Sports Betting and Horse Racing Coming to North Carolina?

CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — Regulated sports betting and horse racing is expected to begin across North Carolina in the first half of next year, enabled by legislation Gov. Roy Cooper signed Wednesday that greatly expands gambling opportunities in the ninth-largest state.

The Democratic governor held the bill-signing ceremony at Spectrum Center, home to the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets. It could house one of several anticipated sportsbooks allowed at or near professional sports venues as part of the law that received final approval in the Republican-controlled General Assembly last week.

The new law says betting could begin as early as Jan. 8 or as late as mid-June 2024. Supporters say the expansion will bring new revenue and jobs, and attract stronger in-state pro sports franchises.

“This is an historic moment for the state of North Carolina and this will benefit our economy for generations to come,” Cooper said.

The law directs the North Carolina Lottery Commission to issue as many as 12 interactive sports wagering licenses to entities that would offer mobile and online sports betting to customers who create accounts.

But anyone 21 or older could also make cash bets on pro, college or Olympic-style sports at the eight potential in-person betting locales associated with stadiums, arenas, golf courses and racetracks.

North Carolina will become the 29th state where mobile sports betting occurs or has been authorized, according to the American Gaming Association. Gambling on horse racing would be permitted through separate licensing and accounts.

Legal sports gambling in North Carolina is only happening right now at the state’s three casinos, which are operated by two American Indian tribes. Essentially, the only other legal gambling in the state is a lottery that began in 2006.

Neighboring Tennessee and Virginia already allow mobile sports betting, attracting North Carolina residents to cross state lines to wager. According to bill supporters, regulating and taxing sports betting is the best way to control gambling that otherwise was happening underground or through offshore accounts.

The bill advanced this year despite opposition from a coalition of social conservatives and liberals who said the additional revenues paled in comparison to the damage more gambling addiction would place upon families and society.

A similar political alliance derailed sports gambling legislation last year by just one vote in the House, but lobbyists for legal sports wagering providers in other states and pro sports franchises kept pressing the idea and won more support in the legislature.

The defeat “gave us the opportunity to work harder” and build support for the measure this year, Rep. Jason Saine, a Lincoln County Republican and the chief bill sponsor, said at the ceremony. “We got this over the hump and we’re so glad to do this.”

The legislation will tax sports wagering at a rate equal to 18% of gross betting revenue minus distributed winnings. Legislative analysts estimate that will generate over $100 million in sports betting taxes annually within five years, resulting in $71 million in net revenues for state coffers.

Much of the sports wagering tax revenues would go to local, regional and state athletics initiatives, athletic programs at most schools in the University of North Carolina system and problem-gambling programs. Cooper said on Wednesday that he hoped more future proceeds would help public education.

The law also authorizes the commission to set rules for live horse racing.

 

How UK Bookmakers Exploit Sick Sports Bettors and Restrict the Skilled Ones

These 5 States Look Best Positioned To Legalize Sports Betting In 2021It works like this: when a customer opens an account, they might be given a stake factor of 1, meaning they can bet 100% of the normal maximum stake, for example £500.

“As soon as people start winning or losing, that gets adjusted,” said Cameron, formerly of William Hill. “It starts with 50% and if they keep doing it [beating the bookie], it’ll keep going down. At William Hill it went down to 25% to 10% and eventually down to 1%.”

One gambler, Bernard Henry, shared the results of a demand sent to Coral to see what data it held on him, known as a subject access request.

“He’s allowed to lose 40 times what anyone else was and it was astronomical what he was punting. There was no conscience to it.”

It showed he had won just £38 over four years but had been prevented from placing sports bets after the bookie realised he had beaten their odds 73% of the time. He was still allowed to bet on casino products where the house never loses over time.

Henry believes bookmakers shared data about him with other operators, via software that companies are permitted to use which is intended to prevent fraud but might also be used to shut down a smart better.

Everyone the Guardian spoke to said accounts were rarely closed completely, for good reason.

According to Paddy Power’s manual, “warm” customers are “of use to us as marks”, meaning they are worth monitoring to assess if your prices are wrong. Even arbers, seen as cheats in the industry, would be set at a factor of 0.01.

One former employee of Betfair believes this is about satisfying City investors, who see customer numbers as one measurement of success. “If they close all the bad customers, you go from 50,000 active users to 10,000,” he said.

The flipside of factoring down winners is that losers have, over the years, been given more leeway to place ever bigger bets.

