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Tag: Gambling

  • America’s Betting Craze Has Spread to Its News Networks

    A former longtime CNN journalist, who requested to remain anonymous, objected to the deal on different grounds, saying that it seemed “gimmicky” for the network to be promoting betting odds. “Do they really believe it’s adding value to the coverage?”

    The value of the data depends on the liquidity of a particular market; generally, the more money wagered, the more predictive the odds. There is no magic threshold for when a market should be taken seriously, but many of the most-cited election markets attract tens of millions of dollars in trading, at least. When Enten lauded the benefits of analyzing betting odds, on air the other day, he failed to mention that only several hundred thousand dollars had been bet on that particular market. Kalshi’s odds provided good fodder for television, but, statistically speaking, they didn’t say much.

    How many news organizations, desperate for cash and for clicks, will move in a similar direction? Dan Pozner was the director of gambling content and partnerships at NBC Sports in 2020 when the company struck its first partnership with a sportsbook, PointsBet (since acquired by Fanatics, which just launched a prediction market in two dozen states). Some traditionalists at NBC were reluctant to promote gambling, Pozner recalled, but the prevailing mentality was, “They need to do what everyone else is doing to keep up, or they’re going to miss out.” Pozner doesn’t think many news organizations will get hung up on moral reservations this time, either. I heard something similar from Dustin Gouker, a reporter who also spent years facilitating affiliate marketing deals with media companies, and who now publishes a newsletter about prediction markets, Event Horizon. He agrees that CNN, CNBC, and Yahoo Finance will likely be trendsetters: “Bloomberg, the Wall Street Journal, the New York Times, Fox News, and on and on—why wouldn’t all of them do something like this?”

    It’s easy to see the synergy between news and gambling on the news. Kalshi said it will create certain markets at CNBC’s request, though many news stories already have a corresponding betting market. After the Times published a front-page story last month about mounting evidence of the President showing his age, the odds on Kalshi that he’d be out of office by the end of next year increased to twenty-nine per cent. Kalshi is also accepting bets on extreme weather, like markets for whether an 8.0-magnitude earthquake will strike California before year’s end, or whether Mt. Etna will erupt in the same time frame. (There’s a one-per-cent and fifty-seven-per-cent chance, respectively.)

    Of course, there’s something ghoulish about profiting from natural disasters—or wars. Polymarket takes bets on whether Israel will strike Gaza on a given day. There can also be strange feedback loops, Andrew Hall, a political scientist at Stanford, explained. (Hall also advises the venture-capital firm Andreessen Horowitz, an investor in Kalshi.) With political markets especially, “the news affects the prices, and then the prices are part of the news,” Hall told me. Coverage of Hegseth having the greatest odds of being the first Cabinet secretary ousted, for example, could boost those odds further, which could generate more coverage, which could eventually drive the President to fire him.

    Entanglements with prediction markets might create other problems for journalists. Considering how significantly news coverage shapes betting odds, there’s ample opportunity for insider trading. Accentuating that conflict, news organizations are often designated as the source of truth for resolving a market. For example, Kalshi takes bets on whether certain people, such as the rapper Drake or the Pope, will visit the White House this year. The outcomes of those bets are determined by reporting in various outlets, including CNN. Kalshi’s rules prohibit any employee of a news outlet, anyone with “material non-public information,” or anyone with “the ability to influence the outcome of the contract” from trading. But, as Gouker, the Event Horizon writer, asked, “Are they actually stopping them?” Earlier this year, a Republican candidate for governor in California, Kyle Langford, said he bet a hundred dollars on Kalshi that he would win the election. Of course, he was prohibited from doing so, but the bet apparently went through. Kalshi said it was investigating.

    Danny Funt

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  • Lottery jackpots are getting bigger and harder to win. See the data on Powerball and Mega Millions’ top prizes.

    Lottery jackpots have exploded in size over the last decade.

    When Powerball launched in 1992, the first jackpot was $5.9 million, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association. Now, the largest Powerball jackpot on record was the $2.04 billion prize won on Nov. 7, 2022.

    Mega Millions followed a similar path. Its first jackpot winner in 2002 took home $28 million. Its record prize — a $1.602 billion jackpot won on Aug. 8, 2023 — ranks as the fourth-largest lottery jackpot in U.S. history.

    Twelve out of the 20 largest jackpots have occurred since 2023.

    Here are the biggest U.S. jackpot wins:


    Only five states don’t sell lottery tickets: Alabama, Alaska, Hawaii, Nevada and Utah.

    While the prizes are huge, the odds of winning still remain extremely low. Over the last three decades, both games have been redesigned multiple times. Changes have pushed jackpots higher while also adding more ways for players to win smaller prizes.

    Powerball players choose five numbers from 1 to 69 and one Powerball number from 1 to 26. In 2015, Powerball increased its number of white balls from 59 to 69 and its number of red balls decreased from 35 to 26. 

    Before the change, the odds of winning the jackpot were 1 in 175.2 million and the overall odds of winning any prize were 1 in 31.85. After the redesign, the jackpot odds became steeper, 1 in 292.2 million, while the overall odds of winning a prize improved to 1 in 24.9, according to the Multi-State Lottery Association.

    Powerball odds (Table)


    Mega Millions requires players to pick five different numbers from one to 70 and one Mega Ball number from one to 24. A ticket wins the jackpot by matching all six numbers in a drawing. 

    In 2025, Mega Millions changed its games to a larger starting jackpot ($50 million vs. $20 million), which “improved odds to win the jackpot and improved overall odds,” according to Dan Miller, a spokesperson for Mega Millions.

    “Everyone who wins is winning more because of the embedded multiplier in the new game that takes all non-jackpot prizes and multiplies them by 2X, 3X, 4X, 5X or 10X,” Miller said in an email. Through Friday, Dec. 5, he said, “there have been 70 drawings in the new game. In that time, players have won $531 million in non-jackpot prizes. In the old game, those same prizes would have been valued at $119.8 million. That’s a 343% increase in player winnings.”

    For example, under the old rules, matching just the Mega Ball was a break-even outcome: a $2 ticket earned a $2 prize. Under the new game, that same match now comes with a built-in multiplier. The minimum prize is $5, which is then multiplied — meaning a player can now win $10, $15, $20, $25 or even $50 instead of just $2.

    The odds to win the jackpot improved from 1 in 302.6 million to 1 in 290.5 million. This is because of Mega Millions removing the one gold Mega Ball from the game, Miller said.

    Mega Millions odds (Table)


    The new game has 24 Mega Balls instead of 25, which improves the odds of picking the right combinations of numbers to win the jackpot. The overall odds to win any prize went from 1 in 24 to 1 in 23.

    There’s more money in play as well: Powerball increased the price of a ticket from $1 to $2 in 2012. Mega Millions increased its ticket prices from $1 to $2 in 2017 and from $2 to $5 in April of this year.

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  • Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed a law legalizing sports betting. He now says he’s opposed to it

    COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — If Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine could turn back time, he would not have signed the law that legalized sports betting in his state.

    With two Cleveland Guardians pitchers and an Ohio-born guard for the Miami Heat snared in separate betting-related criminal probes, the second-term Republican says he now “absolutely” regrets unleashing this unbridled new industry on Ohioans with his 2021 signature.

    “Look, we’ve always had gambling, we’re always going to have gambling,” DeWine told The Associated Press last week. “But just the power of these companies and the deep, deep, deep pockets they have to advertise and do everything they can to get someone to place that bet is really different once you have legalization of them.”

    His comments reflect a reckoning that’s unfolding across sports and politics as sports betting becomes more ingrained across much of the U.S. The wave of legalization in recent years unleashed a massive industry centered around betting and, more recently, a wave of investigations and arrests tied to allegations of rigged games. It’s a dynamic that DeWine says he doesn’t think lawmakers fully anticipated.

    “Ohio shouldn’t have done it,” he said.

    DeWine prompted a rare move to limit prop bets

    DeWine recently emerged as a key player in the negotiations between Major League Baseball and its authorized gaming operators that resulted in the capping of prop bets on individual pitches at $200 and excluding them from parlays. The deal was announced earlier this month, a day after Guardians pitchers Luis Ortiz and Emmanuel Clase were indicted and accused of rigging pitches at the behest of gamblers. Both have pleaded not guilty.

    “Gov. DeWine really did a huge service, I think — to us, certainly, I can’t speak for any of the other sports — in terms of kind of bringing forward the need to do something in this area,” MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred told reporters last week.

