• About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling
This site contains commercial content
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News
No Result
View All Result
SportsHandle
No Result
View All Result

Which Sportsbook Wanted To Offer Betting On The Puppy Bowl?

A deep, super-serious journalistic dive into the depths of sports betting in Colorado

Jeremy Balan by Jeremy Balan
February 10, 2022
in Regulation, Sports
Puppy Bowl

Courtesy of Animal Planet

Share on FacebookShare on Twitter

The Colorado Division of Gaming has a large online document that covers its sports betting catalog. It is essentially dozens of spreadsheets that detail exactly what kinds of events sportsbook apps are allowed to offer wagers on in the state.

But the gem of the document is a tab labeled β€œrejected wagers.”

Among the rejected wagers are borderline celebrity boxing matches, eclectic Super Bowl props that have little or nothing to do with the result of the game (Gatorade color, wardrobe selections, length of the national anthem, etc.), and entertainment awards (no Oscars betting in the Centennial State, I’m afraid).

One entry sticks out on close examination: the Puppy Bowl, Animal Planet’s subversive programing on Super Bowl Sunday (the action starts at 2 p.m. ET). I could tell you something about how popular the Puppy Bowl is, but the way the ratings are described in last year’s press release, it might as well be in hieroglyphics.

A record 103 puppies will feature in this year’s Puppy Bowl to encourage pet adoptions πŸ• pic.twitter.com/fEPmcYp5fg

— Reuters (@Reuters) February 9, 2022

And yes, before you disparage the puppies, it is football. There are touchdowns, flags are thrown for penalties, there is a winning team (Team Ruff defeated Team Fluff, 73-69, last year), and there is controversy. Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, there are even Puppy Bowl NFTs.

But the fact that the Puppy Bowl was listed under β€œrejected wagers” means a sportsbook in Colorado had to ask to offer it. This obviously requires the peak of journalistic seriousness and examination. Luckily, I’m a super-serious journalist.

I even reached out to Puppy Bowl broadcast commentators Martha Stewart and Snoop Dogg, who will also serve as coaches this year for Puppy Bowl XVIII. Martha’s representatives gave me hope for a while, only to pull the plug on deadline. I got so close, I could taste her homemade potato gaufrette. I went so far as to text Snoop directly, but he didn’t respond. Rude.

On set. Text me (213) 205-0945

— Snoop Dogg (@SnoopDogg) September 17, 2020

 

Who asked to offer Puppy Bowl wagering?

So, I moved on to the Colorado Division of Gaming’s director, Dan Hartman. Why won’t the state allow wagering on the Puppy Bowl?

β€œThey’re extremely susceptible to coercion and being compromised,” Hartman said. β€œAll they need is treats, so we said no.”

I find it offensive to question the integrity of puppies without any evidence, but you do you, Dan.

But I wouldn’t let him sidestep the tough questions with glib remarks. Who asked to offer the Puppy Bowl, Mr. Hartman?

Grab your snacks, the Puppy Bowl is back! pic.twitter.com/jbqcHYEsQf

— USA TODAY (@USATODAY) February 9, 2022

β€œI don’t remember, but I said, β€˜Oh, hell no,’” Hartman said.

Likely story. I’ve been stonewalled before, so facing this regulatory roadblock, I did what was necessary. I asked every single online sportsbook that operates in Colorado β€” did you ask to offer betting on the Puppy Bowl?

A frustrating journey

It’s safe to say many sportsbook directors and public-relations representatives did not find the question to be very humorous or compelling. Most poor PR souls tasked with taking this question to their superiors responded with something to the effect of, β€œUh, OK. I’ll ask, I guess.” One said, β€œSounds like something Barstool would do.” Shot fired.

When asked if they wanted to offer Puppy Bowl betting, the big guys quickly denied. Johnny Avello at DraftKings said, β€œNo. I don’t believe so.” FanDuel’s John Sheeran said, β€œAbsolutely not. I don’t even know what that is.” There’s a possibility many of these people will never take me seriously again, but these are the lengths I will go to in order to uncover the truth.

Some didn’t confirm or deny. Caesars PR man Jim Carr said, β€œI have no idea. I kinda doubt it. I don’t even know if it’s legal anywhere.” Patrick Eichner, who handles communications at PointsBet, said, β€œI have no idea. What could you even bet on?” Don’t play coy with me, Eichner. You would bet on the Puppy Bowl.

How would someone bet on the Puppy Bowl?

But since Eichner asked, let’s get into what Puppy Bowl betting might look like. Offshore books have offered Puppy Bowl betting in the past, but as of early this week, I couldn’t find one that had this year’s event up.

