New York’s Empire Resorts Joins Forces With Bet365 on Sports Betting

Empire Resorts, Inc., now an affiliate of bet365 Group Limited (bet365) and Resorts World Catskills today revealed a “strategic alliance” to join the rapidly expanding sports wagering business space in the U.S. by creating a physical and online sportsbook in New York State.

Sports wagering is not now legal in New York, however, rules and accompanying regulations are expected to come under close examination by New York State lawmakers in 2019, Democratic State Assemblyman J. Gary Pretlow (89th District) told Sports Handle in an interview last week. Pretlow is the state lawmaker sponsoring enabling legislation that would legalize full-fledged sports betting in the state.

Resorts World Catskills in Kiamesha Lake, on the site of the former Concord Hotel, a “Borscht Belt” landmark, is New York’s newest and largest integrated commercial casino resort destination with closest proximity to Manhattan. Empire, as a bet365 affiliate company, is part of the world’s largest online sports bookmaker. The parties said in a media release that their deal 20-year agreement would become effective when permitted by applicable law.

 

Read more New York’s Empire Resorts Joins Forces With Bet365 on Sports Betting on SportsHandle.

Best Betting Scenes: In ‘Dirty Work,’ Dr. Farthing Bets Against Rocky

Time for another installment in Sports Handle’s ongoing series on The Best Best Gambling And Sports Betting Scenes. There’s a lot of high-quality movies centered on gambling, including on horse racing and poker ‘Let It Ride’ and ‘Rounders’). All quality gambling scenes, whether strictly sports betting or not, the focus of the film or a short aside, will be included/considered.

The very underrated, under-appreciated 1998 comedy “Dirty Work” stars Norm MacDonald (as Mitch) and Artie Lange (Sam) as co-founders of a “Revenge For Hire” business, in order to pay for a heart surgery for Sam’s father, Pops.

Directed by Bob Saget, the movie also has guest appearances by Adam Sandler, Chris Farley, Don Rickles and of course, Chevy Chase, who plays the heart surgeon and gambling addict Dr. Farthing, who will bump up Pop’s place on the heart transplant list in exchange for $50,000 — to pay back his bookie.

Chase delivers his classic deadpan humor in each of his scenes, including in this doctor’s office exchange when Dr. Farthing reveals just how terrible he is at betting sports:

Roy Bets Big On His Seven Iron In ‘Tin Cup’

The Long Con Begins in ‘Diggstown’

 

Read more Best Betting Scenes: In ‘Dirty Work,’ Dr. Farthing Bets Against Rocky on SportsHandle.

Poll: Most Maryland Voters Want Sports Betting, Will Have to Wait

A Washington Post poll conducted in Sept. 2017 showed that 55% of respondents approved of legalizing sports betting with only 33% disapproving — the highest level of support ever record by the Roper Center public opinion archive.  

Now a brand new Post poll surveying Maryland registered voters found numbers in line with the national figures — 53 percent are in favor of legal sports wagering on professional sports, against 37 percent opposed (10 percent had no opinion).

Unfortunately for those Marylanders approving and also desiring to make legal sports bets, they’ll probably be waiting more than two years to do so within Maryland borders.

The Maryland state constitution requires that any gambling expansion must go to the voters via ballot referendum.  In March, the House of Delegates passed a bill 124-14 that would have put the matter on the Nov. 6 ballot, however the bill failed to make it out of committee in the Senate before the legislative session ended.  

As proponents at the time advised, now the next opportunity to get it on the ballot won’t come until Nov. 2020, unless lawmakers have the motivation and find a way to bypass the state constitution. Unlikely.

 
 

Read more Poll: Most Maryland Voters Want Sports Betting, Will Have to Wait  on SportsHandle.

‘Pro Football Handle’: NFL Week 10 Breakdown: Bengals Host Red-Hot Saints, Pros On Underdog Titans (+6.5) vs. Patriots

The post ‘Pro Football Handle’: NFL Week 10 Breakdown: Bengals Host Red-Hot Saints, Pros On Underdog Titans (+6.5) vs. Patriots appeared first on SportsHandle.

On The Pro Football Handle, brought to you by PropSwap.com, Las Vegas-based sports talk voice Matt Perrault and veteran bookmaker Robert Walker of USBookmaking dive into select NFL games, line movements and bookmaker liabilities, plus greater sports betting topics and stories that may have nothing to do with football. Walker has seen it all behind the counter and Perrault the same from behind the microphone, so they’ll have you prepared for anything.