    And DeWine doesn’t plan to stop there. Shortly after Ortiz and Clase were first placed on paid leave this summer, he announced he’d be asking the commissioners and players’ unions of all the major U.S. sports leagues to ban prop bets — sometimes called micro-betting — like those implicated in the Guardians scandal. While that goal has not yet been achieved — micro-betting is critical to the business strategy in an industry with over $11 billion in revenue in the U.S. this year — DeWine said limits put in place for baseball are a good first step.

    “It needs to be holistic, it needs to be universal,” he told the AP. “They’re just playing with fire. I mean, they are just asking for more and more trouble, their failure to address this.”

    The gambling industry’s investments in Ohio politics

    DeWine’s recent sentiments mark a notable position shift after he pledged to — and then did — sign a legalization law that was sweeping in scope. The legislation allowed adults 21 and older to place sports bets online, at casinos, at racinos and at stand-alone betting kiosks in bars, restaurants and professional sports facilities. Wagering was permitted under the bill on professional sports teams, motor sports, Olympic events, golf, tennis and even major college sports, including Ohio State football.

    It was clear in the run-up to DeWine’s re-election in 2022 that the gambling industry was intensely interested in what was transpiring in the state.

    An AP investigation that year found that casino operators, slot machine makers, gaming technology companies, sports interests or their lobbyists donated nearly $1 million in 2021 and 2022 to the nonprofit Republican Governors Association, which supported pro-DeWine committees through its campaign arm. Entities and individuals with ties to the industry also donated more than $22,000 directly to DeWine’s campaign, according to campaign finance reports.

    A review of more recent campaign filings finds that industry largesse has continued to flow to Ohio politicians with sway over gaming’s future.

    Lobbyists and a PAC with ties to Jack Casino, DraftKings, FanDuel, MGM, Gamewise, Hard Rock, Underdog, Rush Street or Caesars have donated about $130,000 to Ohio state legislators in the past three years, records show — about a third of that directed to top House and Senate leaders. Then-Republican Lt. Gov. Jon Husted, who was positioning as DeWine’s likely gubernatorial successor, had received about $9,000 from industry-connected entities and individuals before being appointed to the U.S. Senate.

    At least one powerful state lawmaker, Republican House Finance Chairman Brian Stewart, had vowed to introduce legislation protecting prop bets prior to professional baseball’s crackdown.

    “I think that prop bets are a significant part of sports betting in the state of Ohio,” Stewart told cleveland.com in August. “It’s something that clearly a lot of Ohioans have taken part in and enjoy, and I don’t think there’s something that we should eliminate entirely.”

    Amid such pushback, DeWine and others now view voluntary buy-in from leagues, players’ unions and sportsbooks as a superior approach to pursuing gambling restrictions on a state-by-state basis, where the authority lies.

    Matt Schuler, executive director of the Ohio Casino Control Commission, said the baseball deal DeWine helped broker has shown it can be done.

    “He’s using the bully pulpit and he’s able to connect with the right people in that way,” Schuler said of DeWine. “No one thought that everyone could get on the same page, but now they did because everyone realizes the risk. The bets are small, but the risk is big, and so, having observed gaming and regulated it for about 14 years, this is impressive.”

    Harassment and scandal in Ohio changed DeWine’s mind

    DeWine said his concerns with sports gambling began almost as soon as Ohio’s law took effect in 2023. Very quickly, his office began receiving reports that gamblers were threatening members of the University of Dayton basketball team.

    So he contacted NCAA President Charlie Baker, whom he knew from Baker’s time as governor of Massachusetts, and learned that he shared DeWine’s concern. He got Baker to write a letter requesting the removal of collegiate prop bets from the list of legal wagers that sportsbooks operating in Ohio could place, which allowed DeWine to usher the change through the casino commission.

    After the Guardians case emerged this summer, DeWine approached Manfred with the same idea. They hadn’t both been governors, but DeWine did have one cache going in: his family’s long-time ownership of North Carolina’s Asheville Tourists. DeWine said Manfred asked him to hold off on pushing unilateral action in Ohio, in hopes of getting the parties to agree to a new national rule.

    “I would have preferred to have completely done away with the micro-prop bets, but this is the area that he was able to settle on with them, and I was pleased with that,” DeWine said. “And so, I think that’s progress.”

    DeWine, who faces term limits next year, said he would be happy to sign a repeal of Ohio’s sports betting law at this point, but he’s certain there’s not enough support for that at the Ohio Statehouse.

    “There’s not the votes for that. I can count,” he said. “I’m not always right, but I can pretty much guarantee you that they’re not ready to do this.”

    Instead, he’ll continue to make his case in other ways.

    DeWine, an avid baseball fan, particularly of his hometown Cincinnati Reds, said he believes “these sports are playing with dynamite here and the integrity of the sports is at stake.”

    “So, you try to do what you can do, and you try and warn people, and try to take action like we did with collegiate, and you try take action like what we’re doing with baseball,” he said. “But we’ve got to keep pushing these other sports to do it, too.”

    ___

    AP Baseball Writer Ronald Blum contributed to this report.

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  • Big Apple Jackpot

    Inside the fight to bring casinos to New York City.

    Adam Iscoe

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  • Gambling apps fuel rising debt and addiction—here’s how to dig out – MoneySense

    While those sums are above average, Kilner has watched both his tally of clients and the depth of their gambling debts balloon in recent years. “Ten years ago I didn’t see anyone, because you’d actually have to go into a casino,” he added. “It’s just the last two, three years.”

    Betting apps put young adults at risk

    The rise of online sports betting and casino apps has yielded big profits for gambling companies. But insolvency and psychology experts warn of dire consequences for a growing number of Canadians—young men, in particular—and recommend counselling, a payback plan, and self-examination for those needing to dig themselves out of debt.

    Compared to gamblers who exclusively played the lottery, Canadians who reported betting online over the past year were 45 times more likely to qualify as problem gamblers, according to a new report from Greo Evidence Insights, the Canadian Centre on Substance Use and Addiction, and Mental Health Research Canada.

    “Young adults are emerging as the group most at risk,” said Matthew Young, chief research officer at Greo, a not-for-profit research organization with expertise in gambling. Nearly one in three adults aged 18 to 29 place bets online, according to the poll, which was based on data from more than 8,000 respondents. “Those who do are far more likely to develop gambling problems and suffer related harms,” he said in a release.

    The sheer ubiquity of betting amounts to a constant risk for some, who carry a virtual casino in their pocket. “You can gamble walking down the street on your phone. You can gamble sitting in the comfort of your living room,” said Scott Terrio, manager of consumer insolvency at Hoyes, Michalos & Associates. “The former barriers to gambling—i.e., getting up off your ass and going to the casino or the track—aren’t there now.”

    Gambling losses and debt climb in Ontario

    Canada legalized single-event sports betting in August 2021, upending more than a century of prohibition on the practice in the hopes of winning back customers from offshore sites, U.S. casinos, and illegal bookmakers. Ontario threw open the door to private betting platforms, while other provinces including Quebec, British Columbia, and Alberta offer sportsbooks run by their lottery and gaming commissions.

    On top of being just a click away, daily fantasy sports companies such as DraftKings and FanDuel advertise relentlessly, as anyone who watched the recent Toronto Blue Jays playoff run can attest. “This is so prevalent and in your face,” Terrio said.

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    Typical debt totals for his clients range between $20,000 and $80,000, though he’s handled cases of up to $263,000. “I’ve seen statements where somebody was pulling cash advances out over the course of three or four days and it was in the tens of thousands from a few different banks,” he said.

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    In Ontario, the internet gambling industry saw monthly cash wagers rise 31% year-over-year to a record $8.6 billion in September, according to iGaming Ontario’s latest market performance report. Online casinos make up the bulk of that total, while non-casino betting—the category includes sports—saw by far the biggest increase at 39%.

    Official statistics on gambling debt are hard to come by, but Ontarians lost $329.4 million on the iGaming platform in September, 20% more than in the same month a year earlier.

    Managing debt after online gambling losses

    The path out of debt isn’t always pleasant. The first step is to acknowledge the problem, stop gambling—including by asking sites to ban you—and contact a non-profit credit counselling agency for financial advice.

