Ex-NBA Player Jontay Porter Pleads Guilty
In an attempt to pay off mounting betting debt, former Toronto Raptor Jontay Porter prematurely removed himself from two NBA games in January and March. On July 11, he pled guilty to conspiracy to commit wire fraud after turning himself into federal authorities. Porter entered his plea at the US District Court for the Eastern District of New York, reported iGB.
Federal prosecutors recommended 41-51 months in prison and Porter will have to pay more than $450,000 in fines and fees. Porter was released on $250,000 bond put up by his wife and mother.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver banned Porter from the league for life in April, several weeks after news broke that he may have violated league wagering rules. Porter tampered with two games so that his co-conspirators could win “under” prop bets. NBA players are allowed to gamble, but are forbidden from betting on basketball and from fixing games. Porter is the only NBA player to be banned or suspended for betting since PASPA was overturned in 2018.
Betway to Exit U.S. for Sports Betting
Betway parent Super Group on Wednesday announced that it will shutter its U.S. sports betting platforms following an extensive internal review, according to iGB. The firm said in a statement it will close sportsbook operations in nine states. CEO Neal Menashe said he does not see a long-term path to profitability.
Betway is currently live in Arizona, Colorado, Indiana, Iowa, Louisiana, New Jersey, Virginia, Ohio and Pennsylvania.
The group’s online gambling offering in New Jersey and Pennsylvania will remain, with a focus on two brands from its Spin portfolio, including its Jackpot City brand.
SaharaBets Shutters Arizona Platform
SaharaBets announced July 10 that its Arizona wagering platform shut down. The shutdown was immediate, and SaharaBets requested that patrons withdraw all funds by Aug. 8. SaharaBets was tethered to the NHL Arizona Coyotes, but the team assets were sold to a Utah group earlier this year, and owner Alex Mereulo said in June he was unwinding the remaining business. After losing their lease, the Coyotes had plans to build a new arena, but a scheduled land auction was canceled, leaving them nowhere to build.
Arizona law requires betting platforms to be tethered to professional sports franchises or tribal casinos. SaharaBets was left without a franchise. The exit will increase the number of available pro-franchises licenses to three, though it does not appear that any other pro franchises in Arizona could qualify for a license.
BetMGM, Caesars to Go Live Across DC Monday
After four years of being limited to offering their digital platforms within a two-block radius, BetMGM and Caesars Sportsbook Monday will take off the geofence. Last month, the DC Council passed a new budget that allows for an open wagering marketplace. Because BetMGM and Caesars have been live with digital platforms with limited reach, they’ll be the first to join lottery partner FanDuel in offering citywide access.
Under the new law, commercial operators can apply to offer their platforms in The District. FanDuel, which took over the lottery’s offering in April, said it would exit that deal if the market opened. FanDuel is currently paying a 40 percent tax rate for the privilege of having a monopoly. Operators in the new landscape will pay a 20 percent tax rate.
DraftKings, Live! Philadelphia Fined $100,000
The New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE) didn’t mince words Monday. Per the Associated Press, the DGE fined DraftKings $100,000 for inaccurately reporting some wagering numbers over several months.
“These types of gross errors and failures cannot be tolerated in the New Jersey gaming regulatory system,” DGE Acting Director Mary Jo Flaherty wrote to the operator. She called DraftKings’ conduct “unacceptable.”
The fine was the second six-figure fine assigned to an operator in the last two weeks. On June 26, the Pennsylvania Gaming Control Board issued a $100,00 fine to Live! Philadelphia for taking sports bets over the phone. The brick-and-mortar sportsbook took more than $287,000 in wagers over the phone. Of the bets, three were taken via text message and lost and the bettor never laid down the funds.
FanDuel Fined for Taking Bets on Completed Events
The Associated Press Wednesday reported that the NJDGE fined FanDuel $2,000 for offering bets on MMA fights that were already over. On April Fool’s day, the digital sportsbook took 34 bets on fights that were completed March 25. FanDuel paid out more than $230,000 to settle the bets.
CFL Says No to Latest Gambling Ad-Ban Trend
Canadian lawmakers are among a group that are considering a ban on gambling advertising. But CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie sent a letter to his country’s parliament essentially telling it to butt out.
“We do not agree a national framework is required to regulate the advertising of sports betting in Canada,” CFL commissioner Randy Ambrosie wrote in a letter to the senate’s standing committee on transport and communications. “Having said that, we do not claim perfection on this or any other issue. We recognise in all we do we must remain open minded and continue to learn and evolve.”
Ambrosie may be the first major professional league commissioner anywhere in the world to publicly oppose a gambling ad ban.
West Virginia Joins Cease-and-Desist Parade
West Virginia in late June became the latest state to send offshore book Bovada a cease-and-desist letter. The Mountaineer State followed the leads of Colorado, Connecticut, and Michigan.
But will the letters really make a difference? In his “Straight to the Point” substack, Steve Ruddock isn’t so sure. He writes that regulators must target the whole black market, not just one operator. And that Bovada has “track record shows that the company does a great job evading law enforcement and covering its tracks.”
Flutter and Boyd Gaming to Partner on Penn Deal?
As activist investors are pushing Penn Entertainment to divest its digital gaming arm, The Deal July 5 reported that Flutter and Boyd Gaming may partner on an agreement. Boyd has a 5 percent ownership stake in Flutter, and partners with Flutter’s FanDuel in the US for retail and digital sports betting.
“Adding Flutter into the equation with Boyd of a potential Penn acquisition makes it more than interesting,” gaming consultant Brendan Bussmann told iGB. “It’s a back door into the ESPN brand for online, but would also give a brick-and-mortar presence to Flutter.”
New DFS Pick’em Marketplace on FantasyWire
Wire Industries, the parent company of WagerWire, July 9 announced that it is breaking out two new verticals for daily fantasy sports and sports betting media. According to a company press release, FantasyWire will have the industry’s first DFS pick ‘em marketplace.
The new media vertical will include The Sports Influencers, launched in 2023 to provide original betting content.
In Other News …
North Carolina’s legislative session adjourned in late June, and a bill that would have banned college-player prop bets was left stuck in committee.
The New York State Gaming Commission according to iGB a drop in handle for May against June, but betting was up more than 25% against June 2023, according to iGB.
North Carolina operators had their slowest month since betting went live in March. Operators had a 10% hold on handle of $398 million.
Bettors in Illinois laid down $1bn in bets for the ninth consecutive month in May, the latest month the Illinois Gaming Board released numbers for. Handle was 21.9% over May 2023.
