Weekly Recap for Sports Gambling: Oklahoma, California, and More Significant Developments
It's never a dull moment on this wild, blue globe of ours – there's never enough time to catch your Z's, chow down, and stay updated on everything happening! Here's the weekend's breakdown, aka "Get a Grip," summing up the week's hottest US sports betting happenings, sprinkling in some fresh details, and gathering key stories.
High Court Showdown in Oklahoma
On Wednesday, a referee for Oklahoma's Supreme Court listened to arguments from attorneys representing Governor Kevin Stitt, the state attorney general, and politicians in a case that may determine whether legal sports betting can launch in Oklahoma. The referee, Ann Hadrava, will now share the arguments with the Supreme Court justices for a final ruling. The timing for the verdict remains unclear.
Stitt's advocates argue that the court holds no power to nullify the agreements that Stitt signed with the Comanche Nation and Otoe-Missouria Tribe in June. Attorneys for lawmakers and the attorney general counter that the court does have jurisdiction and should void the agreements. From the moment the agreements became public, Attorney General Mike Hunter and top lawmakers persisted that they were illegal, arguing that Stitt overstepped his bounds – according to their view, the agreements signed would promote unlawful gaming.
The Green Light for California Tribes
Earlier this week, a California Superior Court judge extended the deadline to collect signatures for a tribal ballot initiative that would permit on-site sports betting. The initiative, scheduled for the 2022 ballot, gained more than 971,000 signatures before COVID-19 restrictions halted the effort. The group filed a lawsuit against California's secretary of state for an extension and received 90 days, as well as a judge's promise to reconsider the timeline if coronavirus conditions worsen. The tribes had hoped to get the referendum on this year's ballot but must now wait until 2022. For more details, click here.
More of the Week's Biggest, Must-Know Sports Betting and Industry Stories
- Manfred needs to shut his yapper / Johnny Avello of DraftKings fills us in on competitive eating diving into the world of sports betting
- We're taking it way back for a delightful DA Show moment (#thedashow #cbssportsradioHBG https://t.co/ZupownMEK2)
- The annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is now open for betting in New Jersey and Colorado (NJOG)
- The casino that time forgot (Ringer)
- The re-openings of Illinois casinos (US Bets)
- The Tigers partner with PointsBet, becoming the first in MLB to collaborate with a sportsbook (MI Bets)
- DraftKings is entering the Illinois sports betting market via a deal with Casino Queen (Sports Handle)
- The Golden Nugget, the online casino market leader in New Jersey, is becoming its own company
- Jennifer Roberts is out, and Danielle Boyd is in in Tennessee (TN Bets)
- The world's biggest book? We'll find out when Circa opens in Las Vegas (Sports Handle)
- The NFL and Penn National Gaming have partnered for data (BizWire)
- MGM allowed bets after games started (Journal Review)
Additional Noteworthy Sports Info
Following Edmonton and Toronto being chosen as the 2020 NHL playoff hub cities, the main question now is: which of the two host cities will stage the Stanley Cup final and the Conference finals?
The answer, it seems, is Edmonton (TSN).
Balconies with ballpark views are now a hot commodity (WSJ).
100 reasons why we still adore baseball (ESPN).
The NBA has started laying out the courts in Orlando (Legion Hoops).
I'm sitting on the Under 51. Going to need one of those scoreless 3rd quarters (TheTomCasale).
Happy 4th of July!
- Justice Ann Hadrava is now sharing arguments from attorneys regarding the legality of sports betting in Oklahoma with the Supreme Court justices for a final ruling.
- Johnny Avello of DraftKings shared insights on competitive eating and its potential entry into the world of sports betting.
- Tulsa-based sports radio station sportsradiohbg highlighted a memorable DA Show moment.
- The annual Nathan's Hot Dog Eating Contest is now open for betting in New Jersey and Colorado, with contests taking place in those states as well.
