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 stories, highlighting some fresh news, and rounding up key stories.
Top stories around our network this week
Seminole CEO Jim Allen Undeterred By Legal Challenges As Florida Betting Launch Nears
Federal Officials: Throw Out Florida Lawsuit That Would Delay Sports Betting Launch
Online Operators Need To Stop Pushing Casino Play On Sportsbook Patrons
The Devils In The Details: ASU’s Point-Shaving Scandal Gets The Netflix Treatment
.@MattRybaltowski empties the notebook with recap of key #G2E2021 takeaways, and a look ahead.https://t.co/qHRBeyp1ki
— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) October 14, 2021
Sports Betting On My Mind? Looks Like It — Again — In Georgia
Sharp Alpha Advisors Closes First $10M Sports Betting Tech Startup Fund
Will The Rise Of Robo-Umps Help Or Hurt Baseball Bettors?
Michigan Online Sportsbooks Have A Near-Record September
Full launch next of CT sports betting, iGaming
This week a soft launch, next week wagering will be open to all in Connecticut after Rush Street Interactive, FanDuel, and DraftKings complete testing with limited players and hours. Those hours will will increase to 24/7 Saturday, and according to the regulator, all systems are go for a full launch Tuesday.
“Everything is going well so far, and our team is looking forward to continuing to work with the operators through the rest of the soft launch,” Department of Consumer Protection Director of Communications Kaitlyn Krasselt told the Associated Press. “As long as no major issues arise, the full launch will begin next week.”
Soft launch started Tuesday with limited hours and each operator allowed to sign up 750 customers to participate. Next week’s full launch is ahead of the NFL’s Week 7 and almost right on time for the start of the NBA and NHL seasons. The trio of sites will be available to all 21-and-older comers ready to bet legally.
Mohegan Sun (FanDuel) and Foxwoods (DraftKings) debuted brick-and-mortar sportsbooks on Sept. 30. The tribes and their partners will be offering digital wagering and iCasino, while the Connecticut State Lottery will launch its sports betting platform with Rush Street Interactive under the PlaySugarHouse banner. State law does not permit the lottery to offer online casino. The DFS-turned-sports betting juggernauts will bring the casinos online at the same time as their sportsbooks, as Connecticut will become the second state after Michigan to unveil the iCasinos and sportsbooks at the same time.
By way of background, lawmakers and tribal leaders broke a four-year-long impasse on legal sports betting and iGaming in March when Gov. Ned Lamont helped broker new tribal-state compacts with the two tribes, with the state lottery ultimately included on the sports betting side. Lawmakers approved the compacts in May.
FanDuel and DraftKings, with over 25% of the national market apiece, have become powerhouses in terms of betting handle and revenue, while BetRivers/PlaySugarHouse has hovered around the 4-5% mark nationally.
“In Connecticut, we don’t have any of this – it’s all brand new. And it’s not a gradual thing. We’re jumping into something new altogether,” Krasselt told Sports Handle. “Our primary goal is to make sure that businesses can operate in a fair marketplace and that consumers are protected.”
Welcome aboard, Connecticut, but keep your heads on a swivel.
Sports betting finally pays off for Rose?
It’s been 32 years since Pete Rose was banned from baseball for betting, and he’s finally, finally getting a chance to capitalize. There is a certain irony to the idea that one of baseball’s historically best and most well-known players was tossed from the game but can now publicly make a living on the very thing that got him banned.
In the last week, it’s been announced that Rose will place the first bet when Cincinnati’s former Jack Casino reopens under the Hard Rock banner on Oct. 29, and last week, he began a six-day-a-week gig hosting “Pete Rose’s Daily Picks.” The Hit King said it is a podcast for “handicapping,” not gambling. If you read between the lines, it seems like Rose is trying to convince himself as much as the rest of us:
“I love sports. I know I can help people who want to wager on sports,” Inside Hook quoted Rose as saying. “I know how it looks, and people will criticize, but it’s not gambling. It’s handicapping. I’m a handicapper. Remember, it’s handicapping. That’s all. That goes on everywhere. All I’m doing is lending my expertise to people who want to bet.’’
While it seems clear that Rose still embraces gambling, still believes he’s innocent, and still loves baseball, it’s also clear that other than causing him emotional pain, Bart Giamatti’s lifetime Hall of Fame ban doesn’t seem to have had any tangible effect on Rose’s lifestyle. Given all that we’ve seen since Rose’s ban — the Steroid Era, the cheating, the seemingly continuous stream of player arrests — part of me says “Good for you, Charlie Hustle!” while the other part wonders if Rose is just being rewarded for an addiction.
— Jill R. Dorson
And more of the most important, interesting stories
New Jersey's newest fully licensed online sportsbook is @PlayUp_USA, company announces in statement today. Had gone online previously with temp approval.
Australian-HQ'd operator is also live in Colorado.
The teaser pricing is legit. pic.twitter.com/bKOVGWVuso
— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) October 14, 2021
🗳️ Three weeks from today, NJ voters will decide if they want to allow betting on NJ college teams or collegiate events in the state.
👉It is NOT expected to pass.👈
Here's why this matters to you, no matter your state👇
— Captain Jack Andrews (@capjack2000) October 12, 2021
Our administration recently approved the first three locations for sports wagering in Maryland.
Tell the legislature’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission to allow football season betting to begin: swarc@mlis.state.md.ushttps://t.co/lV7MUxgSkQ
— Governor Larry Hogan (@GovLarryHogan) October 8, 2021
MR. EDITOR: Caesars Sportsbook is ‘preparing to go after’ Adam Schefter. [FoS]
TURNER-ING HEADS: DK partners with NHL, Turner Sports for betting integrations on TNT, B/R. [SportTechie]
SEE YOU ON TV: Canada’s ‘The Parleh’ adding a broadcast network. [Sports Video]
GET THE WORD OUT: Sports betting companies seek new ways to engage. [Nevada Indy]
FOLLOWING NFL, NHL: Adam Silver says Las Vegas will be on the potential expansion list. [Review Journal]
BONSPIEL: PointsBet announces partnership with Canada Curling. [SBCAmericas]
SPENDING SPREE: Bally’s exec touts future after Gamesys and other acquisitions. [CDC Gaming]
COURSE CHANGE: Google reverses Connecticut online gambling ad blackout. [EGR]
SPACKED HOUSE: DraftKings invests in Vivid Seats SPAC. [FoS]
DATA WARS: Professional footballers threaten data firms with GDPR legal action. [BBC]
.@jeffedelstein is back to storm through the #NFLWeek6 menu, but first, he got an unexpected call from an embattled figure.
Column here: https://t.co/upsNoL0jTw pic.twitter.com/FoKCvJ3ia1
— Sports Handle (@sports_handle) October 15, 2021
