The reels are always spinning in the gambling industry, and “The Double Down” is here every Friday to catch you up on all of the week’s biggest news. Sports Handle’s “Get a Grip” rounds up everything on the sports betting side, and US Bets provides the best of the rest: brick-and-mortar happenings, online casino developments, poker headlines, and more. So pull up a chair, crunch the numbers, and slide forward another stack of chips.
Spotlight on the racing-adjacent
Racing is the easiest form of sport to understand, the one a 2-year-old could grasp: You start at Point A, and whoever gets to Point B fastest wins. Racing takes countless forms — humans on foot, humans in water, humans driving cars, horses with humans atop them, etc. — and each has its complexities, but the basic idea is as simple as it gets.
This week on US Bets, two stories spinning in unique directions off the basic topic of horse racing caught this editor’s eye and are worthy of some added “ICYMI” attention.
Mike Seely deftly weaved together several narratives to tell the story of Jake Panus, the son of a horse racing industry executive. Panus’ death at just 16 years of age was a needless tragedy, and that could have been all it was, but his family saw fit to find positive ways for his memory to resonate. No spoilers here — click the link above if you missed the article — but the story involves a horse that finished in the top three in two Triple Crown races, a couple of South Carolina Gamecocks football walk-ons, a desolate Indian reservation in South Dakota, and former FBI Director James Comey.
On an entirely different topic — but one also connected to the horse racing world — Chris Altruda examined a protest against Churchill Downs Inc. and its continued acceptance of wagers on greyhound racing. In 42 states, betting on dog racing is illegal, and Grey2K USA, a Massachusetts-based advocacy group, is hoping to further marginalize a sport that it believes “belongs in the past.”
There’s much more to racing than just seeing who crosses the finish line first, as a couple of our writers reminded us this week.
This week on Gamble On …
Every Thursday, US Bets drops a new episode of the Gamble On podcast, and this week’s welcomed the man the fantasy sports industry knows simply as “Beer,” Rotogrinders and ScoresAndOdds expert analyst Chris “Beermakersfan” Prince, to preview the NFL playoffs and talk about the dangerous game that is betting against Tom Brady:
"I've lost a lot of money betting against Tom Brady."@beermakersfan assesses the chances of the sub-.500 Buccaneers having one more deep playoff run in 'em on the latest #GambleOn podcast: https://t.co/8Bqwn3mlRN pic.twitter.com/fNamBTNHfr
— US Bets (@US_Bets) January 13, 2023
A dicey proposition
Mohegan Pennsylvania Dealer, Patron Accused Of Craps Scheme
Sault peppered with legal problems
Sault Ste. Marie Tribe Loses Lawsuit Over Unbuilt Casinos
Casinos coming soon …
Rivers Casino Portsmouth Grand Opening Postponed To Jan. 23
Parx Plans Mini-Casino Opening This Month, With Celebration Feb. 3
Casinos coming eventually …
No Mention From Governor, But New York Casino Process Moving Along
Who wants to be a billionaire?
$1.35 Billion Mega Millions Jackpot Could Make Michigan History
Tribes in two states gain Class III gaming licenses
A Class III gaming ordinance allows an entity to offer all variety of gaming options, including table games and sports betting, where allowed. Two such licenses were recently awarded.
The Pawnee Nation of Oklahoma was granted a Class III license by the National Indian Gaming Commission, the notice of which was published in the Federal Register on Jan. 6. The Pawnee Nation owns and operates the StoneWolf Casino in Pawnee, Oklahoma.
The Klawock Cooperative Association, a tribe based in Alaska, was also granted a Class III gaming ordinance, which was also published in the Federal Register on Jan. 6. Alaska is one of the few states without any casinos, tribal or commercial. The Klawock are a small tribe located on Prince of Wales Island, a large island with just a few hundred residents. Approval of this Class III gaming ordinance could potentially lead to Alaska’s first tribal casino.
— Ted Dahlstrom
Big name behind likely Long Island bid
Las Vegas Sands announced this week that it has agreed to purchase the long-term lease of the site that is currently home to the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum as part of its bid to build a new full-service casino on Long Island.
The casino operator is trying to land one of the three downstate licenses being offered by the New York State Gaming Commission, with competition from other proposals throughout the city and nearby areas. The deal, which remains subject to certain approvals, would grant Sands control of up to 80 acres. Many industry observers expect any Long Island casino proposals to be based in Nassau County rather than Suffolk County due to opposition from the Shinnecock Tribe, which owns Shinnecock Casino Hamptons in Suffolk County.
Sands said the casino development would represent less than 10% of the total square footage at the location, with a hotel, live performance venue, outdoor community spaces, a health club, spa, and restaurants also promised. The operator has teamed with RXR Realty on the project.
— Mark Saxon
More from around the gaming biz
RAMPING UP IN RICHMOND: Richmond mayor doubles down on protecting right to casino [Richmond Times-Dispatch]
THE SKILLS TO PAY NEBRASKA’S BILLS: Nebraska senator targets ‘skill games’ for taxation, additional property tax relief [Nebraska Examiner]
CLIMBING THE RESEARCH RANKS: Brett Abarbanel named new executive director at UNLV’s International Gaming Institute [CDC Gaming Reports]
LAND CHANGES HANDS: Station Casinos sells 57 acres south of Strip [Las Vegas Review-Journal]
PLAYING THE FACE CARD: Par-A-Dice Casino paying out settlement to end facial recognition data lawsuit [WCBU.org]
FROM UFC TO NGCB: Gov. Lombardo names Vegas attorney Kirk Hendrick as Gaming Control Board chair [The Nevada Independent]
PAI WOW! Las Vegas local hits $6.4 million pai gow poker progressive jackpot [CDC Gaming Reports]
Image: Blundell Design
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