The Current: NBA, PrizePicks Ink Deal (For Fantasy Sports, Not Prediction Markets)

The pick'em operator becomes an official daily fantasy sports partner of the pro basketball league. Roundup: Kalshi signs deal with Fox News; Maine enacts sweepstakes, credit card bans.

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The NBA has a daily fantasy sports partner, officially. And I suppose it now has a prediction markets partner, unofficially.

PrizePicks is now an “official Daily Fantasy Sports Partner of the NBA,” the fantasy pick’em operator announced on Tuesday. The deal is a “multi-year partnership.”

More from a press release:

Through the league partnership, PrizePicks will integrate NBA intellectual property across its daily fantasy and free-to-play products and marketing initiatives. This includes the use of NBA League, collective NBA Team, and NBA Event marks across approved digital platforms, including the PrizePicks app and website. The partnership was facilitated by KLUTCH Sports Group’s Brand Consulting and Sports and Brand Insights divisions.

“This partnership with the NBA marks an important milestone for PrizePicks as we continue to grow alongside one of the most iconic leagues in sports,” said Mike Ybarra, CEO at PrizePicks. “Basketball has always been at the heart of our brand, and this collaboration reflects our deep roots in the game. Our focus has always been on delivering fun and responsible experiences, and working with the NBA allows us to bring that commitment to fans through innovative integrations that enhance how they engage with the game.”

“PrizePicks has established itself as a leader in daily fantasy sports through innovation and a strong focus on the fan,” said Eric Rimsky, Head of Domestic Fantasy, NBA. “We’re excited to collaborate with PrizePicks to enhance the NBA fan experience by combining the league’s unmatched moments with PrizePicks’ interactive innovation, creating new and engaging ways for fans to connect with the game.”

The agreement also enables PrizePicks to execute promotional campaigns and participate in co-marketing efforts across NBA digital and media platforms. Additionally, the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) will grant PrizePicks the ability to use images of multiple NBA players across its marketing, content and promotional initiatives.

This is interesting in a couple of ways:

• A major sports league is giving its stamp of approval to a company and a category that is increasingly less gray, despite offering what amounts to player prop parlays. Most importantly, that includes California, where the state’s attorney general has opined that daily fantasy sports is not legal. Apparently, that’s not a concern for the NBA.

• This is nominally a deal for daily fantasy sports. But it’s pretty difficult to separate the fantasy product and the prediction markets product at PrizePicks. You do have to click “Teams” to get to the prediction markets, but that’s not a ton of separation.

  

  • So you can argue that this is also a prediction market deal in practice if not in name. (This line for leagues and teams is increasingly blurry.)

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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.

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Gambling news roundup

📬 I am playing with the format of the roundup, and trying to make it a bit more scannable. If you hate it, let me know. If you love it, let me know. If you will read it either way, just keep reading!

🚨The important stuff

• March Madness Betting Struggles To Attract New Bettors, Survey Finds (Legal Sports Report): “March Madness betting remains one of the most critical stretches of the U.S. sports betting calendar, but new data suggests the tournament is mostly re-engaging existing bettors rather than attracting new ones. A mid-tournament analysis from Optimove, released Wednesday, found that first-time depositors accounted for just 3% of March Madness betting from Selection Sunday through the Sweet 16. That dynamic held even as betting activity surged as much as 60% during the opening weekend.”

• Alabama governor’s race: Tommy Tuberville gets $30,000 donation from controversial gambling company (AL.com/Yahoo): “U.S. Sen. Tommy Tuberville pulled in a series of big donations in March in his campaign to be Alabama’s next governor. Those donations include $150,000 from a Birmingham businessman and $30,000 from an online gambling company, VGW Luckyland Inc., a subsidiary of a huge Australian gambling company.”

