Author: Casino Connection Staff

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred said Las Vegas will be a viable option for the Oakland Athletics should if their home community votes against a new stadium. But Vegas may not be the only city in the mix.

“There are other viable alternatives that I haven’t turned the A’s loose to even explore at this point. So, thinking about this move as a bluff is a mistake,” Manfred told the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

If Oakland City Council approves the new stadium at its meeting on July 20, it doesn’t make it a done deal. Other steps need to be taken. Council will have to vote again in September, this time with a binding decision, according to the Las Vegas Review-Journal.

“Oakland’s process is at the end…that proposal is in front of the relevant governmental authorities. There are some really crucial votes that will take place over the next couple of months and that’s going to determine the fate of baseball in Oakland,” Manfred said.

The lease on the existing stadium in Oakland expires in 2024. A no vote on July 20 means Oakland is done with the team, but the decision on where to play will probably remain undecided until the end of the year. The A’s are exploring the possibility of using the Las Vegas Triple-A team stadium while waiting for a new ballpark to be built if they decide to relocate.

“That’s something we’re exploring as a possibility, because it’s hard to know how long these things are going to take,” A’s President Dave Kaval said. “We would have to understand all the different options and when things could occur. But since there is such a state-of-the-art facility already there, it’s at least an option.”

The $150 million Las Vegas Ballpark, home of the Aviators, includes 10,000 seats, 22 suites, 400 club-level seats and hundreds of party-deck seats, in addition to an outfield pool area.

“I think temporarily, I don’t think anybody would have a problem with it,” A’s player Skye Bolt told the Review-Journal. “I think teams coming in would love to play there because the ball kind of flies there.”

If the Athletics do move to Las Vegas, the team will draw from the millions of visitors who annually visit the gaming mecca. Lori Nelson-Kraft, senior vice president of communications and public affairs with the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority, said no problem. “We’ve seen visitation increase to the destination with annual events such as the National Finals Rodeo, UFC events and NASCAR.”

DraftKings Inc. has received a daily fantasy sports license from the Louisiana Gaming Control Board, allowing it to offer daily fantasy sports in approved parishes. Louisiana will be the 44th state in the U.S. to offer DraftKings daily fantasy sports.

DraftKings North America co-founder and President Matt Kalish said, “As DraftKings continues our nationwide expansion, we welcome Louisiana to the DraftKings family, an area rich with culture, heritage and die-hard fan bases in both professional and college sports. The Bayou will now have access to our world-leading daily fantasy sports product as we ramp up toward the kickoff of football season.”

To promote DraftKings’ Louisiana launch, new customers who place a minimum $5 first deposit will receive a free credit to play in a $3 paid contest of their choice. Along with the traditional offerings, DraftKings customers in Louisiana also can participate in contests that benefit select charities. For example, a daily fantasy sports contest will raise funds to plant one million trees by Earth Day 2022 in collaboration with the Arbor Day Foundation.

DraftKings is introducing a variety of innovations for individuals of all skill levels located in approved Louisiana parishes, including:

• The Fair Play Commitment Initiative, which ensures a level playing field by prohibiting top-earning or more experienced players from entering casual and beginner contests.
• DraftKings Leagues, allowing players to create private contests just for their friends or colleagues.
• Showdown contests, requiring players to draft a team from a single game, round or match, while staying under the designated salary cap. Showdown is popular for marquee events like the Super Bowl and World Series. DraftKings also enables In-Game Showdown for National Football League and National Basketball Association games, allowing fans to create lineups for a portion of the game after it has begun.
• Classic contests require participants to draft a team across multiple games.

Winview, a division of Engine Media gaming company, has filed a copyright infringement lawsuit in New Jersey July 7 against DraftKings. The suit alleges infringements of two patents dealing with sports betting functions.

The company argued its patents cover online sports betting mechanisms used by DraftKings, including geolocation and equalizing latency. The second one ensures customers see the same odds.

“An individual in New Jersey using a satellite dish network may experience a three second delay compared to an individual in California using a cable network. Recognizing that these latencies need to be accommodated to maintain user enjoyment and fairness for all participants, the inventors described and claimed technical solutions to these problems,” the lawsuit contends.

DraftKings uses similar steps, the suit claims.

Winview seeks damages and “other appropriate relief.”

Industry consultant Joe Brennan said the patent relates to the feed of an event not the event. DraftKings could counter that its markets rely on the event itself, thus the infringement is not valid.

“That’s the fundamental truth,” Brennan told Legal Sports Report. “Due to the latency of the TV broadcast, if a betting operator was basing their markets on what they see on TV, they would get past-posted.”

