DraftKings – Bookielink

MLBPI slaps four US operators with name, image and likeness suit for using players in apps, social media

MLB Players Inc (MLBPI), the corporate arm of the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBPA) has filed lawsuits against DraftKings, Bet365, FanDuel and Underdog Fantasy for unlawfully using the name, image and likeness of several players on their apps and social media accounts.
The suits were filed on Monday (16 September). The DraftKings-Bet365 suit was filed in the US District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania and the FanDuel-Underdog suit was filed in the New York State Supreme Court in Manhattan. Both allege that the bookmakers have used “hundreds” of MLB players’ names and images without proper consent.

The alleged violations apply to bets and promotions on the bookmakers’ apps and posts from their social media accounts. The union described the two companies’ conduct as “outrageous, malicious, and in wilful violation of MLBPI’s rights”.

As a result, the union is seeking an injunction to stop the use of player images as well as compensatory and punitive dam..

2 days ago

FanDuel dominated Washington, DC wagering in August

In the first full month of an open competitive market in Washington, DC, FanDuel was the clear choice for bettors, taking $21.7m in bets. Four operators were live online.
Washington, DC also has four in-person only sportsbooks and the eight combined to take $40.6m in bets, the highest in history according to the Office of Lottery and Gaming (OLG) report. The group had a combined $4.5m in gross gaming revenue (GGR).

In June, the DC Council voted to open the market, which during its first three years, only had one digital option available throughout the District and that for just 11 months. GambetDC, a white-label platform provided by lottery provider Intralot, was live.

But issue after issue arose and, in March, the OLG announced that Intralot was preparing to take the platform down and replace it with FanDuel. The wagering giant subcontracted with Intralot, but its run as a monopoly was short-lived. FanDuel went live in April, but on 15 July the market opened and the OLG declined t..

September 12, 2024

Mass Gaming Commission to set hearing about DraftKings’ bungled email

People on the self-exclusion list in Massachusetts received the email about a ‘bonus bet'.
A widespread notification from DraftKings in mid-August about settlement of PGA Tour golf bets mostly was met with harmless bemusement and confusion from those receiving the email.

The recipients consisted of those who have made wagers on golf using the online sportsbook – just not this particular bet. It also included some who don’t even have a DraftKings account.

But it is another group of recipients that may land the Boston-based sports betting giant in hot water with regulators.

DraftKings message was intended for 13 bettors
That’s because during a Massachusetts Gaming Commission hearing on Thursday (12 September), it was revealed that the email was intended to be sent to only 13 bettors whose wagers were relevant to the settlement. But it actually went out to more than a million users. The potential hot water comes from the fact that the commission found that 184 residents on the vol..

August 28, 2024

DraftKings agrees to buy in-play betting company Simplebet

DraftKings on Wednesday (28 August) announced that it has come to terms to buy Simplebet in an effort to punch up its in-play betting capabilities and boost its AI game.
The acquisition will be DraftKings’ second major purchase this year, after it completed the purchase of digital lottery company Jackpocket in May. DraftKings earlier this year also acquired SportsIQ Analytics and sold VSiN back to its original owners.

DraftKings, founded in 2012 in Boston, is the second-biggest US sports betting company by market share.

Details of the deal were not released and are pending regulatory approval. The boards of directors for both companies have approved the acquisition, according to a DraftKings press release.

The Simplebet deal would allow DraftKings to integrate Simplebet’s machine learning models into its platform and offer customers “highly accurate betting opportunities during every moment of a game”. By adding Simplebet’s technology, according to the press release, DraftKings ..

August 26, 2024

Weekend Report: Addabbo sounds off about NYC casino process, DraftKings stymied in court, Aristocrat’s new UK deal

Welcome to the Weekend Report, where iGB covers the news that you may have missed over Friday, Saturday and Sunday. This week, we look at an FBI arrest in DC, as well as a California bill that would allow tribes to sue cardrooms.
Frustration continues over NYC casino bid process
New York Senator Joe Addabbo continues to push for and vent his frustration about the status of three downstate NYC casino licences. Per Action Network, Addabbo was vocal during the Racing and Gaming Conference at Saratoga, NY earlier this month.

“Why not codify the timelines? Why not give definitive answers to why we’re not doing this on a timely basis when we did three licences upstate in a fraction of time?” Addabbo asked during a conference panel. “Because we’ll have this same panel here five years from now.”

At issue is the timing of awarding three casino licences. Eleven entities are bidding for the licences, which are currently scheduled to be awarded in the middle of 2025. Casinos would be able to op..

August 21, 2024

NFLPA sues DraftKings over NFTs

On Wednesday (20 August) the NFL Players Association (NFLPA) filed a lawsuit against DraftKings and its parent company DK Crown Holdings, Inc in US District Court for the Southern District of New York stemming from DraftKings' July shutdown of the Reignmaker NFT.
The NFLPA is seeking damages for an “anticipated breach of contract”, claiming that it provided DraftKings with intellectual property rights licensing for NFL players. The product allows consumers to buy NFTs for use in fantasy sports contests.

Most documents around the lawsuit are under seal and the docket does not indicate when the seal may be lifted. The NFLPA’s attorney filed a court order asking to file redacted documents. David Greenspan, an antitrust, sports and complex-commercial litigator with the New York City firm Winston & Strawn LLP, is listed as the NFLPA counsel.

Greenspan has previously worked with athletes and has won multiple anti-trust class-action lawsuits against the NCAA. Those cases centred arou..

