The Current: Half Of Americans Think Pro Athletes 'Often Or Sometimes' Fix Games?
Roundup: Reports say DraftKings is cutting some jobs; Kalshi sues Utah officials.
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The Current is a weekly report on a new development in the gambling industry.
A new poll is out about sports betting in America; you can see the results here from the Deseret News/Hinckley Institute of Politics.
Two pieces of data in the polling stood out to me:
“The poll found 50% of Americans believe current pro athletes often or sometimes alter the way they play to help sports gamblers win a bet, while 31% say that rarely or never happens. Another 18% said they don’t know.”
“…About 3 in 10 Utahns say they’ve placed a bet on a sporting event using a sports book, online platform or mobile app — the same share as nationwide.”
No matter how much stock you put in polls, the numbers about match-fixing are eye-popping. The poll indicates a sizable portion of the population thinks the results on the field/court are cooked, even if you think they are inflated.
To overstate the obvious, that’s not great! It’s a clear optics and PR issue both for sports leagues and the sports betting industry. Bringing sports betting into a regulated and legalized setting in the US was in part meant to combat concerns about the integrity of the game(s). I’m with industry reporter Matt Carey on this one:
While there have been several gambling scandals in the past year across a number of sports, the idea that athletes are “often or sometimes” fixing games simply isn’t in line with reality. It’s also not clear how anyone turns this perception around.
This data is particularly interesting as major North American leagues consider partnering with prediction markets that offer sports event contracts. While event contracts may be legal at the federal level, it’s still a huge expansion of sports betting, and most Americans will identify it as such. It’s not clear to me that doing integrity and marketing deals with prediction markets is going to help the narrative for sports leagues, and it could hurt perception even more.
It’s also fascinating to see polling data that indicates just as many people from Utah have bet on sports as in the general population. (Sports betting is not legal in Utah, for the record.) I’m a little skeptical of that data, but it does underline the idea that if you really want to bet on sports in Utah, you can, either by prediction markets or offshore sportsbooks. (It’s also feasible that some cohort of the respondents bet while in other states.)
However, if the adoption of sports betting by Utahns is even close to the same as it is in the rest of the country, it’s an argument that people will find ways to bet on sports, whether it’s legal or not.
One other interesting note from the poll/piece:
“Overall, a plurality of voters, 41%, say that the increased availability of online betting has been bad for sports, while 30% say it is neither good nor bad, and 16% say it has been good.”
“The poll found 65% baby boomers say sports gambling is bad for the game, compared to 35% among Gen Zers.”
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Gambling news roundup
Sports betting giant DraftKings cutting jobs amid fight with prediction markets (Boston Globe, paywall): “DraftKings is cutting jobs, as the sports betting giant tightens its belt amid growing competition from lightly regulated prediction markets. The Boston-based company, which employed 5,500 people across 13 countries at the end of 2025, declined to disclose how many jobs were eliminated or where. The company is moving its office from the Back Bay to the financial district next year, though it’s planning to occupy roughly the same 125,000 square feet footprint of its current headquarters.”
“DraftKings has decided to reorganize some teams to better align their people with the most important priorities and areas of investment for the company,” the company said in an emailed statement on Tuesday. “Unfortunately, these changes will impact some roles across the organization.”
More from the Motley Fool: “DraftKings (NASDAQ: DKNG) is moving forward with a restructuring that could see it lay off a sizable portion of its workforce. In a recent note on the stock published by Citizens, the firm’s analysts estimated that workforce reductions would come in at the lower end of the 2% to 15% range that has been the norm among tech companies recently.
In the note, Citizens reiterated a market-outperform rating on DraftKings stock and set a one-year price target of $38 per share. As of this writing, that target implies upside of roughly 72%.”
DraftKings Launches Online Sportsbook in Puerto Rico, Expanding Access for Residents (press release): DraftKings Inc. (Nasdaq: DKNG) (“DraftKings”) today announced the official launch of its online sportsbook in Puerto Rico, further expanding DraftKings top-rated product to sports fans across the island. DraftKings’ online sportsbook will be available to Puerto Rico residents beginning February 23, 2026, following the recent opening of the DraftKings retail sportsbook at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino in November.
DraftKings’ online sportsbook is currently only available to residents of Puerto Rico. Eligible new customers must register in person at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino before accessing the online sportsbook. Once registration is completed on-site, local customers will have full access to DraftKings’ online sportsbook features, including same-game parlays, in-game wagering, and special odds boosts, across a wide range of sporting events and leagues such as MLB, NFL, NBA, and more.
Non-residents are not currently eligible to access DraftKings’ online sportsbook in Puerto Rico. However, visitors may place wagers in person at the DraftKings retail sportsbook located at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino.
“Puerto Rico has a passionate sports community and launching our online sportsbook allows us to meet fans where they are,” said Gregory Karamitis, DraftKings Executive Vice President and General Manager of Sports. “With retail already live at Foxwoods El San Juan Casino, mobile represents the next step in expanding the DraftKings experience across the island—giving eligible local customers a seamless, exciting, and responsible way to engage with sports.”
