SportsHandle: the week that was in US sports betting

SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting
Image: Shuttestock

SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.

Lesson Learned? Legalizing Wagering Via Initiative Is No Easy Task

Between May 2018, when the Supreme Court overturned the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act, and November 2020, voters in six states legalized sports betting. Against that backdrop, commercial operators announced in 2021 that they would run initiative campaigns to legalize sports wagering in Florida and California.

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ESPN Confirms Talks With Sportsbooks But Doesn’t Set Timing For Brand Launch

After spending nearly two decades in upper management at ESPN, Laura Gentile is acutely aware of the advantages conferred to a company by attaining first-mover status.

But while other networks have raced into sports betting since the U.S. Supreme Court’s historic PASPA ruling, the Worldwide Leader In Sports has preferred to slow-roll its hand. Now, as reports circulate of ESPN’s discussions with a prominent sportsbook, the media giant is prepared to go all in.

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Building A Bettor App — BettorOff Offers Handicapper Transparency

Thursday night offers a rarity on the U.S. sporting calendar — the sports equinox. All five major professional sports leagues — MLB, NFL, NBA, NHL, and MLS — have games scheduled.

Game 2 of the ALCS between the New York Yankees and Houston Astros is slated to feature Luis Severino facing Framber Valdez, while Week 7 of the NFL season opens with New Orleans at Arizona. The NBA and NHL are in the early stages of their respective seasons, and MLS Cup kicks into high gear with two conference semifinal matchups — highlighted by the latest chapter of the “El Tráfico” derby between the Los Angeles Galaxy and LAFC.

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Media Notebook: Longtime Bay Area News Talk Station Opts For Sports Betting Format

Even though neither California sports wagering initiative is expected to pass in November, longtime San Francisco-based news and talk radio station KGO (810 AM) has chosen to change its format to focus on sports betting. Cumulus Media’s 50,000-watt station had been a Bay Area mainstay for providing news and talk programming for 80 years.

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Deal With Aristocrat Gaming Will Pair NFL Teams With Slot Machines

At this month’s G2E conference in Las Vegas, Aristocrat Gaming had a massive booth, featuring a mix of new and popular slot machines. But the big draw was a massive, purple NFL helmet with a kind of “secret door” that allowed guests to visit the company’s very own “NFL Experience.”

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Commission Approves First Group To Receive Type C Sports Betting Proprietors Licenses

The Ohio Casino Control Commission approved its first group of applicants for Type C sports betting proprietors licenses during its meeting on Wednesday morning.

Green Bear Gaming Development, which will do business as UBet Ohio; Iron Gate Gaming, doing business as betIGG; Skybox Sports Network Inc.; and Intralot Inc. received unanimous conditional approval for sports gaming proprietors licenses by the commission. The approval guarantees that they will be able to operate on the universal start date of Jan. 1, 2023.

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Live! Philadelphia Casino Fined For Lax Security Involving Patrons

Live! Philadelphia has been slapped with a $10,000 fine by the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board for failing to prevent patrons from entering back-of-house areas reserved for employees.

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