There was a point spread, a moneyline, and even props, including a few that are … icky, to say the least. One asked if Michael Vick would tweet about the Puppy Bowl. That inspired me to search β€œMichael Vick Puppy Bowl” on Twitter, and I do not recommend it. Another offered whether the MVP would be a purebred or a mix. Imagine a prop that was related to the race of the Super Bowl MVP. Have you no shame?

But if you want to do some scouting, take a look at the video below, or check out the player profiles. One is named Odell Barkham. Adorbs.

Just look at this little Nugget 😍 @flldr

πŸ—“ #PuppyBowl Game Day: Feb. 13 at 2p ET on #AnimalPlanet and @discoveryplus pic.twitter.com/c2d9E9avP5

— Animal Planet (@AnimalPlanet) February 8, 2022

There were also somewhat hostile responses

All right. Back to the matter at hand. Some of the responses from sportsbooks in Colorado were borderline snippy.

β€œNo. That is ridiculous,” shot back Nick Epstein, the sportsbook manager at Monarch Casino in Blackhawk, when asked if he was the one who asked to offer wagering on the Puppy Bowl. β€œMonarch Blackhawk would never have anything to do with that.”

β€œPlease,” replied SuperBook’s Jay Kornegay. β€œWe’re the ones that are fighting for those ridiculous things not to be offered.”

Jay must be a cat person.

Brian Bennett, the chief operating officer at Betfred USA, used ALL CAPS for emphasis in an email, but at least gave me some encouragement.

β€œIt definitely WAS NOT us. I would be equally interested in who would request that. Good luck with the sleuthing,” he said.

As the days wore on, Circa, Betway, TwinSpires, and Tipico were added to the list of denials. I never got definitive responses from BetRivers, FOX Bet, SBK, theScore, PlayUp, Barstool, WynnBET, or Bally Bet.

There was also the curious case of Play Maverick, operated by Maverick Gaming, which also runs casinos in Colorado. I called their Z Casino in Blackhawk, and a customer service representative said, β€œNobody works in the sportsbook.”

Uh, what?

“Unfortunately there’s nobody manning it,” she said.

As tempting as it was to get distracted with that factoid, I don’t have time to worry about why there is an unmanned sportsbook out there in Colorado. We’re dealing with matters of utmost importance here.

A break in the case

Similar to Z Casino, there are online sportsbooks in Colorado that appear to be operated by no one at all or non-sentient beings. Good luck finding anyone with a pulse at SI Sportsbook or Elite Sportsbook, which has a customer service phone line that blares stock rock music, between interludes of extreme static, that is marginally better than the average Nickelback song. For what it’s worth, PlayUp had the best hold music. Can’t go wrong with jazz standards.

Among several online chat discussions with what I assumed were bots, there was BetWildwood, which had a customer service phone line that didn’t work. The BetWildwood chat has a pleasant chime when a response comes in, but I wasn’t getting anywhere, so I moved on. I eventually found out ISI Race and Sports runs the BetWildwood site, so I called over there. A nice fellow named Julio Castillo, an IT customer service manager at ISI, answered the phone and told me he was the one chatting with me online, too. But alas, ISI did not ask to offer betting on the Puppy Bowl.

β€œThat would not be us,” Castillo said. β€œThat’s definitely something I would know about.”

I hung up. Another discouraging result. I may never find out the truth.

But then, like a dispatch of the gambling gods from Mount Olympus β€” or in this case, Mount Elbert? β€” that warm, welcoming chime rang into my ears. I had not closed the chat window with Castillo, so he sent another response.

β€œSome internal information told me it was MGM who requested it, and it was declined because of β€˜integrity.’ Thank you very much for your questions. Have a great day!”

A great day it was.

Was it BetMGM?

According to Elisa Richardson, who handles PR for BetMGM, the operator did not ask to offer Puppy Bowl betting.

Now I feel betrayed.

Is BetMGM embarrassed and doesn’t want to admit its Puppy Bowl boondoggle? Was that pleasant, seemingly helpful man at ISI and on the chat trying to lead me off the scent? Was he pulling my leg? Was I chasing my tail? Does he have an ax to grind with MGM? Could this all be part of a grand conspiracy to hide the truth? Is he Hydra? Sorry, I just watched an Avengers movie with my kid.

We may never know.

The truth was out there

Late in the search, I called Doug Terfehr, the vice president of brand marketing at MaximBet. He confirmed it. MaximBet was the sportsbook that asked to offer betting on the Puppy Bowl. There wasn’t much drama or flair.

β€œIt was a quick no,” Terfehr said of the Division of Gaming’s response to MaximBet’s request.

“We regularly look for and release outside-the-box ideas that bring more fun and entertainment to any event,” Terfehr added. β€œWe are a lifestyle sports betting brand, and sports fans in the U.S. really like the recreational side of these props, as evident by the annual interest in the unique props around Super Bowl.”

Oh. Probably should have just asked them first.

