Each Monday, our “What’s on Tap” series previews the week ahead in the world of sports betting. Come here for a summary of upcoming financial happenings, legislative and regulatory meetings, industry conferences, top games scheduled for the week, and much more. Also, check out our weekly review Get a Grip and Wide World of Gambling at US Bets for a look back at last week’s notable news.
Monday, August 16
New York Gaming Commission meeting
Weeks after issuing a 130-page Request for Applications on the bidding process for mobile sports wagering platform providers, the New York Gaming Commission is scheduled to discuss a set of proposed mobile sports betting regulations at Monday’s meeting. The meeting will be held one week after the commission accepted submissions for the intensely competitive bid process. In total, six applicants and 14 sports betting-related companies submitted applications to partner with the state in offering mobile sports wagering. One consortium featuring FanDuel, DraftKings, BetMGM, and Bally Bet submitted a preferred tax rate of 50%, according to its application released last week. One provision to watch in the coming months surrounds a state mandate on the use of official sports betting data. Sports betting licensees are required to use official data from a sports governing body to determine all wagers unless the licensees can demonstrate that the wagers may be determined “objectively, reliably, accurately, and timely” by an alternative data source.
Tuesday, August 17
Several states report July monthly sports betting figures
After a robust first half of 2021, sports betting revenue has tailed off somewhat at the start of the summer during a relative dead period on the annual sporting calendar. Stakeholders will learn more on trends when several states report July’s monthly totals this week. In Michigan, online sports betting operators received $19.6 million in total gross sports betting receipts for July, the Michigan Gaming Control Board said Monday, with total handle of $188 million for the month. Both figures are down from June when operators took in gross gaming revenue of $27.2 million on a handle of $259.5 million over the period. Also on Tuesday, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board (PGCB) is expected to release monthly sports betting figures for July. Last month, the PGCB indicated that sports wagering revenues for Fiscal Year 2020-21 came in at $308.8 million, an increase of 171.6% from the prior year. On Monday, the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement is scheduled to release its monthly gaming report from July.
NFL teams face first deadline to cut rosters to 85
New for 2021, teams in the NFL must cut their training camp rosters from 90 to 85 by a 4 p.m. deadline on Tuesday. After a stint in minor league baseball with the New York Mets, Tim Tebow is attempting a comeback in Jacksonville under Urban Meyer, his former coach at the University of Florida. While Tebow was on the field for 16 snaps in the Jaguars’ preseason opener against the Cleveland Browns, he made the rounds on social media more for a broken play inside the Jacksonville red zone when he delivered a not-so-graceful block. In June, Tebow (90/1) ranked second in ticket count at FanDuel for NFL Comeback Player of the Year honors, just behind Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott. Tebow also has odds of +400 at DraftKings to surpass an over of 0.5 touchdowns on the regular season, with the under at -590.
Tim Tebow Is The Butt Of Jokes Today After A Horrible Block Attempt In A Pre-Season Gamehttps://t.co/xR3P4FhxOb
— PM Sports News (@PMSportsNews) August 15, 2021
Saratoga Racing and Gaming Conference
A bevy of legislators, regulators, and gaming attorneys are converging upon Saratoga this week for the two-day Saratoga Racing and Gaming Conference presented by Spectrum Gaming Group. A panel at Tuesday’s conference will tackle issues related to the rollout of mobile sports wagering in New York. The panel will feature appearances from New York state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. and New York Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow as well as representatives from pro sports leagues and gaming companies. Bally’s Corp. Vice President Elizabeth Suever, MLB executive Casey Brett, and Scientific Games executive Howard Glaser will also appear on the panel. In addition, former William Hill CEO Joe Asher and Tioga Downs owner Jeff Gural will present on other panels at Tuesday’s conference. The intersection of horse racing and mobile sports wagering is expected to be a key theme at the event. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy this month signed a bill on fixed odds wagering into law.
NBA Summer League championship game in Vegas
The Boston Celtics have waltzed through the NBA Summer League, winning their first four games by a combined 84 points. On Sunday, losses by several teams ensured that the Celtics (4-0) will play in Tuesday night’s championship game. Behind 18 points from center Zach Auguste off the bench, the Celtics defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night. Despite a strong lineup of core veterans, the Celtics were not among BetMGM’s top 5 teams by futures odds at the start of the Summer League. The Celtics will face the Sacramento Kings, an 86-70 winner over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday. Tournament favorites Detroit, Portland, and Orlando all recorded multiple losses as of Sunday night.
Las Vegas NBA Summer League
Championship Game
Tuesday, August 17, 2021
6:00 pm pacific
Sacramento Kings 171.5 +120
Boston Celtics -2.5 -140— Jeff Sherman (@golfodds) August 16, 2021
Thursday, August 19
Nevada Gaming Commission hearing on ZenSports
Fresh off a resounding victory at a board presentation earlier this month, ZenSports is seeking licensing approval for a Nevada sports betting app on Thursday. Upon approval, ZenSports is expected to finalize the purchase of two casino properties from Strategic Gaming Management — Big Wheel Casino in Lovelock and Baldini’s Sports Casino in Sparks. Earlier this month, ZenSports received a unanimous recommendation from the Nevada Gaming Control Board to operate both properties. The outcome of Thursday’s hearing has major implications for the future of peer-to-peer sports wagering across the state. ZenSports, a Hollywood startup, plans to bring exchange wagering and cryptocurrency payment methods to the Nevada sports betting ecosystem. Exchange wagering takes place in a peer-to-peer format without a sportsbook as a middle man. Overseas, exchange wagering is particularly popular for betting on political elections.
Saturday, August 21
Heisman countdown begins with Oklahoma’s Rattler as favorite
Despite a rocky freshman season, Oklahoma quarterback Spencer Rattler has emerged as the definitive favorite to win the Heisman Trophy in December. Rattler (+550) has vaulted to the top of the board at Caesars Sportsbook, ahead of Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei and Alabama’s Bryce Young. Uiagalelei and Young have odds of +700 and +900, respectively. Young will lead the Crimson Tide offense following the departure of Mac Jones to the New England Patriots. The afternoon marks the final Saturday without college football before next week’s start to the regular season. Another book, DraftKings, has quarterbacks in the top eight spots of its Heisman futures for the upcoming season. The top non-quarterback is Texas running back Bijan Robinson (28/1). In last season’s Alamo Bowl, Robinson accumulated 220 all-purpose yards and three touchdowns in the Longhorns’ 55-23 rout of Colorado.
The Heisman hype is back for the Sooners 🏆 pic.twitter.com/vhydRKrTsW
— ESPN College Football (@ESPNCFB) August 15, 2021
Sunday, August 22
Northern Trust concludes in Jersey City
A host of U.S. golfers are expected to contend for the title at The Northern Trust, the opening leg of the FedEx Cup Playoffs. The regular season on the PGA Tour ended with a group of American golfers — Collin Morikawa, Jordan Spieth, Patrick Cantlay, and Harris English — occupying the top four spots in the playoff standings. While 125 players will enter the playoffs at the start of the tournament, only 70 will remain following Sunday’s round at Liberty National Golf Club in Jersey City. Morikawa (+350) is the top choice to win the FedEx Cup at PointsBet, ahead of Spieth (+450), Cantlay (+600), and English (+1400). U.S. Open champion Jon Rahm is the third choice at +500, while Masters champion Hideki Matsuyama has odds of 30/1. 2020 FedEx Cup Champion Dustin Johnson is also considered a bit of a longshot, at 20/1.
