SportsHandle and friends deliver another round-up of the week’s big developments in US sports betting.
Simplebet Appears Ready To Transform In-Game Sports Betting Through Innovative Artificial Intelligence Platform
Already trailing by two touchdowns in a Week 4 matchup against the Los Angeles Chargers, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers faced a critical challenge on a disputed catch by O.J. Howard midway through the second quarter.
A 5-yard catch by the Bucs’ tight end in the left flat appeared to give Tampa a first down on its own 40. The Chargers, however, challenged the reception, asserting that Howard dropped the pass as he brought the ball to the ground. As players on the sideline reacted emotionally to the ruling, participants in a free-to-play contest from FanDuel monitored the decision closely.
Full story here.
Pro Gamblers Accuse NV Bookmaker Of ‘Cheating’ On In-Game Bets
Is a leading sportsbook in the U.S., a dominant player in the Nevada market, creating an unfair advantage against some customers? Some gamblers say the book is “cheating,” while others say the problem might not reach that threshold. It’s a complex situation that impacts the sports betting industry broadly.
William Hill US has been accused by at least two prominent sports bettors of intentionally delaying the acceptance of in-game wagers in the Silver State, depending on if the wager is good or bad for the book. In other words, they’re saying it’s allegedly not a technology shortcoming, but a deliberate attempt by the book to boost its winning percentage against gamblers.
Full story here.
DFS Players, Operators Brace For Impact Of Latest IRS Tax Ruling
Building on a July 23 memorandum that declared daily fantasy sports (DFS) to be a form of gambling and thus subject to a federal tax, last Friday the IRS published another memo, dated Sept. 14, that confirmed “The amount paid by a daily fantasy sports player to participate in a daily fantasy sports contest constitutes an amount paid for a wagering transaction” under Section 165(d).
With the IRS doubling down on its assertion that, yes, for tax purposes, DFS is gambling, it’s probably time for DFS players and operators to transition from viewing this as an “if” to approaching it as a “when.”
Full story here.
D.C.’s First Independent Sportsbook Prepping For Opening As Neighbors Resist
Shane August is finally on the cusp of opening the first independently owned retail sportsbook in the United States, but he’s got one more hurdle to get over — convincing his new neighbors that a Las Vegas-style sportsbook won’t be the “wild, wild West and alleyways.”
August is aiming to open his Handle 19 Sportsbook in Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood by Thanksgiving. He said he’s expecting the D.C. Lottery to issue his Class B Gaming license by the end of this month. With that, Handle 19 could start taking bets, making it the second brick-and-mortar sportsbook venue in D.C. to do so. The other is the William Hill sportsbook at Capital One Arena, owned by sports magnate Ted Leonsis, which so far has generated far more legal betting activity than the lottery’s GamBetDC mobile app.
Full story here.
Michigan Zeroing In On iGaming, Sports Betting Launch Date
Michigan Rep. Brandt Iden may have been hoping to be thankful for sports betting at Thanksgiving, but it’s looking more like two years after his Christmas nightmare, this year he may be able to realize his Christmas dream … or at the least, be able to place a Super Bowl bet from his phone.
Michigan’s iGaming rules were sent to the state’s legislative Joint Committee on Administrative Rules earlier this month, and given the time frame for review in that committee, it appears digital sports betting could launch as early as the second half of December. The rules were sent to JCAR on Oct. 8 and the clock for how long it can hold them began Oct. 13. The committee must hold the rules for 15 days or waive that requirement. To date, there has been no waiver. It appears that the 15th session day would be on or about Dec. 15.
Full story here.
Betting On NJ College Teams In NJ? They’re Working On It — With Limitations
New Jersey has been a pioneer in the expansion of legal, regulated sports betting beyond Nevada, highlighted by victory in a six-year battle in federal court that culminated with a May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling.
Just one month after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992, New Jersey racetracks and Atlantic City casinos began opening sportsbooks.
But there was one notable quirk in New Jersey’s rules, and it has since been copied in several other states.
Full story here.
