sports wagering

The Governor of Kentucky, Andy Beshear, placed the first in-person sports wager at Churchill Downs, the Kentucky Public Protection Cabinet said in a release Thursday morning. The bet was a $20 parlay on the win "over" for the University of Kentucky and University of Louisville football teams, and the "under" for Duke University's squad. "Today is a great day to celebrate and have a little bit of fun doing so," said Gov. Beshear. "It has taken many years to get here, but sports wagering is finally a reality in Kentucky....

The Kentucky Horse Racing Commission (KHRC) voted to approve temporary licenses for sports wagering operators and service providers, Kentucky Gov. Andy Beshear announced Tuesday. A temporary license grants up to one year of operation in the state while under continued review. With the approval of these licenses, Kentucky bettors now know the retail facilities where they can place a sports wager and which mobile applications will be licensed in the state. "The countdown continues as we move closer to sports wagering with retail locations opening in just 16 days," said...

It was back in 2004 that Brent Sumja made a career decision. He was among the leading trainers in Northern California, but wasn't following his true passion. That was playing the horses. So he disbanded his stable and set out to be a professional handicapper. It went well. He played the races regularly and also focused on the handicapping tournaments. In 2014, Sumja won five tournaments in a four-month span from May to September to clinch the title of 2013 Daily Racing Form NHC Tour Champion and the first prize...

Although Kentucky's horse racing purses will not directly benefit from recently legalized sports betting, the state's nine tracks on Monday were authorized to apply for retail sports book permits starting Tuesday, July 11. They could start taking bets on games as early as Sept. 7, the first day of the National Football League season. Online sports wagering, which is expected to eventually account for 90% of an estimated $23 million in sports betting tax and licensing revenues for the state, will be rolled out Sept. 28. Those dates were confirmed...

Like fast-falling dominoes, the 2018 Supreme Court decision flinging open the legal doors to sports betting has already led to 30 states allowing some form of this gambling, and now it's California's turn to potentially join the party, with two such initiatives on the state ballot this November. The first is Proposition 26, an initiative called the Tribal Sports Wagering Act spearheaded by American Tribes which, in short, would allow sports wagering at Tribal casinos and at approved racetracks in California. Most crucially, it still prohibits mobile or on-line wagering...

Horse owner and master promoter Jim "Mattress Mack" McIngvale is no stranger to making big sports bets, but never anything like this. If his beloved Houston Astros win the World Series, McIngvale will make $35.6 million off of a series of bets he made in June. It would be the largest winning wager ever in U.S. sports betting history. McIngvale often combines his wagers with promotions at his Gallery Furniture Stores in Houston. Earlier this year, he promised his customers that any mattress they bought worth $3,000 or more would...

The Senate of Canada passed Sports Betting Legislation (Bill C-218) at Third Reading debate on Tuesday. The Bill will now proceed to Royal Assent, the final milestone to legalize single event sports wagering in Canada. "This is a significant day for what is now an emerging sector in Canada that will regulate sports betting, generate new revenues and create new jobs," said Jim Lawson, CEO, Woodbine Entertainment. "Congratulations to the Federal Government for taking this important step forward and creating a substantial opportunity for the Canadian economy." Bill C-218, which...

In a way that nobody ever envisioned or wanted, the gambling part of our industry is about to have a massive social experiment imposed upon it: For the near-term future, betting on horse races will be pretty much the only form of sports wagering in America. In an effort to mitigate the spread of the COVID-19 virus, professional basketball and hockey have suspended their schedules. Major league baseball's season opening has been pushed back. The NCAA basketball tournament has been canceled outright. Racing's response to the coronavirus has been different,...