SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.
Sports Wagering Council Member: Sports Betting Draft Rules ‘Will Hurt Players’ And State
In a six-page letter circulated last week among members of the nine-person Sports Wagering Advisory Council and the Tennessee Education Lottery Corporation (TELC), Council member Thomas H. Lee highlights several major concerns with the draft rules for sports wagering put forth by the TELC in late November.
“As a preliminary matter, it is difficult to comment upon the Draft Rules, and ‘to advise the Board of best practices with respect to sports wagering’ without visibility into the business plan the Draft Rules are intended to support,” Lee writes in the first subsection titled “Business Plan.” He continues, “It is not unlike approving plans for construction of a vehicle without knowing whether the vehicle is intended to haul gravel or transport the family to school.”
Full story here.
Ex-NBA Commissioner Stern Made Remarkable Pivot on Sports Betting Legalization
Former NBA Commissioner David Stern, who passed away on New Year’s Day at age 77, was often quite willing to speak rather, well, sternly and provocatively on controversial topics.
But gambling may be the topic on which the man who grew up in North Jersey made his most extreme 360-degree turn. After being adamantly opposed for years, Stern learned how to stop worrying and embrace wagering.
Stern was won over in part by his successor, Adam Silver — one of his proteges — who in 2014 famously wrote a New York Times op-ed piece that made him the first commissioner to come out in favor of sports betting.
Full story here.
Sandler Spectacular In ‘Uncut Gems,’ But Film Has Some Sports Betting Snafus
Adam Sandler’s latest film, “Uncut Gems,” is not so much a story about sports betting as it is about an unpleasant, self-centered, perpetual dreamer chasing his next big score. Set in New York’s Diamond District, the film is frenetic, raucous, loud, and nearly impossible to look away from.
Sandler, known for comedy dating back to the days he did stand-up and later was on staff at “Saturday Night Live,” dominates the film — in a good way. It’s not the 53-year-old actor’s first foray into drama, but it is his best, and there’s already talk that he could get his first Oscar nomination. He’s come close only one other time, with “Punch-Drunk Love.” This time around, he somehow makes you root for a truly repugnant character.
Full story here.
Year In Review: Continued State-By-State Expansion, Robust Merger Activity Top 2019 Sports Betting Storylines
Following the Supreme Court’s historic decision on the federal ban on sports betting in May 2018, a handful of states moved quickly to legalize sports gambling. Last year, eight states added legalized sports betting regimes before five more officially began accepting sports wagers in 2019.
Over the last 12 months, Arkansas, Indiana, Iowa, New York and Oregon introduced legal sports betting operations in some form. Of the five states, New York has ostensibly garnered the most controversy as political leaders remain far apart on reaching a consensus for bringing mobile sports betting to the Empire State.
The continued state-by-state expansion of U.S. sports betting represents our top storyline of the year. Here is the complete list of the most notable storylines of 2019.
Full story here.
DraftKings Goes Live In New Hampshire
New Hampshire Governor Chris Sununu got his wish with just two days left in 2019. After months of expressing his desire to bet on the New England Patriots, he did just that, placing the ceremonial first legal sports bet in New Hampshire on Monday when DraftKings Sportsbook went live with its mobile sportsbook. Sununu, the 82nd governor of the state, placed an $82 bet on the Patriots to win the Super Bowl.
Sununu and former NFL player Rob Ninkovich kicked off the festivities at the Shoppers Pub + Eatery at Indian Head in Manchester. The former linebacker Ninkovich won two Super Bowls with the Patriots between 2009-16. The launch took place on a day during which the state was hit with power outages and ice due to a winter storm.
Full story here.
Sports Bettor’s Lawsuit Against Delaware Casino Continues To Unfold
A legal dispute between a casino in the state of Delaware and gambler who was overpaid by the property’s sportsbook on a winning sports bet appears far from a resolution.
According to court filings this month, the case, Golding v. Dover Downs, Inc. et al, hasn’t been resolved and appears to be eventually heading toward a jury trial. Parties in the lawsuit have “determined after discussion that the matter cannot be resolved at this juncture by settlement, voluntary mediation, or binding arbitration,” states a court document filed Dec. 13 in federal court.
Full story here.