The biggest stake factor Rory recalled a customer being allotted was 40. “He’s allowed to lose 40 times what anyone else was and it was astronomical what he was punting. There was no conscience to it.”

One former employee of Betfair believes this is about satisfying City investors, who see customer numbers as one measurement of success. “If they close all the bad customers, you go from 50,000 active users to 10,000,” he said.

 

More on how UK bookmakers operate

Del Mar Fairgrounds and Sports Betting in California?

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SAN DIEGO (KGTV) — The Del Mar Fairgrounds could become a place to bet on professional and college sports, should California voters approve a measure allowing sports gambling in November 2022.

On Tuesday, the Del Mar Fairgrounds board voted 7-0 to adjust its operating agreement with the Del Mar Thoroughbred Club, allowing it to run a “first-class” sports book at its off-track wagering facility, Surfside Race Place, as soon as 2023.

The proposal hinges on the passage of a statewise proposition that would allow licensed racetracks and Native American casinos to offer on-site wagering on professional, college, and amateur sports. Gambling on high school sports and games involving colleges in California would still be illegal. The thoroughbred club’s proposal would also need to be approved by the State Race Track Leasing Commission.

“Sports wagering will generate significant additional net revenues for DMTC which, along with the additional food and beverage revenues generated, will flow to the District and Race Track Authority,” Thoroughbred Club Chief Executive Josh Rubinstein wrote in a letter to the fair board chair on Wednesday, Sept. 8…  More from 10news.com on Del Mar and Sports Betting

Maryland Open for Sports Betting License Applications

Maryland will be the next state in which sports betting – both online and at retail locations – becomes available. The state held a referendum on the regulation of sports betting last November, and the voters were in favor – Maryland’s betting bill was signed into law this spring, hoping for the first operators to begin working by the time the NFL season starts. Now, the state’s regulator has approved 17 retail locations where operators can begin to work – and two race tracks are among them.

The locations

Before online horse racing betting becomes available, Maryland locals will have to make do with retail locations where they’ll be able to place their bets on sporting events. The list of venues approved to run betting operations, approved by the state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission in an August meeting, include a series of casinos and resorts, the Maryland State Fairgrounds, the Jockey Bar and Grill, the Riverboat on the Potomac, as well as Laurel Park Race Track and the Pimlico Race Track. And all the locations named in the state’s sports betting legislation will be able to apply for online sports betting licenses in the future. Also, NHL, NBA, and MLS franchises that lease a stadium in the state will be able to apply for a betting license.

The operators

Maryland’s sports betting market is starting to take shape with operators partnering up – or buying up – local gambling companies.

Barstool Sportsbook, run by Penn National Gaming, acquired Hollywood Casino (one of the locations named in the state’s betting legislation) last December. Horseshoe Casino is already owned by Caesars, and MGM National Harbor is, of course, owned by MGM Resorts International that runs a number of outlets in Nevada, New Jersey, and abroad. PointsBet New Jersey partnered up, this June, with Riverboat on the Potomac, a licensed satellite simulcast facility for horseracing.

Applications to open later

Maryland still has 23 unnamed retail sports betting licenses up for grabs that the Maryland Lottery and Gaming Commission plans to open for applications later in the year. At the same time, the MLGC plans to accept applications for 60 online betting licenses and further retail locations. The state’s Sports Wagering Application Review Commission still has to establish the rules for evaluating applications before the state can award any further licenses. As expected, the SWARC will give priority to minority- or women-owned businesses in the area.

 

If all goes as planned, regulated sports betting may become a thing in Maryland in “late fall, early winter”, Maryland Lottery and Gaming Control Agency director John Martin told the press. “It is our intent to expedite the process as efficiently as we can to get us there. We’re still very much pushing for football season”.

Horse Racing Czar Rips NY Sports Betting Process

A week after the New York Gaming Commission announced that it had received six bids with the goal of offering mobile sports betting in the state, Meadowlands Racetrack operator Jeff Gural remained in an ornery mood this week at the Racing and Gaming Conference held at Saratoga Springs, N.Y.

“I’m being nice — I won’t be so nice later,” Gural said on Tuesday morning during a Q&A portion of one conference panel, as he warned two elected officials that if the process fails, “You’ll have everybody laughing at you.”

And as part of the last panel of the two-day event at the iconic racetrack, Gural showed he was not joking.

As owner of two upstate New York harness racing tracks — Tioga Downs and Vernon Downs — Gural has reason to have mixed feelings about New York’s plan for a mobile betting tax rate of at least 50%.

