DraftKings Agrees to Buy Simplebet
DraftKings Aug. 28 announced that it has come to terms to buy Simplebet in an effort to punch up its in-play betting capabilities and boost its AI game.
The acquisition will be DraftKings’ second major purchase this year, after it completed the purchase of digital lottery company Jackpocket in May. DraftKings earlier this year also acquired SportsIQ Analytics and sold VSiN back to its original owners.
DraftKings, founded in 2012 in Boston, is the second-biggest US sports betting company by market share. Details of the deal were not released and are pending regulatory approval. The boards of directors for both companies have approved the acquisition, according to a DraftKings press release.
Pro Poker Player Pleads Guilty to Running Illegal Sportsbook
Damien LeForbes, a professional poker player, Aug. 26 agreed to plead guilty to running an illegal sportsbook in California. His business is likely tied to Mathew Bowyer’s. Bowyer is the illegal California bookmaker who took wagers from former Shohei Ohtani interpreter Ippei Mizuhara. Bowyer last month agreed to plead guilty to multiple federal counts.
Both operated illegal sportsbooks in Los Angeles and Orange counties in California and Clark County, Nevada.
LeForbes, according to Legal Sports Report, wagered $148 million at “Casino A,” as it is referred to in court documents. It’s possible that the casino is Resorts World. A May Nevada Current story said he owed Resorts World $12.3 million. Resorts World was identified as the casino at which Bowyer laundered illegal funds. Earlier this month, the Nevada Gaming Control Board issued a list of violations against Resorts World that could result in disciplinary action and fines.
SEC Implements Mandatory Injury Reporting
In response to the spread of sports betting and related scandals, the Southeastern Conference (SEC) has implemented mandatory injury reporting ahead of the upcoming football season. The Big Ten did so last season and the Mid-American Conference followed suit earlier this month.
“This availability reporting policy is intended to reduce pressure from outside entities seeking participation information and represents a commitment of our 16 institutions to provide enhanced transparency to support efforts to protect our student-athletes and the integrity of competition,” SEC Commissioner Greg Sankey said via press release.
Teams will now be required to submit the injury reports three days ahead of kickoff, but it’s not clear if that is for every game or just games played among conference opponents.
According to iGB, football teams will be fined on a sliding scale starting at $25,000 for the first offense of failing to comply with the reporting requirements and up to $100,000 for a third (or more) offense. Basketball teams will be fined on a sliding scale from $15,000-$25,000 for failing to comply.
BlueBet Announces U.S. Exit
Australian-based BlueBet Aug. 29 announced it is exiting the U.S. to focus on its “core” Australian business. The company merged with Betr in April with a goal of increasing Australian market share to more than 10 percent. BlueBet operates as ClutchBet in the US and is licensed in Colorado, Iowa and Louisiana.
According to the press release, BlueBet made the decision, in part, because “slower than expected [US] regulation has hampered total market growth and hindered interest in the Company’s B2B SaaS platform, which BlueBet viewed as a significant opportunity.”
Hard Rock Goes Live Online in Illinois
Hard Rock Digital Aug. 26 launched its wagering platform in Illinois. The platform is tethered to the Hard Rock Casino Rockford, and marks the eighth state in which the platform is live. Hard Rock Bet is already live in Arizona, Florida, Indiana, New Jersey, Ohio, Tennessee and Virginia.
The company opened its brick-and-mortar sportsbook at the Rockford location Aug. 29. The sportsbook has five wagering kiosks and three teller windows.
Missouri Sports Betting: See You in Court
The fate of Missouri’s legal digital sports betting initiative could be decided as soon as Sept. 5 in Cole County Circuit Court. Political consultants Jacqueline Wood and Blake Lawrence last week filed a lawsuit claiming that the Missouri Secretary of State improperly certified voter signatures for the initiative.
The initiative would allow for retail and statewide digital wagering. Each professional sports team/venue and casino company would get one digital skin (platform) and there would be two stand-alone mobile licenses available.
Just Win, Baby!
That’s definitely what at least one Raiders fan is hoping. Caesars Sportsbook in June took a $31,000 on 80-1 odds that the Raiders will win the Super Bowl, per the Las Vegas Review-Journal. Should that happen, Caesars will have to pay out $2.48 million. The wager is the biggest to date of any NFL futures bet at any sportsbook across the country.
The Raiders have won three Super Bowls, the last in 1983, and one AFL championship in 1967. The Raiders have gotten to the Super Bowl four times, most recently in 2003, when they lost to Tampa Bay.
