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Florida lawmakers are doubling on proposals to use sports betting money to expand environmental projects further. The 2024 legislative session began with bills to benefit parks and waterways in the Sunshine State. A “Welcome to Florida” sign greets travelers to the state.  (Image: Katherine Welles/Adobe Stock Images) Rep. Vern Buchanan (R-Sarasota) introduced House Bill 1417, which is focused on spending most of the revenue from gambling. Senate Bill 1638, introduced by Sen. Travis Hutson (R – 7th District), specified funding for environmental management and protections, including research. Florida’s Senate President Kathleen Passidimo (R-Naples) told Senators in her opening remarks she supports gambling revenue to fund land acquisition and conservation. Using …

NCAA President Charlie Baker used his “State of College Sports” address at the NCAA Convention in Phoenix this week to highlight the ongoing critical importance of protecting student-athletes against rogue sports bettors. NCAA President Charlie Baker delivers his “State of College Sports” address on Thursday, Jan. 11, 2024. Baker says the organization is committed to protecting players from sports betting influences. (Image: NCAA) Sports betting is legal in almost 40 states. While Baker has acknowledged that the expansion of regulated sportsbooks in the US has been beneficial for collegiate sports, the former Massachusetts governor who signed the state’s sports betting bill into law says the organization must continue to implement …

On the second day of the 2024 legislative session, Georgia State Senators began another attempt to legalize sports betting. Georgia House lawmakers throw paper at the conclusion of their 2023 legislative session on March 29, 2023. Georgia sports betting didn’t find adequate support in the General Assembly last year, but lawmakers are expected to take up the issue again in 2024. (Image: AP) The Senate Regulated Industries Committee advanced Senate Bill 172 by an 8-4 vote. The measure now goes to the full Senate for more debate. SB 172 would allow sports betting in the Peach State with the aid of a constitutional amendment and set up a gaming commission …

A strong November by U.S. sports bettors could weigh on DraftKings’ (NASDAQ: DKNG) fourth-quarter results, according to Benchmark analyst Mike Hickey. Employees at DraftKings headquarters. An analyst said the operator’s fourth-quarter results could be hampered by reduced hold in November. (Image: CNBC) In a note to clients today, Hickey wrote that favorable results for bettors in the 11th month of the year may have sapped DraftKings’ hold percentage by 150 basis points (1.5%). If accurate, that reduced hold rate could weigh on the operator’s fourth-quarter revenue and adjusted earnings before, interest, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) by $50 million and $35 million, respectively. The analyst based that assumption on DraftKings’ …

Sports Information Services (SIS), the racing industry content giant, quietly withdrew its greyhound simulcast operations from the U.S. market at the end of last year. The company had provided thousands of races a year to U.S. operators from tracks in the UK. Greyhound racing at Wheeling Island, above, which is one of just two remaining tracks in the U.S. hosting live races. (Image: The Intermountain) SIS is jointly owned by some of the biggest players in the UK betting industry, including William Hill, 888, Betfred, and Entain, the latter the largest shareholder with a 23% stake. Through its joint venture with Arena Racing, Entain owns nine of the 20 licensed …

Delaware online sports betting began last week through Rush Street Gaming’s BetRivers Sportsbook. Rush Street Interactive’s BetRivers iGaming and online sportsbook is live in Delaware. The state becomes the 29th in the U.S. to launch legal sports betting. (Image: Rush Street Interactive) The Delaware Lottery in August announced BetRivers as its next iGaming partner after its relationship with 888 Holdings dissolved. 888 had conducted the state lottery’s online casino operations since Delaware authorized iGaming in June 2012, and operations went live on Oct. 31, 2013. BetRivers launched online sports betting in the First State last Wednesday, Dec. 27. It marks the commencement of online sports gambling in the state, as …

On Wednesday, the NBA Board of Governors confirmed the sale of a controlling interest in the Dallas Mavericks to the families of Dr. Miriam Adelson and Sivan and Patrick Dumont. Miriam Adelson, with her late husband, Sheldon, seated to the right. The NBA approved the sale of a controlling interest in the Dallas Mavericks to her and the Dumont family. (Image: Getty Images) Adelson is the widow of Las Vegas Sands (NYSE: LVS) founder Sheldon Adelson, while Dumont, her son-in-law from a previous marriage, is chief financial officer of the gaming company. He will serve as governor of the franchise, while Mark Cuban will retain a 27% interest in the …

The Detroit Pistons have equaled the NBA’s longest single season losing streak with 26 consecutive losses. Detroit Pistons forward Bojan Bogdanovic (44), point guard Cade Cunningham (2), and center Isaiah Stewart look dejected on the bench in a loss against the Brooklyn Nets which extended their losing streak. (Image: USA Today Sports) The Pistons (2-27) have a chance to set a new NBA record for the longest in-season losing streak when they host the Brooklyn Nets Tuesday night at Little Caesars Arena in Detroit. The Nets (14-15) held off the Pistons on Saturday in Brooklyn, 126-115, and denied them a chance to get off the schneid. The two teams meet …

Phoenix Suns shooting guard Bradley Beal will be sidelined until early January with a right ankle injury. Medical staff from the Phoenix Suns attend to shooting guard Bradley Beal after he went down with an ankle injury against the New York Knicks at Footprint Center in Phoenix. (Image: Getty) Beal sprained his ankle in the first quarter against the New York Knicks last week. It was a crushing blow considering it was only his sixth game of the season. X-rays were negative and an MRI revealed no structural damage. The Suns will evaluate Beal in early January. Beal knocked down a 3-point shot but he landed on Donte DiVincenzo’s foot …

The New York Knicks anticipate that center Mitchell Robinson will sit out the rest of the season while he recovers from an ankle injury. They have applied for a disabled player exception (DPE) worth $7.8 million. New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, seen here perplexed by a call from a referee at Madison Square Garden, could now miss the remainder of the season because of an ankle injury. (Image: Getty) Teams can apply with the NBA league office for a DPE if they think a player will be sidelined for an entire season. In Robinson’s case, his prognosis changed after he underwent surgery to repair a left ankle injury. The …