The Takeaway: Football Season Looms Large For US Sports Betting, Even In June
Gambling news roundup: Kalshi debuts AI-driven commercial during NBA Finals; NY Senate passes sweepstakes ban; DraftKings and Underdog submit first online sports betting applications in Missouri
Every Thursday in The Takeaway, The Closing Line provides commentary on trends and news in the gambling industry.
We’re about three months from the first NFL game of the season (GO BIRDS 🦅). That may seem like an eternity from now, with it technically not even being summer and all. But it’s going to be one of the most crucial football seasons in several years on a variety of fronts for US sports betting:
Fourth down for ESPN Bet?
The final months of 2025 are likely pivotal to whether ESPN Bet continues to be a brand in the US moving forward. Penn’s pivot from Barstool Sportsbook to ESPN has not yielded the results anyone expected. Penn is arguably worse off given that:
It bought Barstool and then sold it back to founder Dave Portnoy for $1.
It’s paying Disney/ESPN $150 million a year for licensing/marketing.
ESPN Bet has not meaningfully grown Penn’s share of the US sports betting market in the year and a half since ESPN Bet’s launch. It ranks sixth in blended handle and revenue metrics across all states where data is available. And it’s not hard to imagine that Bet365 — which is in fewer states — will overtake ESPN later this year.
A potential opt-out for Penn Entertainment looms next year, three years into the deal with ESPN. Next week, Penn is holding its general meeting, where directors will be elected. That process has been the source of much consternation, as investor HG Vora is calling for change and has blasted Penn for its failings in online gambling.
It all adds up to how crucial the upcoming football season is; ESPN Bet has to show signs of life.
Some people have preached patience, but the value proposition of ESPN Bet was supposed to be turning on a customer acquisition (and retention) spigot. After a short burst after the rebrand/relaunch, growth has not materialized. If ESPN Bet is not growing in Q4, it’s not hard to imagine that Penn would punt on the whole endeavor.
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Will Fanatics continue its march up the standings?
On the flip side of ESPN Bet is Fanatics Sportsbook, which has been on a steady growth trajectory for the past year.
It’s the No. 4 operator in the US sports betting industry as we sit here, with designs on carving out market share in online casino as well. BetMGM has been a constant No. 3 behind FanDuel and DraftKings for some time. It’s feasible that Fanatics could challenge for the podium this fall.
Last year, Fanatics was still navigating the logistics of launching and rebranding its PointsBet acquisition. It will be interesting to see whether Fanatics keeps growing or if it hits a ceiling when football rolls around.
Kickoff for Kalshi (and others?)
You thought you were going to get through a newsletter without me mentioning prediction markets, didn’t you? Good try.
Sports event trading had just started around the Super Bowl this year. Come September, football betting will likely be available legally in all 50 states, barring a legal development. Consider:
Kalshi is already committed to offering NFL markets, including moneylines and futures.
It’s hard to believe Robinhood, which partners with Kalshi, won’t also offer NFL markets.
The same goes for Crypto.com, which offers moneylines already on other sports.
It’s not clear if anyone will offer college football moneylines, yet; Kalshi and Robinhood did offer them for March Madness in basketball.
Will we see other football betting markets? Spreads, totals, player props? The incoming chair of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission doesn’t seem inclined to stop anything.
And the above are just the operators we know about today. While it may be hard for anyone else to get to market in the coming months, I certainly wouldn’t rule it out. The easiest lift would be through a deal with Kalshi.
Regardless, sports betting via prediction markets has been fun and games so far. But football season will be a massive opportunity for Kalshi et al.
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Gambling news roundup
Kalshi Rolls Out New Commercial, Apparently Airing During NBA Finals (Event Horizon): “Kalshi is launching a new marketing campaign, with a commercial scheduled to air tonight during Game 3 of the NBA Finals. The tagline in the spot is ‘The World’s Gone Mad. Trade It.’ NBA betting has been the biggest market by trading volume at Kalshi in recent weeks. Users can bet on the winners of single games, the NBA champion, and other related markets in all 50 states.”
New York Senate Says No To Sweepstakes Gaming (Sports Betting Dime): “The New York Senate roundly approved a bill to prohibit dual-currency online sweepstakes games in the Empire State. The New York Senate approved Sen. Joseph P. Addabbo Jr.’s (D-15) bill, S5935A, by a 57-2 vote. The legislation officially prohibits online sweepstakes games and revenue from illegal markets, plus lays out potential fines for operators or affiliates who offer or accept revenue from the prohibited games. ‘They’ve been targeting minors and have been allowing people to game illegally. We’re taking a good step to avoid that,’ Addabbo Jr. said during Wednesday’s Senate floor vote.”
At this point, it’s not clear how much a law would change anything in New York, given a lot of sweeps operators already exited ahead of more than two dozen cease-and-desist letters sent by the state’s attorney general. But a law would likely stop anyone still processing payments etc. for any operator still serving NY users. In the macro, a large state passing a prohibition could be further reason for more momentum on this front when 2026 legislative sessions roll around.
As Play’n GO Gears Up For G7 Summit, Scrutiny Continues Over Black Market Availability (Casino Reports): “Play’n GO, which is among the world’s leading casino game providers, announced Tuesday it will be part of a new initiative to shape global gaming policy, starting with this week’s G7 Forum in Calgary. The announcement comes amid scrutiny of Play’n GO’s games being available on some black market sites while the company simultaneously makes a point of distancing itself from sweepstakes-prizing based platforms.”
Meanwhile, Play’n GO also apparently provides slots for Stake.com, a crypto casino with a “license” from Curaçao; see below. Its games don’t seem to appear on Stake.us, a sweepstakes site serving the US.
