Today’s podcast: Legal sports betting in all 50 states is a great idea that I support, in theory. How we are trying to get there is not a great idea. I rant about that in today’s mini-podcast.
Gambling industry reverse job board
Are you hiring for a role right now? Or are you looking for your next opportunity in the gambling industry? I run a free-to-use reverse job board with about 200 prospective hires across all segments of the industry. Take a look, and please share with anyone who is hiring or looking for work!
Gambling news roundup
PrizePicks Announces Official Partnership with San Diego Padres: “PrizePicks, the largest daily fantasy sports operator in North America, today announced that it has partnered with the San Diego Padres as the team's Official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner. The deal marks PrizePicks' first team partnership in the state of California, uniting two organizations committed to delivering innovative gameday experiences for baseball fans nationwide. ‘The Padres are one of the most dynamic franchises in Major League Baseball, and we're proud to be part of their journey,’ said Mike Quigley, Chief Marketing Officer at PrizePicks. ‘PrizePicks players and Padres fans share a deep passion for the game, and we look forward to creating new ways to engage and connect with fans both in San Diego and across the country.’”
I attended a San Diego Padres game earlier this month, and PrizePicks was already being advertised as the official fantasy sports partner of the team.
Many tribes in the state remain very much against daily fantasy sports. It’s worth noting that Sycuan Casino Resort has long had a relationship with the Padres.
Big shift in draft betting odds (ESPN): “The odds on where quarterback Shedeur Sanders will be drafted moved dramatically Wednesday. For weeks, the over/under on Sanders' draft position had been sitting at 8.5, but, on Wednesday, it jumped to 21.5 at multiple sportsbooks, including ESPN BET. The New Orleans Saints hold the ninth pick in the first round, and the Pittsburgh Steelers hold the 21st pick.”
House Speaker Jason White, staff treated to Super Bowl by gambling giant pushing for legalized betting (Mississippi Today): “The sports gambling lobby, as it has done in other states, has spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on Mississippi politicians trying to convince them to legalize mobile sports betting.
Part of that effort was an unreported trip to the Super Bowl in New Orleans this year for House Speaker Jason White, his staff and a couple of their spouses. The trip was paid for, at least in part, by DraftKings, one of the nation’s highest-grossing gaming companies that has invested heavily in lobbying for legal online betting. Thanks to a loophole in Mississippi’s lax lobbying laws, there is no public report to date of the expensive weekend in lobbying reports that are supposed to document spending on behalf of state employees.”
“…DraftKings and John Morgan Hughes, whose Jackson-based Ten One Strategies firm lobbies for the Sports Betting Alliance, a group representing DraftKings and other gaming organizations, confirmed that the gambling industry paid for the game day tickets. … In a statement, a company spokesperson said DraftKings “follows the required reporting requirements in all jurisdictions, including Mississippi.”
Minnesota Senate to consider new mobile sports betting and DFS bill (SBC Americas): “Sen. Nick Frentz introduced Senate Bill 3414 which aims to legalize and regulate mobile sports betting and daily fantasy contests in Minnesota. Under SB 3414, residents and visitors over 21 years of age or older are legally allowed to wager. Frentz’s measure ties mobile sports betting and DFS to federally recognized tribes. If enacted, the bill would require the governor to negotiate new tribal-state compacts.”
Minnesota has had trouble getting sports betting legislation to the finish line in recent years, with more consternation this session. It’s not immediately clear if the tying of the legalization to the state’s tribes is meant to help break the logjam here or if it’s just another attempt at pushing a boulder up a hill.
Colorado House committee approves bill to tax promotional bets (SBC Americas): “The House Finance Committee in Colorado has approved a piece of legislation that proposes changes to how free bets offered by sports betting operators are taxed. House Bill 1311 was passed by a 9-3 vote on Monday by the Finance Committee after being filed by Speaker of the House Julie McCluskie and Rep. Matt Soper. The bill, which has advanced to the Committee on Appropriations, is also backed by Sen. Dylan Roberts. … The measure mandates operators to pay a tax on free bets generating additional revenue.”
SC Sports Betting Discussion Pops Up (Legal Sports Report): “South Carolina lawmakers held their first hearing for SC sports betting, but it came with plenty of opposition. On Tuesday, the South Carolina House Ways and Means Revenue Policy Subcommittee heard H3625, which would legalize online sports betting in South Carolina. The legislators also heard H4176, which would establish the South Carolina Gaming Commission. That bill also would allow the commission to issue casino licenses in certain counties.”
IC360 Announces Integrity Partnership with PGA of America (press release): “Integrity Compliance 360 (IC360), the unequivocal global leader in delivering best-in-class integrity and compliance regulatory technology products and services for the sports betting and gaming sector, is pleased to announce its collaboration with the PGA of America. Through this partnership, IC360 will provide the PGA of America with its state-of-the-art Integrity Monitoring technology, providing real-time alerts on global wagering activity. Additionally, the PGA of America will utilize ProhiBet, the one-of-a-kind prohibited bettor solution to prevent individuals from engaging in prohibited wagering activities.”
Gambling newsletter roundup
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