Everything you need to know about prediction markets, including Kalshi suing Utah yesterday:
France becomes latest European country to decry prediction markets (Next.io): “The French National Gaming Authority (ANJ) has issued a formal warning about prediction markets, which it said it considers to be illegal gambling. In a LinkedIn post today (24 February), the regulator stated that any service that enables users to bet on the outcome of political, geopolitical, or sporting events without a local licence constitutes unauthorised gambling.”
The regulator asserted: “In France, these sites are not allowed and are considered illegal gambling sites. This is the reason why the main players have, at the request of the ANJ, set up a geo-blocking system, thus preventing any game from France (excluding VPNs).
More from Steve Ruddock at Straight to the Point:
Majority of Respondents in Massachusetts Survey Support Legalized iGaming (Sports Betting Dime): “A recent survey of Massachusetts voters showed nearly 60% of respondents favor legalized iGaming in the commonwealth when compared with the risks of unregulated offshore online casinos. Beacon Research, conducting a survey on behalf of the Sports Betting Alliance, reported majority support of 1,000 commonwealth voters for legalizing and regulating iGaming in Massachusetts. In total, 59% of poll respondents supported legalized iGaming in the state compared with just 24% who are in opposition.”
Iowa Senate unanimously approves more powers for gaming regulator (SBC Americas): “Iowa Senators unanimously voted in favor of a bill that would equip the state’s gaming regulator with more powers to try to chase out unlicensed gambling operators such as offshore platforms and sweepstakes casinos. Senate File 2289 was put forth by the state Department of Inspections, Appeals and Licensing and sponsored in the Senate by the State Government Committee. It was approved 44-0 on the chamber floor on Monday.”
Tennessee Advances Sweepstakes Bill SB2136 In Unanimous 8-0 Vote (Sweepsy): “Introduced by Sen. Ferrell Halle, SB2136 designates illegal gambling and related activities as a violation of the Tennessee Consumer Protection Act; expands the authority of the sports wagering council to investigate illegal gambling and gaming activity; and expands the investigative authority of the attorney general and reporter to investigate unlawful activity within the purview of the attorney general and reporter.”
Ifrah Law has been at the center of advancing iGaming in the U.S., shaping groundbreaking legislation, leading precedent-setting cases, and guiding clients that span the iGaming ecosystem through every phase of their business journey. Learn more at IfrahLaw.com.
Global Sports Platform Fanatics Will Invest More Than $50 Million To Support Continued Growth in New York (NY Gov. Kathy Hochul press release): Governor Kathy Hochul today announced that leading global sports platform Fanatics will expand its New York City operations. The project will create 300 new high-quality jobs over the next five years and includes an investment of more than $50 million to fit out and equip an expanded Manhattan office footprint. Empire State Development will support the project with up to $5 million in performance-based Excelsior Jobs Program tax credits. This expansion strengthens New York City’s position as a global hub for technology, media, and digital commerce, supporting long-term economic growth and high-quality job creation across the region.
“Fanatics is one of the most innovative companies in the global sports and digital commerce economy, and their decision to grow here in New York sends a powerful signal that our state remains the premier destination for companies building the future,” Governor Hochul said. “By supporting their significant investment and the creation of 300 new good-paying jobs, we are reinforcing New York City’s role as a global hub for technology, digital commerce, and creative industries and ensuring that the jobs of tomorrow are created right here at home.”
Former match fixer Swaibu brings sports integrity platform to US ahead of World Cup (iGB): “Nearly 11 years after his conviction for fixing matches, Moses Swaibu sat at a conference table inside Wembley Stadium telling a group of Harvard exchange students about his past assisting one of the world’s most notorious match-fixing gangs. As a teen prodigy for Crystal Palace’s youth soccer squad, Swaibu dreamed of competing at the famed venue that has hosted English national team matches, NFL games and the 2007 FA Cup final. …”
“In his quest to prepare young players for what comes with rigging a match, Swaibu founded GameChanger 360, a platform that provides athletes with modular learning on integrity in sports. Now, Swaibu is readying GameChanger’s expansion into the US months before North America hosts the World Cup.”
The New Normal: On the Road with Chairman Bean – What Tribes Are Saying Nationwide about Prediction Markets (Webinar, 1 pm Eastern on Wednesday): As David Z. Bean travels across the country meeting with tribal leaders, operators and regulators, one issue consistently dominates the conversation: prediction markets. From event contracts offering sports wagering under federal oversight to the continued expansion of sports betting into all 50 states, tribes are confronting a rapidly shifting national landscape. Tribal leaders are raising concerns about exclusivity, regulatory authority and the long term consequences of allowing wagering to move outside established state and tribal frameworks.
This discussion centers on what Chairman Bean is hearing directly from tribes about the growth of prediction markets and the risks they present to existing gaming structures. Join us for a candid conversation about how tribes are organizing, coordinating legal strategy and preparing for the next phase of this fight nationwide.
The latest podcast from Gaming News Canada:
