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Maryland is the latest state to formally sign sports betting into law. Gov. Larry Hogan (R) signed HB940 on Monday. The bill legalizes sports betting in Maryland. Maryland Gov. Larry Hogan signs sports betting into law. The state will allow various interests to participate, including casinos, horse racetracks, and professional sports stadiums. (Image: Governor Larry Hogan/Twitter) The sports betting bill is massive, as it creates more potential sportsbook licenses than any other state to date. HB940 allows the state’s six commercial casinos, professional sports stadiums, horse racetracks, and other businesses to apply for sports betting rights. Permits for mobile sportsbooks are also included. In total, as many as 90 sports …

A Staten Island bookie, who prosecutors claimed was an associate of the Colombo crime family, was sentenced Thursday to 18 months in prison plus one year’s supervised release for the extortionate collection of credit. Cassarino was in business with Joseph D’Amato Jr. (left), pictured here with his father, Joe Sr, a Colombo family capo and reputed Staten Island crime boss. All three were arrested in October 2019. (Image: The Colombo Mafia) Primo Cassarino’s father, Primo Cassarino Sr., was a Gambino enforcer who became a turncoat mobster in 2005 when he testified against Genovese capo Lawrence Ricci. The younger Cassarino was arrested in October 2019 along with 19 other alleged mobsters. …

Churchill Downs (NASDAQ:CHDN) and DraftKings (NASDAQ:DKNG) are among the stocks that could be affected by the annual rebalancing of FTSE Russell equity indexes. Traders on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange. Churchill Downs and DraftKings could be affected by Russell’s rebalancing. (Image: ABC News) In a recent call with clients, Jefferies highlighted seven consumer discretionary names, including the pair of gaming equities, that could be on the move as a slew of benchmarks run by FTSE Russell are altered to reflect changes in components’ market values. The company is the provider behind well-known indexes, such as the broad market Russell 3000, the small-cap Russell 2000, and the Russell …

Bill Miller, the president and CEO of the American Gaming Association (AGA), says Congress must act to better protect legal sports betting markets. American Gaming Association President Bill Miller. The country’s leading gaming industry lobbyist says more protections are needed to ensure the continued expansion of legal, regulated sports betting. (Image: American Gaming Association) In an op-ed published in The Hill, Miller says additional resources at the federal level are needed to further eradicate illegal underground sports betting. He’s also calling on tax changes to allow legal sportsbooks to more fairly compete with illicit bookmakers. The US Supreme Court’s May 2018 decision to strike down the federal ban on sports …

DraftKings announced Wednesday that former supermodel Gisele Bündchen will serve as a special advisor to cofounder and CEO Jason Robins and the Boston-based sports gaming and technology company’s board of directors. Gisele Bündchen (top right) celebrates with her husband Tom Brady and their family after Brady led the Tampa Bay Buccaneers to the Super Bowl LV championship in February. On Wednesday. Bündchen became a special advisor regarding environmental and social issues to sports gaming company DraftKings. (Image: Instagram) According to a company release, Bündchen will advise on environmental, social, and governance (ESG) initiatives. Her position starts immediately, the company added. The announcement coincides with Earth Day, which this year will …

A man was hospitalized after being shot outside of Manchester, N.H.’s DraftKings Sportsbook brick-and-mortar location. He suffered “life-threatening injuries” in the Monday night incident, police said. A Manchester, N.H. police SUV shown here. The department is investigating a shooting outside of a DraftKings location. (Image: Boston Globe) At about 9:15 pm, multiple shots were fired during the altercation. The wounded man was transported to Elliot Hospital for treatment. It is an acute care hospital in Manchester. Details on his condition were not immediately available from the hospital on Wednesday. His name was not released by police. During a search of the crime scene, police said they located a firearm and …

Ohio’s major professional sports teams have banded together to lobby lawmakers and reiterate their call for a piece of any sports betting bill that comes out of the legislature. Joey Votto of the Cincinnati Reds connects on a pitch in Sunday’s home game against the Cleveland Indians. The Reds and Indians are two of the Ohio pro sports teams seeking to get the state legislature to give them access to sports betting licenses. (Image: Dylan Buell/Getty Images) The Ohio Professional Sports Coalition includes the eight professional sports teams that call the Buckeye State home. It also has the PGA Tour’s Memorial Tournament, which is held annually outside of Columbus. That …

Another Louisiana state senator is voicing support for online sports betting and is predicting it “probably” will win approval at the Capitol in Baton Rouge. The Louisiana Capitol rises above the landscaped grounds north of downtown Baton Rouge. The Legislature is in session at the Capitol until early June. (Image: KATC-TV) State Sen. Barrow Peacock (R) recently told KTBS-TV reporter Jeff Beimfohr that he supports online sports wagering. The Louisiana Legislature is in its second week of a two-month session that ends June 10. Peacock, who represents the Shreveport area, said the debate this session will be whether to restrict sports betting to in-person wagering inside casinos, or to allow …

March 2021 was the first time sports bettors in Michigan could legally place a bet online on their beloved NCAA men’s basketball programs during the March Madness tournament. And the Wolverines’ run to the Elite Eight is being credited for a strong monthly online sports betting performance. Many Michigan sports fans were disappointed last month when the Michigan Wolverines were ousted in the Elite Eight by the UCLA Bruins (pictured). But online sportsbook operators certainly weren’t disappointed by the sheer volume of bets they handled in March. (Image: Getty) The Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB) today unveiled statistics for online sports betting and interactive casino gambling for March.  Internet oddsmakers …

Bookmakers have halted the betting markets on the two major European soccer tournaments. That’s after organizer UEFA threatened to kick out 12 elite teams over their intent to form the breakaway “European Super League” (ESL). Could Real Madrid’s Sergio Ramos (left) and Liverpool’s Mo’ Salah be facing off in the ESL next season? (Image: Fansided) The controversial plan has been condemned by the sport’s governing bodies and fans alike, who see it as a cynical cash grab by the billionaire owners of the world’s biggest soccer clubs. On Tuesday, UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson threatened to “drop a legislative bomb” on the ESL to stop it from happening. The Champions …