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: Shutterstock

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

Michigan Sports Tech Conference Digs Deeper Into Sports Wagering

As the sports business field continues to grow, its career options increasingly include those connected to sports wagering. Last week, the Stephen M. Ross School of Business at the University of Michigan hosted its third Michigan Sports Tech Conference, a virtual event that brought together multiple industry experts and leaders covering a variety of subjects.

Responsible Gambling Taking A Back Seat To Mass Hysteria In Sports Betting World

I was on the phone with Harry Levant last week — he’s the gambling reformer (insert Trump voice: “Some people, some very good people, say ‘anti-gambling person’”) — asking why he thought it necessary to contact SuperBook and report that their employee, Taylor Mathis, had talked to second-grade students about March Madness.

Tennessee’s Official League Data Up For Debate And Could Have National Implications

An upcoming decision in the Tennessee legislature could alter the relationship between sportsbooks, data providers, and professional sports leagues across the country.

Two mobile sports wagering operators, SuperBook Sports and Gamewise (Betly), asked Tennessee’s sports betting regulator for permission to use unofficial league data for NFL wagering prior to the state regulator’s March 1 meeting.The Tennessee Sports Wagering Advisory Council sent the decision to the state legislature, and lawmakers recently proposed a pair of bills (SB 475 and HB 1362) that would eliminate the state’s official league data mandate.

Ask A Bookmaker With Jay Kornegay: Maddest March Ever!

The executive vice president of race and sportsbook operations at the Westgate SuperBook, Jay Kornegay has been in the sports betting industry for more than 30 years. After getting his start in Lake Tahoe, Kornegay took his talents to Las Vegas, where he opened the Imperial Palace sportsbook in 1989 before taking the reins of the 30,000-square-foot SuperBook in 2004. A Colorado State University alum whose putting stroke tends to betray him on the back nine, Kornegay has helped navigate the SuperBook’s expansion into multiple states since PASPA was overturned in 2018.

Kentucky Senate Sends Legal Sports Betting Bill To Governor

The Kentucky General Assembly Thursday evening became the first in the U.S. in 2023 to approve a legal sports betting bill when the Senate voted, 25-12, to send a digital wagering bill to Gov. Andy Beshear for his signature. The vote was quick and decisive and capped a five-year effort spearheaded by former Rep. Adam Koenig, who lost his re-election bid last November but was present.

Hurry Up And Bet: The Pitch Clock’s Impact On Baseball Microbetting

When Giovanny Gallegos was on the mound last season, he wasn’t the only one who didn’t need to be in much of a hurry.

The St. Louis Cardinals reliever was the slowest-working pitcher in Major League Baseball last season, taking nearly 31 seconds between pitches when at least one runner was on base. Gallegos’ lack of urgency worked well for bettors with a penchant for constant action, since they had plenty of time to wager on what the right-hander’s next pitch would produce.