    If the debt has spiralled, a second step is to work with a licensed insolvency trustee to consider a consumer proposal—an agreement with creditors to repay a portion of what’s owed, often within five years. “They like to see 30%, 40% depending on how bad the gambling was. But you get that at no interest,” said Kilner.

    Sometimes, creditors impose harsher terms on gambling debt because it tends to accumulate more rapidly, he said. “Normal debt generally builds up over time. And from the selfish perspective of the banks, they’ve probably made some money off you,” Kilner said. “They’ve been able to charge interest. Generally, with gambling, it’s quick.”

    Other experts said the percentage owed can range widely, and hinges on income, assets, and prior bankruptcies.

    Declaring bankruptcy is an alternative that typically results in a lower payback amount. But it wreaks havoc on credit scores and usually demands a much shorter timeline, often 18 months, said Terrio.

    Why online betting can become addictive

    The toughest part of the process may be confronting the deeper reasons behind addictive behaviour. “Ask yourself, am I doing it for entertainment?” said Kilner. If so, set a limit, as you might for a night out.

    The Canadian Press

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  • Your guide to safe and legal online casino play – Houston Press

    Understanding the landscape of online casinos is essential for a secure and enjoyable gaming experience. This guide offers insights into legal gaming practices, focusing on selecting reputable platforms and maintaining safety. Stay informed to make the most of your online casino adventures.

    As more people turn to online casino games, it’s crucial to know how to engage legally and safely. Many players are interested in finding legitimate ways to enjoy gaming without legal complications. Navigating online casinos requires an understanding of both the legal framework and the necessary precautions for a secure experience. By staying informed, you can enjoy online gambling in Texas while minimizing risks.

    Understanding regional gaming laws

    Online casino gaming is governed by a complex set of laws that vary by region. Knowing these regulations is crucial for anyone interested in participating in legal gaming activities. Laws may change, so staying updated ensures you are playing within legal boundaries. This knowledge not only protects you from potential legal issues but also enhances your gaming experience by providing peace of mind.

    In some areas, online casinos are fully regulated, offering players a safe environment protected by law. However, other regions may have restrictions or bans on certain forms of online gambling. Staying informed about your region’s specific regulations can help you identify which platforms are legally accessible. Regularly checking updates from local authorities or trusted news sources can keep you aware of any legislative changes that might affect your gaming options.

    Beyond general regulations, understanding specific requirements for platform operations is equally important. This includes recognizing platforms licensed by reputable jurisdictions that ensure fair play and secure transactions. By doing so, you align with the highest standards of integrity in online gaming.

    Choosing reliable online casino platforms

    Selecting a reputable online casino platform is vital for a safe and enjoyable gaming experience. Look for platforms licensed by well-known regulatory bodies, as these entities enforce strict standards on fair play and player protection. Certifications from independent auditors can also signal a commitment to transparency and reliability.

    When evaluating potential platforms, check for user reviews and ratings that reflect other players’ experiences. These insights can provide valuable information about customer service quality, payout efficiency, and overall platform trustworthiness. Additionally, investigate any partnerships with respected software providers, as these collaborations often enhance game quality and security.

    Another key consideration is the platform’s security measures. Ensure they use advanced encryption technologies to protect financial transactions and personal data. A platform’s reputation significantly influences your overall gaming experience, making it vital to choose wisely.

    Practicing safe online gaming habits

    Safety in online gaming goes beyond selecting a reputable platform; it involves adopting proactive measures to protect yourself while playing. Always use secure payment methods that offer fraud protection and avoid sharing sensitive information unnecessarily. This helps prevent unauthorized access to your financial data.

    Establishing personal limits is another fundamental aspect of responsible gaming. Set time and spending limits before you start playing, ensuring that your enjoyment does not lead to unwanted financial strain or addiction risks. Many platforms offer tools like self-exclusion options or deposit limits to assist you in maintaining control over your gambling habits.

    Additionally, consider using cybersecurity tools such as VPNs or antivirus software to safeguard your connection from potential threats. Protecting your personal information should be as much a priority as enjoying the games themselves.

    Story Console

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  • Online gambling is everywhere. So are the risks

    NEW YORK (AP) — Online betting is more accessible than ever, with 14% of U.S. adults saying they bet on professional or college sports online either frequently or occasionally, according to a February poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It’s also in the news, with a growing list of sports betting scandals making headlines.

    Public health advocates and personal finance advisers say it’s important to know the risks if you’re going to gamble online.

    “Gambling and ‘responsibly’ seem to be oxymoronic, because if you’re gambling it’s all about risk,” said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of personal finance site Investopedia. “But people still do it. Online gambling and sports betting are only becoming more popular.”

    Since the Supreme Court struck down a ban on sports betting in 2018, 38 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized gambling, according to the American Gaming Association.

    For those new to online gambling, it can be helpful to set limits in advance on how much you’re willing to lose and how much time you’re willing to spend. Many of the platforms and apps that offer gambling, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, include optional safeguards to limit time or losses. Other apps can block access to the platforms for set amounts of time.

    Here’s what to know:

    This article is part of AP’s Be Well coverage, focusing on wellness, fitness, diet and mental health. Read more Be Well.

    Online gambling can be riskier than gambling in person

    The potential losses of digital betting can occur more quickly than in a physical casino, according to Heather Eshleman, director of operations at the Maryland Center for Excellence on Problem Gambling, since people can bet so much so easily and quickly on the internet or apps, with less friction.

    The new prevalence of prediction markets, such as PredictIt and Kalshi, has also created new opportunities to place wagers online on everything from election outcomes to celebrity news to the weather.

    How to tell if you have a problem with online gambling

    According to public health advocates, the biggest warning sign of a problem is if you’re devoting time to online betting that’s taking away from other things in your life — especially your relationships with friends, family, and work. If you’re spending money on gambling that could instead go towards unmet basic needs, that’s also a warning sign.

    “We encourage people to only use money they would use for fun and entertainment, not money that should be used to pay the mortgage or the rent or to pay for food,” said Eshleman.

    Silver echoed this.

    “You have to know before you do it how much you can afford to lose,” he said. “What is your ‘tap out point?’ Those rules have to be firmly established.”

    Ways to limit online gambling

    Most sports betting platforms offer “responsible gambling tools,” according to Eshleman.

    “You can set limits on time, money, deposits, wins, and losses,” she said. “The goal is to set those limits before you start, because if you don’t set them in advance, they’re not really going to work for you. Once you’re into the excitement of it, you’re not going to stop and use those tools.”

    Eshleman recommends apps such as GambBan and BetBlocker, which limit access to gambling sites externally. She also directs those who suspect they may have a problem to use the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline or contact Gamblers Anonymous.

    Know the risks and downsides

    Silver, the head of Investopedia, said he started adding definitions of online betting and gambling terms to the personal finance site when he saw an increasingly “closer connection between sports betting, day trading, options trading, and cryptocurrency trading.” He encourages those who are interested in digital betting to make sure they know what they’re getting into.

    “Before anyone even gets an online (gambling) account, they should be required to know the fundamental terms and rules about the way sports betting works,” he said. “What’s the ‘money line’ or ‘parlay?’ How do odds work? What is the maximum I could lose on this bet?”

    The other thing to do is to “play with no expectation of a return,” he said. “The likelihood is that you will lose. So, if you’re willing to lose, how much are you willing to lose?”

    Cory Fox, senior vice president of public policy and sustainability at FanDuel, who handles the site’s responsible gambling initiatives, compares using the safeguards to wearing a seatbelt when driving in a car and said FanDuel is committed to setting standards for being a responsible operator in the online gambling space.

    Lori Kalani, chief responsible gaming officer at DraftKings, said the site is committed to the same goal and compared using the limit-setting tools to taking Ubers instead of driving on a night when you know you’ll be drinking.

    Fox added that responsible gambling tools are important to help allow FanDuel to maintain its social license. He said that it’s in the interest of the site to make sure its users can be on the site and play for a long time to come.

    Make sure it’s not a coping mechanism

    “If you’re taking care of your mental health, you’re less likely to have a problem with gambling,” Eshleman said.

    Rather than turning to the thrill of placing online bets, Eshleman encourages people to find positive ways to cope with stress — listening to music, taking walks, getting more sleep and exercise, and spending more time socializing. Social gambling is safer than hidden, private gambling, she said.

    “If you’re doing it alone, that’s a red flag that it’s not an activity that’s healthy for you,” said Eshleman. “It all ties in to our basic wellness. I think if people focus on wellness, it will prevent a lot of gambling.”

