This week, former NFL QB Drew Brees announced his stake in a professional pickleball team. The Mad Drops Pickleball Club out of Austin, TX is one of 12 teams in Major League Pickleball. Jim Buss, co-owner of the LA Lakers, is also part of the investment group that acquired the […]
Gambling Industry
Elite G League Team Move Re-Ignites Vegas NBA Expansion Hopes
The NBA is relocating a G League team to the Las Vegas suburb of Henderson, stoking the rumors that a full-fledged NBA team will soon follow. And for good reason. Ignite isn’t just an ordinary NBA development team — it’s the NBA’s elite training program, molding next year’s superstars. Arguably, […]
Star Stallion Gun Runner Going South For Australian Breeding Season
Like any rock star worth his paycheck, Gun Runner is taking his act on the road. The leading second-crop sire in North America will breed a limited number of Southern Hemisphere mares during the Down Under breeding season. Thoroughbred Daily News reported that Gun Runner will stand for $75,000 US/AUS $109,700. […]
Del Mar Betting Menu Includes Extra Pick 6 Mandatory Payout Day
When Del Mar begins its 83rd summer season on Friday, it will do so with one notable change in its wagering menu: an extra mandatory payout day for its Rainbow Pick 6. That brings to three the number of mandatory payout days for the wager, which requires horseplayers to hit […]
Macau Casinos Get $1.5 Billion in Loans from Wynn and LVS
Two Macau casinos received large loans from their US parent companies, helping them weather the latest COVID shutdown. Although, it may be US gamblers and shareholders who pay the price in the end. Last month, Wynn Resorts provided a $500 million revolving loan to Wynn Macau. Meanwhile, Las Vegas Sands […]
Influential Turf Sire, Champion Kitten’s Joy Dies at 21
Kitten’s Joy, a former Champion Male Turf Horse and one of the top turf sires of the 21st century, died Friday at his Hill n’ Dale Farm home in Xalapa, KY. of an apparent heart attack. He was 21. Ramsey Farm’s social media accounts announced the death Friday. Ramsey Farm […]
Kentucky Becomes First State Implementing Penny Breakage on Wagers
Beginning this Friday, horseplayers wagering on Kentucky races will get paid to the penny when the state’s long-awaited penny breakage law takes effect. The Thoroughbred Idea Foundation, a grassroots advocacy group for horseplayers and horse owners, reported the change kicks in this week at Ellis Park. “This is a welcome […]
Mixed Messages Define Belmont Park’s Spring/Summer Handle
First, the good news for Belmont Park and its just-concluded Spring/Summer Meet. The track enjoyed a 2% increase in average daily handle over 2021. The average daily handle came in at $13,437,509 for the 44-day meet that ended Sunday. According to the New York Racing Association, the average daily handle […]
Streaming Sports is Getting More Expensive and More Complicated
The advantages of streaming sports are now at loggerheads with increasing costs and complexity. Media providers are coming out of the woodwork to stream sports, paying top dollar for exclusive rights. As a result, recreational fans and sports bettors, are paying more than ever to follow teams, using a complicated […]
Card Collectors Corner: 2021 Still Releasing as 2022 Football Cards Sell Cheaply
It may be the heart of the summer of 2022, but some of the hottest football products – with the 2021 rookie class – are just coming out. Meanwhile, 2022 football cards beginning to release and the box prices are worth monitoring due to their lower cost to previous years. […]
This Little Known Team Features the Sons of Baseball Superstars
Tickets to watch this Futures Collegiate Baseball League team have never been hotter. That’s because the Brockton Rox features the sons of baseball legends like David Ortiz, Manny Ramirez, Pedro Martinez, Garry Sheffield, and Keith Foulke. Scouts travel far and wide to size up potential talent for MLB. But they […]
Endeavor Slashes Bid for OpenBet After Sportsbook Valuations Tank
Last week, Endeavor lowered its bid for OpenBet to $800 million, down from its previous offer of $1.2 billion. The 33% price reduction comes in the midst of a stock market correction, which has pummeled sports betting securities. Last September, Endeavor agreed to buy OpenBet from Light & Wonder (formerly […]
F1 Renews with ESPN Even Though Amazon Bid More
F1 chose to renew its media rights deal with ESPN through 2025. Amazon’s bid to stream the prestigious auto racing series, however, was significantly higher, according to Sports Business Journal sources. Still, ESPN will have to cough up a lot more than it paid to cover the previous three years. […]
Three-Member NYRA Panel Suspends Bob Baffert Until January
After taking two months to review its hearing report, the New York Racing Association suspended trainer Bob Baffert for 365 calendar days, effective immediately. The three-person hearing panel that reviewed Judge O. Peter Sherwood’s 50-page report from the April hearing credits Baffert with 59 days served. That came via NYRA’s […]
Clock May Be Ticking on MLB Antitrust Exemption
Almost exactly 100 years ago, Major League Baseball received an exemption from the Sherman Antitrust Act. To this day, it’s the only US sport legally operating as a monopoly. But a minor league lawsuit, and recent pressure from the Department of Justice, could limit MLB’s unique control. In December 2021, […]
PSA Reimplements All Card Grading Services — at Much Higher Cost
The sports card hobby’s leading grader has reopened all of its levels, but collectors must now pay much more for the same services. Professional Sports Authenticator (PSA) had to temporarily suspend some of its authentication and grading services last year due to overwhelming demand while working through a backlog of […]
Pros and Cons of the Exclusive Apple MLS Streaming Deal
Apple just locked up the next ten years of MLS streaming rights. The US soccer league should net roughly $250 million per year from the exclusive streaming deal. While some matches will still likely air on television, Apple will offer all every single MLS match. There are some obvious advantages […]
Cricket’s IPL Media Rights Fetch More Than $6 Billion
In a series of recent auctions, the Indian Premier League (IPL) sold its media rights for more than $6 billion. The popular cricket league’s current media contract with Star India — a subsidiary of Disney — expires at the end of this year. Going forward, however, Disney will have to […]
LeBron James Wants to Own an NBA Expansion Team in Las Vegas
There’s been a lot of chatter about Seattle and Las Vegas becoming the next two cities to land NBA expansion teams, and LeBron James publicly stated that he would like to be the owner of any new team in Sin City. On Friday, the next episode of “The Shop” debuts […]
Walmart Scion Agrees to Buy Denver Broncos for $4.65 Billion
The Denver Broncos have a new owner. Well, almost. The final sale is pending a vote from the other NFL franchise owners and approval from the league’s finance committee, but it looks like the Walton-Penner group will become the next owner after they agreed to a purchase agreement for the […]