The in-depth reporting and industry coverage that has defined Sports Handle for years now lives on the Action Network, part of a new strategic initiative from the parent company of both, Better Collective. In an effort to serve fans of Sports Handle, we present the best of our daily coverage on Action Network, summarized below, with links to the full stories on Action:
Professional poker player Damien LeForbes has pleaded guilty in federal court to running an illegal sports betting operation and money laundering. LeForbes is alleged to have been one of the co-conspirators in the illegal gambling ring involving Matthew Bowyer and Shohei Ohtani’s former interpreter, Ippei Mizuhara. Bowyer and LeForbes have been under investigation by federal authorities for the operation of an illegal sportsbook, and LeForbes reportedly racked up over $12 million in gambling losses at Resorts World in Las Vegas. Full story here.
The NFL Players Association has sued DraftKings for roughly $65 million after the operator closed its non-fungible token business in July. The lawsuit, filed last week, alleges the sportsbook intends to terminate a deal signed in 2021 with the NFLPA for its since-closed Reignmakers NFT business and not pay the remainder of the agreement. Full story here.
The sports betting tax windfall reaped in North Carolina has South Carolina legislators intrigued, but more political pushback is expected in the Palmetto State than occurred in its Tar-Heeled neighbor to the north. Fully story here.
BetMGM has released a series of enhancements to its mobile sports betting app. The biggest takeaway is an increased amount of markets powered by Angstrom, which is Entain’s in-house sports modeling and analytics company, to provide exclusive betting odds for certain wagers. Also new to BetMGM is a more streamlined product for same-game parlays, as well as more pre-packaged parlays for bettors to consider. Full story here.
Lastly, Travis Kelce has purchased a significant ownership share in a racehorse named Swift Delivery, who has something in common with the Kansas City tight end’s girlfriend — some gal named Taylor. Full story here.