“The countdown continues as we move closer to sports wagering with retail locations opening in just 15 days. Thank you to the Kentucky Horse Racing Commission for their dedication to getting this done right and getting it done in time for the opening of the NFL season.”
—Andy Beshear, commenting on the state’s upcoming sports betting rollout, just five months after legislation was signed
“I quickly realized this was not a normal workplace. I can never work in state service again under the same leadership.”
—Di Ma, former assistant counsel for the New York Gaming Commission, in a report about the agency’s “toxic” work environment
“You come here, you shop, you eat, you play the tables. If they’re not coming to London, because things cost 20 percent more, that affects everything. It affects casinos.”
—John O’Reilly, chief executive officer of the Rank Group, remarking on lower revenues in London’s casinos for the last year, compared to the rest of the U.K.
“We’ve had great success in the U.S. and Canada with our BetMGM brand and we’re confident we can duplicate this success in other markets, beginning with the U.K.”
—Gary Fritz, MGM’s president of International Interactive, commenting on the entry of MGM into the U.K. sportsbook market with BetMGM, which went live August 17
“I never really paid attention to it, other than we signed a form.”
—Kirk Ferentz, head coach of the Iowa Hawkeyes, on how he dealt with sports gambling when he was a student and young coach
“I mean, I broke a rule. I owned up to it.”
—Noah Shannon, a current Iowa player who got caught breaking a sports betting rule and was suspended for the current season
“Over the next few weeks, over 100 permits will be complete. We understand this meets all of the requirements that the bipartisan infrastructure law laid out. Now, it just needs the funding to be able to start construction. The sooner we get it up and running, Nevada’s economy will continue to boom.”
—Jackie Rosen, in a letter to U.S. Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg asking him to approve a $3.75 billion federal grant to help fund construction of a high-speed railway connecting Las Vegas and Southern California