• New Court Dates Set in Scary Terry Betting Case (LA Magazine): “A federal judge has set a series of upcoming court dates in the sports betting case involving NBA player Terry Rozier, as the defense pushes to have the charges dismissed. U.S. District Judge LaShann DeArcy Hall will hear oral arguments on Rozier’s motion to dismiss on April 27, 2026, at 3:30 p.m. in Brooklyn federal court, after granting the defense’s request for a hearing. The motion challenges whether Rozier’s alleged conduct rises to the level of a federal crime or if he simply committed a sports book violation.”

🏛️Legislative updates

• Gov. Evers Will Make Wisconsin Online Sports Betting Decision This Week (Sports Betting Dime): “A decision on the fate of Wisconsin online sports betting will be made by the governor this week. Gov. Tony Evers (D) will have until Thursday, April 9, to decide to either sign, veto, or take no action on Rep. Tyler August’s bill, AB 601, which legalizes online sports betting for Wisconsin tribes. Gov. Evers was presented the bill on Tuesday, April 2, and has six days (excluding Sunday) to make a final decision on the legislation.”

• Maine Governor Signs Sweepstakes, Credit Card Bans Into Law (Legal Sports Report): “Maine lawmakers have been busy this session, passing a variety of legislation including a bill to ban credit card funding for sports betting accounts and a sweepstakes casino ban. On Monday, Gov. Janet Mills signed Legislative Document 2007, which bans sweepstakes casinos in the state. It is the second state, joining Indiana to ban the unregulated gambling sites this year. On Friday, Mills signed Legislative Document 2080, which updates the state’s existing Maine sports betting laws to ban the use of credit cards to fund sportsbook and online casino accounts. The move comes after Mills earlier this year made Maine the eighth state to legalize online casinos.”

• Critical Bill Hearings In Louisiana, Oklahoma, Tennessee This Week (Sweepsy): “This is going to be a busy week for bills banning sweepstakes casinos. Three pieces of legislation attacking the sweeps industry are currently set to be discussed in committee hearings over the coming days: Louisiana House Bill 883, Oklahoma Senate Bill 1589, and Tennessee House Bill 1885.”

🔮Prediction markets

• Kalshi Forecasts Coming to Fox News as Prediction Market Strikes Deal With Cable News Leader (Hollywood Reporter): “The biggest prediction market in the U.S. is teaming up with the biggest TV news channel in the U.S.

  Kalshi, the betting platform that lets users put their money on the line to predict the outcome of world events (from elections and sporting events to unemployment rates, Oscar winners and updates in the Iran war), has inked a wide-ranging deal with Fox Corp. that will see its forecasts integrated into Fox News, Fox Business Network, Fox One and Fox Weather. … It is paid product placement, albeit one that connects to editorial. A source says that Fox will not be using Kalshi data for election coverage, as the channel has its own polling and election teams.”

• My latest roundup on prediction markets:

  Prediction Markets Need To Stop Doing Dumb Shit

• Horse Racing Group Says Prediction Markets Can’t Offer Kentucky Derby Betting (Covers): “Tom Rooney, president and CEO of the National Thoroughbred Racing Association (NTRA), sent a letter to the chairman of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) on April 2 saying as much.

  The comments were provided to the CFTC as the agency collects feedback on proposed rules for event contracts and prediction markets.”

  • “The Commission has authority under the [Commodity Exchange Act] to prohibit contracts that are contrary to the public interest,” Rooney wrote. “Event contracts based on horseracing outcomes that circumvent the Interstate Horseracing Act of 1978 (the ‘IHA’) fall squarely within this category and are furthermore preempted by other federal laws.”

  • 🔍 I think prediction markets would offer horse racing just for sport, if they thought it was worth the squeeze. It probably isn’t, outside of the Kentucky Derby. And as prediction markets are largely a live betting app for sports, and horse racing is not great for that, it doesn’t seem like there’s product fit, even if the peer-to-peer part makes sense.

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📖 New book on problem gambling

Assist: How to Help a Loved One with a Gambling Problem Without Losing Yourself is a practical guide for partners, parents, friends, family members, coaches, and colleagues who want to help someone they care about who may be developing a gambling problem — without sacrificing their own well-being in the process.