Somehow, it’s already NFL Week 10. There are some funky lines this week including three double digit games. Will the public continue their red hot October into November? Keep an eye on the dogs this week, they are consistently hitting (69-60-3 ATS on the season), although popular favorites have been covering recently. Listen for some key teaser opportunities and the contrarian pick of the week.

Spotify fans go here to listen. Download the PropSwap app for iOS systems here and Android here. Time codes for the episode follow below.


1:10 — The public is red hot: a recap of the season so far.

12:47 —  PropSwap.com, Future Focus — Are the L.A. Chargers and Carolina Panthers getting the respect they deserve?

15:16 — Carolina Panthers +3.5 at Pittsburgh Steelers — Carolina is a team to be reckoned with and the public is paying attention.

21:00 —  Buffalo Bills +6.5 (or +7) at N.Y. Jets — Without their young QBs playing, the only reason to watch this game is if you bet on it.

23:35 — Atlanta Falcons -4 at Cleveland Browns-– The Browns are home dogs? Tempting, but can you trust them?

26:04 — New Orleans Saints -5 at Cincinnati Bengals — Contrarian play of the week!

29:25 — Washington Redskins +2.5 at Tampa Bay Buccaneers — FitzMagic money is pouring in, but which version will we see this week?

31:30 — New England Patriots -6.5 at Tennessee Titans — Pros are on the dog. Great teaser opportunity.

34:09 — Arizona Cardinals +16.5 at Kansas City Chiefs — If you have to play KC, play the first half.

36:00 — L.A. Chargers -10 at Oakland Raiders –– Robert is done with the Raiders but Matt will tease it.

39:06 — Seattle Seahawks +9.5  at L.A. Rams — Seattle is the livest dog you’ve ever seen.

41:31 — Miami Dolphins +9.5 at Green Bay Packers — This game is Dolphins vs. Aaron Rodgers. And the public loves Aaron Rodgers.

42:49 — Detroit Lions +6.5 at Chicago Bears — Has media spin superficially inflated the Lions?

44:22– Dallas Cowboys +7 at Philadelphia Eagles — Without Sean Lee the Cowboys suffer on defense.

45:34 — NY Giants +3 at San Francisco 49ers  — San Fran is terrible but shouldn’t be favored over anybody… even the Giants.


Have a profitable Week 10, folks. Thanks for listening and see you back next week, tell a friend, sign up for our newsletter and also check out the Cover City Podcast, featuring sports bettor Eric Rosenthal.

Follow Perrault on Twitter @sportstalkmatt and Walker @robertusfsports.

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The post ‘Pro Football Handle’: NFL Week 10 Breakdown: Bengals Host Red-Hot Saints, Pros On Underdog Titans (+6.5) vs. Patriots appeared first on SportsHandle.

NHL Executive Suggests New Gambling Revenue Could Actually Keep Ticket Prices Down

The NHL’s 180° on the virtues of sports betting is causing whiplash among people who for two decades saw NHL commissioner Gary Bettman shout about the dangers of legal sports betting and its potential to ruin sports. 

Following a flurry of recent NHL announcements including deals with MGM Resorts International to become an official sports betting partner, and a partnership with FanDuel to become the “exclusive official daily fantasy partner and an official sports betting partner of the NHL” —  Los Angeles Kings president Luc Robitaille on Wednesday said that gambling revenue derived from such deals and other channels could actually lower ticket prices or at least prevent them from rising at the same rate.

Robitaille made the remarks during an appearance on ESPN’s On Ice podcast with Greg Wyshanski and Emily Kaplan on Wednesday, saying in part: “I’m not going to guarantee it’s going to bring down ticket prices, but it might hold the raise a little bit. If a team plans on raising ticket prices by 8 percent, they might only raise them by 5 or 4 percent. If there’s a lot more money at the table, it makes everybody’s life easier.”

We’ll put the likelihood of a reduction of prices and/or slowing of their incremental increases at 25-1. Let’s now explore the reason for that line a bit deeper.

 

Read more NHL Executive Suggests New Gambling Revenue Could Actually Keep Ticket Prices Down on SportsHandle.

