It’s the 50th anniversary of country music’s biggest night, and Luke Bryan says he and co-host Blake Shelton are ready to bring their A-game. Sunday’s ACM Awards will honor the biggest names in country music and is set to feature an all-star slate of performances from rising stars to a long-awaited reunion.
The Thoroughbred Breeders’ Association of New Jersey has named New Farm homebred Rainbow Heir, a winner of two stakes races last year, the New Jersey-bred Horse of the Year for 2014.
Fernando Abreu, the longtime assistant to late Hall of Fame trainer Allen Jerkens, saddled the first official winner of his newly launched training career Thursday, April 16 at Gulfstream Park.
A Florida-bred daughter from the first crop of Big Drama ripped a quarter of a mile in :20 3/5 at Ocala Training Center April 16 to top the fourth under tack preview ahead of Ocala Breeders’ Sales Co.’s spring sale.
One day after Golden Gate Fields threatened closure during a California Horse Racing Board session to modify California racing dates, the Bay Area track’s future was again the top subject April 16.
New Zealand’s Racing Minister is making good on his pledge to reduce or eliminate his countrymen’s access to international online betting sites.
On Thursday, Racing Minister Nathan Guy (pictured) announced the formation of a working group to determine the scale of New Zealand gamblers’ use of online betting options other than the New Zealand Racing Board’s TAB site. In November, Guy had declared cutting off the flow of funds to international sites to be his “number one priority.”
The working group will begin its work this month and will deliver a progress report to the Department of Internal Affairs by June 30. A draft report of the group’s conclusions is due by Sept. 1 and the final report will arrive Sept. 30.
Chairing the group will be former Internal Affairs Minister Chris Tremain, who retired from politics last year. Other members include NZ Racing Board CEO John Allen, fellow board member Greg McCarthy, Sport New Zealand chairman Sir Paul Collins and two unidentified Internal Affairs officials.
Stakes winner Ghost Bay and the consistent Noteworthy Peach top the seven-horse field entered for the April 18 Federico Tesio Stakes at Pimlico Race Course, the local prep for the $1.5 million Preakness Stakes (gr. I) May 16.
Tonight’s National Lottery Lotto winning numbers are: 01,18, 22, 25 31 and 39, and the Bonus Ball is 42. Tonight’s Double Rollover estimated jackpot is A 7.6 million. Tonight there are 50 Lotto Raffle prize winners each scooping A 20,000.
California’s efforts to regulate online poker in 2015 have received a much-needed boost with the news that the issue is likely to be heard by Senate and Assembly committees before the end of April. Senate GO (Government Organization) Committee Director Art Terkazis said this week that, while nothing has yet been finalized or approved, the […]
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Full Tilt has always been among the leaders in offering variety when it comes to the number of different forms of cash games players could choose from in online poker. That has been a selling point for some over the years, but it may also come with a cost: new players can be overwhelmed by […]
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Fun House was named Kentucky broodmare of the year for owner Winchell Thoroughbreds LLC, which took home four awards at the April 16 Kentucky Thoroughbred Owners and Breeders Kentucky-bred champions awards luncheon.
Zynga founder and recently reinstated CEO Mark Pincus is looking to rehire his former head of casino games.
Pincus (pictured praying), who last week announced he was returning to the CEO role after steering Don Mattrick to the exit, is reportedly in discussions to bring Marcus Segal (pictured on the right) back into Zynga’s fold. Bloomberg Business sources claimed Segal, a six-year Zynga vet who briefly headed up the company’s casino games division before leaving Zynga in March 2014, is “discussing an operational role” with the company.
Bloomberg’s sources said Segal wasn’t the only former Zynga exec that Pincus is looking to rehire. In addition to cutting a significant percentage of Zynga’s rank-and-file staffers, Mattrick oversaw a thorough house cleaning of Zynga’s executive ranks.
Sterne Agee analyst Arvind Bhatia suggested that many of the Mattrick’s new hires might not stick around now that Pincus has reasserted operational control of the company. Alex Garden, former head of Zynga Studios, left the company in March, although the news wasn’t confirmed until last week. Garden, who oversaw the botched rollout of the revamped Zynga Poker app, was handed responsibility for Zynga Casino in October 2014.
Proponents told members of the Finance, Revenue and Bonding Committee on Wednesday that bringing keno to Connecticut is essential to keeping the state’s lottery competitive with other states’, while opponents decried the game as a short-sighted and ill-advised way to generate revenue.Connecticut, Keno
Morris Bailey, the owner of Atlantic City’s Resorts Casino Hotel, says New Jersey gaming regulators are close to approving PokerStars’ online gambling license application.
Bailey (pictured) made the comments on Thursday at the launch of his property’s new iGaming Lounge, which he claims is the first such digitally-dedicated environment in an AC casino. The Lounge, located just off the casino floor, aims to help educate technophobic gamblers of how online gambling works and to enable gamblers to sign up for Resorts’s new online casino site.