The two patents are part of a portfolio of 80 Winview holds in the U.S., many related to mobile sports betting and online gaming.

The Oakland Athletics’ proposal for a waterfront park got the cold shoulder July 20 from the Oakland City Council. Council voted to support an amended proposal which A’s President Dave Kaval insisted amounted to a no vote.

“The current term sheet, even with these amendments is not something the A’s have consensus around,” Kaval said during the meeting. “I just really want to stress that voting yes on something that we don’t agree with… is not an effective path forward.”

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred issued a statement citing his dismay with the vote.

“For the last four years at my request and urging, the Athletics have invested significant resources and have made a major commitment to their community in the hopes of remaining as Oakland’s only major professional sports franchise,” Manfred said. “We are disappointed the city council chose to vote on a proposal to which the A’s had not agreed. We will immediately begin conversations with the A’s to chart a path forward for the Club.”

The main sticking points involved offsite infrastructure, community benefits and the length of a non-relocation agreement tied to the project site at the Port of Oakland’s Howard Terminal. The city did amend a clause which takes the responsibility for $352 million in offsite infrastructure costs.

Without approval for a $12 billion mixed-use project that included a $1 billion stadium, Kaval said it would be difficult to stay in Oakland.

“I question why we’re even here today,” Councilman Carroll Fife said. “I don’t know where we go from here after doing somersaults, after receiving insults, after being disrespected.”

Kaval noted the team would entertain further negotiating over the next weeks before the council goes on break, but Fife didn’t see the point of doing so.

“It’s not a negotiation, it’s really do what we say, or we will leave,” Fife said. “That is not respectful. I don’t even see the necessity of my comments if that’s the space they’re working.”

Kaval said Tuesday was the first time the team saw the city’s amendments. He said the A’s real estate team will review it to see what it entails, and team officials will talk with league representatives.

“We’re a little in the dark and all of that language is stuff we’ve never seen before,” he said. “It was a surprise to us.”

Meantime, the A’s will continue exploring Las Vegas, making its fourth trip before the month ends.

“I do take issue to how the A’s have shown up through this process,” Councilman Loren Taylor said. “The bullying tactics, the sleight of hand, the tweets from Vegas meant to taunt and sort of provoke. If we were voting on the A’s and how they behaved… it would certainly be a no vote.”

The unfavorable vote could lead Manfred to give the A’s permission to explore other cities for possible relocation. Reportedly there are six additional cities that could be considered.

A joint statement from Oakland Mayor Libby Schaaf and Councilwomen Rebecca Kapaln and Nikki Fortunato Bas called the vote a “milestone” in their efforts to keep the team in the city.

“Based on our extensive negotiation, shared values and shared vision, we believe the A’s can and should agree to the terms approved by the city council today,” the statement read. “This is the path to keeping the A’s rooted in Oakland in a way that protects our port and taxpayers and will produce the benefits our community demands and deserves.”

The Canadian Premier League will add a betting component to its product, the soccer league announced July 15. The announcement follows the legalization of single-game betting in Canada in June.

The betting component will enable viewers to wager on different aspects of individual games.

The same day Mediapro Canada, which owns the soccer league’s broadcast rights, announced it was partnering with Genius Sports Limited to exclusively distribute video streams of the soccer league and of Canadian Championship games. Genius Sports is a U.K.-based data and technology company that provides data and video streaming to an international clientele of bookmakers.

Beginning next year bettors will be able to wager on CPL games—which is happening in tandem with the government’s legalizing of single-game wagers, which has opened the regulation of such wagers to individual provinces and territories.

Mediapro Canada CEO Oscar Lopez commented, “When we purchased the broadcast rights to the CPL in Canada, it also included the audiovisual betting rights. There are three or four major companies who deal in sports betting rights and Genius Sports is one of them. They presented us the most complete offer to us in all aspects.”

Genius is the exclusive data provider to sportsbooks for NASCAR, NFL, NBA and many other sports leagues.

Genius COO Sean Conroy commented, “We’re a technology company at our core, and we’re focused on data-driven solutions and we sit at the intersection between sports rights holders, media companies, streaming and broadcast providers and sports-betting organizations.” He added, “We provide data-driven solutions that connect those part of the sports ecosystem.”

Conroy noted that the partnership will expand Canadian soccer to a larger, international audience that may not be aware of CPL.

Lopez said that the pandemic last year hampered growth of the league. “This year is another year of transition and next season we hope to get back on the original plan we had for the league, where we want to continue to grow the presence of Canadian soccer.”

In April, Genius Sports won its bid to be the official data distributor of the National Football League. The six-year deal came with a hefty price tag: a reported $120 million a year.

