Canada’s House of Commons Responds to U.S. Sports Gambling Expansion

Recently, Canadian House of Commons members of Parliament Brian Masse and Kevin Waugh brought forward Bill C-218, or the Safe and Regulated Sports Betting Act, as an attempt to legalize single event sports betting in Canada. The legislation would “make it lawful for the government of a province, or a person or entity licensed by the lieutenant governor in council of that province, to conduct and manage a lottery scheme in the province that involves betting on a race or fight or on a single …

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Illinois Village Mayor and Brother of Former Bears Linebacker Charged in Gambling Ring

Casey Urlacher, brother of Chicago Bears Hall of Fame linebacker Brian Urlacher, was among a group of ten people charged with operating an illegal offshore sports gambling ring on Feb. 20, 2020.

According to the indictment, the alleged ringleader, Vincent DelGiudice, paid a Costa Rican-based sportsbook service a fee to use its online gambling platform. DelGiudice then solicited gamblers to place wagers on the website. To increase the number of gamblers, DelGiudice hired agents, including Urlacher, to enlist additional gamblers in exchange for a cut of their …

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New York Appellate Court Rules Fantasy Sports is Illegal Gambling

The New York Appellate Division, Third Department, has ruled that fantasy sports betting is illegal gambling in New York State, reversing a 2016 law that had permitted the activity.

Previously, the legislature passed a law regulating daily fantasy sports, stating that the practice was legal within state limits. Opposition to the bill pointed out that the New York State Constitution prohibits lawmakers from legalizing gambling absent an amendment to the State Constitution. Meanwhile, proponents of the bill argued that the activity failed to meet the …

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DraftKings Comes Under Fire Following Collusion Scandal Involving “Bachelor” Stars

Two stars from “The Bachelor” are facing allegations that they colluded in a DraftKings contest to win $1 million, adding to the controversies that the daily fantasy sports industry is facing.

Jade Roper-Tolbert won $1 million in the DraftKings Millionaire Maker involving the NFL playoffs. She entered 150 lineups, which is the maximum number allowed for a single contestant. Tanner Tolbert, her husband who she met while filming “Bachelor in Paradise,” also entered the same contest with 150 entries. However, it is alleged that none …

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NCAA Game Rigging Scheme: From Working in Politics to Working with the Mafia

Benjamin Bifalco, a 25-year-old former political staffer for a New York State Assemblyperson, was arrested in October 2019 for his role in attempting to rig an NCAA basketball game. He is expected to plead guilty on the charges.

Previously, we reported Bifalco was charged with violating 18 U.S.C. Section 224(a), which makes it unlawful to influence a sporting contest “in any way, by bribery. . . .” Per the indictment, Bifalco is alleged to have “knowingly and intentionally attempt[ed] to . . . influence by …

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Rolling the Dice: Florida Sports Betting and Gambling

In Murray v. National Collegiate Athletic Association, the U.S. Supreme Court’s (SCOTUS) decision paved the way for states to enact sports gambling schemes. SCOTUS held that, “Congress can regulate sports gambling directly, but if it elects not to do so, each State is free to act on its own.” In essence, SCOTUS found that a federal law banning sports betting and gambling is unconstitutional.

Following this ruling, a flood of state legislatures moved to capitalize on the sports betting market. Recently, Florida State Sen. …

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Injunction Denied: D.C. Court Rules No-Bid Sports Betting Contract Okay

Washington, D.C. Superior Court Judge John Campbell issued an oral order on October 18, 2019, denying a preliminary injunction request to halt a contract between the D.C. Office of Lottery and Charitable Gaming and Intralot. The contract would permit Intralot, the district’s current lottery operator, to administer sports betting within the district.

Under the Sports Wagering Procurement Practice Reform Exemption Act of 2019, the D.C. council was given the authority to award the contract to Intralot without holding a competitive bidding process. Previously, we reported

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Feds Discover NCAA Game Rigging Attempt, Mafia Connected

On October 3, 2019, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of New York unsealed a series of indictments against alleged crime family La Cosa Nostra (the Colombo Family). Among those arrested were Benjamin Bifalco, an associate of the Colombo Family, and Joseph Amato Jr., the son of an alleged Colombo Family captain Joseph Amato.

Bifalco was charged with violating 18 U.S.C. Section 224(a), which makes it unlawful to influence a sporting contest “in any way, by bribery. . . .” Per the …

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Washington D.C. Arena Will Be America’s First Sports Venue with Sportsbook

Capital One Arena, the home of the Washington Wizards and Washington Capitals, is about to become the first major sports venue in the United States to have a sportsbook.

Monumental Sports & Entertainment, owner of the teams and the arena, announced a partnership with sports betting operator William Hill US. The sportsbook will span multiple floors and be accessible to both non-ticketholders and ticketholders for certain events. Expected to open in 2020, the sportsbook will be open year-round and is accessible to the public from …

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FanDuel Owner to Become Largest Gambling Company in $6 Billion Deal, Targets U.S. Sports Betting Market

Flutter Entertainment PLC, the owner of Paddy Power and FanDuel, announced a $6 billion deal to purchase The Stars Group Inc. (TSG) and become the world’s largest online gambling company.

Flutter, an Irish gambling conglomerate, owns gambling websites Paddy Power and Betfair, in addition to sports betting websites FanDuel, Sportsbet, and TVG. Meanwhile, Canadian company TSG owns the world’s largest poker website, PokerStars, as well as BetStars and Full Tilt Poker.

The combined value of the companies is approximately $12 billion. Further, the combined …

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