Thursday marked the official launch of ResortsCasino.com. The SNG Interactive-powered casino site earned $154k in March, its first full month of operations since taking its first wager in late February.
The online site has yet to launch a poker vertical because its online poker partner PokerStars has yet to receive a transactional waiver from the New Jersey Division of Gaming Enforcement (DGE). There are plenty of theories as to what has delayed the DGE from making a decision regarding Stars’ future, many of them centering around Gov. Chris Christie’s alleged unwillingness to piss off certain anti-online casino bosses who might retaliate by refusing to fund Christie’s presidential aspirations.
Mossarosa’s Frammento, fourth in the April 4 Toyota Blue Grass (gr. I) last time out, worked an easy half-mile on his own after the renovation break April 16 at Keeneland.
If you are creating a seating chart for the 2015 Billboard Music Awards, there are two artists that should be assigned prime real estate near the stage: Taylor Swift and Sam Smith.
Equibase Co. April 16 announced the addition of new pricing options and the bundling of products by racetrack at Equibase.com.
By Frank Scandale @TheDailyPayoff
Stephen Panus, vice president of America’s Best Racing operation, gears up for the first leg of the Triple Crown races, arguably the most difficult achievement in sports. Clearly quite excited about the digital opportunities the sport offers today, Panus took time out recently to talk about horse racing, the advances in technology, online horse betting and the future of all of it.
Stephen Panus, ABR’s vice president
Title: Vice President, America’s Best Racing
Duties: Oversee digital, social, earned media and video production for America’s Best Racing
HomeTown: Southport, CT
Twitter: @Man_o_PR
Previous Life: Sports attorney/agent and publicist/marketer – started as a publicist working with the late Joe Goldstein and moved onto stints as an NFL player agent, marketer for 3-time Indy 500 and Dancing with the Stars champion Helio Castroneves and attorney/VP Biz Dev. for Andre Agassi and Stefanie Graf
Most memorable moment in Sports: 1980 USA Olympic hockey win over USSR
Most memorable moment in Thoroughbred Racing: Attending my first Breeders’ Cup. It simply is one of the most underrated major sporting events held on American soil. A must for any true American sports fan. It truly has it all – the best horses, gambling, cocktails, fashion and fans.
Favorite all-time horse: Affirmed
TDP: Let’s get right to it. There has not been a Triple Crown winner since 1978 when Affirmed took all three legs. How do you assess this year’s crop of contenders and what are the odds of having a Triple Crown Winner?
SP: It’s a terrific and deep class of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds, topped by the dual threats trained by Bob Baffert, American Pharoah and Dortmund. In addition to those two undefeated race horses, 18 other excellent race horses including Mubtaahij, Firing Line, International Star, Carpe Diem, Materiality, Upstart, Frosted, and Far Right, among others, will comprise the likely field of 20 horses. The first Saturday in May should prove as exciting as ever with this talented class of 3-year-old Thoroughbreds vying to capture the first leg of the Triple Crown.
As far as the odds for a race horse to win the Triple Crown…well, it’s only been accomplished 11 times. It takes a special horse to win 3 races at 3 different race tracks and 3 different distances over the span of five weeks. Will it happen this year? Stay tuned to find out. And if you’re interested in gambling on whether that happens or not, you can. The Wynn sports book offers a prop bet on it and also has the Derby favorite, American Pharoah listed at 10/1 odds to win the Triple Crown.
TDP: Which of the Three legs, which do you consider the most difficult to win and why?
SP: They each are equally hard to win on their own merits. But history would likely say that the third and final leg, the Belmont Stakes, may be the most difficult for a variety of reasons. It’s the longest distance (1.5 miles) of the 3 races and has been anointed as the test of champions as the pressure mounts when a Thoroughbred comes to New York with a Triple Crown on the line. Since 1979 there have been 13 horses with a chance to win the Triple Crown heading into the Belmont Stakes and 13 horses who failed.
TDP: With the Pacquiao-Mayweather fight on the same day as the Derby, how will that affect viewership, interest and ultimately betting handles?
SP: Interest in the Kentucky Derby is always sky-high as it draws significant viewership, typically well over 15-16 million, via the live coverage provided by NBC Sports, in addition to the 165,000 people who pack Churchill Downs. Derby parties are conducted from coast-to-coast, mint juleps are consumed and an entire millinery industry provides fans of all ages with a host of selections for their outfits. And, gambling on America’s most famous horse race certainly is big part of the slice of Americana that attracts so many to the sport on the first Saturday in May. I read recently where Kevin Bradley of Bovada mentioned that with the Derby and Pacquiao-Mayweather fight both happening on May 2 it should prove to be the second biggest gambling day of the year, behind only the Super Bowl. Who knows, it could be even bigger. Last year $129.2 million was wagered on the Kentucky Derby alone. It should be an epic day of sports viewing and gambling for fans across the nation.