New Mexico Lottery to Offer Game Tied to Sports

The New Mexico Lottery Board on Tuesday voted to approve a game linked with the outcome of sporting events, the Santa Fe New Mexican reported. The game will mark the second venture for an entity in New Mexico to offer sports betting after the Supreme Court struck down the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act in May. Just last month, the tribal-owned Santa Ana Star Casino & Hotel, with USBookmaking as its operator, launched a sportsbook. 

Though details of the new lottery game were not made public, it’s likely it will involve parlay wagering, similar to Delaware’s sports lottery. In such a game, players must select the winners of at least three sports events and select each one correctly in order to win.

The driving force behind developing a sports-related lottery game is to generate more money for education, which the lottery funds. Lottery CEO David Barden told the Santa Fe New Mexican that the new game could produce $30 million a year, with $9 million to be directed to the lottery’s college tuition assistance program.

 
 

Read more New Mexico Lottery to Offer Game Tied to Sports on SportsHandle.

‘Cover City’: NFL Week 8 Picks, Preview With Christian Pina

 

Sports Handle is pleased to present Cover City: A Pro Football Betting Podcast, hosted by Eric Rosenthal (@ericcports). Rosenthal is a professional sports bettor who focuses on NFL and college football. He’s wagered more than $25 million in the last nine years, getting banned from many sportsbooks along the way.

For the NFL Week 8 picks and preview pod, Rosenthal is joined again by Christian Pina (@ChristianPina), professional sports handicapper for Radar Sharp Edge, host of Inside Vegas and Gambling Podcast content editor. With some truly bad games (for bettors and fans alike) this week, the guys are picking their spots carefully.

But there are some great teaser opportunities and prop bets out there for consideration. Don’t miss Rosenthal’s SuperContest picks at the end of the pod, too.

Time codes for the episode follow below. Listen and subscribe on Spotify here.


1:17 — Week 7 recap and lessons learned.

4:25 — Philadelphia Eagles -3 vs. Jacksonville Jaguars (London) — Both teams are struggling and while this is technically a neutral site, the “London Jaguars” are familiar with this city and trip.

8:18 — Cleveland Browns +8 at Pittsburgh Steelers —  This game is why teasers exist. 

12:00 — Denver Broncos +10 at Kansas City Chiefs — Team totals are the way to go for this type of game. Possible 3 team teaser.

15:12– N.Y. Jets +7.5 at Chicago Bears — Rosenthal has no interest in betting this game, and Christian notes that most of the money coming in is on the Bears.

16:14 — Washington Redskins PK at N.Y. Giants— Neither Rosenthal nor Christian are betting this game. Pass or take the Giants.

18:38 — Seattle Seahawks +3 at Detroit Lions — Rosenthal’s favorite line on the board, he loves the Lions and is waiting for a move to 2.5.

21:46 — Tampa Bay Buccaneers -4.5 at  Cincinnati Bengals — Buy low, sell high. Bengals QB Andy Dalton in the prop market is a great look.

24:00 — Baltimore Ravens -2 at Carolina Panthers — Rosenthal staying away from this game but Christian is leaning towards Baltimore with a bounce back for Ravens QB Joe Flacco.

26:23 — Indianapolis Colts -3 at Oakland Raiders — Raiders coach John Gruden is locked in on Vegas and will do it his way. Take the over.

30:10 — San Francisco 49ers PK at Arizona Cardinals  — Christian is avoiding this game, but Rosenthal sees a 3-team teaser opportunity.

34:20 — Green Bay Packers +9.5 vs. L.A. Rams  — Game of the week! Packers QB Aaron Rodgers is the best in the game, while the Rams are on another planet. Take the over on Rams total, or total overall.

40:37 — New Orleans Saints PK at Minnesota Vikings — Good game, tough game, keep an eye on the prop market, especially Vikings WR Adam Thielen.

44:09 — New England Patriots -14 at Buffalo Bills — Check out the first quarter line and first half line. If you like the Pats, take them now. Buffalo is not going to win.

48:55 — SuperContest picks!


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Also check out: Sports Handle’s Week 8 edition of “Lookahead Lines“: By comparing changes between current lines and the numbers hung days earlier, we can get a sense of where recency bias or overreactions are seeping in.

 
 

Listen to more ‘Cover City’: NFL Week 8 Picks, Preview With Christian Pina  on SportsHandle.

Bookmaker William Hill and New Jersey Devils Partner Strike Sponsorship Deal — A First In New Jersey

 

The William Hill Sports Lounge, located outside Section 18 on the Main Concourse of Newark’s Prudential Center, is the latest major marketing foray executed by the rapidly expanding U.S. bookmaking operation, William Hill US announced on Thursday.

