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UNLV is preparing to host its inaugural class of ESPN Research Fellowships.

The institution’s International Gaming Institute (IGI) has announced the recipients of the 2024 ESPN Research Fellowships. The group of scholars is tasked with researching the impact of RG messages used by media in the sports betting and gaming industry. Their work will be key in addressing and promoting healthy gambling practices.

“ESPN is proud to work with IGI to advance responsible gaming standards through this comprehensive research,” said VP of ESPN Corporate Citizenship Kevin Martinez. “These diverse research projects will help to inform how the industry can continue to respond to and improve upon responsible gaming practices in the sports entertainment ecosystem.”

Each of the five receipts of the fellowship will provide unique insights into the aspects of RG messaging in sports media. Dr. Hannah Borenstein, an Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Chicago, will be investigating the integr..

DraftKings Sportsbook is now facing a second class action, this time a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York for its promotional “risk-free” bets.

The lawsuit, filed by plaintiff Samantha Guery, says that DraftKings engaged in deceptive, misleading, fraudulent and unlawful by advertising a risk-free wager.

The suit claims that the way DraftKings awards its free bet resulted in compensation that failed to match the amount of money a person had to wager in order to receive the offer.

Suit says DraftKings free bets are fraudulent and misleading

“The promotion required that the customer place a bet with their own money. If a customer lost their bet, they were not returned to their original position. Instead, their accounts were credited with a “Free Bet” that was worth less than its counterpart in U.S. dollars implied by the promotional materials.”

The complaint went so far as to break down its mathematical approach:

“Free Bets cannot be withdrawn and must be wagered t..

While the NFL has had a fair number more controversies, it is the NBA who is the first league to permanently ban a player for sports betting in the post-PASPA era. Today, the league announced that Jontay Porter will never again play for an NBA team after both betting on basketball and passing on insider information so others could bet on basketball.

Last month the NBA said it was investigating Porter after there was suspicious activity related to Porter’s play as a Toronto Raptor in games on Jan. 26 and March 20. The investigation concluded that prior to the March 20 game, Porter told a known NBA bettor about his health status. That bettor subsequently wagered $80,000 on a Porter-centric SGP that would pay out $1.1 million.

The investigation also determined Porter deliberately limited his participation in the game to ensure the under on all the legs of that parlay would cash.

In addition to divulging information, the league concluded Porter used an associate to place 13 bets on NBA..

Player protection in the U.S. has been in the spotlight of not just the sports betting industry recently, but also the media, lawmakers, and the general public. Seven leading operators formed the Responsible Online Gaming Association to support best practices, while one federal US lawmaker has called for investigation into VIP programs.

Both state and local lawmakers and regulators are reviewing advertising and marketing limits, along with bans on college prop bets. Dr. Michael Auer, Founder and Managing Director of OpenBet’s Neccton, shares some of the approaches that have developed over his 18-year career to help U.S. operators reinforce responsible play with their customers.

From lagging behind to leading the way

U.S. sports betting continues to boom. With the explosive growth of this market – and with online casino in the offing – player protection rightfully has become the industry’s top priority. However, as the sports betting market matures, so too must our ability to integr..

The former interpreter of MLB superstar Shohei Ohtani is in negotiations to plead guilty following allegations of stealing million to wager on sports, according to the New York Times.

Ippei Mizuhara is expected to plead guilty to federal charges after allegedly participating in an illegal gambling operation run by former bookie Matthew Bowyer. Mizuhara, who was subsequently fired by the Los Angeles Dodgers, allegedly siphoned at least $4.5 million from Ohtani’s bank account to Bowyer to cover gambling losses. Mizuhara is alleged to have changed the alert and confirmation settings of Ohtani’s bank account.

Bank information showed Ohtani’s name on two $500,000 payments marked as loans.

Ohtani, who signed a record 10-year, $700 million contract with the Dodgers last December, has denied any wrongdoing following the allegations against Mizuhara.

“I’ve never bet on baseball or any other sports or asked someone to do it on my behalf,” said Ohtani during a team press conference last month..

BetMGM is ensuring the protection of its players through a new strategic partnership.

The sports betting and online casino operator has secured a partnership with Prove Identify to leverage the digital security company’s innovative identity solution, Prove Pre-Fill. Prove Pre-Fill, which is used by more than 1,000 businesses, allows BetMGM to accelerate its onboarding process for new customers by up to 79%. The identity solution is awaiting regulatory approval for use with BetMGM offerings.

“We’re committed to providing customers with a seamless and secure sports betting experience, and our partnership with Prove is a testament to that safe bet,” said BetMGM CEO Adam Greenblatt. “Prove Pre-Fill adds an extra layer of security, reduces sign-up abandonment, and improves the overall user experience by streamlining the identity verification and authentication processes. Users can now enjoy the BetMGM sports betting and casino experience faster and with greater peace of mind.”

Prove Pre..

The class action lawsuit filed by DraftKings patrons in Massachusetts is heading for a venue change.

Last week, the Massachusetts Superior Court of Middlesex County granted DraftKings’s request to transfer the case to the state’s Business Litigation Session of the Superior Court (BLS).

The plaintiffs, working with the Public Health Advocacy Institute, filed the class action in December, alleging that the $1,000 sign-up offer from DraftKings was deceptive.

The BLS is specifically designed to handle legal business disputes using two-judge teams from the Superior Court to weigh in on cases. This case has been delegated to the team of Judge Debra Squires-Lee and Judge Kenneth Salinger.

DraftKings argued for the transfer was appropriate because the class action relates to alleged unfair business practices and that is a case that would require “close case management” and benefit from the close oversight of BLS. The sportsbook also made it clear it intends to file a motion to dismiss onc..