It’s information overload everywhere, and there’s not time enough to sleep and eat and stay fully apprised of what’s happening on this crazy blue dot of ours (two out of three ain’t bad). Here’s the weekend Sports Handle item, “Get a Grip,” recapping the week’s top U.S. sports betting headlines, highlighting some fresh news, and rounding up key stories.
Top stories around our network this week
A lot of people have been awaiting — and like Sports Handle, writing about — Fanatics Betting and Gaming’s entry into the sports betting space and just what that will look like. Well, state-by-state regulations and reviews being what they are, it’ll still be a little murky this fall, as well as a mouthful.
While Fanatics is already up and running with its own mobile platform in four states — Ohio, Tennessee, Maryland, and Massachusetts — it announced Thursday that it is ready soon to take over existing operations of PointsBet USA in eight states as a result of acquisition of PointsBet’s U.S. assets.
Only, those current PointsBet sites in Colorado, Iowa, Kansas, Maryland, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Virginia, and West Virginia won’t immediately become known as Fanatics and operating on its platform. Instead, they will be rebranded as “PointsBet, a Fanatics Experience” — try saying that three times fast — as Fanatics completes the regulatory review process to be fully authorized in those states.
One way or another, Fanatics says it is ready to be operating in 11 states at the start of the NFL season, with more to follow — possibly 15 by year’s end. In several states, sites that have been operating as PointsBet will continue doing so while Fanatics completes the close of its business transaction with the Australian company.
So, depending on where you reside as busy betting action gets underway on the NFL season that starts next Thursday, you might place a wager online with Fanatics Sportsbook, with PointsBet, or with PointsBet, a Fanatics Experience. Or, of course, with several other operators. It remains to be seen how different or similar the Fanatics and PointsBet sites are, but as always, we recommend customers use multiple sites and line-shop for the best odds. That’s if you want to obtain the best experience.
You can expect to see voluminous football betting-related content on Sports Handle in the next week, in addition to the broad coverage we and our affiliated sites always give to the gambling industry, as linked stories below from the past week demonstrate. Also be sure to check out US Bets, including its weekly Double Down column and Gamble On podcast.
Want to know who’s hurt before betting?
Big Ten football to provide game day player availability reports
Why doesn’t the PGA Tour have an official player injury report?
The legal system — what a drag
Don’t expect Seminoles’ Hard Rock Bet to be live in Florida anytime soon
Kentucky starting under caution flag
Kentucky regulator releases fairly limited bet menu
The wait is on in North Carolina
North Carolina Lottery working toward mobile wagering launch
One more state for bet365
Arizona grants sports betting license to bet365 as 17th operator
No more celebs in Ontario’s ads
Ontario rolls out more stringent wagering advertising rules
Who cares what gamblers think? Hmm
Schuetz: The industry missed out big-time by bypassing Bet Bash
Within the suites, things look different
Diversity in sports betting and gaming isn’t just morally responsible, it’s good business
New stuff in the works in Colorado
Sporttrade launches in Colorado as upstart Novig pursues license
It’s time we got some answers, and we did
Eleven New York casino bidders wait for their questions to be answered
New York regulators finally provide answers to hopeful New York casino owners
Trump favored, at least with bettors
Post-debate, post-mugshot, Trump’s lead widens in odds for nomination
News you can use, if you wager
ESPN moves sports betting program “Daily Wager” back to Bristol headquarters
There’s money to be made in this
Futures payouts put drag on July sports betting revenue in Nevada
DraftKings surpasses FanDuel in Ohio betting volume for first time
Virginia edges over $11 billion in all-time sports wagering handle
Bally Bet up and running in Ohio
Bally Bet has launched in Ohio as an online sports betting platform under Bally’s new partnership with the Kambi Group and White Hat Gaming. Bally’s Corp. shut down its Bally Bet site June 30 in five states — Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, New York, and Virginia — after dissatisfaction with its Bet.Works platform, and those states are to return to service by Bally Bet at some point using the new Kambi/White Hat model. It continues operating in Arizona as well as Ohio.
Bally Bet becomes the 19th mobile sports betting site in Ohio, where more than $4.1 billion in bets were placed from January through July in the first year of legal wagering.
One of the smaller Ohio sites, the locally owned betJACK of JACK Entertainment, announced release this week of a fully updated app to take advantage of the busy football season. Its press release touted an enhanced Parlay+ feature, sleeker design, and other improvements to better appeal to both novice and seasoned bettors.
Maryland adds an 11th retail book
Maryland has a new retail sportsbook, with a betPARX sportsbook at the Greene Turtle restaurant in Baltimore’s Canton section officially opening this week following successful test days, according to the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Commission.
The venue becomes the 11th retail sportsbook to open in Maryland. The state has 12 online operators, including betPARX. Additional retail locations and mobile operators “are expected to launch in the near future,” the commission stated in a press release.
Cousin Sal to be featured by FanDuel
FanDuel TV and TV+ will be airing new programming starting Sept. 8 featuring betting analyst Sal Iacono, known widely as “Cousin Sal.”
Iacono will be featured on two shows. Each Friday at 9 a.m. ET, he will host Cousin Sal’s Winning Weekend to preview the week’s college and NFL football games. At 11 a.m. on Sundays, he will be one of the regular hosts of Ringer Wise Guys, a weekly NFL pregame show.
The Ringer, founded by Bill Simmons, is involved in creation of the shows featuring Iacono, and Simmons and his cohorts will be taking part in the broadcasts, with FanDuel TV also airing two special football preview editions of The Bill Simmons Podcast at 9 a.m. on Sept. 4 and 5.
Tweet of the week
“You want to hear about my fantasy team?”pic.twitter.com/hdCOfzx8ND
— Barstool Sports (@barstoolsports) August 31, 2023
More of the most important, interesting stories
WE’RE WARNING YOU GUYS: DOJ “takes seriously” illegal gambling as college and NFL wagering take off [CDC Gaming Reports]
NOT TO QUESTION FANATICS, BUT: Q&A: Fanatics Betting CEO Matt King on acquiring PointsBet, innovating a new app, and more [The Action Network]
GEE, IT SEEMED SUCH A GOOD IDEA AT THE TIME: Barstool CEO calls failed sports betting partnership with PENN “predictable” as company cuts 100 jobs [TheStreet]
THAT LOOKS LIKE A SPORTSBOOK’S SPORTSBOOK: 1st look inside lavish sports lounge and restaurant at Durango casino [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
OK this new restaurant near the sportsbook at Durango Casino is 🔥🔥🔥https://t.co/G3RxFQONBU
— 102.7 VGS (@1027VGS) August 28, 2023
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KANSAS! First year of legal sports betting brings nearly $6M to Kansas [KSNW]
SOMETHING NEW UP NORTH: Simplebet, Bet99 to offer odds, micro markets, to Canadian bettors [CDC Gaming Reports]
ARKANSAS CAN’T WAIT FOR FALL: State sportsbooks dip in July; eyes set on football season [TB&P]
AS TIMELY AS IT CAN GET: Hartford XL Center sportsbook to kick off with NFL opening weekend [CT Insider]