But seriously, adopt a dog, please

Until we can bet on it, the whole point of the Puppy Bowl, other than dispensing unmitigated joy to the masses, is to encourage people to adopt puppies and adult dogs (and cats, if you’re so inclined, Jay Kornegay).

The Puppy Bowl adopt page isn’t much help right now, which is unfortunate, but local animal shelters would be happy to walk you through the process. Just do a Google search, or you can find a local spot through the ASPCA at this link.

This adopted mutt thanks you.

The best dog ever is 11 years old today pic.twitter.com/0r2iHbU3EA

— Jeremy Balan (@jeremybalan) October 1, 2021

 

ShareTweetShare
Jeremy Balan

Jeremy Balan

Jeremy Balan has been a journalist, editor, and sports writer since 2007. After years covering prep, college, and pro sports for online and print media, he focused on turf writing at BloodHorse from 2015-2019 and won an Eclipse Award for his coverage of the devastating fire at San Luis Rey Training Center. Contact Jeremy on Twitter (@jeremybalan) or through email at [email protected].

Related Posts

WWE Michigan Gaming Control Board
Regulation

Michigan Gaming Control Board: No Direct Talks With WWE On Betting Markets

March 9, 2023
roman reigns wwe
Regulation

Colorado Denies Report Stating That It’s Considering WWE Wagering

March 8, 2023
Load More

Top Stories

taylor mathis

Taylor Mathis Got Sacrificed At The Altar Of Responsible Gambling

March 20, 2023
fanduel baseball wall

Premade Same Game Parlays Are Sucker Bets

March 13, 2023
maginfier-over-small-print

Read The Fine Print: A Proposed Federal Rule Could Change Everything For Indian Gaming

March 6, 2023
roman reigns wwe

Colorado Denies Report Stating That It’s Considering WWE Wagering

March 8, 2023

State Sports Betting Guides

Ohio (U.S. state) flag waving against clear blue sky, close up, isolated with clipping path mask alpha channel transparency, perfect for film, news, composition

Ohio Sports Betting – Where To Play, Bonus Offers And Promo Codes

by Brian Pempus
March 24, 2023

Downtown Detroit at twilight (Shutterstock)

Michigan Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 24, 2023

VA captial

Virginia Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonus Offers

by Brett Smiley
January 17, 2023

nj flag

New Jersey Sports Betting — Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks, And FAQ

by Brett Smiley
March 22, 2023

pa online sportsbooks

Pennsylvania Sports Betting – Where To Play, Online Sportsbooks And Bonuses

by Brett Smiley
October 6, 2022

Canada Sports Betting Guides

Canada Sports Betting – Best Sportsbook Apps & Bonus Offers

British Columbia Sports Betting – Legal Update, Available Sportsbooks, and FAQ

Ontario Sports Betting – Legal Status And Where To Play

SportsHandle

  • Analysis
  • Casino
  • Features
  • Horse Racing
  • Industry
  • Legal
  • Legislation
  • Opinion
  • Podcasts
  • Poker
  • Politics
  • Promotions
  • Regulation
  • Sports
  • Uncategorized

Better Collective

This website is owned and operated by Better Collective USA. Trademarks and copyrights referenced on this website are and shall remain the exclusive property of their respective owners and/or licensors. Please be sure to visit the operator’s website(s) to review their terms & conditions. We advise you to read these carefully as they contain important information. Copyright Β© 2023 USBets.com | Better Collective USA
21 Play Responsibly
Gamble Aware West Virginia
Gambling Problem? Call 1-800-Gambler.
GameSense

Search Sports Handle

No Result
View All Result
  • About Us / Contact
  • Responsible Gambling

No Result
View All Result
  • US Sports Betting
    • Arizona
    • Arkansas
    • Colorado
    • Connecticut
    • Delaware
    • Illinois
    • Indiana
    • Iowa
    • Kansas
    • Louisiana
    • Maine
    • Maryland
    • Massachusetts
    • Michigan
    • Mississippi
    • New Jersey
    • New Mexico
    • New York
    • Ohio
    • Oregon
    • Pennsylvania
    • Tennessee
    • Virginia
    • West Virginia
    • Wyoming
  • Pending States
    • California
    • Florida
    • Georgia
    • Missouri
    • North Carolina
  • Canada
    • Ontario
    • British Columbia
    • Alberta
  • Sportsbook Apps
    • FanDuel
    • BetMGM
    • Caesars
    • PointsBet
    • BetRivers
  • Tools
    • Sportsbook Bonuses Explained
    • Sports Betting Revenue Tracker
    • Sports Betting Podcasts
    • Partnership Tracker
    • Expected Value
    • Sports Scores And Odds Apps
    • Sports Betting Twitter
  • News

loading

Please wait while you are redirected to the right page...