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A bill allowing mobile sports betting in Louisiana sailed through a state House of Representatives committee this week. That puts the state one step closer to having legal sports betting by the end of football season. State Sen. Page Cortez (R) gestures at the Capitol in Baton Rouge on April 12 at the start of the 2021 Louisiana legislative session. He has sponsored a bill allowing sports betting in the state. (Image: KTVE-TV) The Administration of Criminal Justice Committee on Tuesday approved Senate Bill 247 without objection at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. The bill now goes to the full House for debate. A date for the bill to be …

The brewing battle royale in US sports betting media just added another chapter. On Tuesday, FanDuel and the Associated Press announced their partnership. AP newsroom staffers at work at headquarters, New York, Nov. 2, 2010. The AP just announced a partnership with FanDuel. (AP Corporate Communications) Effective immediately, FanDuel becomes the wire service’s exclusive provider of sports betting odds. That was previously handled by Pregame.com. (NOTE: In the interest of full disclosure, the writer also serves as a seasonal correspondent for the Associated Press.) The FanDuel deal goes beyond just providing odds and line information for AP wire stories. Per a joint statement, the two sides will work on adding FanDuel …

Bally’s (NYSE:BALY) finally has a mobile sportsbook app to go along with its growing list sports wagering assets after the company launched Bally Bet in Colorado. Bally’s Mardi Gras Casino in Colorado. The company launched its mobile sportsbook app in the state. (Image: Las Vegas Review-Journal) For over a year, the Rhode Island-based gaming company Bally’s has been cobbling together sports betting pieces via acquisitions and inking deals with professional leagues aimed at increasing the visibility of the rejuvenated brand. Through an agreement with Sinclair Broadcast Group, the Bally’s name is on approximately 20 regional sports networks (RSNs), marking one of the most overt arrangements between a gaming company and …

A plan to revive the stricken Football Index platform by giving customers equity in the business is “insulting” to those who lost money and were “misled” by the company. Football Index spent big on marketing despite not having enough to pay its liabilities. (Image: LinkedIn) That’s according to Matt Zarb-Cousin, director of Clean Up Gambling, who is advocating for former customers of the soccer trading platform. The plan would effectively “force Football Index users to pay for the privilege of taking over a worthless company,” Zarb-Cousin claimed. Football Index’s management team filed documents to London’s High Court last week outlining the scheme to resurrect the platform. The court will ultimately …

If you’re in sports media, chances are pretty good you’ll land a side gig every now and then. Most often, it’s tied to the industry, and typically to a sport you cover. But Dan Dakich, an Indianapolis-based sports talk radio host, reportedly has gone another route. If you order a dinner delivery in Indianapolis in the near future, don’t be surprised if this guy brings it to you. Local sports radio talk host Dan Dakich said in a recent interview that he’s taken up a delivery gig as a side hustle to make up for money he lost betting on the NCAA Tournament. (Image: ESPN) In an interview with Barrett …

With a Wednesday deadline looming for a final verified count, proponents to get a sports betting initiative before California voters appear to have enough signatures – if election officials can finish the count in time. The Graton Resort and Casino in Rohnert Park, Calif., could offer sports betting if California voters approve a referendum allowing it at tribal casinos. A deadline to verify signatures for the referendum is Wednesday. It appears proponents may have more than enough signatures to get the measure on a ballot. The state’s tribal gaming nations led the petition drive. (Image: Federated Indians of Graton Rancheria) According to information from the California Secretary of State’s office, …

In its second earnings report as a stand-alone public company, Genius Sports (NYSE:GENI) said Thursday sales in the January through March period jumped 52 percent to $53.7 million, easily beating analysts’ estimate of $44 million. Genius Sports CEO Mark Locke pictured during a recent interview. The company raised 2021 revenue guidance. (Image: Bloomberg) That’s impressive, but investors are likely focusing on the company boosting its full-year revenue guidance to $250 million to $260 million from $190 million. Genius also forecast 2021 adjusted earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization (EBITDA) of $10 million to $20 million. Thursday’s bullish update comes about four months after the sports betting data provider revealed …

Nebraska lawmakers yesterday signed off on legislation that authorizes sports betting. But odds involving state universities and colleges will not be allowed.  The Nebraska Cornhuskers celebrate in 2019 after scoring a touchdown. Sports betting is coming to Nebraska, but there won’t be odds on the Cornhuskers. (Image: Omaha World-Herald) Legislative Bill 561 passed the unicameral Nebraska Legislature 44-3-2. A companion appropriations bill did, too, by a similar tally.  Voters last fall approved a ballot referendum to allow casino gambling at horse racetracks. The constitutional amendment legalized “all games of chance,” leading to lawmakers in Lincoln crafting legislation to include sports betting.  LB 561 heads to Nebraska Gov. Pete Ricketts’ (R) …

A bill allowing mobile sports betting breezed through the Louisiana Senate on Wednesday. This sets the stage for possible sports betting by football season this fall, according to reports. Economist Stephen Barnes, left, and Senate President Page Cortez of Lafayette confer during this year’s Louisiana legislative session. Cortez has sponsored a bill to allow mobile sports betting. (Image: Associated Press) Senate Bill 247 allows bettors to use their smartphones in placing wagers on live sporting events such as football, basketball, and baseball. It passed on a 31-6 vote and now goes to the state House of Representatives for consideration. The bill’s current language also would allow sports betting inside casinos …

FanDuel and DraftKings accounted for a significant percentage of the $154 million spent in the first quarter by online sportsbook operators on local television advertising. A man celebrates his winnings in an old DraftKings daily fantasy sports commercial. The company and its rivals are spending big on local TV ads for sports betting. (Image: YouTube) The two largest mobile sportsbook companies by market share combined for $101 million in local TV ad spending in the first three months of the year, according to Nielsen data. The $154 million gaming companies spent on TV advertising in the January through March period is a massive increase from the $10.7 million spent in …