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.
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On Wednesday, a U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee met for a hearing to discuss daily fantasy sports.
No immediate action or proposals resulted from Wednesday’s hearing, and subcommittee members noted that gambling generally is regulated at the state, not federal, level, though there was some discussion about how daily fantasy sports comply with the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 (PASPA).
The daily fantasy sports industry has been debated in several state legislatures, and several state attorney generals have issued advisory opinions against the games, in some cases prompting companies to cease operations there. At the same time, other states are crafting legislation to regulate and assign oversight.
The true purpose of the hearing, however, seemed to be focus more on sports betting than daily fantasy sports.
The real purpose, however, for the nearly two-hour long hearing on Wednesday became clear minutes in: the decriminalization of sports gambling nationwide.
“The biggest thing for me is that I would like us to legalize sports betting,” Rep. Frank Pallone (D-N.J.) said after the hearing. “I am hoping this panel and the statements that were made about why it doesn’t make sense to allow (sports betting) to go underground and run by organized crime would lead us to some kind of legislation.
“The point is allowing sports betting to be legal in states like New Jersey who want it. That’s what I was hoping this would contribute to, primarily.”
An NJ.com article suggests the hearing could advance the cause for those pushing to legalize sports betting in Atlantic City.
A 1992 federal law banned sports betting in all but four states: Nevada, Delaware, Montana, and Oregon. Pallone and U.S. Rep. Frank LoBiondo (R-2nd Dist.) have introduced legislation to change the law and allow New Jersey to offer sports betting.
That would pave the way for sports betting in Atlantic City, which state officials have sought for years, only to be stymied in the courts in the face of opposition from professional sports leagues and the National Collegiate Athletic Association. The state’s latest attempt is before the Third Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals.
“Voters overwhelming approved a ballot measure in support of legalized sports betting in 2011 and I support Governor Christie’s decision to challenge unfair and outdated laws in the courts that permit other states to benefit from sports betting — but not New Jersey,” said Rep. Leonard Lance (R-7th Dist.), a member of the House Energy and Commerce Committee who participated in the hearing.
While actual sports betting remains illegal in New Jersey, “virtual sports” betting is expanding.
Gamblers betting on virtual sports don’t wager on real matches. They bet on the outcomes of simulated games such as soccer, greyhound races and cycling competitions.
Discussion of a potential Raiders move to Las Vegas hasn’t died down. A Los Angeles Times reporter spoke with Las Vegas sports book operators about whether or not betting would be allowed.
“You come to Vegas, you take Vegas the way Vegas is,” said MGM Resorts’ Jay Rood, who sets the betting lines at some of its best-known properties, including MGM Grand, Mirage, Mandalay Bay and New York/New York.
“As much as we want to see a pro franchise, I certainly would not be in favor of taking those games off the board,” said Jay Kornegay, the race and sports book director of the Westgate Superbook. “It’d be sending the wrong message. It’s stating something is wrong with the industry.”
An ESPN The Magazine article explores former NFL receiver Reche Caldwell’s path from the Patriots to prison.
His head stays bowed like that for a long time, until he’s asked to explain exactly how he went from the Patriots to prison, how he transitioned from being the best receiver in New England to the worst drug kingpin in Tampa. Finally, Caldwell lifts his head and a wry smile unfurls across his face. That’s easy, he roars.
“I Googled it, baby!”
Most days he hung out in a tiny, dilapidated brick building tucked in the shadow of I-275 between a boarded-up factory and an empty, overgrown lot. A barbershop occupies the east end of the building, and a car-detailing business, a billiards room and a storefront area, featuring three ticket windows, fill the other side. Police say with Caldwell’s bankroll and the help of several associates, the corner transformed into a wildly popular homegrown gambling parlor. And Caldwell didn’t keep a low profile — his bright red Jeep parked out front was like a neon OTB sign. He says he liked to gamble, especially on football. But what he really loved was feeling as if his experience and expertise about the game were back in high demand. “He was just a happy-go-lucky guy who liked to smoke pot, gamble, hang out and talk about sports,” Matassini says, “and that’s it.”
The Kenyan sports betting craze has led to trouble for some problem gamblers.
The betting craze that has engulfed the country has turned into a source of pain for some families, with individuals committing suicide, losing property and students squandering school fees.
In some instances, the betting has led to families breaking up.
The most tragic case is that of Mr Kennedy Kosgei from Eldoret, who borrowed Sh45,000 from Kenya Commercial Bank and placed all the stake on Spanish football club Real Madrid using two different accounts on online betting firm Sportpesa.
He was found hanging from a tree soon afterwards, after his beloved team lost to archrivals Atletico Madrid via a solitary goal.
Another man who works in a Nairobi bank lost Sh500,000 that he had borrowed to bet on the same match.
The 42-year-old suffered double tragedy when his wife left him after she learnt that her husband had lost their Sh500,000 loan to Sportpesa.