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Mobile sports betting is now legal in New York State
You can now legally bet on sports from your phone in New York, and a few companies are already taking wagers.
You can make DraftKings sports bets using your Dish DVR
Dish and DraftKings have made a sports betting app available on Hopper DVRs — you can watch and speculate on a match using your TV.
Game+’s real-money esports platform launches on shaky ground
Epic and other AAA publishers aren't pleased with the new breed of video game betting apps.
Drone Racing League embraces sports betting in partnership with DraftKings
Since the dawn of the drone era, enterprising pilots and enthusiasts have found ways to make money off their passion for flying. Thanks to a new partnership between the Drone Racing League and DraftKings, though, gamblers can now make money off of other people’s passion for flying. While DraftKings can legally operate its daily fantasy sports business in 43 states, the company stresses that betting on drone races is currently only legal in Colorado, New Hampshire, West Virginia, Tennessee and New Jersey.
TheScore's sports-betting app is live, but only in New Jersey
Sports hub theScore announced today that it is launching a new betting app, aptly called theScore Bet. The app, available for both Android and iOS, will be the first mobile sportsbook operated by a media company in the United States. However, placing bets will only be available for sports fans located in New Jersey, where online sports gambling is now legal.
Fox Sports will introduce a real money betting app in the US this fall
What's left of Fox after the Disney deal is venturing into uncharted territory for the company -- namely, a betting app. Fox Sports has unveiled a partnership with gambling app giant Stars Group, Fox Bet, that will release a self-titled real money betting app in the US this fall. Precious few details are available, although it'll cover a "wide range" of sports events and place nicely with the law.
'Dota 2' app rewards you for predicting pro match winners
Valve doesn't just want you to watch Dota 2 eSports matches -- it wants you to have a small stake in them. It just released a Dota Pro Circuit app for Android and iOS that lets you win Shards (the in-game currency for Dota Plus members) by predicting the winners of Circuit matches. It's sports betting, just without spending real money beyond your existing subscription.
Esports betting just got a whole lot easier. Now what?
On May 14th, the United States Supreme Court eliminated a 26-year-old law prohibiting states from sponsoring sports gambling. Today, states are free to establish their own sports-betting laws, and a few governors are acting fast. New Jersey, the state at the heart of the Supreme Court decision, should have sportsbooks live any day now, while Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Delaware and Mississippi have already passed bills allowing gambling. A handful of other states have legislation in the pipeline, and meanwhile, the NFL, NBA, NHL and other national leagues are calling for some form of federal regulation in sports betting. "In the wake of the Supreme Court's decision, the volume of sports betting in the US is poised to explode -- and esports betting will inevitably follow suit," says Bryce Blum, attorney and founder of Electronic Sports and Gaming Law.
Nevada would allow in-stadium mobile bets at Raiders games
When the Raiders start playing football in Las Vegas, their stadium lease will officially ban the team from offering bets or other forms of gambling in the building. Don't tell that to the Nevada Gaming Commission, though. Its officials understand that there's nothing in the lease precluding the use of mobile betting apps on the facility's grounds, even if you're already in your seat. The NFL tells ESPN that the Raiders will have to "abide by League rules," but the Commission says it hasn't been asked to make any policy decisions so far.
YouTube star charged over 'FIFA' game betting
The consequences of promoting dodgy bets on video games can extend well beyond account suspensions and tarnished reputations. YouTube star Craig Douglas (aka NepentheZ) and FUTgalaxy owner Dylan Rigby have both been charged with violating the UK's Gambling Act through their respective businesses. The two allegedly used their online presences to push lotteries and "unlawful gambling" in FIFA 16 matches through bets with in-game coins. Douglas is also accused of encouraging underage gambling by refusing to warn viewers that bets were only for people 18 and over.
DraftKings is taking its daily fantasy sports to the UK
While daily fantasy sites DraftKings and FanDuel battle to stay open in the US, the former outfit is taking its games to the UK. Starting today, sports fans across the pond can take advantage of DraftKings' "innovative skill-based contests" to try and win cash. As you might expect, Premier League and Champions League soccer football is getting top billing for the contests alongside 11 other major sports, including NBA, NFL, NHL, UFC and eSports. In fact, DraftKings has a dedicated soccer site to keep you up to date on all the latest happenings. What's more, sports betting is legal in the UK, so the site stands to face less scrutiny there. But it's totally not gambling.
DraftKings and FanDuel will remain open in NY during appeal
Daily fantasy sites DraftKings and FanDuel are free to continue operating in the state of New York. After a judge banned the gaming services from taking funds for a few hours last month, an appeals court ruled that the two companies could continue games in the state until an appellate panel reviewed the case. According to ESPN's Darren Rovell, the panel has done so, and it decided that the sites could stay open during the appeals process. The decision follows an amended lawsuit by New York attorney general Eric Schneiderman asking for the companies to not only return profits made in the state, but refund lost money and pay a $5,000 fine per customer. Refunding the entry fees alone could cost the sites up to $200 million.
