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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 …

Cleveland Cavaliers power forward Evan Mobley and guard Darius Garland are headed to the injury list. The two starters will miss several weeks of action. Cleveland Cavs big man Evan Mobley (4) and shooting guard Darius Garland (10) celebrate after a victory in early December. (Image: Getty) The Cavs (14-12) occupy eighth place in the Eastern Conference standings. The Cavs would be headed for the Play-In Tournament if the season ended today. The Cavs went 51-31 last season and secured the #4 playoff seed, but the #5 New York Knicks eliminated them in the first round. The Cavs entered this season with a projected win total of 50.5 over/under. After …

Penn Entertainent’s (NASDAQ: ESPN) recently launched ESPN Bet mobile sports wagering application is off to a solid start in select states. However, that strength may be aided by heavy promotional spending. The ESPN Bet logo. An analyst says the new betting app is off to an impressive start. (Image: ESPN Bet) In a new report to clients, Macquarie analyst Chad Beynon pointed out that in Indiana, Iowa, and Maryland — three of the 17 states in which the app is available — ESPN Bet is commanding a double-digit slice of gross gaming revenue (GGR) share. Looking at handle share, we estimate ESPN BET grew its share by roughly 500bps (from …

Mitchell Robinson, the New York Knicks starting center and the anchor of their defense, sustained a left ankle injury in a loss against the Boston Celtics on Friday night. New York Knicks center Mitchell Robinson, seen here in a recent game at Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, could be out until March while recovering from an ankle injury. (Image: USA Today Sports) Robinson will undergo surgery and he’s expected to miss 10 weeks of action while he recovers from the injury. The Knicks hope to evaluate him in eight weeks, when they will have a better idea of when he’ll return to the lineup. The Knicks have one of the …