Missouri Gaming Commission Receives First Online Sports Betting License Applications (Sports Betting Dime): “The Missouri Gaming Commission has received its first two online sports betting license applications. A spokesperson for the commission reported to Sports Betting Dime that it has received online sports betting license applications from DraftKings and Underdog. It is unknown if either application is for a tethered or untethered license in the state. Missouri sports betting will launch on Dec. 1, 2025.”
The daily fantasy platform Underdog joining the fray will be an interesting test of how that brand does in a green-field opportunity in the current landscape. With the way things are going on the tax front (see Illinois) and FanDuel/DraftKings’ dominance, .the number of companies looking to challenge the US sports betting industry isn’t likely to grow in the short term.
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PrizePicks sues former employee who defected to DraftKings (SBC Americas): “Another gaming industry executive is facing legal action over accepting a new role with a competitor. This time, the man in question is Washington resident Judah Huffman. According to LinkedIn, Huffman recently started a new role with DraftKings as director of social and community (sportsbook). Prior to that, Huffman spent two years as the director of social media for PrizePicks. In a lawsuit filed in Western Washington District Court, PrizePicks alleged that Huffman absconded with company trade secrets and violated his one-year non-compete agreement with the company by going to a competitor.
Monumental Sports Network Pioneers Interactivity for Women’s Sports by Offering Integrated Sports Betting and Gamification Features for Mystics Games (press release): “Following its historic launch of interactive sports betting and gamification features for Washington Capitals (NHL) and Washington Wizards (NBA) games earlier this year, Monumental Sports Network (MNMT) announced today that the “Monumental Game Center” feature is now live for all Washington Mystics games on MNMT throughout the 2025 WNBA season. In partnership with Play Anywhere and BetMGM, MNMT is the first known local media rights holder to offer viewer interactivity including live sports betting, advanced stats, and gamification options across the women’s sports landscape. Monumental Game Center is available via MNMT’s best-in-class streaming app Monumental+ (M+), powered by ViewLift.”
“Monumental Sports Network is proud to be the leader among local WNBA broadcasters and set a new benchmark for how fans engage with women’s sports,” said Zach Leonsis, President of Media & New Enterprises at Monumental Sports & Entertainment (MSE). “The launch of Monumental Game Center for Mystics games reinforces our commitment to innovation and equity in our viewership experience. This is a historic step forward in delivering a more interactive, data-rich, and engaging streaming platform for women’s basketball fans.”
Scottie Scheffler admits that bettors forced him to delete his Venmo account (CNN): “Being the strong favorite to win a golf tournament isn’t always an easy responsibility to bear. Just ask Scottie Scheffler, who has revealed that he was forced to close his Venmo account because of bettors staking money on his performance. Ahead of this week’s US Open at Pennsylvania’s Oakmont Country Club, for which Scheffler is the strong favorite, the world No. 1 explained how he often hears from fans who have a financial interest in where he finishes at tournaments. ‘That’s why I had to get rid of my Venmo because I was either getting paid by people or people requesting me a bunch of money when I didn’t win,’ he told reporters. ‘It wasn’t a good feeling.’”
Almost Friday Media and Fanatics Sportsbook Partner To Launch Season Two of Glory Daze with Johnny Manziel (press release): Almost Friday Media and Fanatics Sportsbook today announced the launch of season two of “Glory Daze,” a weekly podcast hosted by Heisman Trophy Winner Johnny Manziel.
“Glory Daze” with Johnny Manziel is an interview series from Almost Friday Media that celebrates and explores the most nostalgic eras in sports. On “Glory Daze,” Manziel, a former first round pick, sits down to have authentic conversations with some of the most iconic and legendary names in sports as they share never-before-heard stories, discuss their career-defining moments, and much more.
The first episode of the new season of “Glory Daze” will feature Las Vegas Raiders Defensive End Maxx Crosby and will be available on June 12th via all podcast platforms. …As part of the partnership with Fanatics Sportsbook, Johnny Football will transform into “Johnny FanCash” during live Fanatics Sportsbook ad reads and one-of-a-kind giveaways. Each week, “Johnny FanCash” will collaborate with Fanatics Sportsbook on content and Manziel will make picks each week on the Fanatics Sportsbook, available on iOS and Android.
‘World’s Largest Slot Party’ Coming To Circa Las Vegas In July (Casino Reports): “Those old enough to remember the origins of the Lollapalooza music festival may associate it with founder Perry Farrell and his band Jane’s Addiction.
Circa Resort & Casino CEO Derek Stevens has borrowed part of the name for his upcoming ‘Slotapalooza” event — though Stevens is smart enough not to throw the word “addiction’ around anywhere in his related press announcements. There will be gambling and there will also be alcohol, but Slotapalooza, scheduled for July 19, is a celebration of the entertainment and excitement provided by slot machines to those who indulge in them. Circa is billing this as ‘the world’s largest slot party.’”
Resolutions include moral clarity, sports betting, banning pornography (Baptist Press): “A collective resolution on restoring moral clarity regarding gender, marriage and the family arguably covered the most ground on Southern Baptist concerns, but messengers also approved measures aimed at pornography, chemical abortion pills, international religious freedom and the growing threat of online sports betting at the 2025 SBC Annual Meeting June 10-11. … Committee member Lemanuel Williams, lay pastor of Redeemer Church in Rocky Mount, N.C., presented Resolution 3 on the harmful and predatory nature of sports betting. Williams works in the inner city and sees its direct effects. ‘We’re upholding this, not just for our good, but for the common good,’ he said. ‘We want to see flourishing for all people. And it’s not doing that. [Sports betting] is dehumanizing people.’”