NY Attorney General targets Yahoo's daily fantasy sports next
Yahoo is no stranger to fantasy sports, and its foray into daily fantasy games grabbed the attention of regulators in New York. The internet company is being included in the inquiry into daily fantasy sports by the New York Attorney General's office. Yahoo was subpoenaed alongside DraftKings and FanDuel as Attorney General Eric Schneiderman looks to ban the games in his state. A distant third in the world of daily fantasy, Yahoo launched its version in July and continues to accept payments in the state of New York. However, the company shut down its daily fantasy option in Florida last month after an investigation of the industry began by a federal grand jury. With Schneiderman looking into other operators besides the two top names, it seems his goal is to rid New York of daily fantasy sports entirely and classify the games as gambling. And if he's successful, it'll be interesting to see if other states follow suit. [Image credit: Getty Images]
Las Vegas bets that SpaceX will make it to Mars before NASA
NASA may believe that it'll be the first to land humans on Mars, but don't tell that to Las Vegas betting houses. Popular Mechanics has asked Docsports' Raphael Esparza to set odds for the first organization to put people on Mars, and he believes that SpaceX stands a much better chance of reaching the Red Planet (5 to 1) than anyone else, including NASA (80 to 1). To put it bluntly, SpaceX has the money and the motivation that others don't -- NASA would be the favorite, but its budget cuts are holding it back.
eSports gets its first major UK bookmaker
Ignore it all you like, but eSports is booming. There are now million-dollar payouts, doping scandals and even official ways to put money down on your favourite squad. While gambling on eSports is still a relatively new concept, it's just been given a much-needed boost after well-known UK betting site Betway launched its very own gaming portal. The company, which has traditionally focused on football, horse racing, tennis and other "traditional" sports, believes it's the first major bookmaker to expand into competitive gaming.
Daily Roundup: New buyer's guide picks, betting with Cortana and more!
What's happening in the tech world today? Check out our updated Engadget buyer's guide to find the latest recommendations on laptops and tablets, then read about placing sports bets with Cortana and learn about Dell's latest portables. All that and more can be found below.
Cortana made me a better gambler, but I'm never listening to her again
I'm a bit of a gambler. I've probably placed at least one bet per week for the past year. I'm also pretty good at it -- since winning a few hundred dollars on the World Cup last year, I've maintained a positive account balance at Ladbrokes (other betting sites are available), never adding additional funds, and never betting more than $10 on a single event. Last week, Cortana began predicting English Premier League results, so I decided to see what would happen if I let the Windows Phone (and soon to be Windows 10) assistant make my decisions for me.
Twitch Plays Pokemon gambles with Pokemon Stadium 2
Gone are the days when Twitch Plays Pokemon was just a random crowd-play experiment based on a popular Game Boy RPG. Not only has the livestreamed game moved on to Pokemon Platinum for Nintendo DS, but it now features another game on the stream entirely: Pokemon Stadium 2 for Nintendo 64. Now, Twitch chatters can bet on battles between creatures in Pokemon Stadium 2, which act in completely random ways, all while participating in Twitch Plays Pokemon's ongoing quest to catch 'em all. The livestreamed game began in February with Pokemon Red, in which thousands of viewers were able to control the game using Twitch's embedded chat. The first game ended after two weeks, garnering 35 million viewers and countless memes and pieces of user-created lore. Now hovering around 2,500 concurrent viewers, Twitch Plays Pokemon is slowly approaching 60 million total viewers after having beaten four games in the Pokemon series. [Image: The Pokemon Company]
Zynga betting on real money-based gambling in games, starting in 2013
Zynga's getting into real money gambling in the first half of 2013, says CEO Mark Pincus. The company head announced as much during an investor call yesterday; he wasn't able to nail down where the service will launch first, as it'll need to pass various online gambling reviews before being allowed to go live. One thing's for sure: it's unlikely to launch in the US, as gambling is only allowed in a handful of US States.It stands to reason that the service will be implemented through games like, say, Zynga Poker, though Pincus wasn't saying anything concrete. Though "the first real-money gambling products are ready," it's unclear what they'll entail. Pincus called mobile games "a big opportunity," so we may see Zynga move on that first.And no, we refuse to entertain the idea that real money will be used to gamble on things like FarmVille. That is not a reality we are okay with.
Churchill Downs launches HD simulcast next season
Next time you head to the track, whether at Churchill Downs or "select off-track betting locations and racetracks" expect a clearer look at the action, with more than 100 HDTVs installed in several areas and a 16:9 high definition simulcast, the first racetrack in the U.S. to do so. Of course that still doesn't compare to a Japanese racetrack that once upon a time boasted the biggest HDTV, and while it will probably make raceday more exciting when the 2008 Fall Meet kicks off October 26, explaining how you lost the car payment on a "sure thing" isn't any easier in HD.[Via Courier-Journal]
