SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.
DraftKings Sportsbook’s Johnny Avello Talks Oscars, Identifies Potential Upsets
The 91st Academy Awards ceremony will mark at least two milestones: it will be the first time since 1989 that the show will go on without a host, and the first time that U.S.-based sportsbooks will be offering legal betting markets on the show. For a complete breakdown on the movies, betting action to date, potential upsets and how DraftKings Sportsbook set their odds, I caught up with DraftKings’ Director of Sportsbook Operations, Johnny Avello.
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Everything You Need To Know About The AAF, AAF Betting
The Alliance of American Football (AAF) debuted to high television ratings and positive feedback from a majority of fans. But what exactly is the AAF? If you’re looking to start watching or betting on the AAF, here is all the information fans needs to know about the new spring football league.
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Illinois Governor Wants State To Take Up Sports Betting ASAP
The state of Illinois took a major step forward toward sports betting after the governor on Wednesday called for the legalization as part of his budget address. Illinois Gov. J.B. Pritzker, a Democrat, outlined his vision for many issues during a roughly 30-minute speech, but sports betting received a lot of attention. “This budget also includes the legalization and taxation of sports betting,” he said (via a transcript from the Chicago Sun-Times). “Expansion of gambling is a perennial effort in this state, and often these proposals get bogged down in regional disputes and a Christmas tree approach.”
Full story here.
Ohio Sports Betting Bill Expected In March, Key Lawmaker Says
Ohio policymakers are taking their time behind the scenes crafting a potential sports betting framework, all in an effort to hopefully expedite the process once it formally hits the legislative table. Legislation is the works right now and could be introduced in the first half of March, according to Buckeye State Sen. John Eklund, a Republican who has already put his name on a shell bill that signaled Ohio’s intent to take up this issue this year. Eklund is the chair of the Senate’s Ways and Means Committee.
Full story here.
Indiana Committee Passes Sports Betting Legislation, Setting Stage For Senate Vote
On Thursday, the Indiana Senate Appropriations Committee voted 12-0 in favor of a piece of legislation that calls for legalizing sports betting, including mobile wagering platforms, in the state. The legislation, SB 552, is a larger gambling expansion package that includes other changes to the state’s casino industry, most notably riverboat casino relocations. Indiana state Sen. Mark Messmer, a Republican sponsor of the bill, told the committee that the legislation’s tax structure for sports betting will be fleshed out in the House as the session unfolds.
Full story here.
Blurred Lines: Prominent Radio Show Unwittingly Promotes Black Market Sports Betting
In response to a caller question Wednesday morning about Manny Machado’s likely free agency landing spot, possibly with the New York Yankees, Gregg Gianotti, co-host of WFAN’s flagship morning show Boomer and Gio, took to Google to find the answer. “These betting guys know,” Gianotti said, at least the second time this week that Gio had turned to oddsmakers — regarded as the most reliable indicators of what events are most and least likely to occur. Because bookmakers have good information and, after all, their skin depends upon it.
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Expert Q&A: How Do Tribes See The Sports Betting Opportunity?
In a recent series of articles on the Tribal view of sports wagering, we learned that there’s no consensus amongst Tribes nationwide regarding the sports wagering opportunity. Some have open arms while others see it as a threat, not an opportunity. One great unifier? The desire for and enforcement of gaming exclusivity. The intersection of Native American gaming operations and sports betting will come into focus at the upcoming conference Betting on Sports America, from April 23 to 25 in New Jersey. In advance of the discussion, “Tribal View: How Do Tribes See The Sports Betting Opportunity,” Sports Handle spoke with two of the panel’s speakers, Sheila Morago, Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indian Gaming Association, and Brian Wyman, Senior Vice President, Operations & Data Analytics for the Innovation Group.
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