The more inefficient a formula that plays out in New York, the more likely it is that the FanDuel Sportsbook at this Meadowlands site — the highest-grossing such book in the country — suffers minimal harm. But for the 79-year-old New York and New Jersey real estate mogul, putting forward what he sees as a poor business model seems to offend Gural most of all.

Asked for his overall opinion of the New York plan, Gural groused, “I don’t think they got anything right. They got..

Single-game betting worries Canada’s horse racing operators

“Horse-racing wagerers that would access fixed-odds betting will move away from the Canadian parimutuel pools,” said Woodbine Entertainment Group CEO Jim Lawson. “This will dramatically cannibalize the Canadian horse racing industry’s market share, and these operators would earn their revenue without contributing to the substantial cost of producing our content.”

Canada’s legislators are looking to pass an amendment to the Criminal Code that would legalise single-event sports betting in the country.

Single-game betting is currently illegal except in horse racing, and betting on other sports is more centered around several games at a time. Bill C-218 was proposed by Conservative MP Kevin Waugh and would allow gamblers to bet on single games in other sports. He also says it should help with illegal gambling.

While horse racing operators tentatively support the bill, they released an address to the Government where they asked to ensure the horse racing industry and its 50,000 jobs would be protected.

Another concern is fixed odds. Generally, odds in horse racing fluctuate until the horse leaves the starting gate. If other operators, such as casinos, start accepting wagers on horse races, it’s more than likely their odds would be fixed, which might make them more appealing to the player.

Beat the Odds – Bet Like a Pro

Sports bettingSports betting is a great way to make watching live sports even more exciting. As well as being generally enjoyable, betting can be profitable if you get lucky enough. For some players, luck has nothing to do with it and they have sports betting down to a science. While they’re not able to win every time, these professional gamblers are able to consistently turn a profit while betting on sports.

Of course, sports betting comes with a lot of risk, and while it is possible to make money, you could also end up losing every time you bet. For this reason, it’s important to always play responsibly, never betting more than you can afford to lose. Even if you’re on a winning streak, you’ll want to take care to avoid getting overconfident and losing it all. If you feel you need a break from sports betting, remember that most sportsbooks allow player to set limits on how much they spend.

Provided you’re betting responsibly, these following tips will help you to beat the odds and hopefully turn a consistent profit.

Choose the Right Sportsbook

If you want to get into sports betting in New Zealand, there are hundreds of great online sportsbooks for you to choose from. Picking the right site is crucial, as different sites have different odds, bonuses and provide a completely different user experience. You’ll want to choose a sportsbook that offers exceptional odds on the sports you like to bet on. You should also make sure that your preferred payment method and currency is accepted and that the site is safe and trustworthy. Lastly, consider the type of bonus you can claim when you sign up and whether it’s worth it. Make sure you check the full terms and conditions.

Research Your Sport

It goes without saying but you probably won’t have much luck betting on sports that you know nothing about. The best bettors carefully research the sports and events they bet on, making sure they just as much if not more than the bookies. You don’t have to watch every single game, but staying up to date with the latest team news and form can help you pick the right results more often. Follow your favourite teams and leagues on social media to make sure you never miss out on the latest injury update or player transfer rumours.

Manage Your Bankroll

The amount of cash you have to bet with is known as your bankroll and you’ll want to preserve this as much as possible. Ideally, your bets should always be a certain percentage of your bankroll. This way, when your bankroll increase you can risk betting a bit more, whereas when it decreases, you play it safe. If you’re surer of an outcome, you can use a slightly larger percentage, while you’ll want to use a smaller percentage if you’re less sure. If you want to keep track of your bets and how much profit (or losses) you’ve made, you can find a transaction log in your sportsbook account details.

Don’t Bet for the Sake of It

Betting can be a lot of fun but if you’re planning on making a profit, you’ll want to only bet on events where you think you have a good chance of winning. Always evaluate the odds before you bet, thinking clearly about your chances of winning. It’s easy to get carried away if you’ve made some good wins recently, but you should always be careful about your bets and avoid making them just for the sake of it.

Indianapolis Colts Partner with Caesars Entertainment and William Hill to Sign First NFL Team Sponsorship

“In the digital age, and particularly this virtual world in which we find ourselves now, finding new ways to engage with our fans, partners and community is one of our top priorities,” said Roger VanDerSnick, Colts Chief Sales & Marketing Officer. “This partnership with Caesars Entertainment and William Hill will help us better connect with Colts fans everywhere as we navigate this very unique season in 2020 and offer a greater fan experience well into the future.”