TDP: What are the biggest challenges facing the horse racing industry today? And what is ABR doing to aid the cause?
SP: Just like every other major professional sport, horse racing is confronted with how to market to and reach Millennials. Creating the next generation of fans for any sport or brand is pivotal toward building long-term success. That’s exactly why The Jockey Club created and launched America’s Best Racing in 2012. America’s Best Racing, a multi-media fan development and awareness-building initiative, is focused on the competition and the lifestyle of the sport. ABR continues to attract and draw in new fans to the multiple touch points – racing, gambling, pop culture, fashion , food and travel, for instance – through an integrated plan of digital, social and earned media supporting expanded, live television coverage of big race events across Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports, a brand ambassador program with representatives located in Los Angeles, New York, Miami and Chicago, a social media influencer strategy, and key strategic partnerships with racetracks and the Breeders’ Cup.
We are attracting a more youthful audience to the sport, a demo in the 18 – 40 year-old range that connects with the aspirational elements of the sport, that has embraced the excitement and affordability of a big race day event at destination race tracks like Gulfstream Park in Florida, Keeneland and Churchill Downs in Kentucky, Belmont Park and Saratoga Race Course in New York, Arlington Park in Illinois, and Santa Anita Park and Del Mar Thoroughbred Club in California, among others. And no other sport produces as many adrenaline rushes as horse racing does.
TDP: With the various efforts ongoing to legalize sports betting around the nation, and the rise of Fantasy in the world, how will this help or hurt the horse racing? And what is your opinion on the efforts?
SP: Horse racing remains the only legalized method of gambling online. And the reality is that Millennials live on their phones and mobile devices. The taboo formerly associated with sports betting no longer exists in the wake of the emergence of daily fantasy sites. All of this adds up to an opportunity for horse racing. One of America’s Best Racing partner sponsors is DerbyJackpot.com, a digital and mobile platform which allows fans to place real money bets: as little as a dime at over 100 race tracks across the country. DerbyJackpot players are treated to a live video feed of each race while they chat with fellow players, all the while successfully packaging the thrills of a day at the races into an online experience to be shared among friends and a Millennial generation that has never experienced life without a computer or mobile device. Designed for the social gamers and casual players, including those who purchase lottery tickets, DerbyJackpot’s ease of online use removes several of the traditional obstacles that have precluded horse racing from attracting younger fans: intimidating and arcane racing lingo, long betting lines at race tracks, and a dearth of data and statistics compiled in complex fashion and forms. In fact, over 75 percent of their players had never bet on horse racing before playing DerbyJackpot.
By Joe Favorito @JoeFav @TheDailyPayoff
As a league on the comeback, Arena Football has to find ways to cut through the clutter to get some exposure away from their games and into the general conversation.
It’s most recent effort has it diving right one of the hottest topics in American sport off the field these days; legalized gambling.
While pay fantasy platforms like Fan Duel and Draft Kings have made big noise and big numbers the past few weeks with partnerships and new investors, the AFL and their expansion Las Vegas Outlaws have gone one step further.
The league and the team have taken advantage of the legal sports book in Nevada (the only state where sports betting is legal these days) to form a bold partnership with betting house William Hill USA.
The partnership includes live betting and active point spreads on all of the Outlaws homes games at The Thomas and Mack Center, making the AFL club the first, and only American sports team thus far to be able to take on and activate a betting partnership not tied to pay fantasy, or in the case of the NHL New Jersey Devils and NBA Philadelphia 76ers online poker.
While the AFL is not the NFL and the dollars both wagered and the risk involved is not that high, the partnership presents an interesting potential glimpse into the future of sport in America, something that places like the UK have accepted and profited from for years.
William Hill logos are widespread at the Outlaw games, both on uniforms and on the field, and the company has a kiosk on the concourse where customers can sign up for its mobile betting client, and place wagers from the stands. The risk for William Hill US is probably low given the volume expected on AFL games, but the upside on seeing how this new opportunity engages fans who are not used to in-game wagering is very much apparent, and could set a unique precedent for sports, at least in Nevada, going forward.
With the NHL looking hard at expansion into the state, it will be interesting to see if rules relax with regard to sports books on the four major leagues when games are played in Nevada. Previously when teams like the Los Angeles Lakers played limited regular season games in Las Vegas, the lines on those games were suspended. However with a growing appetite for legal gaming in addition to pay fantasy, the AFL test may change things, with the NHL gaining a first crack at seeing how mobile legal gambling could work.
Of course the arena, and the hometown hockey team, is still in the distance, but rest assured every league will be watching how engaged and how profitable the AFL’s limited but grand experiment will be this season and going forward. If it works, the league which once tried to be a perfect spring feeder league to the NFL could become even more valuable with new business off the field than it ever has been in cultivating talent on the field.
The business of gambling gets to score again.
Andrew Plattner’s “Offerings From a Rust Belt Jockey” is the second novel to win the Dr. Tony Ryan Book Award. The fictional story is the second novel to take the award.