Opening Week Yields Record Sports Betting Transactions
Indicating a sports betting record, GeoComply tracked 58.2 million sportsbook transactions in the four-day period from Thursday through Sunday. That’s 126% more than the geolocation company tracked during last year’s NFL season opener. Meanwhile, the number of upsets this week should bode well for sportsbooks — and less well for […]
Caesars Sells William Hill International to 888 Holdings for $3 Billion
888 Holdings PLC will acquire William Hill PLC’s international’s assets for $3.03 billion. Caesars Entertainment bought William Hill in April, intending to sell off its non-US businesses. The deal is expected to close early next year. Caesars Entertainment will net roughly $1.2 billion from the sale. Meanwhile, the acquisition will […]
World Cup Winner Jerome Boateng Ordered to Pay $2.13 Million for Beating Former Girlfriend
Jerome Boateng, a Germany World Cup winner in 2014, was found guilty of assaulting his former partner in 2018. He will need to pay the woman $2.13 million. Boateng received the verdict during a court meeting in Munich. Prosecutor Stefanie Eckert called for a suspended 18-month jail sentence and a […]
Del Mar Wrap: Nothing Average About Record Average Daily Handle
Del Mar closed its 82nd summer season with a track record for daily average handle, watching horseplayers wager an average of nearly $18.4 million each day of the 31-day meet. That surpassed last year’s daily average of $17.3 million, which came without fans in the stands thanks to the pandemic. […]
Saratoga Closes the Gates On a Record Handle, Memorable Moments
Saratoga cracked $800 million in all-sources wagering handle for the first time in its storied history, ending its most successful summer meet with $815,508,063 in all-sources handle. That represented a 15.6% increase over the track’s previous record of $705,343,949 set in 2019. Saratoga set its new record last Wednesday, with […]
Kentucky Downs, NYRA Reach Agreement, New York Wagering Welcome
One day before Kentucky Downs begins its six-day meet, the track reached an agreement with the New York Racing Association that opens up wagering to NYRA’s markets and platforms. The late agreement means NYRA, its racetracks and its NYRA Bets advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform can access the track’s races. […]
Kentucky Downs Shuts Out NYRA Bettors
Due to a contract impasse, bettors at New York Racing Association tracks and NYRA Bets account holders won’t be able to wager on the upcoming Kentucky Downs meet. That shuts out the country’s fourth-largest advance deposit wagering (ADW) platform from access to the six-day, all-turf boutique meet. Kentucky Downs opens […]
Deadline Day Shocker Sees Griezmann Return to Atletico
Antoine Griezmann returned to Atletico Madrid after two years with FC Barcelona. The Frenchman’s move to Atletico was a big surprise for fans and experts alike. Griezmann looked set to stay with Barcelona, after an agitated summer that saw him linked to a Premier League switch. Griezmann’s salary was always […]
Tiger Woods’ Backup Putter Sells for $393K in Hot Collectibles Market
tesTiger Woods’ backup putter set an auction record on Sunday, selling for $393,300. Experts believe the backup putter, a Scotty Cameron Newport II, fetched the highest price ever paid for a golf club. While Woods never used the putter in tournament play, it was in his bag for all but […]
Beer Companies Ramp Up Sponsorship of Women’s Sports
Two major beer brands announced new women’s sports programs on Thursday. Heineken announced new sponsorships with UEFA women’s soccer and motorsport’s W series. Meanwhile, Michelob ULTRA is committing $100 million over the next five years to promote gender equality in sports. Beer companies have traditionally been among sports’ largest sponsors. […]
Disney’s ESPN Sports-Betting Deals Could Net $3 Billion
Walt Disney’s ESPN is looking to generate more than $3 billion in sports-betting licensing deals. Once reluctant to associate with gambling, the multimedia company has gradually changed its tune. Initially tentative to offer sports-betting content, the company is now looking to leap into ESPN-branded sportsbooks. According to the Wall Street […]
FanDuel to Become Title Sponsor of Kentucky Downs Meet
Kentucky Downs and FanDuel announced a three-year partnership this week that will put the betting platform’s name on the track’s boutique late-summer meet. The six-day meet, which runs Sept. 5-6, 8-9, and 11-12, now goes by the name FanDuel Meet at Kentucky Downs. FanDuel is the parent company of the […]
Giannis Antetokounmpo Joins Brewers Ownership Group as Investment Surge Continues
NBA MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo attended a Milwaukee Brewers game on Tuesday. And, while Antetokounmpo has attended many Brewers games, this was his first as the team’s newest minority owner. Antetokounmpo’s investment is hardly unique, however, as professional athletes, actors, and private equity firms continue to pour money into professional sports. […]
Sports Betting Bill Passes North Carolina Senate
The North Carolina House of Representatives now holds the future of sports betting in the state in its hands. Months after it was introduced, Senate Bill 688 passed the state Senate last week and was sent to the House. That legislation was read for the first time in the House […]
Mickey Mantle’s Hall of Fame Bat Sparks Lawsuit
The bat Mickey Mantle used to launch his 500th home run has been in the Baseball Hall of Fame for decades, but a recent lawsuit filed by Joe Pepitone claims he’s the bat’s rightful owner. Granted, the bat does have his name on it. The dispute over the bat’s ownership […]