Written by Anita Ondine Smith, whose husband, former NBA player Randy Livingston, recovered from gambling addiction, the book combines research on gambling harm with practical tools drawn from lived experience. It focuses on the role of “supporters” — the people trying to respond constructively to a loved one’s risky or harmful gambling behavior.

Readers will learn how to:

• Spot the early and often hidden warning signs of gambling harm

• Start conversations that don’t explode into defensiveness

• Understand treatment and recovery options, and how to encourage someone to seek help

• Support young people facing growing exposure to gambling

• Care for their own mental, emotional, and financial well-being

• And much more to help you understand and provide support

If someone you care about is struggling with gambling—or you’re worried they may be heading in that direction — Assist provides the guidance and support you may have been searching for.

Assist is available on Amazon.

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📣 Industry news

• Paysafe launches Pay with Crypto solution to meet US iGaming market demand (press release): Paysafe (NYSE: PSFE), a global payments platform, today announced the launch of Pay with Crypto, a new crypto payment method for iGaming operators and daily fantasy sports brands in the U.S. market. Powered by MoonPay, the leader in global crypto payments and stablecoin infrastructure, Pay with Crypto allows iGaming brands’ customers to use their preferred stablecoin or cryptocurrency to effortlessly fund their player accounts, where permitted.

  • With a reported ~70.4m American adults owning cryptocurrency and with Paysafe’s own research indicating that 83% of U.S. players have appetite for crypto payments, the company has responded to meet this demand with Pay with Crypto. Whether a player wants to fund their iGaming account using USD Coin (USDC), another stablecoin, or any major cryptocurrency, Paysafe’s new payment option for operators’ cashiers enables their crypto deposit to be rapidly converted to U.S. dollars to allow play.

  • After selecting Pay with Crypto and their preferred stablecoin or cryptocurrency, players simply connect their crypto or custodial wallet to fund the deposit, with the MoonPay Commerce Checkouts technology also supporting transactions via QR code using users’ phones. Once transactions have been verified, Pay with Crypto instantly converts crypto deposits into U.S. dollars to fund the player account.

  • The flexibility embedded in the Pay with Crypto solution also extends to operators, which can choose to settle payments almost instantly in stablecoins in their business’s crypto wallet, or settle in U.S. dollars or any major fiat currency through MoonPay’s Virtual Accounts powered by Iron.

• Optimove and Smartico to remain fully independent, each continuing to innovate and grow the iGaming CRM marketing industry (press release): Optimove, the creator of Positionless Marketing and the #1 Player Engagement Solution for iGaming and sports betting operators, today announced it has signed an agreement to acquire Smartico, the company that brought gamification-led CRM marketing to the iGaming industry. The transaction is expected to close in the coming weeks.

  • As part of the agreement, both Optimove and Smartico will continue to operate as fully independent businesses, each maintaining its own brand, team, product strategy, roadmap, and market approach. The Smartico founders will continue to lead the company, retaining full decision-making authority over strategy, product roadmap, and day-to-day operations. Terms of the deal were undisclosed. …

  • “What impressed us about Smartico is the combination of product strength, service excellence, and the way the company has been built,” said Pini Yakuel, Founder and CEO of Optimove. “Like Optimove, they created a strong business that was bootstrapped. What began as a hobby by four enthusiasts driven by the challenge of player retention quickly evolved into something very real. They made smart investments, built an excellent team, and delivered genuine value to clients. Smartico was the competitor that stood out, and that’s because they did something original: they were first to bring gamification and CRM marketing together as a compelling marketing advantage that iGaming operators adopted. The category now has two leading platforms. We built one and we’ve backed the other.”

• Games Global names BetMGM as the ‘home of Gold Blitz™’ in the US (press release): Games Global has named BetMGM as the ‘home of Gold Blitz™’ in the US, with BetMGM Casino and Borgata Online Casino set to be the first to release new franchise variants ahead of their wider market rollout.