A source told Legal Sports Report that say Genius wants 4 percent of pre-game NFL betting revenues and 6 percent for in-play revenues. Those figures are four times what Sportradar charged when they provided the data. Operators aren’t too happy.

“Just because [Genius] made a bad deal, doesn’t mean we are going to bail them out,” said the source.

One operator said the dataset isn’t different, just the cost. But Genius says it provides other services to justify the increased charges, including advertising and help in locating and retaining players.

Sportsbooks also oppose paying for pre-match data when they do that on their own. “It seems they want 4 percent of pre-match revenue just for the use of NFL logos,” the source said.

Genius hasn’t revealed any clients for its data feed, though football season is less than two months away. But sportsbooks will likely sign on because they need the NFL. FanDuel, DraftKings and Caesars are official partners of the league. Others have deals with particular teams and must use the NFL data feeds. The league can also threaten to prohibit sportsbooks from advertising on TV without the official data. Don’t forget that some states make using official league data a requirement.

Sportsbooks have some leverage. States which require use of official league data often say the cost of such data must be reasonable, giving operators an avenue to argue that the increases charges are anything but reasonable.

Operators could also limit their data feed to in-play data. Or go with an unofficial feed. Sportradar might be offering that option.

“Most books will end up paying, I guess, as there’s no great options,” one executive said.

Esports Entertainment Group will add a Helix eSports entertainment center to the NFL Hall of Fame Village in Canton, Ohio. The center, set to open in mid-2022, will be in the retail promenade, joining Topgolf Swing Suites and a Don Shula signature restaurant.

Along with the pull of competitive eSports, the partnership could attract other businesses, according to the Canton Repository.

Last year, the HoF Resort joined StakeKings to create the Hall of Fantasy League. As members, fans can buy a piece of a fantasy team, part of a fall league that will debut with 10 teams. If a team finishes in the top three, there would be a payout, and the future may include betting on the fantasy teams.

“Having an eSports complex as part of our development on campus adds another compelling opportunity for gaming enthusiasts and guests to engage in virtual environments as well as offering us the ability to draw in fans from all over the world,” said Michael Crawford, president and CEO of the Ho Resort.

Research by Newzoo and Jupiter Research estimate that global eSports revenue will grow to $1.08 billion this year, up 14.5 percent.

Bally’s Corp. has announced that it has acquired the Association of Volleyball Professionals (AVP), the premier professional beach volleyball organization and host of the longest-running domestic beach volleyball tour in the United States.

The acquisition represents the latest step in Bally’s ongoing omnichannel growth and diversification strategy, providing a significant opportunity for the company to gamify and incorporate interactive content into beach volleyball, which, in turn, will drive traffic to Bally’s platforms and promote customer acquisition.

Under the terms of the transaction, Bally’s acquired all of AVP’s assets, including trademarks, AVP America promoter agreements and associated recurring membership revenue, digital photo and video assets, and all proprietary tournament and league management software. Bally’s plans to leverage AVP’s distribution channels, as well as the Sinclair-owned Bally Sports Regional Sports Networks (RSNs), to increase consumer engagement with, and awareness of, the league.

“The AVP is an attractive asset that complements our rapidly expanding U.S. sports betting vision,” said Adi Dhandhania, senior vice president of strategy and interaction for Bally’s. “Donald and the entire AVP team have done a tremendous job developing the league and transforming it into what it is today, and we look forward to exploring creative ways to amplify and gamify such a dynamic and high-growth sport, providing beach volleyball fans across the nation with unique and interactive content.”

Donald Sun, former owner and CEO of AVP, added, “Forming a new relationship with a trusted, forward-thinking partner like Bally’s offers the opportunity to develop a strategic roadmap that will grow the sport, expand its footprint and provide new resources to better elevate the game and its athletes. I look forward to being an integral part of the transition, focusing on the best interests of all AVP athletes, fans, staff and partners.”

The AVP will kick off its 2021 AVP Pro Tour in Atlanta August 13-15. The AVP is planning to resume a full season beginning in 2022.

BetMGM, a leading U.S. sports betting and digital gaming operator, has cut a deal with the Pittsburgh Pirates baseball club. Under the partnership, BetMGM content will be integrated across the Pirates’ digital and social platforms. Additionally, BetMGM signage will be prominently featured at PNC Park, including the left field wall and behind home plate.

“We are incredibly excited to partner with such a respected and innovative brand,” said David Burke, Pirates executive vice president of sales and business development. “It allows us the opportunity to provide a unique platform for our fans to engage with Pirates baseball like never before.”

