Twice weekly, we’ll comb through as many articles, tweets and podcasts as we can find related to the world of sports betting and daily fantasy sports, and publish the good stuff here.
Stumble upon something you think we should include? Email info@bettingtalk.com.
* * *
Over the weekend it was announced that Brock Lesnar will return to fight Mark Hunt at UFC 200 next month.
“At the top of my career, I wasn’t at the top of my game,” Lesnar said. “I felt like I was cheated out of my career in the UFC. In my mind and in my heart, I never lost to a foe. I never lost to an opponent. I lost to diverticulitis. That was my opponent that beat me. A lot of other people might have other thoughts about that.
“I’m sitting here today and I feel 1,000 percent.”
An article published by MMAJunkie explores if MMA and UFC have surpassed boxing as king of combat-sports betting.
In 2005 Rood estimates that 80 percent of the bets his operation took on combat sports were on boxing fight nights compared to just 20 percent on MMA events. Just 10 years later, Rood said, the two sportsare running roughly 50-50. And the momentum seems squarely in MMA’s corner.
A New York Post article points out that Donald Trump’s odds to become president have improved after each “gaffe” the candidate has made.
Trump started out as a 100-to-1 shot days after referring to Mexicans as criminals and rapists on June 16, according to data from Ladbrokes and Bettingexpert.com.
By the time he mocked John McCain’s POW status and heroism on July 18, he was down to 50 to 1.
Then, after insulting Megyn Kelly during the Aug. 6 GOP debate, he improved to 20 to 1.
By Dec. 7, when he called for a ban on Muslim immigration, the odds were 6 to 1 — and he’s currently at 2 to 1.
Larry Sabato, a political science professor at the University of Virginia, said Trump benefits from all the attention — and that his voters don’t care when he spouts off.
Three new casino resorts are set to open in Massachusetts next year and they’re likely to emerge as a lobbying force according to experts. These efforts will likely include a push for sports betting legalization in the state.
“The casinos know how to lobby on the state and national levels, and they are effective,” he said. Beyond taxes, Massachusetts casinos are likely to push for expansions into sports betting and online gambling, he said.
A New York Daily News article points out that neither daily fantasy sports bill introduced to New York’s legislature contain a requirement that any revenue generated should go toward education — where gambling-related revenue in the state typically goes.
“Ten years ago the state committed to fully fund our schools as a result of the Campaign for Fiscal Equity court order, but they’ve stiffed our school kids and still owe $4 billion,” said Billy Easton, of the Alliance for Quality Education. “So if anyone is going to put forward a serious plan on daily fantasy sports, show our schools the money and fully fund CFE now.”
Daily fantasy sports took fantasy sports action down from lasting a season to a single day. Next up: play-by-play.
“I think we’re living in this real-time, technical trading world, and there’s so much betting that goes on. I think this first iteration that we’re seeing, with the DraftKings kind of phenomenon and this daily interactive gaming, it makes sense,” Leonsis told Sports Illustrated. “You’re going to have wallets on your phone. People now are going to start to make wagers in a real-time way. You know, ‘I think he’s going to make a pass instead of take the shot.’ And you’ll be able to instantly move money back and forth. So it’s better to get in front of it.”
Daily fantasy sports site DraftOps is arguing that DFS is illegal in Minnesota so they don’t owe the Minnesota Wild $1.1 million from a sponsorship deal.
The lawsuit thus contends that because it is “illegal” in that jurisdiction, it would also be illegal under federal laws like the UIGEA. By that logic, forcing the agreement to stay in place would mean DraftOps would have to operate illegally.