ESPN reports that because the NHL is not comfortable with the venue being an actual sportsbook in which bets can be placed at windows and kiosks, instead, “company ambassadors” will assist bettors in downloading William Hill‘s betting app to make wagers online.

No opening date for the remodeled and rebranded space has been announced.

The venue, to be open during all New Jersey Devils NHL games, has been created in partnership with the Devils and the Prudential Center and will feature more than 20 digital screens showcasing the world’s most popular sporting events and displaying odds and betting propositions. The William Hill Sports Lounge will be also be open during more than 175 concerts and special events held at the arena annually. 

Week 8 College Football Picks: Navy’s A Double-Digit Home ‘Dog, Oklahoma

 

Each week we’ll be providing our top college football picks. (Season record: 8-5.)

Also check out our NFL “Lookahead Lines” story, finding value (or not) by comparing earlier lines, and identifying recency bias.

Back to the college game…


College Football Picks Week 8: Navy’s a Double-Digit Home Underdog and Oklahoma in a Good Spot vs. TCU

cfb picks oklahoma tcu sports betting


Oklahoma -8 over TCU

It seems like everyone in the world is on Oklahoma this week. I usually try to stay away from games like that but sometimes you just have to ride the public wave to the window and cash the ticket.

This is such a great spot for the Sooners. Oklahoma is coming off a bye and finally fired “defensive” coordinator Mike Stoops. Ruffin McNeill will take over a defense that faces a struggling TCU offense. The Horned Frogs have lost three of their last four games and have scored more than 17 points just once over that span.

TCU is only 2-4 ATS as a home dog in its last six games and 2-7 ATS overall in its last nine. Oklahoma has won four straight over the Horned Frogs with the average margin of victory of 12.2 points. 

I’ll take the Sooners to pull away in this game and cover the eight points.


Kentucky -11 over Vanderbilt

Speaking of good spots, Kentucky finds itself in one this week. The Wildcats are coming off a bye, while Vanderbilt is playing for the eighth straight week and must rebound from a tough loss to Florida where they blew a 21-3 lead.

Kentucky has a major edge here with their rushing offense going against a Vandy defense that’s allowed an average of 257 rushing yards over the last four games. That will be a big problem when facing Kentucky RB Benny Snell and his 5.5 yards per carry.

Vanderbilt quarterback Ke’Shawn Vaughn was injured last week but is expected to play on Saturday. Kentucky has been strong on defense this year holding opponents to 116 yards below their opponents’ season average.

Vanderbilt has been a great fade in conference play going 1-10 ATS in its last 11 games versus SEC opponents. This line opened 10.5 at the SuperBook and moved to 11 where it is at most books as of Wednesday. Kentucky’s five wins this year have all been by 11 points or more. I’ll call for another double-digit victory here.es not used to seeing that offense, especially when I’m getting points (a dozen of ’em).

Read more Week 8 College Football Picks: Navy’s A Double-Digit Home ‘Dog, Oklahoma  on SportsHandle.

Consensus Picks Shredded In Rough Week 6 In NFL SuperContest

To round out NFL Week 6, the Green Bay Packers (-9.5) gave little hint of a cover on Monday night against the visiting San Francisco 49ers in another vintage Aaron Rodgers performance in which the QB brought the Pack back from 30-23 for a 33-30 win as time expired.

Together with the Chiefs-Patriots Arena Football League-themed game on Sunday night, teams in the two primetime games combined for 146 points scored. But back to the point spreads that decide fates in the 3,120 player field competing for a $1.5 million top prize in the Westgate Las Vegas SuperContest: It was not a pretty picture for the most popular teams this week, which went 1-4 overall, the lone cover coming courtesy Pittsburgh at Cincinnati.

Contestants collected a respectable 2.4 with two points apiece, a step up from Week 5’s 2.24, but let’s dig into what went wrong for top consensus picks New England, Jacksonville, Chicago and Indianapolis (figures via FantasySuperContest). Here’s the weekly snapshot, then we’ll dig into the consensus picks and a bit more below:

  • Favorites vs Underdogs (ATS): 9-5-1
  • Home vs Away (ATS): 6-8-1
  • Over/Under record: 10-6
  • Straight up underdog wins:  5
 

Read more Consensus Picks Shredded In Rough Week 6 In NFL SuperContest  on SportsHandle.