    ___

    The Associated Press receives support from the Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

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  • Winning ticket for $980 million jackpot sold in Georgia, Mega Millions says

    A Mega Millions player in Georgia won the $980 million jackpot on Friday, overcoming abysmal odds to win the huge prize.The single winning ticket was purchased at a Publix supermarket in Newnan, which is roughly 40 miles from Atlanta, a news release from the lottery says. “We are thrilled to congratulate the largest winner in our state’s history,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin said in the news release.Georgia state law allows lottery winners to remain anonymous if they win a prize of $250,000 or more and provides a written statement asking for confidentiality. The win also earned the store a $50,000 retailer bonus from the Georgia Lottery. The numbers selected were 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57 with the gold Mega Ball 7.The winner overcame Mega Millions’ astronomical odds of 1 in 290.5 million by matching all six numbers. The next drawing will be on Tuesday.A winner can choose an annuity or the cash option — a one-time, lump-sum payment of $452.2 million before taxes. If there are multiple jackpot winners, the prize is shared. There were four Mega Millions jackpot wins earlier this year, but Friday’s drawing was the 40th since the last win on June 27, a game record, officials said.In September, two Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won a nearly $1.8 billion jackpot, one of the largest in the U.S. The current Mega Millions jackpot isn’t among the top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots but would be the eighth-largest for Mega Millions since the game began in 2002. Mega Millions offers lesser prizes in addition to the jackpot. The odds of winning any of these is 1 in 23. There were more than 800,000 winners of non-jackpot prizes from the Nov. 11 drawing. Tickets are $5 each and are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Half the proceeds from each Mega Millions ticket remains in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Local lottery agencies run the game in each jurisdiction and how profits are spent is dictated by law. Sometimes gambling can become addictive. The National Council on Problem Gambling defines problem gambling as “gambling behavior that is damaging to a person or their family, often disrupting their daily life and career.” It is sometimes called gambling addiction or gambling disorder, a recognized mental health diagnosis. The group says anyone who gambles can be at risk. Its National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-522-4700, connects anyone seeking assistance with a gambling problem to local resources.

    A Mega Millions player in Georgia won the $980 million jackpot on Friday, overcoming abysmal odds to win the huge prize.

    The single winning ticket was purchased at a Publix supermarket in Newnan, which is roughly 40 miles from Atlanta, a news release from the lottery says.

    “We are thrilled to congratulate the largest winner in our state’s history,” Georgia Lottery President and CEO Gretchen Corbin said in the news release.

    Georgia state law allows lottery winners to remain anonymous if they win a prize of $250,000 or more and provides a written statement asking for confidentiality.

    The win also earned the store a $50,000 retailer bonus from the Georgia Lottery.

    The numbers selected were 1, 8, 11, 12 and 57 with the gold Mega Ball 7.

    The winner overcame Mega Millions’ astronomical odds of 1 in 290.5 million by matching all six numbers. The next drawing will be on Tuesday.

    A winner can choose an annuity or the cash option — a one-time, lump-sum payment of $452.2 million before taxes. If there are multiple jackpot winners, the prize is shared.

    There were four Mega Millions jackpot wins earlier this year, but Friday’s drawing was the 40th since the last win on June 27, a game record, officials said.

    In September, two Powerball players in Missouri and Texas won a nearly $1.8 billion jackpot, one of the largest in the U.S. The current Mega Millions jackpot isn’t among the top 10 U.S. lottery jackpots but would be the eighth-largest for Mega Millions since the game began in 2002.

    Mega Millions offers lesser prizes in addition to the jackpot. The odds of winning any of these is 1 in 23.

    There were more than 800,000 winners of non-jackpot prizes from the Nov. 11 drawing.

    Tickets are $5 each and are sold in 45 states, Washington, D.C., and the U.S. Virgin Islands. Half the proceeds from each Mega Millions ticket remains in the jurisdiction where the ticket was sold. Local lottery agencies run the game in each jurisdiction and how profits are spent is dictated by law.

    Sometimes gambling can become addictive.

    The National Council on Problem Gambling defines problem gambling as “gambling behavior that is damaging to a person or their family, often disrupting their daily life and career.”

    It is sometimes called gambling addiction or gambling disorder, a recognized mental health diagnosis. The group says anyone who gambles can be at risk.

    Its National Problem Gambling Helpline, 1-800-522-4700, connects anyone seeking assistance with a gambling problem to local resources.

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  • MLB, sportsbooks cap bets on individual pitches in response to pitch-rigging scandal

    Major League Baseball said its authorized gaming operators will cap bets on individual pitches at $200 and exclude them from parlays, a day after two Cleveland Guardians players were indicted and accused of rigging pitches at the behest of gamblers.

    MLB said Monday the limits were agreed to by sportsbook operators representing more than 98% of the U.S. betting market. The league said in a statement that pitch-level bets on outcomes of pitch velocity and of balls and strikes “present heightened integrity risks because they focus on one-off events that can be determined by a single player and can be inconsequential to the outcome of the game.”

    “The risk on these pitch-level markets will be significantly mitigated by this new action targeted at the incentive to engage in misconduct,” the league said. “The creation of a strict bet limit on this type of bet, and the ban on parlaying them, reduces the payout for these markets and the ability to circumvent the new limit.”

    MLB said the agreement included Bally’s, Bet365, BetMGM, Bet99, Betr, Caesars, Circa, DraftKings, 888, FanDuel, Gamewise, Hard Rock Bet, Intralot, Jack Entertainment, Mojo, Northstar Gaming, Oaklawn, Penn, Pointsbet, Potawatomi, Rush Street and Underdog.

    Cleveland pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted Sunday in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches. They were charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery and money laundering conspiracy. The indictment says they helped two unnamed gamblers in the Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on bets placed on the speed and outcome of certain pitches, including some that landed in the dirt.

    Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.” A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

    The U.S. Supreme Court in 2018 ruled the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act of 1992 was unconstitutional, allowing states to legalize sports betting.

    Ortiz appeared Monday in federal court in Boston. U.S. Magistrate Judge Donald L. Cabell granted Ortiz his release on the condition he surrender his passport, restrict his travel to the Northeast U.S. and post a $500,000 bond, $50,000 of it secured. Ortiz was ordered to avoid contact with anyone who could be viewed as a victim, witness or co-defendant.

    Last month, more than 30 people, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a takedown of two sprawling gambling operations that authorities said rigged poker games backed by Mafia families and leaked inside information about NBA athletes.

    Billups’ attorney, Chris Heywood, issued a statement denying the allegations. Rozier’s lawyer, Jim Trusty, said in a statement his client is “not a gambler” and “looks forward to winning this fight.”

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/MLB

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  • A closer look at the pitches by Clase, Ortiz cited in sporting gambling indictment

    NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz were indicted Sunday on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw specific pitches that would trigger winnings on in-game prop bets.

    Prosecutors identified pitches from Clase and Ortiz that helped two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000. This included throwing pitches intentionally outside of the strike zone or within certain velocity ranges. Here’s a closer look at those pitches.

    Emmanuel Clase

    May 19, 2023

    The indictment cites this outing without a photo of the specific pitch, saying the scheme included a bet of about $27,000 that Clase would throw a pitch of greater than 94.95 mph. Clase began with a 98.5 mph cutter to the New York Mets’ Starling Marte that was low and inside in the 10th inning. Marte flied out on the next pitch, but the Mets rallied for a 10-9 win on RBI singles by Francisco Alvarez and Francisco Lindor. Clase took the loss.

    June 3, 2023

    The indictment cited bets of about $38,000 for a ball or hit by pitch and velocity slower than 94.95 mph. An 89.4 mph slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers bounced well short of home plate starting the ninth inning and hit catcher Mike Zunino near a shoulder, leading an athletic trainer to check on the catcher. Jeffers struck out four pitches later and Clase got the save in a 4-2 win.

    June 7, 2023

    The indictment cited bets of about $58,000 for a ball or hit by pitch and velocity slower than 94.95 mph. Clase started the ninth inning with a 91.4 mph slider to Boston’s Jarren Duran that was caught just above the dirt. Duran walked on four pitches and was stranded as Clase got the save in a 5-3 win.

    April 12, 2025

    The indictment cited bets of about $15,000 for a ball or hit by pitch and velocity slower than 98.95 mph. An 89.4 mph slider to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. bounced opening the ninth inning. Witt singled three pitches later, starting a two-run, ninth-inning rally in the Guardians’ 6-3 win.