  • As part of the agreement, BetMGM players will gain early access to upcoming Gold Blitz™ titles, enabling them to experience the latest features and gameplay enhancements before they are introduced more broadly across the US market. The deal builds on the continued momentum of the Gold Blitz™ franchise, which has established a position as one of Games Global’s most recognisable and high-performing mechanics.

  • As part of the rollout, BetMGM will be the first operator in the US to launch Gold Blitz Express™, the fourth instalment in the series and the latest evolution of the mechanic. The title introduces the new Blitz Express feature, further expanding the franchise’s depth and win potential. Additional releases will follow, including Blazing Bison Gold Blitz Ultimate Double X, scheduled for April, reinforcing the ongoing expansion of the Gold Blitz™ portfolio.

• Choctaw Casinos & Resorts Expands Cashless Gaming Options, Through Partnership with EDGE Markets (press release): Choctaw Casinos & Resorts today announced an expansion of its cashless gaming capabilities, giving guests more flexible ways to access funds without carrying large amounts of cash on property. Through a partnership with EDGE Markets, guests can use the EDGE Boost Visa® debit card to withdraw cash directly at the cage or through a Kiosk on the casino floor, accessing up to $1 million per day.

  • Guests can use available funds from their EDGE Boost debit card at the cage or at a kiosk, creating a more convenient and streamlined gaming experience.

  • “Our focus is on making the guest experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible,” said Thomas McDonald, senior director of cage, credit & digital at Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma. “By giving guests more ways to access their funds, digitally or at the cage, we’re reducing friction and eliminating the need to carry large amounts of cash while they’re on property.”

🧩 Odds and ends

• FIFA Branding Monopoly Knocks Name Off Hard Rock Stadium, Ousts Gambling Logos (InGame): “Hard Rock Stadium will not host World Cup games beginning on June 15. Miami Stadium will. (Even though it’s technically in Miami Gardens, Florida.) The power that world soccer sanctioning body FIFA wields over the marketing of its prestigious event assured that 10 of the 11 venues hosting 104 games, ending on July 19, will change from corporate to geographic names. Only official sponsors and partners of the organization will be allowed to brand themselves, with a partial exemption made for Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta.

• Academic Paper: Kill The Gambling Tax Deduction (InGame): “As politicians from both sides of the aisle continue to try (and fail) to pass legislation — or shoehorn in an amendment — to restore the 100% gambling loss deduction, a pair of academics have decided to take a different tack. In short: They believe the reduction to 90%, courtesy of President Donald Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill, doesn’t go far enough. In fact, they believe the deduction should be killed completely.”

  • “Mirit Eyal-Cohen, the Joseph D. Peeler Professor of Law at the University of Alabama School of Law, and Jay A. Soled, a distinguished professor of taxation at Rutgers Business School, titled their paper Eliminate the Gambling Loss Tax Deduction, which leaves little room for doubt as to their opinion.”

• Poll: New Jerseyans Are (Still) Against Casino Expansion Outside Atlantic City (Casino Reports): “While some lawmakers in New Jersey are seeking to bring casinos north of Atlantic City — and other lawmakers are busy penning letters trying to make sure that doesn’t happen — the voters of New Jersey would like to have a word or two. And the words apparently are this: ‘Thanks but no thanks.’ That’s the upshot of a recent poll out of Fairleigh Dickinson University, which asked over 800 New Jerseyans if they would support or oppose plans to expand casino gaming to other areas of the state outside of A.C. Some 44% were in favor of expansion, and 49% were not. And 6% weren’t sure.”

• ‘All-Inclusives’ Catching On In Vegas, Sign Of A City Responding To Shifting Economic Winds (Casino Reports): “In the last couple of weeks, three noteworthy operators in Vegas have made moves that suggest they are very much aware of these problems and looking to address them. One is a novelty, two could be a coincidence, but three is a trend, and MGM Resorts International, Caesars Entertainment, and Resorts World are now trying to make the ‘all-inclusive’ approach take hold in Las Vegas.”

