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The US Department of Justice has announced that the FBI has developed a “decryption tool” that will help companies victimized by the BlackCat ransomware group regain control of their computer systems. The “disruption campaign” against BlackCat, which is also known as ALPHV or Norberus, comes months after both MGM Resorts International and Caesars Entertainment were… Read more »
Oh, internet, you’re crazy On Saturday, Shohei Ohtani, the best player in baseball, signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers for ten years, $700 million. It is the largest contract in baseball history by more than a quarter billion dollars. In the 24 hours or so leading up to the announcement, speculation ran wild as to… Read more »
In stunning news out of the NBA, Mark Cuban is selling a majority stake in the Dallas Mavericks to Miriam Adelson, wife of the late Sheldon Adelson, and the Adelson family. Adelson, who is the controlling shareholder of the Las Vegas Sands Corp., is selling about $2 billion of Sands stock to fund the purchase.… Read more »
UPDATE: The Vikings lost on Monday night, so the record was not broken. Sportsbooks do not generally like it when the favorites win. Yes, their goal is to set a line so that the action is split on both sides, but the public still tends to like the favorites. Why? It’s just easier for casual… Read more »
Improved pay Members of Culinary Local 226 overwhelmingly approved new five-year contracts with both Caesars Entertainment and MGM Resorts International this week, avoiding possible strike action. Caesars employees voted 99 percent in favor on Monday, while MGM workers did the same on Tuesday. Wynn employees are up next and are expected to hold their vote… Read more »
This is one of the weirdest things I have ever written about. One would think that a governor of a state would know better than to announce his support for the bloodsport of cockfighting, but here we are. Last week, Animal Wellness Action, the Center for a Humane Economy, former Oklahoma Governor Frank Keating, and… Read more »
Workers at Motorcity Casino and Hollywood Casino at Greektown in Detroit have agreed on new contracts and have ended their strike. Read more »
A new big name in betting ESPN BET, the sports betting site wearing the name of the US’s dominant sports media brand, has gone live in 17 states. Long thought to be an impossibility because ESPN is owned by family-oriented Disney, ESPN BET’s launch on Tuesday marks the official marriage between the sports network and… Read more »
Sicko I live in one of the few states remaining without legal online sports betting. It doesn’t bother me as, despite what I do for a living, I’m not much of a gambler. When I hear stories like the one I’m about to tell, though, it really makes me want to be able to put… Read more »
One down, two to go The Culinary Local 226 union has come to a tentative agreement with the Caesars Entertainment properties in Las Vegas, allowing them to avoid a potential strike later this week. The union announced early Wednesday morning that it negotiated with Caesars for 20 consecutive hours to get the deal done. It… Read more »
Not even close For the second time in two years, residents of Richmond, Virginia voted against casino gambling in their city. On Tuesday, voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposed Richmond Grand Resort and Casino, 58% to 41%. In November 2021, the results were extremely close: 51-49. According to the Richmond Times-Dispatch, residents in precincts closest to… Read more »
Limited access for the moment In a surprise to sports fans in Florida, Hard Rock Bet has gone live with a limited, early access launch. Just last week, the Seminole Tribe of Florida, which owns Hard Rock Bet, announced that retail sports betting was finally coming in December, but was mum about online betting. Tuesday… Read more »
Worth the wait After two years of legal battles, the state of Florida will finally get sports betting. On Wednesday, the Seminole Tribe of Florida announced that it will launch “A New Era in Florida Gaming” in December as it begins to offer craps, roulette, and sports betting at its six casinos. “The Seminole Tribe… Read more »
He really likes this casino The Nevada Gaming Control Board is a mulling a change to its policies in light of siding with a serial trespasser when a casino would not pay him a jackpot he won. The case was resolved in early October in a split vote by the Board. In it, the NGCB… Read more »
Imagine being hired as a strike buster Big corporations show their true colors in a lot of ways, but as soon as employees express a desire to be treated even halfway decently, corporations really let their scumbag colors fly. If the rumblings out of Las Vegas are true, then MGM is about to show the… Read more »
You can’t do that Professional golf is the latest sport to feel negative effects of sports betting, as two players have been suspended for gambling violations. Vince India and Jake Staiano, who golf on the Korn Ferry Tour, were suspended by the PGA Tour for placing wagers on PGA Tour events. Though neither player bet… Read more »
Sportsbooks better hope that this year’s top draft pick Victor Wembanyama is not a transcendent, game-changing talent immediately. It seems like, barring injury, that he will be eventually, but if he comes in and transforms the San Antonio Spurs into a playoff team, the bookmakers could be in trouble. The Spurs are one of the… Read more »
In an east coast echo of what happened to MGM Resorts International last month, New York casinos were hit by what is being called a “cybersecurity event” last week. Fortunately, it sounds like whatever the problem was has been solved and things are back to normal. There are fewer details as to what exactly happened… Read more »
Demanding higher pay, better benefits There has been no breakthrough in contract negotiations as 3,700 Detroit casino workers are about to enter their second week on strike. The strike began at noon last Tuesday after the Detroit Casino Council and the five unions it represents were unable to come to an agreement with the city’s… Read more »
Long-time VIP A high roller is suing MGM Resorts International, claiming he was drugged while playing at the MGM Grand in Las Vegas in December 2020. A real estate executive and former sports agent from Brea, California, Dwight Manley believes someone put ketamine in his drink while he was gambling in the casino’s private high… Read more »
It’s about time? In December 2019, the Michigan legislature passed the Fantasy Contests Consumer Protection Act, which formally legalized fantasy sports in the state. Part of the Act, naturally, was to create the regulatory framework for Michigan fantasy contests. Now, nearly four years later, those rules have finally taken effect. In a press release on… Read more »
Jim “Mattress Mack” McIngvale is at it again. The Houston furniture store owner has millions upon millions of dollars riding on the Houston Astros to win the World Series. According to the Astros diehard, he stands to win over $70 million should the ‘Stros win it for the second year in a row. A complete… Read more »
Thousands of Las Vegas hospitality workers are gearing up to picket on the Strip this week, but they are not going on strike quite yet. What the Culinary Local 226 union are calling “informational picket lines” are scheduled for 10:00am to 5:00pm on Thursday in front of Park MGM, Paris Las Vegas, and The Linq… Read more »
Accounts inaccessible Just a couple weeks after MGM Resorts International issued the “all systems normal” after a hacker group hijacked its computer systems, it appears that many BetMGM customers had their accounts unlawfully accessed. A portion of those people have found themselves unable to login to their accounts and others who could get in found… Read more »
That’s a big chunk of change Australian sportsbook Betr – no relation to the one in the States founded by Jake Paul – made its bed last year and now and now it has to lie in it. In a promotion last September, Betr offered 100-1 odds on a AU$10 maximum bet on five events,… Read more »