As part of the agreement, Caesars Rewards, the largest customer loyalty program in the industry, will sponsor a free-to-play “Pick 6 Predictor” game on the Colts Mobile App. The Pick 6 Predictor generates a series of questions, that fans predict the outcome of, before the upcoming games. Correct picks are rewarded with weekly prizes, and all participants are entered into a chance to win a trip to Las Vegas to stay at a Caesars Entertainment property

Illinois Horse Racing and Sports Issue Still Pending

Despite moving to the brink of a two-year contract for horse racing in 2020 and 2021, Arlington Park and the Illinois Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Association have yet to put pen to paper on an agreement and forced the Illinois Racing Board to recess its Thursday meeting for approval of this season’s schedule until Friday.

The sides were supposed to have a signed contract in place by Jan. 1, 2020 as part of the $12 billion capital bill Gov. J.B. Pritzker signed into law last June that also legalized sports betting in Illinois. Arlington Park tweeted Wednesday saying it had reached a tentative agreement with the ITHA, but the two sides had a breakdown prior to Thursday’s scheduled board meeting. The ITHA had issue with the language in the contract because purse projections could change if Arlington does not receive the same amount of race days in 2021 that it has in previous years.

More about this Illinois issue:

Belmont Stakes 2020 wagering recap

Wimbledon 2019: A Look at the Men’s Singles Favourites

The pinnacle of the tennis season, not least the grass court season, is almost upon us – Wimbledon. The penultimate Grand Slam begins next month at the world-famous All England Lawn Club in SW19 and in readiness for the tournament beginning, we take a look at the favourites to win the men’s singles title. But in the meantime, check out all the latest Wimbledon men’s odds online.

Novak Djokovic

Reigning champion and world number 1, Novak Djokovic is the overwhelming favourite for the men’s singles title again this year. The Serbian has four Wimbledon titles to his name and overcame South African Kevin Anderson in last year’s final, 6-2, 6-2, 7-6(7-3). He previously enjoyed back-to-back wins in Wimbledon finals against Roger Federer in 2014 and 2015.

This season, Djokovic has won the Australian Open, which in turn, saw him win his fifteenth Grand Slam title; and he was also successful at the Madrid Open, beating eighth-seed Stefanos Tsitsipas in straight sets, 6-3, 6-4.

Rodger FedererRoger Federer

He holds both the records for the most Grand Slam titles (20) and the all-time record of eight Wimbledon titles, so there’s little doubting Roger Federer’s ability to go all the way again.

In the Open Era, he shares the record with Björn Borg for winning five consecutive Wimbledon titles. His first came in 2003, while more recently, Federer won his eighth Wimbledon title in 2017, when he defeated Marin Čilić in straight sets, 6-3, 6-1, 6-4.

The former world number 1 is currently number 3 in the ATP rankings, having retired in the quarter-finals of the Italian Open and lost out at the same stage of the Madrid Open in his return to clay after three years out.

Rafael Nadal

He may sit behind Roger Federer with 18 Grand Slam titles to his name, but the King of Clay, Rafael Nadal, has only won Wimbledon twice. The world number 2 first won the tournament in 2008, defeating the Swiss ace in five sets, 6-4, 6-4, 6-7(5-7), 6-7(8-10), 9-7; before winning for the second time in 2010, beating the Czech Republic’s Tomáš Berdych, 6-3, 7-5, 6-4.

This year, Nadal came runner-up in the Australian Open (a Grand Slam he’s only one once, in 2009); while a string of semi-final defeats in a number of ATP 1000 masters finally culminated in victory, when he won the Rome masters last month. More recently he added to his Grand Slam tally, by winning the French Open for the twelfth time.

Alexander Zverev

He’s the second-youngest player in the ATP top 10 and is certainly one to watch for the future, with 10 career titles to his name already. However, 22-year-old Alexander Zverev, has yet to make a lasting impression on the big stage. At Wimbledon, his best finish to date has been making the fourth round (2017).

Last year he made the quarter-finals of the French Open, losing to eventual runner-up Dominic Thiem in straight sets, 6-4, 6-2, 6-1. However, the German has previously overcome the odds and tough opposition. Only last year, he beat Djokovic in the ATP finals, while he previously beat the Serb in 2017’s Italian Open and in the same year, beat his idol, Federer in the Canadian Open.