  • “MGM was first to make its announcement, on March 25, when it introduced two-night bundled packages at Luxor and Excalibur — two of the company’s lower-end Strip properties. Resorts World Las Vegas followed at the end of the month with a package called The Conrad Complete. And last Thursday, Caesars announced an all-inclusive deal available at three of its less luxurious properties, Harrah’s, The LINQ, and Flamingo.”

• Dreamscape Out as Majority Owner of Rio, Executive Shake-Up Ensues (Vital Vegas): “A company called Kennedy Lewis Investment Management has quietly taken over as majority owner of Rio Las Vegas. Dreamscape Companies, which purchased Rio from Caesars Entertainment in 2019, is now a minority owner. A previous minority owner, longtime casino executive Bill McBeath, was bought out by Kennedy Lewis and no longer holds an ownership stake.”

• Jeff Platt Now Front and Center for WSOP ‘Revolution’ (The Overlay): “It seems that old habits die hard for Jeff Platt. Just a few days after announcing he had joined the World Series of Poker in a full-time capacity, Platt showed up to an interview about his new role and the lofty vision his new bosses have for introducing poker to more people not wearing the three-piece designer suit he’s known for from his on-camera work, but rather rocking a powder blue hooded sweatshirt adorned with the logo of one of the shows of his now former employer, PokerGO.”

  • “Platt, 39 years old, has been a part of WSOP programming for the last seven years in a variety of roles as part of the PokerGO production. His new role comes with a fancy-sounding title - Global Broadcast Talent - but poker fans used to seeing him interviewing players tableside, calling action from the booth, or hosting break segments during WSOP livestreams probably won’t notice much of a difference at first glance.”

• First Roll of the Dice: New Evidence Places Gambling’s Origins in Ice Age North America (The New Normal, webinar, Wednesday, 1 pm Eastern): New research conducted by Robert J. Madden of Colorado State University is challenging long-held assumptions about the origins of gambling. A forthcoming study in American Antiquity presents evidence that the earliest known dice were created and used by Native American hunter-gatherers on the western Great Plains more than 12,000 years ago. This finding predates previously accepted examples from Bronze Age societies in the Old World and raises important questions about how early communities understood chance, probability, and structured play.

  • This episode examines what this discovery means for the broader narrative of gaming history and why it matters today. The discussion will explore how these early practices reflect cultural traditions, social interaction, and decision-making systems that continue to influence modern gaming. It also considers how this new evidence reshapes the historical foundation of gambling and places Native American innovation at the center of that story.
    

🌍 Outside of the US

• Sportradar to Power Future of Brazil’s Top Basketball League LNB (press release): The Liga Nacional de Basquete (LNB), Brazil’s top professional basketball league, has announced a comprehensive, multi-year partnership with Sportradar Group AG (NASDAQ: SRAD), a leading global sports technology company, to drive international growth and innovation across the league.

  • Sportradar secures worldwide rights across audiovisual betting and gaming, as well as betting data collection and distribution for one of the most popular professional sports in Brazil. The agreement covers all competitions within the LNB ecosystems including the NBB Caixa, the country’s premier men’s professional basketball league, the Copa Super 8, Development League, Liga Ouro, Interligas and the Interligas Development League.

  • As part of the agreement, LNB will leverage Sportradar’s Synergy portfolio, including Synergy Stats for advanced data collection and analytics, and Synergy Coaching, a premier AI-driven video analysis and scouting platform enables teams to break down game footage, scout opponents, and evaluate talent.

• Exclusive: UKGC may have misled policymakers over problem gambling survey data, report claims (Next.io): “The Gambling Commission may have knowingly misrepresented the results of a major research study to policymakers and the public, according to a report written by consultancy Regulus Partners. The regulator was accused of misrepresenting the findings of a study into its Gambling Survey for Great Britain (GSGB) in order to justify relaxing guidance on how it should be interpreted, in a report produced by Regulus in January 2026.”

• The latest podcast from Gaming News Canada:

  U.S. gambling battles & Canada’s market shift