    May 11, 2025

    The indictment cited bets of about $11,000 for a ball or hit by pitch. A 99.1 mph cutter to Philadelphia’s Max Kepler was in the dirt starting the ninth inning. Kepler grounded out five pitches later and the Phillies went on to win 3-0.

    May 13, 2025

    The indictment cited bets of about $3,500 for a ball or hit by pitch and velocity slower than 99.45 mph. A 89.1 mph slider to Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers bounced opening the ninth inning. Bauers struck out five pitches later and Clase got the save in a 2-0 win.

    May 17, 2025

    The indictment cited bets of about $10,000 for a ball or hit by pitch and velocity slower than 97.95 mph. An 87.5 mph slider to Cincinnati’s Santiago Espinal bounced starting the eighth inning. Espinal singled four pitches later. Clase was relieved by Joey Castillo with two outs and two on and got a strikeout in a game the Reds won 4-1.

    May 28, 2025

    The indictment cites the outing without a photo of the specific pitch, saying the scheme included bets of about $4,000 that a pitch would be a ball or hit batter. Clase started the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Andy Pages with a slider that bounced just behind the plate, but Pages swung and missed. Pages grounded out two pitches later to start the ninth and Clase got the save in a 7-4 win. The indictment says a bettor sent Clase a text with a GIF of a man hanging himself with toilet paper and Clase responded with a GIF of a sad puppy dog face.

    Luis Ortiz

    June 15, 2025

    The indictment cited bets of about $13,000 that a pitch would be a ball. A first-pitch 86.7 mph slider to Seattle’s Randy Arozarena bounced starting the second inning. Arozarena walked on five pitches and scored the game’s first run on Miles Mastrobuoni’s RBI single in a five-run inning of a game the Mariners won 6-0.

    June 27, 2025

    The indictment cited bets of about $18,000 that a pitch would be a ball. A first-pitch 86.7 mph slider to St. Louis’ Pedro Pagés bounced and went to the backstop opening the third inning. Pagés homered two pitches later for the game’s first run in a three-run inning, and the Cardinals won 5-0.

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    AP MLB: https://apnews.com/hub/mlb

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  • Online gambling is everywhere. So are the risks

    NEW YORK — Online betting is more accessible than ever, with 14% of U.S. adults saying they bet on professional or college sports online either frequently or occasionally, according to a February poll by The Associated Press-NORC Center for Public Affairs Research. It’s also in the news, with a growing list of sports betting scandals making headlines.

    Public health advocates and personal finance advisers say it’s important to know the risks if you’re going to gamble online.

    “Gambling and ‘responsibly’ seem to be oxymoronic, because if you’re gambling it’s all about risk,” said Caleb Silver, editor in chief of personal finance site Investopedia. “But people still do it. Online gambling and sports betting are only becoming more popular.”

    Since the Supreme Court struck down a ban on sports betting in 2018, 38 states and Washington, D.C., have legalized gambling, according to the American Gaming Association.

    For those new to online gambling, it can be helpful to set limits in advance on how much you’re willing to lose and how much time you’re willing to spend. Many of the platforms and apps that offer gambling, such as FanDuel and DraftKings, include optional safeguards to limit time or losses. Other apps can block access to the platforms for set amounts of time.

    Here’s what to know:

    The potential losses of digital betting can occur more quickly than in a physical casino, according to Heather Eshleman, director of operations at the Maryland Center for Excellence on Problem Gambling, since people can bet so much so easily and quickly on the internet or apps, with less friction.

    The new prevalence of prediction markets, such as PredictIt and Kalshi, has also created new opportunities to place wagers online on everything from election outcomes to celebrity news to the weather.

    According to public health advocates, the biggest warning sign of a problem is if you’re devoting time to online betting that’s taking away from other things in your life — especially your relationships with friends, family, and work. If you’re spending money on gambling that could instead go towards unmet basic needs, that’s also a warning sign.

    “We encourage people to only use money they would use for fun and entertainment, not money that should be used to pay the mortgage or the rent or to pay for food,” said Eshleman.

    Silver echoed this.

    “You have to know before you do it how much you can afford to lose,” he said. “What is your ‘tap out point?’ Those rules have to be firmly established.”

    Most sports betting platforms offer “responsible gambling tools,” according to Eshleman.

    “You can set limits on time, money, deposits, wins, and losses,” she said. “The goal is to set those limits before you start, because if you don’t set them in advance, they’re not really going to work for you. Once you’re into the excitement of it, you’re not going to stop and use those tools.”

    Eshleman recommends apps such as GambBan and BetBlocker, which limit access to gambling sites externally. She also directs those who suspect they may have a problem to use the 1-800-GAMBLER hotline or contact Gamblers Anonymous.

    Silver, the head of Investopedia, said he started adding definitions of online betting and gambling terms to the personal finance site when he saw an increasingly “closer connection between sports betting, day trading, options trading, and cryptocurrency trading.” He encourages those who are interested in digital betting to make sure they know what they’re getting into.

    “Before anyone even gets an online (gambling) account, they should be required to know the fundamental terms and rules about the way sports betting works,” he said. “What’s the ‘money line’ or ‘parlay?’ How do odds work? What is the maximum I could lose on this bet?”

    The other thing to do is to “play with no expectation of a return,” he said. “The likelihood is that you will lose. So, if you’re willing to lose, how much are you willing to lose?”

    Cory Fox, senior vice president of public policy and sustainability at FanDuel, who handles the site’s responsible gambling initiatives, compares using the safeguards to wearing a seatbelt when driving in a car and said FanDuel is committed to setting standards for being a responsible operator in the online gambling space.

    Lori Kalani, chief responsible gaming officer at DraftKings, said the site is committed to the same goal and compared using the limit-setting tools to taking Ubers instead of driving on a night when you know you’ll be drinking.

    Fox added that responsible gambling tools are important to help allow FanDuel to maintain its social license. He said that it’s in the interest of the site to make sure its users can be on the site and play for a long time to come.

    “If you’re taking care of your mental health, you’re less likely to have a problem with gambling,” Eshleman said.

    Rather than turning to the thrill of placing online bets, Eshleman encourages people to find positive ways to cope with stress — listening to music, taking walks, getting more sleep and exercise, and spending more time socializing. Social gambling is safer than hidden, private gambling, she said.

    “If you’re doing it alone, that’s a red flag that it’s not an activity that’s healthy for you,” said Eshleman. “It all ties in to our basic wellness. I think if people focus on wellness, it will prevent a lot of gambling.”

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    The Associated Press receives support from the Charles Schwab Foundation for educational and explanatory reporting to improve financial literacy. The independent foundation is separate from Charles Schwab and Co. Inc. The AP is solely responsible for its journalism.

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  • MLB pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz charged with taking bribes to rig pitches for bettors

    NEW YORK (AP) — Cleveland Guardians pitchers Emmanuel Clase and Luis Ortiz have been indicted on charges they took bribes from sports bettors to throw certain types of pitches, including tossing balls in the dirt instead of strikes, to ensure successful bets.

    According to the indictment unsealed Sunday in federal court in Brooklyn, the highly paid hurlers took several thousand dollars in payoffs to help two unnamed gamblers from their native Dominican Republic win at least $460,000 on in-game prop bets on the speed and outcome of certain pitches.

    Clase, the Guardians’ former closer, and Ortiz, a starter, have been on non-disciplinary paid leave since July, when MLB started investigating what it said was unusually high in-game betting activity when they pitched. Some of the games in question were in April, May and June.

    Ortiz, 26, was arrested Sunday by the FBI at Boston Logan International Airport. He is expected to appear in federal court in Boston on Monday. Clase, 27, was not in custody, officials said.

    Ortiz and Clase “betrayed America’s pastime,” U.S. Attorney Joseph Nocella Jr. said. “Integrity, honesty and fair play are part of the DNA of professional sports. When corruption infiltrates the sport, it brings disgrace not only to the participants but damages the public trust in an institution that is vital and dear to all of us.”

    Ortiz’s lawyer, Chris Georgalis, said in a statement that his client was innocent and “has never, and would never, improperly influence a game — not for anyone and not for anything.”

    Georgalis said Ortiz’s defense team had previously documented for prosecutors that the payments and money transfers between him and individuals in the Dominican Republic were for lawful activities.