August 21, 2024

Michigan online gambling, sports betting AGR up YoY and month over month

Michigan's online gambling industry continues to grow, as July igaming and digital sports betting adjusted gross receipts (AGR) grew a combined 3.2% over June.
In addition, compared to July 2023, online gambling AGR was up 24.7% and sports betting was up 5.2%, according to the Michigan Gaming Control Board (MGCB), which released results on Tuesday (20 August).

But the big news was wagering hold. Digital sports betting operators recorded an 11.3% win rate in July, the fourth consecutive month of double-digit hold, according to the Sports Handle revenue database. That’s the second-highest hold since digital operators went live in January 2021.

The operators’ most successful month for hold was September 2022 – the second football season during which digital betting was live. That month, operators kept 13.15% of handle.

Overall, Michigan online gambling commercial and tribal operators reported a combined $220.9m (£169.4m/€198.4m) in gross receipts. Michigan has three land-based ..

August 16, 2024

State of the Union: DraftKings’ missteps, Missouri ballot measure

Welcome to iGB's State of the Union, a look at the biggest North American sports betting stories we've covered over the week and briefs on others we found interesting.
DraftKings has “no excuse” to consider surcharge “cash grab”
Less than an hour after Flutter’s second-quarter earnings call ended on Tuesday, DraftKings announced that, after hearing customer feedback, it will back off plans to impose a winners’ surcharge. The company announced the idea in early August, only to get swift and negative feedback.

Wall Street reacted positively on Wednesday. DraftKings’ shares were up as high as $33.50 per share before they settled at $32.06, up nearly 2%. While Rush Street Interactive and Penn Entertainment previously said they would not follow DraftKings’ lead, the company was clearly waiting to see how FanDuel would react.

“We have no plans to introduce a surcharge to winners,” CEO Peter Jackson said during the Q&A portion of the call. He then declined to entertain the issue..

August 16, 2024

Massachusetts operators hold 10.3% as Bally Bet makes debut

Massachusetts sportsbook operators were the winners in July, according to the Massachusetts Gaming Commission revenue report released on Thursday (15 August).
The state’s seven mobile operators and three retail operators combined for a 10.3% hold and handle was up significantly over July 2024.

Bally Bet, BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, DraftKings, ESPN Bet, Fanatics Sportsbook and FanDuel took a combined $405.3m (£315.3/€369.3m) in wagers compared to $294.9m in July 2023. Massachusetts’ handle was down against June’s $509.3m. Four digital operators recorded hold of over 10%.

Massachusetts operators paid more than $8m to the state in taxes.

Boston-based DraftKings retained its spot as the market-share leader, taking $202m in wagers, holding 10.3% and recording adjusted gross revenue (AGR) of $20.9m. FanDuel was second with $119.9m in handle and a hold of 10.97%.

Bally Bet had lowest hold of all operators
Massachusetts was back up to seven operators for July, after Bally Bet launched o..

August 12, 2024

Politics of DraftKings’ proposed winners’ tax – and how the US industry is responsible for high wagering taxes

There is an argument to be made that DraftKings put the gambling industry in a tough spot in 2019 when it agreed to a 51% tax rate in New Hampshire and that its latest idea to impose a surcharge in high-tax states is a consequence of that.
When DraftKings, in early August, rolled out its plan to essentially tax winners in states with a tax rate above 20%, reaction was overwhelming negative.

Since then, Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz said his company won’t follow suit. And Penn Interactive’s Jay Snowden said during the company’s earnings call said that the idea was “interesting” and “unexpected”. He didn’t completely close the door on it, but the company has no plans to tax winners in the near future.

DraftKings says it will impose the surcharge beginning 1 January 2025.

DraftKings is the second-biggest US operator by market share. The only company ahead of it is FanDuel, which declined to comment on the topic. FanDuel’s parent company, Flutter, is set to release sec..

August 5, 2024

Rush Street Interactive won’t join DraftKings in introducing surcharge

Rush Street Interactive has no plans to introduce a surcharge for its players after DraftKings announced its plans to implement a gaming surcharge last Thursday (1 August).
Rush Street Interactive’s commitment to customer-centric policies in a Monday (5 August) press release follows DraftKings’ Q2 business update. DraftKings said its plans to “address high tax rates” involved introducing surcharge on winning bets in states with a tax rate exceeding 20% starting from 1 January 2025.

Rush Street Interactive and its brands, which include BetRivers and RushBet, says it is reaffirming its “dedication to providing exceptional value” for players by not following in DraftKings’ footsteps.

It was an “easy decision” for Rush Street Interactive CEO Richard Schwartz.

“RSI remains committed to maintaining its leadership position in the industry by continuously prioritising the needs and preferences of its players,” Schwartz explained.

“We believe that RSI’s focus on customer satisfaction, coupl..

August 3, 2024

After rolling out proposed winners’ tax, DraftKings projects $1bn in 2025 profits, fails to meet estimates

DraftKings founder Jason Robins has so much confidence in his company's product, that he is willing to risk driving customers away by charging them for winning in some states. During the company's second-quarter earnings call on Friday (2 August) he doubled down on that belief.
On Thursday (1 August) DraftKings announced that, beginning 1 January 2025, it will charge a surcharge on winnings on customers in high-tax (more than 20%) legal gaming states. A day later, the company announced that it expects between $900m-$1bn (£781m/€917m) in EBITDA in fiscal year 2025, which began 1 July.

The new fee, Robins explained in the call, is a sort of insurance, which he calls a “nominal” fee to bettors.

“It makes a huge difference to our ability to make a reasonable margin,” he told investors on Friday. “And more importantly [it will help us] to compete with the illegal market that pays no taxes and can invest 100% of revenue into their products.”

Robins banking on consumers to “ulti..

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Tag: DraftKings