BetMGM’s Chief Revenue Officer Matt Prevost said, “BetMGM has seen tremendous success in Pennsylvania since launching in December 2020. Growing our presence across the state, in partnership with the Pirates, is a top priority and we look forward to providing Pittsburgh’s passionate sports fans unique promotions and benefits only available on BetMGM.”

WynnBET, the sports betting app from Wynn Resorts, has added Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, Nick Mangold and Tim Howard to its team as brand ambassadors.

Through the partnerships, the sports legends will appear in WynnBET advertising, attend in-person events and promote the WynnBET app in addition to interacting as guests at the Blue Wire Podcast Studio at Wynn Las Vegas. WynnBET will also run several in-app promotions and odds boosts tailored to the ambassadors’ interests and personalities.

Johnson is one of the most influential athlete social media influencers with more than 5 million followers across Twitter and Instagram. He played 11 professional football seasons with Cincinnati and New England.

“You know I love my fans, and Wynn is known for focusing on providing the best guest experience, which is why WynnBet is a perfect partner,” Johnson said. “This is all about connecting directly with sports betting fans to provide great entertainment and conversation through social media and in-person events.”

Mangold was a seven-time Pro Bowl offensive lineman during his 11-year professional football career with the New York Jets. He’ll bring his “big man” personality to WynnBET and has plans to expand his media footprint while supporting his former team through the partnership.

“I’ve played football for almost my entire life, and never realized how entertaining it is to bet on the sport and interact with other fans about betting,” Mangold said. “Now that I’m retired, I’ve enjoyed learning the role that betting and social interaction plays in enhancing my enjoyment of the game. The WynnBET app makes that easy for me in my current home state of New Jersey. I’m excited to partner with WynnBET to let fans know what an entertaining and user-friendly experience the app provides.”

Howard is the goalkeeper with most games played all-time for the U.S. Men’s National Soccer Team, Howard played professionally in the English Premier League with Manchester United as well as with several Major League Soccer franchises. The United States’ goalie in two World Cups, he currently serves as a soccer TV analyst and uses his social media platforms to share insight to soccer fans across the globe.

“I’m excited to join the WynnBET team, one of the most recognized names in sports and entertainment,” Howard said. “With MLS continually growing in popularity, I look forward to sharing my game previews and parlay picks with WynnBET customers.”

The Arizona Department of Gaming July 16 revealed proposed event betting rules that spelled out how the 20 event wagering operator licenses will be handed out. In two months sports betting will go live in the state, says ADG.

Such a scheme is needed because, while the state has 22 tribal casinos operated by 15 gaming tribes, the new law gives 10 licenses for tribes and 10 for professional sports franchises. It is mathematically inevitable that some tribes will be left out. At the time the bill was passed, three months ago, author Rep. Jeff Weninger said he wanted to achieve “parity” between tribes and commercial interests when it came to sports betting. The new law allows up to two “skins” i.e. digital platforms per licensee.

The two-page document released July 16 was opened to public comment for a week. This brief comment period was allowed because of the “emergency clause” in the law that allows ADG to move the process along quickly in order to make the September 9 date for accepting wagers.

The most recent draft gives preference to qualified applicants who have a presence in Arizona or are partnered with a tribe or sports franchise. According to the draft ADG will give “preference that they be distributed among non-gaming tribes, rural gaming tribes, and to tribes located relatively near metropolitan areas in the State.”

ADG will also consider “Experience and track record of the proposed event wagering operator, management services provider, or designee both local and international.”

Currently six market operators and their partners have been announced:

• Bally’s (Phoenix Mercury)
• Caesars (Arizona Diamondbacks and Ak-Chin Indian Community)
• DraftKings (TPC Scottsdale/PGA)
• FanDuel (Phoenix Suns)
• Kindred (Quechan Tribe)
• WynnBET (San Carlos Apache Tribe).

Penn National is considered likely to partner with NASCAR at the Phoenix Raceway.

Under proposals established by Spain’s gaming regulator, the Dirección General de Ordenación del Juego, players using online casinos will be required to post a set time and net spend limit with every session. Limits cannot be altered, saved, or predetermined.

It has made the proposal public to gather feedback from interested parties, who have until a deadline of August 9 to respond.

During a gaming session, players will receive a minimum of one message every 30 minutes with information about playing behavior. Customers must also set a maximum amount to lose in the ensuing 24 hours, according to iGaming Business.

Casino operators must prepare a monthly summary of play available to each customer, with the number of times on the site, deposits made, account history, balance history, and any changes in deposit limits.

Heavy bettors will be banned from using credit cards.

Other specific measures have been introduced for young players (under 25) who must receive additional messaging related to the risks of gambling and are prohibited from being part of schemes for high-value customers or from receiving any type of gift, perk, or consideration from operators.