    “There is no credible evidence Luis knowingly did anything other than try to win games, with every pitch and in every inning. Luis looks forward to fighting these charges in court,” Georgalis said.

    A lawyer for Clase, Michael J. Ferrara, said his client “has devoted his life to baseball and doing everything in his power to help his team win. Emmanuel is innocent of all charges and looks forward to clearing his name in court.”

    The Major League Baseball Players Association had no comment.

    Unusual betting activity prompted investigation

    MLB said it contacted federal law enforcement when it began investigating unusual betting activity and has fully cooperated with authorities. “We are aware of the indictment and today’s arrest, and our investigation is ongoing,” a league statement said.

    In a statement, the Guardians said: “We are aware of the recent law enforcement action. We will continue to fully cooperate with both law enforcement and Major League Baseball as their investigations continue.”

    Clase and Ortiz are both charged with wire fraud conspiracy, honest services wire fraud conspiracy, money laundering conspiracy and conspiracy to influence sporting contests by bribery. The top charges carry a potential punishment of up to 20 years in prison.

    In one example cited in the indictment, Clase allegedly invited a bettor to a game against the Boston Red Sox in April and spoke with him by phone just before taking the mound. Four minutes later, the indictment said, the bettor and his associates won $11,000 on a wager that Clase would toss a certain pitch slower than 97.95 mph (157.63 kph).

    In May, the indictment said, Clase agreed to throw a ball at a certain point in a game against the Los Angeles Dodgers, but the batter swung, resulting in a strike, costing the bettors $4,000 in wagers. After the game, which the Guardians won, one of the bettors sent Clase a text message with an image of a man hanging himself with toilet paper, the indictment said. Clase responded with an image of a sad puppy dog face, according to the indictment.

    Clase, a three-time All-Star and two-time American League Reliever of the Year, had a $4.5 million salary in 2025, the fourth season of a $20 million, five-year contract. The three-time AL save leader began providing the bettors with information about his pitches in 2023 but didn’t ask for payoffs until this year, prosecutors said.

    The indictment cited specific pitches Clase allegedly rigged — all of them first pitches when he entered to start an inning: a 98.5 mph (158.5 kph) cutter low and inside to the New York Mets’ Starling Marte on May 19, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Minnesota’s Ryan Jeffers that bounced well short of home plate on June 3, 2023; an 89.4 mph (143.8 kph) slider to Kansas City’s Bobby Witt Jr. that bounced on April 12; a 99.1 mph (159.5 kph) cutter in the dirt to Philadelphia’s Max Kepler on May 11; a bounced 89.1 mph (143.4) slider to Milwaukee’s Jake Bauers on May 13; and a bounced 87.5 mph (140.8 kph) slider to Cincinnati’s Santiago Espinal on May 17.

    Prosecutors said Ortiz, who had a $782,600 salary this year, got in on the scheme in June and is accused of rigging pitches in games against the Seattle Mariners and the St. Louis Cardinals.

    Ortiz was cited for bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to Seattle’s Randy Arozarena starting the second inning on June 15 and bouncing a first-pitch 86.7 mph (139.5 kph) slider to St. Louis’ Pedro Pagés that went to the backstop opening the third inning on June 27.

    Dozens of pro athletes have been charged in gambling sweeps

    The charges are the latest bombshell developments in a federal crackdown on betting in professional sports.

    Last month, more than 30 people, including prominent basketball figures such as Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier, were arrested in a gambling sweep that rocked the NBA.

    Sports betting scandals have long been a concern, but a May 2018 U.S. Supreme Court ruling led to a wave of gambling incidents involving athletes and officials. The ruling struck down a federal ban on sports betting in most states and opened the doors for online sportsbooks to take a prominent space in the sports ecosystem.

    Major League Baseball suspended five players in June 2024, including a lifetime ban for San Diego infielder Tucupita Marcano for allegedly placing 387 baseball bets with a legal sportsbook totaling more than $150,000.

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    This story was first published on Nov. 9. It was updated on Nov. 11 to correct that, according to an indictment, a bettor sent Clase an image of a man hanging himself with toilet paper. Clase didn’t send that image to the bettor.

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    Associated Press reporters Eric Tucker in Washington and Ron Blum in New York contributed to this report.

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  • Study Finds Around a Quarter of Polymarket Trades Are Fake

    If you had the “over” on the bet that over 10% of trades on the predictions market Polymarket are inauthentic, go ahead and cash in that ticket. According to a recent study from researchers at Columbia University, as much as one quarter of all trading volume happening on the platform is “artificial trading.”

    The researchers looked at three years’ worth of buying and selling activity on Polymarket, which allows people to trade “contracts” related to real-world events based on the probability of a given outcome. What they found was that about 25% of those contracts were “wash trades,” which happens when a person or entity buys and sells the same contract to create fake levels of trading volume that can manipulate the market.

    It’s important to note that the researchers don’t accuse Polymarket of participating in these transactions to artificially create apparent interest in an event, but they do suggest that the fact that the platform is using a cryptocurrency stablecoin as its medium of exchange may make these types of transactions easier for traders to execute.

    The researchers developed an algorithm that helped to identify accounts that were only engaging with a small subset of other accounts, regularly buying a contract one of those other accounts was selling or vice versa. That revealed networks of traders who appeared to be performing wash trades that artificially created additional volume and interest where there otherwise was none.

    There was no shortage of those types of transactions happening. In fact, the researchers flagged nearly 15% of wallets on the platform—a total of 1.26 million of them—that they believe are participating in these artificial transactions. While 25% of all Polymarket volume can be attributed to these fake trades, per the researchers, levels spiked much higher than that at times. At its peak in December 2024, they estimate that as much as 60% of trading volume was likely attributable to phony orders.

    Polymarket did not respond to a request for comment regarding the study’s findings.

    While Polymarket may not be actively involved in manipulating trading volume on its platform, it sure does do a lot of work to generate volume via posting bait on social media. On November 4, the day of the New York mayoral election, the company went all in on trying to gin up buyers and sellers willing to bet on the outcome of the race, posting about how Mamdani was listed twice on the ballot (a thing that is true but not malicious, as right wing accounts across social media tried to to suggest) and saying there was a “surge of whales” betting on Andrew Cuomo to win while asking, “Do they know something we don’t?” That’s probably not technically market manipulation, but it is pretty shameless.

    AJ Dellinger

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  • Is Gambling Really Threatening the Integrity of Sports?

    Perhaps there’s a lot we don’t know happening in the dark; additional revelations could change my perspective. But, given the fanfare with which the F.B.I. presented the cases against Billups and Rozier, it’s hard to imagine that some epidemic of point shaving is going on. The most likely scenario might be that, yes, a few more athletes than before, perhaps especially those who are in financial trouble, are turning to sports betting as a way to generate a modest amount of extra income—or, in some instances, to work off their own gambling debt. Looking over the landscape now, I find I am less concerned than I was eighteen months ago, not more.

    In that earlier column, I noted my resistance to grandiose moralizing before confessing that I was becoming genuinely worried about how all the new gambling talk might affect children and their enjoyment of the game. Of all the arguments advanced to regulate and restrict the new apps, “think of the children” is the most common—and, I now have to admit, as a parent of two young children, the silliest.

    One of the more full-throated versions of this case was made in December, by the Washington Post, which published an editorial titled “For a New Generation of Kids, Sports and Gambling Now Go Hand in Glove.” The piece described the current state of affairs like so:

    For decades, professional sports considered gambling taboo. But now, with 38 states and D.C. allowing legal betting on games, the ubiquity of sports betting advertisements, and lucrative tie-ups between professional teams and gambling companies, a generation of young people has grown up with gambling as a normal—even integral—part of spectator sports, one which, according to the impression that ads create, is an easy money, no-lose proposition.

    But is this actually true? I thought about it after watching Game Seven of the World Series, last Saturday. Were any of the kids who stayed up to see Yoshinobu Yamamoto heroically close out the series thinking about prop bets or the over/under? I was watching while chatting online with a group of dudes with whom I’ve played fantasy sports—itself a modest form of sports gambling—for the better part of two decades. Everyone in the group has bet on sports for their entire adult lives. Outside of a few ironic comments, there was effectively no talk about bets or spreads or parlays throughout the entire eleven innings. After the game ended, we argued about whether we had witnessed the greatest World Series game of all time. If this group of hardened degenerates was able to enjoy the action at this level, who, exactly, are the spiritual victims of sports betting? Who has had their fandom stripped away? What is “fandom,” anyway?

