Fanatics Closing Retail Book at Guardians’ Stadium
Fanatics is shuttering its sportsbook facility at Progressive Field, the Cleveland Guardians’ ballpark.
The closure of the underperforming facility underscores a trend nationwide where customers are flocking online to bet on sports. When Ohio bettors wagered approximately $9 billion last year on the legal market, roughly 98 percent of the handle was placed online.
Just after the launch of sports betting in Ohio, a number of leading operators opened retail sportsbooks inside professional sports venues. Besides the facility at Progressive Field, operators also opened books in venues occupied by the NBA’s Cavaliers and the Reds of MLB. As with the Fanatics venture, retail sports betting has failed to prosper at the other facilities. Down the street, Caesars closed a sportsbook inside Rocket Arena, the home of the Cavs.
The Fanatics book consistently ranked among the least-utilized retail sportsbooks in the state. In February, the in-person facility handled approximately $19,018 in wagers, generating revenue of $4,489. By comparison, Fanatics’ online sportsbook in Ohio handled roughly $1.5 million on the month. Last year, the retail book lost $226,000, according to state filings.
Fanatics opened the retail sportsbook in August 2023.
MGC Approves Return of $106K in Wagers From Deceased Patron
The Massachusetts Gaming Commission (MGC) unanimously approved a request from DraftKings April 10 to void a series of futures wagers from an account of a deceased patron.
DraftKings notified the MGC on March 7 regarding a request from an attorney representing the spouse of a deceased account holder. The patron made nine wagers on the Boston Celtics to win either the 2025 NBA Championship or the 2025 Eastern Conference title for a total of $106,100. DraftKings faced a total liability of $384,730 on the wagers.
Pursuant to 205 CMR 238.35(2), the MGC is responsible for reviewing and authorizing requests to cancel or void wagers of a specific type, kind or subject. Based on the ruling, the funds will be returned to the deceased patron’s account and made available for estate withdrawal.
DraftKings told the MGC that honoring such requests in exceptional circumstances strengthens public trust and upholds industry integrity. As of Thursday night, the Celtics had odds of +215 at DraftKings to repeat as NBA champions.
Bama Sports Betting Bill Contains NIL Earmark
A bid from a select group of Alabama legislators to bring sports betting to the state isn’t dead yet.
While a gambling bill recently died in a Senate committee, a competing one in the House remains active ahead of a May 15 deadline. The bill, HB 490, seeks to legalize sports wagering, create a state lottery and establish an Alabama Gaming Commission (AGC). Alabama is one of only five states without a state lottery. Sponsored by Rep. Jeremy Gray, the bill was referred to the House Committee on Economic Development and Tourism.
The bill calls for a 10 percent tax on revenues generated from sports wagering. The taxes generated would be apportioned to the state’s general fund as well as an education trust fund. The remaining 20 percent would head to a newly created NIL (name, image and likeness) trust fund for high school athletes.
Under the bill, the AGC would create an NIL Oversight Committee composed of five prominent education officials across the state. The state would hold a portion of the NIL compensation in the trust, with 50 percent of all compensation received by each student athlete remitted to the state comptroller for deposit into the fund. The so-called Alabama Sports Wagering Control Act aims to prevent fraud, unethical NIL agreements and gambling-related harm of high school athletes.