    I have begun to suspect that much of the moralizing about children must come from people who don’t have any—or who, at the very least, do not take them to many sporting events. In the past year, my eight-year-old daughter has attended a variety of collegiate and professional contests and watched many more on television, and she has never once asked about DraftKings or why the commentators are talking about moneyline odds. If she did, I would explain that all of that was for adults, which is also what I would say if she asked about the ads for erectile-dysfunction medication that appear between innings.

    This leads me to a final question: Do we really want to sanitize sports into some childish endeavor that exemplifies all the innocent wonderment found within the spirit of human beings, or whatever? In the past few years, a handful of former N.F.L. players have died at a startlingly young age. Demaryius Thomas, Vincent Jackson, Marion Barber, and Doug Martin were all in their thirties when they died, and all of them were struggling with depression or other severe mental-health issues that were very possibly related to chronic traumatic encephalopathy (C.T.E.). Meanwhile, the N.B.A., which once loudly proclaimed its commitment to social justice, has developed a robust financial partnership with the United Arab Emirates, a country that is sending weapons to further the brutal massacre in Sudan. These issues concern me far more than a handful of players gambling on games they weren’t playing in. I would probably have a hard time explaining to my child why Peyton Manning was nearly in tears at Thomas’s posthumous induction into the Denver Broncos’ Ring of Fame. And I also would not want to tell her why her favorite hoopers were competing in a meaningless in-season tournament funded by the U.A.E.

    This isn’t an attempt at cheap whataboutism—and it certainly doesn’t mean that gambling isn’t a problem. Nor does it mean that harsh punishments shouldn’t be doled out to players who bet on their own games. Rather, what it means, to me, is that we abandon moralizing mythmaking around professional and collegiate sports altogether. We shouldn’t lie to preserve abstract ideas such as fandom and integrity, nor should we pretend that the first bet on a football game happened on an iPhone. Professional sports are rapacious for-profit enterprises that produce wildly entertaining, sometimes violent, and sometimes inspiring athletic competition. Isn’t that enough? ♦

    Jay Caspian Kang

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  • Ex-NBA player Damon Jones pleads not guilty to selling injury secrets

    NEW YORK — Former NBA player and assistant coach Damon Jones pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges he profited from rigged poker games and provided sports bettors with non-public information about injuries to stars LeBron James and Anthony Davis.

    Jones, a onetime teammate of James, said little during back-to-back arraignments in federal court in Brooklyn, letting his court-appointed lawyer enter not guilty pleas in a pair of cases stemming from last month’s federal takedown of sprawling gambling operations.

    Jones, 49, acknowledged he read both indictments and that he understood the charges and his bail conditions, which include his mother and stepfather putting up their Texas home as collateral for a $200,000 bond that will allow him to remain free pending trial.

    Jones’ lawyer, Kenneth Montgomery, told a judge that they “may be engaging in plea negotiations.” He is due back in court for a preliminary conference with other defendants on Nov. 24.

    Jones was among more than 30 people arrested in the gambling sweep. The others included reputed mobsters and prominent basketball figures, including Portland Trail Blazers head coach and Basketball Hall of Famer Chauncey Billups and Miami Heat guard Terry Rozier.

    Sports bettor Marves Fairley also pleaded not guilty Thursday to charges alleging he cashed in on information about injuries to NBA players, including some that prosecutors say Jones provided to him.

    Jones, an NBA journeyman, earned more than $20 million playing for 10 teams in 11 seasons from 1999 to 2009. He and James played together in Cleveland from 2005 to 2008 and he served as an unofficial assistant coach for James’ Los Angeles Lakers during the 2022-2023 season.

    According to prosecutors, Jones sold or attempted to sell non-public information to bettors that James was injured and wouldn’t be playing in a Feb. 9, 2023, game against the Milwaukee Bucks, texting an unnamed co-conspirator: “Get a big bet on Milwaukee tonight before the information is out.”

    James wasn’t listed on the Lakers’ injury report at the time of the text message, but the NBA’s all-time scoring leader was later ruled out of the game because of a lower body jury, according to prosecutors, and the Lakers lost the game 115-106.

    On Jan. 15, 2024, prosecutors said, Fairley paid Jones approximately $2,500 for a tip that Davis, the Lakers’ forward and center at the time, would see limited playing time against the Oklahoma City Thunder because of an injury.

    Fairley then placed a $100,000 bet on the Thunder to win, prosecutors said, but the tip was wrong. Davis played his usual minutes, scored 27 points and collected 15 rebounds in a 112-105 Lakers win, prompting Fairley to demand a refund of his $2,500 fee, prosecutors said.

    Jones, a native of Galveston, Texas, who played college basketball at the University of Houston, is charged in both cases with wire fraud conspiracy and money laundering conspiracy. As part of his bail agreement, his travel is restricted to parts of Texas and New York City. He was allowed to keep his passport to use as identification for flying until he obtains a REAL ID, which his lawyer said should happen soon.

    A hot hand from outside the three-point arc, Jones once proclaimed himself in an interview with insidehoops.com as “the best shooter in the world.” He played in every regular season game for three consecutive seasons from 2003 to 2006.

    After his playing days, he worked as a “shooting consultant” for the Cavaliers and was an assistant coach when the team, led by James, won the NBA championship in 2016.

    In the poker scheme, according to prosecutors, Jones was among former NBA players used to lure unwitting players into poker games that were rigged using altered shuffling machines, hidden cameras, special sunglasses and even X-ray equipment built into the table.

    According to the indictment, Jones was paid $2,500 for a game in the Hamptons where he was instructed to cheat by paying close attention to others involved in the scheme. His instructor likened those people to James and NBA All-Star Steph Curry, prosecutors said. When in doubt, Jones was told to fold his hand, prosecutors said.

    In response, according to prosecutors, Jones texted: “y’all know I know what I’m doing!!”

    The poker scheme often made use of illegal poker games run by New York crime families that required them to share a portion of their proceeds with the Gambino, Genovese and Bonnano crime families, according to prosecutors.

    Members of those families, in turn, also helped commit violent acts, including assault, extortion and robbery, to ensure repayment of debts and the continued success of the operation, officials said in court documents.

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  • $1 million Powerball ticket sold in Sherburn has yet to be claimed


    A Minnesota Lottery player won $1 million after a Powerball drawing in late October, state lottery officials said.

    The winning ticket has yet to be claimed. The winning numbers for the Oct. 25 drawing were 2, 12, 22, 39, 67 and the Powerball number was 15. The power play multiplier was 2.

    The ticket was sold at Casey’s General Store in Sherburn, Minnesota. The business will earn a $5,000 bonus.

    The winner must claim their prize at the Minnesota Lottery headquarters in Roseville within a year of the drawing date.

    In last year’s general election, Minnesotans voted overwhelmingly in favor of maintaining the policy of placing 40% of all Minnesota Lottery proceeds into the Environment and Natural Resources Trust Fund. In January, it was announced $1.2 million of those funds would go to the University of Minnesota’s College of Veterinary Medicine for avian influenza research.

    If you or someone you know struggles with playing responsibly, the Minnesota Department of Human Services has resources available. Call 800-333-HOPE for free, confidential information and referral to services in your area or visit getgamblinghelp.com.

    WCCO Staff

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  • How to Hack a Poker Game

    Michael Calore: Yeah. My favorite indiscreet product placement was in the show Entourage from HBO. It was on TV, I don’t know, 15 years ago.

    Lauren Goode: Oh, I remember it.

    Michael Calore: And the characters used to say to each other, “I’ll BBM it to you.”

    Lauren Goode: No. Time capsule.

    Michael Calore: Yeah. Which is like, even if you had a Blackberry—

    Lauren Goode: Yeah, you never said that.

    Michael Calore: Nobody ever said that.

    Lauren Goode: No, it’s so true.

    Michael Calore: They would text it to you.

    Lauren Goode: Incredible.

    Michael Calore: But no, I’m going to BBM it to you.

    Andy Greenberg: Just the fact that we even know what BBM-ing is just kind of means it worked.

    Lauren Goode: Or maybe it’s more, “What is that, guys? I don’t remember that. I’m too young.” All right, Andy, give us your WIRED, TIRED.

    Andy Greenberg: Well, I am not a video game reporter, but I did buy the—everybody has been talking about this game Silksong. It was $20 on the Switch. I bought it for my 9-year-old son, and I thought that I would play this cute little game and I just cannot believe how fricking hard it is. Nobody is talking about the fact that this incredibly popular game—it makes you want to cry. Like me, not my son, like me, the adult. I cannot stop playing it.

    But I have been more frustrated playing this game than I have been maybe in anything else in my life or work for years. This is my extremely amateur video game trend watching observation that for a while all these games got really easy like Candy Crush and Farmville and Angry Bird stuff where you just basically can’t lose. And people seem to love that and games got incredibly easy. And now it feels like we’re in this era where games are just absurdly hard, including these—what look like casual games for kids are in fact some of the most challenging things you will do in your life. And actually I think it’s great. So yeah, I would say TIRED are easy games and WIRED is games that are ridiculously hard and making me want to cry.

    Lauren Goode, Michael Calore, Andy Greenberg

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  • Inside the Star-Studded, Mob-Run Poker Games That Allegedly Steal Millions From Players

    The host’s role in these games can be quite fraught.

    “When you’re talking about home games, the phrase ‘absolute power corrupts absolutely’ kind of applies here,” Berkey asserts. “Because you’re fully at the hands of whoever is hosting the game … They’re in control of the dealers, they’re in control of the decks, they’re in control of the tables, the shuffle machines.”

    They’re also in charge of the books, and that’s where the drama often begins.

    These aren’t casinos with cages, cameras, and fully monitored methods of depositing and withdrawing money. Credit is regularly utilized, both to appease players and to avoid issues with traceable movements of large cash sums.

    “People don’t always pay,” Berkey says. “And when that becomes an issue, now it’s the host’s job to make good on the books in some capacity, otherwise they’re going to lose all their clientele.”

    Enter the mafia, who, in addition to running some of the poker games, often fill a role they’re well known for in popular culture: settling debts.

    “Say you have someone who loses a lot of money,” says Zach Jensen, a content developer and mafia expert at Las Vegas’ Mob Museum. “Getting them to pay up, the mob can step in and do that. Extortion, intimidation, and violence too.”

    As Jensen explains it, the mob may not be anywhere near the size or power of its one-time might. It operates in a more under-the-radar manner today. But it’s still very active in many of its old tricks, and illegal gambling remains a big part of the picture.

    In fact, at least one name that appears in the Billups indictment has roots in the mafia’s glory days.

    “There’s an Angelo Ruggiero Jr. listed in there,” Jensen says. “His father, Angelo Ruggiero, also known as ‘Quack Quack,’ was a close friend of John Gotti and part of his crew.”

    Ben Dowsett

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  • Alleged Gambino Enforcer Denied Bail

    In the “Operation Royal Flush” case, prosecutors argue an alleged mob enforcer could intimidate witnesses if freed, while another defendant pleads not guilty

    A federal magistrate judge on Tuesday denied bond for an alleged Gambino crime family associate charged in a sprawling illegal poker and sports betting probe dubbed “Operation Royal Flush.”

    In a hearing in the Eastern District of New York, Magistrate Judge Joseph Marutollo rejected a hefty $5 million bond package for Angelo Ruggiero Jr., ruling that his history of violent conduct and witness tampering made him too great a risk for release. Ruggiero’s attorney, James Frocarro, argued that his client was involved in a “gambling case,” and nothing more.

    Prosecutors argued that Ruggiero, who previously served time for conspiracy to commit murder while incarcerated, has a “well-documented history” of using intimidation to obstruct justice with a witness tampering conviction. The government also cited his alleged role within the Gambino organized crime family and his close proximity to high-level members of the family. 

    Froccaro pointed out that Ruggiero’s witness tampering conviction was almost entrapment, stating a known government witness was placed as Ruggiero’s cellmate in Georgia, possibly on purpose. Froccaro pointed out that, of course, his client wasn’t thrilled that a “rat” was his new roommate. “Did they expect him to give him a kiss?” Froccaro quipped.

    Federal prosecutors warned that if released, Ruggiero could “resort to the same witness-tampering methods” that marked his prior case. Froccaro argued that Ruggiero had “five million reasons not to violate the bail agreement,” noting that pretrial services even agreed to the proposed bail package. He also pointed out that additional defendants, like Joseph Lanni, had previously been released on bond. Lanni was alleged to have collected illicit proceeds from the rigged poker games on behalf of the Gambino network, while he’s awaiting sentencing in his own RICO case. Additionally, Defendant Lee Fama was recently released by Magistrate Judge James R. Cho, and Lanni was released by Magistrate Judge Taryn A. Merkl.

    Judge Marutollo took a five-minute recess after the oral arguments. He ultimately agreed with the prosecution, saying the defendant’s background “places him in a different category” than his co-defendants. The gallery was shocked. His lawyer, James Froccaro told Los Angeles exclusively, “I was very surprised by the ruling and we plan to appeal to the district court judge.”

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    Immediately following Ruggiero’s appearance, Curtis Meeks, another defendant charged in the same indictment, was arraigned before Judge Taryn Merkl. Meeks, who faces counts of money laundering and wire fraud, pleaded not guilty. His $250,000 bond, first set by the Western District of Texas, was transferred to New York. The court noted Meeks’ income may disqualify him from a court-appointed public defender (who was by his side), as Judge Merkl noted “it wasn’t small.” Meeks, a former boxer who now trains amateur boxers in Las Vegas, explained that due to a $15M judgment in another case, he is struggling financially. Meeks was separately accused by the media of running a game involving former NFL star Antonio Gates, though Gates is not named in the indictment and has publicly denied any involvement. “Meeks is one of the biggest poker cheats in the country. He’s been doing stuff like this for years,” Jeff Nadu, host of The Sit Down Podcast and Mob Expert, tells Los Angeles. “No one was surprised to hear his name. I went and sought out multiple poker players, mostly high level, and they all told me the same thing about him. He also knows a lot about the rigged card shuffler technology.” Meeks is still innocent until proven guilty.

    The sweeping, unsealed indictment accuses more than 30 defendants (including NBA’s Chauncey Billies and Damon Jones) of running high-stakes underground poker and sports-betting operations that used rigged shuffling machines and money laundering fronts across multiple states. Federal authorities say the operation was protected through threats and violence. A status hearing for the defendants is set for November 24th in Brooklyn federal court.

    Lauren Conlin

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  • Donald Trump’s Truth Social Is Launching a Polymarket Competitor

    “If you had to point to one reason [crypto prediction markets] are able to come back to the US, you have to point to the Trump administration,” says Zach Hamilton, founder of crypto startup Sarcophagus, in an interview with WIRED. “Donald Trump. I mean, that’s it.”

    Even before the arrival of Truth Predict, the Trump family had a financial interest in the spread of prediction markets in the US.

    In January, Donald Trump Jr. joined Kalshi as a strategic adviser. Then, in August, Polymarket received an investment from 1789 Capital, a venture capital firm where Trump Jr. serves as a partner. As part of the deal, Trump Jr. joined Polymarket’s advisory board.

    The ties between the Trump family and Polymarket, forged just as Polymarket was seeking reentry into the US, have drawn scrutiny from critics who claim the investment could amount to a conflict of interest. The deal creates an opportunity, they allege, for the Trump family to profit from changes in policy instigated by the Trump administration.

    “No one is saying members of the president’s family cannot engage in normal capitalist activities in a capitalist country,” says Jeff Hauser, executive director at the Revolving Door Project, an organization that seeks to scrutinize the behavior of elected officials. “But Polymarket is the subject of heated political controversy. As such, the investment reflects a significant conflict of interest—and an avoidable one.”

    “Neither the president nor his family have ever engaged, or will ever engage, in conflicts of interest,” says White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt, in a statement to WIRED.

    Polymarket, TMTG and 1789 Capital did not respond immediately to requests for comment.

    The Truth Predict launch also tees up a scenario in which separate facets of the Trump family’s business empire could effectively compete against one another.

    “From a venture capital perspective, many of us don’t like to invest in competing projects. We try to avoid that,” says Chris Perkins, managing partner at crypto VC firm CoinFund. “We try to identify category winners.”

    Already, businesses connected to the Trump family are operating competing bitcoin treasuries. In June, a dispute broke out over which corporate entities were permitted to launch an “official” Trump-branded crypto wallet.

    Joel Khalili

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